Childminder in Leicestershire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/06/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children are making good progress in their learning and development due to the childminder's astute observations and assessments, and effective use of these to inform planning.  The childminder positively engages with children through daily routines and in their chosen play. This promotes their communication and language and supports them to develop their critical thinking skills.  Children have formed trusting relationships with the childminder. They are happy, settled and secure in her care and as a result, show high levels of self-confidence.  Partnerships with parents, pre-school and school are strong. The constant exchange of robust information complements and consolidates children's learning and development and ensures continuity of care.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to build on children's experiences within the local and wider community to further support their understanding of the world.  There is scope to improve the already good standards of hygiene to further enhance children's understanding of how to minimise the risk of cross-contamination.

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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 conducted a tour of the premises and viewed the equipment and resources available for the children.  The inspector observed children's activities in the main indoor play areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder, children and parents at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector looked at planning documentation and children's assessment records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the childminder's attendance at required training and a selection of policies and children's records.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2012 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her family including her two children aged one and five years, in a house in Asfordby, Leicestershire. The whole of the ground floor, the first floor bathroom and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has a pet cat. The childminder collects children from the local schools and pre-schools.

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Information about the setting

There are currently five children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder mainly operates during school term times, during school hours. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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

 increase the variety of already good opportunities for children to develop their understanding of the world, for example, by undertaking more frequent visits within the local and wider community

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

 strengthen the already good standards of hygiene, for example, by providing each child with their own towel to dry their hands.

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who attend

The childminder demonstrates a good understanding of how children learn and develop. She provides a wide selection of good quality toys and play materials which children freely access and which support their progress across all areas of their learning. She spends her time playing and interacting with children, encouraging them to make their own choices and to think about what they want to do and how they are going to do it. As a result, children are becoming confident learners. She undertakes well-focused, regular and accurate observations of the children and completes precise assessments of their abilities. These are used effectively to plan for each child's individual next steps in their learning. Activities are, therefore, tailored to children's individual needs and as a result, they make good progress. Assessments are effectively used to monitor and track children's continued progress to ensure that they are developing in line with expectations. This means that any

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who attend

emerging concerns are swiftly identified.

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who attend

The childminder skilfully incorporates learning opportunities into daily routines. When children choose to help prepare lunch, she presents challenges to promote their manipulative and mathematical skills. For example, they carefully spread and cut with knives, talk about shape and size of foods and count pieces of vegetables and sandwiches. She effectively fosters children's communication skills by engaging them in ongoing conversation. She ensures they have thinking time to formulate replies to questions, consider choices and to work out what they want to say. She shows an active interest in what they say, such as, when they initiate a discussion relating to their family's recent addition of pet rats. As a result, children are confident communicators. Children particularly enjoy playing with small world toys, such as the train set. The childminder provides effective support so that children experiment with designs and explore how

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who attend

things work. For example, she encourages them to think about how they can use different pieces of track and to work out different ways for the trains to move. Children also gain an understanding of the world through opportunities such as planting and growing. However, they less frequently visit different parts of the local and wider communities in order to enhance this even further.

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who attend

The childminder has positive relationships with parents. They provide information about what children can do when they first begin attending. This means that the childminder swiftly establishes starting points for children's learning. She shares information on a daily basis, making sure that parents are fully informed about what their children have been doing and their achievements. She seeks information about what children are learning at home so that she can continue and extend this in her provision. This ongoing exchange of information means there is consistency and continuity for children as they move between their own, and the childminder's home. The childminder has established effective channels of communication with teaching staff in the local school and is fully aware of their expectations of the children. She provides tailored support for children so they have the necessary skills and knowledge which helps them when they start school.

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

The childminder develops a close relationship with each child in her care and makes them feel very welcome. Good settling-in procedures, which include gathering detailed information from parents, help to ensure that the transition for children from their home to the childminder's care is smooth. The childminder is warm and caring and as a result, children are happy and settled in her care. They interact with her comfortably and show high levels of confidence. For example, they engage with her in comfortable conversation and state their needs and wishes with assurance. She provides high levels of attention, so they behave very well. This is encouraged further by the effective strategies she uses to promote positive behaviour. These include praise and rewards and ensuring that children are offered choices whenever possible, for example, relating to their meals and choosing toys. The home is comfortable and welcoming. Toys are visible and accessible so children can

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

make informed choices about what they want to play with. Good use of space means that there is ample room for them to play and explore, with quiet areas to rest and relax if they choose. The childminder supports children to lead healthy lifestyles. She provides meals which are balanced and nutritious, encouraging them to eat fresh fruit and vegetables as part of every meal. Children follow good personal hygiene routines, such as those related to hand washing. This helps to minimise the risk of spreading infection. However, these routines are not robust because children do not have their own towel to dry their hands. The childminder organises daily routines to include times outdoors for fresh air and physical activity to support children's general well-being. She develops strong partnerships with parents and other providers. This means she knows what children have been doing when they are not with her, and ensures they have a good balance of experiences

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

throughout their day. For example, children who are recovering from illness and have had a busy morning at pre-school, are able to have quieter, more relaxing experiences in the childminder's home, in the afternoon.

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provision

The childminder effectively promotes children's welfare. She demonstrates a good understanding of her responsibilities about child protection and has attended relevant training to support this. Her responsibilities are reflected in her clear written procedures which are shared with parents on admission. She has undertaken a comprehensive risk assessment of her home and carries out daily checks of all areas, prior to children's arrival, to ensure that the environment, toys and equipment are safe. There are effective systems in place to ensure that checks that are required on a less frequent basis are routinely scheduled. There is a wide range of policies and procedures which help to promote children's safety and well-being. For example, there are clear procedures about how to make a complaint and what happens if a child is not collected.

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provision

The childminder is a newly registered provider and has made a very strong start to developing her childminding provision. She has established a useful self-evaluation system which incorporates the views of parents and children and takes into account all aspects of her service. She demonstrates a good awareness of her strengths and areas for improvement and there is a clear action plan in place to take these forward. The childminder effectively monitors children's developmental progress. She has developed highly effective documentation which enables her to monitor this closely and clearly shows children's strengths and any emerging concerns.

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provision

The childminder builds positive relationships with parents. She gathers useful information from them at the outset to establish a clear picture of their needs and level of ability. This enables her to provide high levels of care and to plan experiences which build on what they already know. She shares information verbally as parents bring and collect their children and maintains a written weekly diary. This ensures that information is shared and parents have full details about children's care routines and what they have been doing in her care. The childminder has developed highly effective partnerships with other settings which children also attend, such as the local pre-school and school. There are very good systems in place for sharing information on an ongoing basis which means that there is consistency for children in relation to their care and learning.

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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 EY456652 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 896507 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 4 Number of children on roll 5

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection not applicable

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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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