Childminder in Barnet

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/05/2013 20/07/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 The childminder has an extremely effective system of observational assessment in place. This enables her to meet children's individual learning needs very well.  The childminder has an excellent working partnership with parents. She is proactive in encouraging their involvement in their children's learning.  The childminder's provision makes an exemplary contribution to children's well-being. Children show a strong sense of belonging and a keen enthusiasm for learning.  Children enjoy a wide range of interesting activities. They make good, and sometimes significant, progress, given their individual starting points.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not always take opportunities during play to extend children's skills in the area of mathematical development.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the children as they participated in play activities.  The inspector viewed a sample of the childminder's documentation.  The inspector talked with the childminder.  The inspector read letters from parents and took their comments into account.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2004. She lives with her husband and four children, of whom one is adult and three are school age. The family live in a house in Barnet in the London Borough of Barnet. They have two dogs, two cats and a rabbit, although the dogs are not generally at home during the day. The whole of the house is used for childminding purposes and there is a secure back garden which is used for outdoor play. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Currently the childminder has eight children on roll and, of these, six are in the early years age group.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 consider ways to make the most of opportunities during play to increase children's awareness of mathematical language and concepts.

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who attend

The childminder meets the needs of all children very effectively. She has a relaxed, friendly manner and this helps children to feel at ease. She engages with children by suggesting ideas for play, to which they respond with much enthusiasm. She makes certain that all children feel included, for example, by making sure that they have room around a box of toys or can see the pictures in a book. She makes good use of opportunities to challenge children in their thinking. For instance, she asks children to predict what will happen in a story or to complete familiar sentences. She then reinforces children's learning, by commenting on the outcome, so that children are reassured in their responses.

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who attend

The childminder caters well for children's differing needs in relation to accessing learning. For example, she is aware that very young children have short concentration spans so offers a variety of interesting choices. She makes sure there are sufficient resources for children when they play together in groups, as well as space for children to explore independently. She continually motivates children through her involvement in their play. She gently coerces and supports children, engaging them in conversation. In this way she encourages children to develop an open attitude towards different learning experiences.

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who attend

The childminder is imaginative in talking with children, helping them to develop their communication and language skills. She interacts at their level and maintains good eye contact so that children build confidence. She often sings rhymes and songs spontaneously. These enhance children's enjoyment greatly, for example, when they are playing on rocking toys or jumping on a trampoline. They also help children to become more aware of sound and rhythm. Younger children copy her words as she reads stories and talks about pictures. Older children gain sufficient confidence to hold a conversation.

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who attend

The childminder helps children to develop an understanding of the world through exploration and investigation. For example, she provides a collection of toy 'minibeasts' in soil and shows children how to make 'butterfly paintings' to extend their knowledge of the natural environment. Children have fun playing with water, finding out how to work a tap with the childminder's help so that they can fill, empty and pour using different containers. The childminder extends children's vocabulary as she uses new words to label and describe things during their play. For example, children learn the names of play people and the sounds of animals. However, she does not always make the most of opportunities to increase their awareness of mathematical language or to encourage counting and comparing as they play.

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who attend

The childminder's focus on developing children's confidence and communication helps to prepare them well for their future learning at school. Furthermore, she offers various opportunities for children to develop their physical skills, especially through the imaginative use of a variety of outdoor equipment. Children learn to travel, climb and balance in different ways. They especially enjoy bouncing on a large trampoline and attempting to walk across a low plank without falling off. They use their legs and feet well to push themselves on rockers. Overall children become very confident and often exceed their expected levels of attainment in physical development.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children feel very much at home with the childminder. They are fully aware of what she expects of them and are extremely well behaved. She has created a stimulating play environment with a huge collection of interesting resources. She makes very good use of the space in her garden to provide different learning experiences, for example, water play, construction, balancing equipment and balls. Children delight in the various choices on offer both indoors and outside. The childminder reaffirms children in their choice of activity, thereby giving them self-confidence and promoting their independence.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children show respect for the needs of others. They share fairly and take turns, for example, when watering the flowers in the garden. The childminder maintains a calm atmosphere in which children can focus on their play. Children feel free to become absorbed in their own play or to join others in a group. The childminder is particularly skilled at maintaining a happy and lively play environment. She spends her time playing with the children, talking or singing with them to enhance their enjoyment. This encourages children to feel emotionally secure and also to learn to play harmoniously with others. As a result children settle extremely well and develop very good social skills. Children feel very safe in the setting because the childminder is always involved in their play. She follows their lead and makes sure that they keep safe while they learn. Children approach her with confidence. They have much fun together as a group, for example,

