Childminder in Leicestershire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/06/2013 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

 The childminder develops warm and close relationships with children and implements familiar routines with care and affection. Consequently, children are effectively supported with the transition into her home and are happy, confident and relaxed.  Young children are developing good communication and language skills because the childminder provides good levels of interaction. She talks to children about what is happening, introduces new words and shows an interest in what they say.  The childminder effectively encourages children to be independent. This promotes their confidence and self-esteem, and means they develop good self-care skills.  Good communication with parents enables important information to be shared about children's individual needs and parents are kept informed and involved in their children's care and learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope for the childminder to review the organisation of the environment and access to activities in order to consistently support and increase younger children's involvement and concentration.  There is scope to improve the effectiveness of the self-evaluation in order to enhance the continuous improvement of the provision.

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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 at appropriate times throughout the observations.  The inspector looked at evidence of suitability and qualifications of the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of policies and children's records and the childminder's self-evaluation.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register, and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives in a house in Thurmaston, Leicestershire, with her partner and three children aged nine, 12 and 14 years. Children have access to the ground floor of the home and an enclosed garden. The childminder has three cats, a rabbit, a ferret and two guinea pigs.

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Information about the setting

The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local children's centre. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis and collects children from the local schools and pre-schools.

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Information about the setting

There are currently three children on roll, one of whom is in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays.

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

 review the organisation of the environment and access to both new and familiar activities in order to further support younger children's involvement and concentration

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

 enhance the evaluation process through careful analysis of practice so that it is clearly targeted to help children achieve the highest levels of achievement.

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who attend

The childminder has a secure understanding of how children learn through their play. She has worked closely with parents from the outset and ensures that she obtains as much information as possible in order for her to ascertain children's starting points. The childminder has implemented effective systems to enable her to observe and assess individual children. This helps her to ascertain what they can do and need to do next. She provides a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. The childminder has completed relevant assessments on two-year-old children and has successfully shared these with parents in order to support children's future learning.

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who attend

The environment is generally well planned so that children can access toys easily and the childminder is confident in responding to children when they take the lead. For example, a child's request to play with water is quickly accommodated and well supported by the childminder. However, at times the environment can become too busy, which results in younger children losing concentration. Therefore, on occasions, they become distracted and over stimulated as they flit rapidly from one thing to the next.

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who attend

Children's language is effectively fostered through ongoing conversations between the childminder and children as they play and during everyday routines. Young children are confident to talk with the childminder who listens carefully and values what they have to say. A good range of books are readily accessible to children, many of which show positive images of the wider world, contributing to children's understanding of difference. Children actively enjoy choosing their favourite stories and sharing them with the childminder who supports their interest well. The childminder introduces new vocabulary as they share a chosen book on animals. As they search for the picture of the 'frog', they find a 'cheetah' and 'snakes' and notice the similarity of the turtle and birds as they both 'come out of an egg'.

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who attend

Children regularly participate in activities that provide them with opportunities to learn about size, shape and volume. For example, they use containers of varying sizes in the sand and water tray, filling and emptying buckets with jugs. When they climb the steps of the slide the childminder encourages the children to count. This helps children to develop the key skills and critical thinking needed for their future learning in readiness for school. Children have regular opportunities to explore different media and be creative. For example, they use paint and glue to make collages and pictures. With increasing control they use, sponges and brushes to make marks on the paper. These are attractively displayed in the childminder's home, placed in children's files or taken home to share with parents. This contributes to children's sense of belonging and achievement.

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who attend

Children's understanding of the world is effectively promoted. The childminder provides resources, which reflect positive images of all children and makes good use of the outdoors so that children can investigate natural features. For example, together they look at the mound in the grass and how this is creating an uneven surface for the scooter. Children have access to information and communication technology apparatus and use tools from a box to 'fix' pieces of garden equipment. This contributes to their awareness of technology as they consider and explore how things work.

