Childminder in DarlingtonOfsted inspection, 21 Jun 2013

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/06/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children thrive in the setting and are very motivated and eager to learn and participate in an extensive range of activities. They show extremely high levels of confidence, enthusiasm, curiosity and imagination.  The childminder has an excellent knowledge of how children learn and provides a rich, varied and unique educational programme, with consistent and precise assessment for individual children. As a result, children make rapid progress in their learning and development, given their starting points.  Children have access to an extremely stimulating environment outside and inside which means that children enjoy an extensive range of activities to inspire and motivate them.  The childminder is proactive in her work with parents. She has established excellent partnership working, both in the children's home and in the setting and builds on the children's needs and interests from home effectively.

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This provision is outstanding

 Children have an excellent relationship with the childminder. They feel exceptionally safe and secure because of the extremely close relationship they have with her. Behaviour is managed in an inspirational manner. She ensures that children have clear and consistent boundaries in place to ensure that the individual needs of children are extremely well met.

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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 held discussions with the childminder at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to children and observed play and learning activities inside and outside the home.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to children and observed play and learning activities inside the home.  The inspector took into account feedback from parents.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2011 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her partner in a house in Darlington and uses the whole of the ground floor, bathroom and one bedroom and the rear garden for childminding.

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Information about the setting

The childminder attends a childminder group and the local children's centre. She visits the local 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 six children on roll, three are in the early years age group who attend for a variety of sessions and three are school-age children who attend before and after school. She is open all year round from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, except for family holidays

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

 reflect on and further develop ways to strengthen the already good relationships with other early years providers to ensure continuity of children's learning is extended and fully complemented.

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who attend

The childminder has an extremely secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She plans inspiring and highly motivating activities across the seven areas of learning that take into account the needs of the individual children in the setting. For example, children enjoy activities, such as jumping on the trampoline. The childminder adds various resources to extend the development of both physical and reasoning skill. She introduces balls of various sizes and encourages them to look at how they move and investigate why. Meticulous, ongoing observations and highly skilled intervention means that the childminder extends children's interests and explorations effectively. An example of this is when children become fascinated as they draw with candles and watch as they paint over to reveal the picture. As a result, children are highly motivated to learn across the seven areas of learning.

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who attend

The childminder has an excellent understanding of where children are in their learning because she uses extremely detailed information from parents and her own observations to establish their starting points. She completes extremely clear observations and completes rigorous assessments, which are linked to the Development matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance. Her observations show what children have achieved, what they enjoy doing and their next steps for learning. She plans stimulating activities for individual children, which are based on the learning needs identified in her observations. Information from school is used to feed into assessment too. This means that the childminder has an excellent understanding of where each child is in their learning and where they need further support. She works very well with schools to seek support when necessary and incorporate their individual targets into her planning. This ensures that

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who attend

there is optimal challenge for all children, so that they all make rapid progress in relation to their starting points.

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who attend

The childminder places a high priority on the development of children's communication. Children are extremely articulate as they talk to the childminder and other children about important events in their own lives using clear sentences. The childminder talks to the children constantly. She describes what they are doing, extends vocabulary and uses careful questions and simple phrases that are carefully matched to the level of understanding of the individual child. The childminder is very patient as she supports children's developing communication and praises all their efforts and as a result, children confidently attempt new phrases. Consequently, children learn new words and phrases rapidly. Children enjoy books and listening to stories. They talk about the pictures and opportunities to extend vocabulary are optimised. Story books are used to enhance all aspects of the childminder's provision and children enjoy looking at their favourite books.

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who attend

Therefore, children develop a love of books from an early age and are making excellent progress in communication and language. Children learn in a highly stimulating, literate environment, both indoors and outdoors. They see words clearly displayed next to pictures on the walls and doors indoors. Outside, children see words, such as 'bucket', bubbles' and 'spade' displayed alongside pictures and real objects. Resources inside are clearly labelled with pictures and words. This helps children to significantly enhance their understanding that words have meaning.