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

when playing musical instruments and singing songs. Children learn to assess risks for themselves so that they gain an understanding of potential dangers. For instance, in the garden they climb carefully on to the balancing plank before making sure they are happy to take on the challenge of walking along it. They understand that they must not wander around at snack time but sit still on the sofa with the childminder.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The childminder excels in her ability to promote children's learning through play while maintaining full control of the group. She teaches children to listen and respond appropriately to her instructions and to develop personal independence so that they are responsible contributors to the group. For example, children sit quietly drawing and colouring while waiting for their lunch. They eat independently with just a little help from the childminder for the youngest children. They understand the need to return indoors at times when the weather is very hot. They focus exceptionally well on their chosen tasks, for instance, when searching a box for special play figures.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The childminder encourages children to adopt healthy lifestyles by giving them healthy and nutritious meals alongside plenty of outdoor play. Children enjoy well-balanced meals and eat a variety of fruit and vegetables. The childminder boosts children's self-esteem through much praise for their achievements. She takes them on visits to play groups, and a children's centre, where they mix with other children and join in a variety of play activities. She makes sure that one day a week is kept for activities at home so that children have the chance to play independently if they wish and to build on their learning at the groups. This helps children to benefit from a broad range of meaningful learning experiences.

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provision

The childminder is extremely well organised. Her documentation provides a very effective foundation for her practice. She has good procedures in place to promote the safeguarding of children in her care. She ensures that all adults living in the house are vetted for their suitability. She carries out risk assessments and reviews these regularly, noting any further actions that need to be taken to minimise potential risks. She is confident in her knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues. She knows what to do, and who to contact, if she has any concerns relating to child protection. She is vigilant concerning children's safety and supervises them closely at all times.

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provision

The childminder monitors children's progress in different ways through the use of closely linked methods of observational assessment. She creates individual learning journey books using annotated photographs of children participating in different learning experiences. These are individualised by adding appropriate comments, which enhance parents' enjoyment as they view the books. Additionally the childminder collects starting points for each child so that she knows where to start from in order to move them on in their learning. She writes regular summary reports to explain how children are getting on in each area of learning. As a result she is fully aware of each child's learning needs and knows exactly what she needs to do to help them develop further.

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provision

The childminder has a strong partnership with parents. She prioritises regular feedback to parents and uses different methods of communication to facilitate this. For example, she talks with parents, as well as exchanging information in writing in daily diaries. She actively encourages parents to contribute to the diaries so she is aware of anything of importance happening at home. She shares children's learning journey books and summary reports with parents, inviting them to make comments about children's learning at home. Parents are enthusiastic about the care their children receive. Amongst their many positive comments they describe the childminder's caring nature, her close bonds with children, the nurturing environment she creates and the ways in which she promotes children's independence.

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provision

The childminder maintains a good capacity for continual improvement. She attends training courses whenever possible and makes the most of opportunities to talk with other childminders when visiting the children's centre. She seeks advice from early years professionals. She is particularly skilled at adopting ideas for use in her own home, for example, offering children interesting opportunities to find out more about living things, such as butterflies. Since her previous inspection she has focused on developing her systems for supporting children in their learning. She is keen to further develop her practice in a number of ways, both practically in her home and through the development of her own skills. Her continual striving towards improvement results in better outcomes for all children.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY289895 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 847314 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 8

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Telephone number

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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