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

The welcoming feel to the home, and the warmth and friendliness of the childminder is evident. Consequently, children are relaxed and happy in the setting. They have close and positive relationships with the childminder, which demonstrates very secure attachments. For example, the childminder responds sensitively to children unsure of the visitor in the home. She successfully reassures them until they are secure in moving away from her to choose toys and equipment they would like to play with. The childminder takes care to ensure that she finds out all of the relevant information from parents about children's individual routines and care needs. She spends time getting to know the children and settling in sessions are agreed and reflective of individual needs. This supports strong bonds and smooth transition from their home and into her care.

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

The childminder has clear and realistic expectations of all children and carefully considers her responses to ensure that they are reflective of individual needs and levels of understanding. She ensures that she is a positive role model and is calm and sensitive in her approach. For example, she gently reminds them to remain seated at the table until they have finished what is in their mouths at lunchtime and that they must wear their shoes before playing outside. The childminder provides further opportunities to support children's personal, social and emotional development through everyday routines and activities. For example, she attends community groups with the children on a regular basis providing opportunities for them to meet and socialise with their peers in different surroundings.

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

Children learn how to keep themselves safe as the childminder reminds them that they must sit still on the chair in case they fall. They develop a good understanding of healthy lifestyles through daily routines and practices. The childminder ensures she follows good hygiene procedures and encourages children to do the same. For example, they wash their hands before eating and after touching the pets. Children show a strong desire to help with dressing and undressing and their personal care routines. This is effectively supported by the childminder who ensures that there is time and established routines to enable them to do this. This contributes to children's independence and self-care, and enhances the skills needed for their future learning. The childminder works well with parents in order to agree arrangements for providing meals and to discuss any individual dietary requirements. Meal times are a social occasion and children and the childminder sit

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

together chatting and sharing experiences. Children's independence is further supported as the childminder enables them to make choices of what they would like to eat and to feed themselves. Children's physical development is effectively promoted as they access a selection of wheeled toys and climbing equipment in the childminder's garden. They show their growing confidence and skill as they climb the steps of the slide and propel themselves forwards on scooters and trundle trikes. In addition, they enjoy trips to the local park and recreational areas where they can use a range of larger play equipment in a different environment.

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provision

The childminder provides a comfortable family environment for children and their welfare, care and safety are effectively promoted. This is because the childminder has taken positive steps to minimise potential hazards and keep children safe. She maintains clear risk assessments and conducts daily visual checks of the premises prior to the children arriving each day. The childminder remains vigilant and ensures children are closely supervised at all times. She has a secure understanding of child protection procedures and shares a commitment to report any concerns to the relevant agencies. The childminder has prepared a detailed safeguarding policy, which she shares with parents. All adults in the household are vetted, and the identity of visitors checked and records maintained.

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provision

The childminder has forged positive relationships with parents and regularly shares information about children's routines and care needs. She provides parents with a 'welcome pack', which contains detailed information about her service. Initial meetings with parents ensures that she has all the relevant information needed to support children, which includes their likes, interests and what they can do at home. In addition, individually planned settling-in sessions means that children quickly feel happy and secure. The childminder provides daily feedback to parents about children's care and welfare. She also informs them of activities that children have been engaged in during the day and how they can continue this at home. For example, after a recent planting activity the childminder provided extra seeds to take away. This supports parents and children in revisiting the activity together at home. Furthermore, parents have access to children's

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provision

individual developmental files and are encouraged to make comments on the contents. As a result, a two-way flow of information is maintained and parents are kept well informed of their children's progress. The childminder does not currently care for children that attend other early years settings. However, she demonstrates a secure understanding of the benefits of establishing effective partnerships. This is in order to promote continuity of care to support children's overall development and progress.

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provision

This is the childminder's first inspection since registration and she has made a solid start to her childminding business. She has successfully transferred skills learnt from her experiences of working in daycare settings to her home. The childminder attends local support groups and local authority training workshops and keeps up-to-date with relevant literature on the subject. The childminder demonstrates a professional and enthusiastic approach to her role and demonstrates a strong commitment to improvement. She has completed a self-evaluation to assist her in identifying her strengths and weaknesses and has begun to formulate an action plan. However, this is still in the early stages and does not fully reflect the views of parents. Consequently, there is scope to extend and improve this process further.

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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 EY450688 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 899583 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 3

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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

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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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