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who attend

The childminder uses counting throughout the day. Children are encouraged to collect resources for activities. For example, they collect aprons and paint pots for the children present. Activities, such as counting stacking cups introduces a range of positional language, and comparing sizes and shapes. Numbers and activities to promote counting are displayed at child height throughout the environment so that children have the opportunity to talk about and explore numbers. They are able to measure their height to see how they grow, and they start to recognise the numbers. As a result, children make very rapid progress in mathematics. Children learn about the world and conditions for growth as they grow their own plants and herbs in the garden. They discuss features of shells as they fill their own treasure pots. Children visit various places of interest to enhance children's understanding of the wider world further. This means that, children

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who attend

learn about the world around them and are given time to explore their own fascinations.

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who attend

Children take part in a wide range of activities to develop their physical skills. The youngest children enjoy manipulating the buggy up and down the steps in the garden with great skill. This means that, children have a variety of opportunities to develop their small muscle skills. Children enjoy using wheeled vehicles and the climbing frame outside and visits to the soft play centre or the nearby parks mean that children have plenty of opportunities to develop large and small muscle movements. The childminder has an excellent understanding of the importance of creative play and children take part in highly stimulating play opportunities. Children are extremely confident to express their own thoughts and ideas through creative play. They dress-up and use role play to re-enact everyday experiences, such as cooking and shopping. The childminder is dynamic in her support for role play as they go on bear hunts linked to the popular children's story of the

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who attend

little girl and three bears. They use information and communication technology to support this further. For example, young children use a mobile phone to talk to others and to 'see if mummy is at work'. Therefore, children have plenty of opportunities to express their thoughts and ideas through extensive creative play.

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who attend

The childminder has established excellent relationships with parents and ensures that her provision meets the needs of the families. Detailed verbal feedback, text messages and daily diaries means that parents know what their children have enjoyed that day. Parents contribute to the learning journal, through a monthly meeting, when the childminder and parents share information about children's progress. Parents make written comments in these files to link home and setting learning, which the childminder then complements and extends. As a result, the childminder has a very detailed picture of children's interests, both at home and in the setting. This helps her to plan effectively so that they are exceptionally well prepared for school and their future learning is secured.

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

The childminder has a superb relationship with the children. She is calm, patient and caring, and children clearly enjoy their time with her. The childminder is highly skilled at recognising the needs of each individual child and intervenes appropriately with cuddles and comforters when children show signs of being tired. Children enjoy cosy times together as they snuggle up to the childminder to read stories. Their behaviour is excellent as they are fully engaged in their activities. The childminder deploys various strategies to deal with challenging behaviour, with consideration of the individual needs of the child. These are discussed and agreed with parents and are reviewed on a weekly basis. Children design posters for acceptable behaviour in the setting, and create and review rules at regular intervals. This means that they are very aware of acceptable behaviour in the setting. They learn to play alongside each other and share resources. Highly effective

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

intervention means that children are encouraged to listen and take account of the needs of others in their play. For example, children are reminded that when they let children have a turn they will get a turn too. These skills prepare children extremely well for the next stage in their learning.

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

Children play in a highly stimulating and attractive, safe environment both indoors and outdoors. Clean, age-appropriate and well-maintained toys and equipment effectively support their overall well-being and care. Children's work is attractively displayed throughout the setting, which enhances their self-confidence and self-esteem. The environment promotes children's independence as resources are stored in boxes, or individual hooks inside and outside, which are easily accessible to the children. Children have places to hang their coats and put their wellington boots. This helps them to feel at home in the setting and enables them to access things independently. As a result, all children are extremely independent in the setting as they access resources and attempt to put on wellington boots and coats before going outside. Children enjoy spaces in the environment to be quiet and restful, busy or active. This means that the environment

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

meets the needs of all children extremely well. Children are kept very safe because the childminder reminds them patiently of what is expected of them. They have a very good understanding of how to keep themselves safe as they talk about risks with the childminder as they access the trampoline. They are encouraged to tidy up and understand the need to put things away before getting other resources out. Consequently, children can move safely around the setting.

