Childminder in Worcestershire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/05/2013 27/10/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 3 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 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children make choices from a suitable range of age-appropriate toys and resources which contribute to them making satisfactory progress in their learning and development.  Children benefit from plenty of experiences outdoors. They learn to care for animals and plants, and develop an understanding of the natural world that they live in.  Children benefit from the relationships that the childminder has established with their parents and families. This helps ensure that children are settled and secure.

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It is not yet good because

 Information gathered about children's learning and development is not consistently used to plan what they need to learn next to ensure they make good progress towards the early learning goals.  There are limited resources and activities to support children in being positive about other children's diverse backgrounds and abilities.  Self-evaluation is not always used effectively to help identify strengths and weaknesses or set challenging targets for future improvement.

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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 spoke with the childminder throughout the inspection regarding the care provided and activities on offer.  The inspector interacted with children and observed them during their play.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a tour of the premises and viewed the equipment and resources available to the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journey records and a sample of policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2007 and is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband on a small holding situated in a rural village on the edge of Alfrick, which is between Bromyard, Malvern and Worcester. Part of the ground floor of the property is used for childminding, which includes bathroom facilities. There is a garden available for outside play and children have supervised access to the many acres of land that the childminder owns. The family has two dogs and two cats. There are also horses, a pony, sheep and chickens kept in the nearby fields.

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Information about the setting

The childminder is able to collect children from the local schools. There are currently four children on roll, all of whom are within the early years age group and attend on a part- time basis. The childminder operates all year round from 8.30am to 6pm on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, except for Bank Holidays.

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must:

 improve the planning of activities by using the completed observations and assessments of what children can do more effectively to consistently identify the next steps in their learning, to ensure they make good progress towards the early learning goals.

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

 extend the range of toys and resources which represent children's diverse backgrounds to help develop their awareness of people with disabilities and other cultures

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

 improve self-evaluation to help strengthen the links between identified priorities and plans for improvement that support children's achievements over time.

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who attend

The childminder has an appropriate knowledge of the prime and specific areas of learning. She consults with parents during settling-in time to ensure that she is aware of children's interests. She plans a variety of indoor and outdoor activities and makes some notes as she observes children during their play. However, the information gathered from the observations about what children need to learn next is not used to effectively plan the range of activities for the children to help them make as much progress as they can. In addition, the childminder does not review her planning to ensure that the activities she provides for the children are effectively supporting their learning across all areas. She does provide photographs and shares the children's learning journey records with parents to keep them informed of their child's activities and progress. She is aware of the requirements for the progress check at age two and has begun to prepare systems to

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who attend

complete this appropriately. This means the childminder and parents can support children's learning in the setting and at home. As a result, children are satisfactorily gaining the key skills they need in their learning to be ready for school.

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who attend

In spite of the weaknesses in linking observations to planning the children happily make choices about their play and are keen to involve the childminder. This enables them to make progress in their personal, social and emotional development. Children are interested in books and the childminder reads familiar stories and provides appropriate resources, for example, the children enjoy looking at magazines and encyclopaedias about farm vehicles. The childminder uses these opportunities effectively to help extend children's vocabulary. For example, children understand words, such as 'excavator', and can name the different models of tractors. This helps develop their communication and language skills.

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who attend

The childminder understands generally how children learn through everyday activities and children's understanding of simple problem solving is encouraged by the childminder. For example, children complete puzzles, match magnetic letters and numbers and know how to use an abacus to aid them in their counting. Children enjoy using their imagination during role play and regularly join in a variety of craft activities, such as baking, painting and collage. These opportunities enable children to express themselves creatively. They make marks using crayons, felt-tip pens and paint, and often take their work home to share with their families. This encourages parents to be involved in their child's learning.

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who attend

Lots of opportunities are provided for children to enjoy exploring and playing in the outdoor environment. They have fun looking for bugs and insects and know how to use a magnifying glass. They help feed the childminder's chickens and go for regular walks to see the other animals in the nearby fields. They grow and tend to vegetables, such as, courgettes, lettuces, potatoes and beans and help pick apples and plums. They have also observed hops being harvested in the neighbouring field. This helps promote children's understanding of the natural world they live in. However, the childminder does not routinely promote their awareness of other people with disabilities and cultural differences. This is because there are limited resources available that help promote positive images of diversity.

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

Children benefit from the childminder's caring nature; she is attentive towards their needs. As a result, they are happy and settled and have formed secure relationships. Through appropriate settling-in arrangements, the childminder is able to obtain useful information from parents about their child's care routine. This enables her to meet children's individual needs and ensures that the transition from home to the setting is as smooth as possible for each child. Children are valued and the childminder helps them to feel good about themselves by frequently providing praise and encouragement. She leads by example and encourages children to share, take turns and use their manners. She also provides stickers as a means of reward for their efforts and achievements. This helps children to learn about appropriate behaviour and promotes their confidence and self-esteem.

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

Children make independent choices about their play and use a variety of age-appropriate toys and resources which are suitably organised. Children have regular opportunities to engage in outdoor play, and learn how to safely use the larger play equipment. They love to run around the nearby fields and frequently visit the local shop, nearby farms and toddler group. These opportunities help support children's overall physical well-being and develop their social skills in preparation for later transitions to nursery and school.

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

The childminder encourages children to learn about keeping themselves and other living things safe. For example, when on outings she explains the dangers of a landslide and that all gates in the countryside must be closed to ensure animals are kept safe. Children are beginning to understand that they must wear a safety helmet and why they need to when riding the pony. Children are familiar with the hygiene routines and know to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Children learn about eating healthy and talk about where food comes from. Food provided by parents is stored appropriately to ensure children's well-being is protected, and fresh drinks are available at all times. The childminder is aware of children's individual dietary needs and ensures these are met.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates an appropriate knowledge of child protection procedures and is aware of her responsibilities to protect the children in her care. She has attended safeguard training and keeps a list of appropriate contact numbers to use, should she need to refer any concerns. The childminder assesses potential risks to children and has put procedures and practices in place to minimise these. She ensures that children are always supervised and their welfare is supported.

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provision

The childminder has a suitable awareness of the learning and development requirements and demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement. She works closely with the local authority advisory worker and, as a result, has made some improvements since the last inspection. For example, she has increased the range of technology equipment to include a laptop, remote control cars and a cash register. This helps develop children's understanding of how things work. However, self-evaluation is in its infancy and is not entirely effective in identifying all strengths and areas for improvement to ensure continued and systematic progress in the future.

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provision

The childminder works in partnership with the children's families and shares information daily about the children's care routines, activities and progress. A number of policies and procedures, including accident and medication, are made available. These keep parents informed about the setting and ensure children's welfare is protected. The childminder recognises the importance of working in partnership with other early years providers. She has established links with the local toddler and church group in order to ensure continuity in children's 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 EY362155 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 821041 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4

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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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