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

The childminder promotes children's good health and self-care through routines and regular fresh air and exercise. For example, they play outside on a daily basis, visit the soft play centre or the park to feed the ducks. This helps children to develop an awareness of the importance of physical exercise. Children are encouraged to wash their hands before snack and after playing outside, and they know to wipe hands when they feel sticky after playing with paints. They understand the importance of teeth cleaning and talk about visits to the dentist and about healthy meals. Parents comment that children are encouraging parents to eat healthy meals at home. This means that, children have an excellent awareness of how they can keep themselves healthy.

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

The childminder has an extremely flexible settling-in programme. She offers short visits prior to parents taking up a place. Then she offers further visits with and without parents to encourage children to get used to her and the setting. The childminder obtains a very detailed picture of the child through highly comprehensive and well thought out entry profiles. This means that she knows how children prefer to go to sleep, favourite toys they have and any specific dietary needs. Extra visits and further discussions are arranged as necessary to ensure that all children settle well. For example, when siblings start the setting, she ensures that they are all valued as individuals and makes time for each child to feel special. This ensures that she has highly detailed early information about children's individual needs and personalities to ease their transition from home to her care. The childminder also helps children to settle into nursery easily too. She uses pictorial

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

timetables to talk about nursery routines with children prior to starting and arranges visits for the children to the nursery with and without her. As a result, children settle quickly into the nursery.

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provision

The childminder has an extremely secure understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the welfare and learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. There is a rich and varied programme of activities, which she reviews regularly with children and parents. This enables the children to make very rapid progress. Meticulous assessments matched to the Early Years Foundation Stage mean that the childminder knows where each child is. As a result, she is able to highlight gaps in children's learning and plan highly appropriate interventions to provide optimal challenge for each child.

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provision

Self-evaluation is excellent because the childminder use detailed self-evaluation, which effectively identifies what she does well and what she wants to improve. She uses questionnaires and feedback from parents, and children to evaluate and improve her provision. The childminder has clear areas for development, which parents and children actively contribute too. For example, parents and children were fully involved in the planning and redevelopment of the outdoor environment. Recent improvements, such as developing the outdoor environment and reorganising the playroom have had a very positive impact on the provision because it has significantly enhanced children's independence both inside and outside. The childminder is highly motivated to improve her practice. She has attended a wealth of training, which is clearly targeted at improving her practice and this has a profound impact on the care and education she provides. This

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provision

means the childminder has an excellent capacity to continually improve.

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provision

The childminder has an extremely secure understanding of safeguarding procedures. She has highly comprehensive policies that have been updated, which she shares with parents. The childminder has recently attended a safeguarding course and talks confidently about what she would do if she had a concern about a child in her care. She has an up-to-date list of people to contact if she needs advice. Her documentation is meticulously organised, easily accessible and underpins her practice extremely well. The childminder has an excellent awareness of her responsibilities when administering medication and treating minor accidents and holds a valid first-aid certificate. Children are kept safe inside and outside of the setting because ratios are adhered to at all times. For example, on outings, such as the school runs, and extremely detailed risk assessments are carried out daily. All visitors are signed in to the premises.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are superb and they comment that the childminder goes 'above and beyond'. They feel that their children are always extremely happy and settled and they have made excellent progress. Verbal feedback as well as electronic messaging and daily diaries and sheets mean that parents know what their children have been doing and how they can support them further. The childminder's relationship with local schools is good. She shares planning, and verbally shares children's progress with nursery to ensure continuity and cohesion. However, these relationships could be further enhanced to include sharing observations to input into the nursery profile.

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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 EY430042 Local authority Darlington Inspection number 886100 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 6

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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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