Childminder in Norfolk

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/07/2013 08/11/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2

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This provision is good

 The childminder has developed a good understanding of how to promote children's learning and development. In particular, she plans a wide range of activities and resources that support babies to make good progress in their physical development.  The childminder takes time to foster a highly secure attachment with each child. This enables children to develop a strong sense of belonging and to feel at ease and confident in their surroundings.  The childminder gives high regard to the safety of children. She conducts rigorous risk assessments to ensure children benefit from a very hygienic, safe and secure environment.  The childminder demonstrates a strong drive for continuous improvement and uses self-evaluation effectively to identify her strengths and weaknesses. As a result, she has made a number of positive improvements to the provision for children since the last inspection.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to enhance the opportunities for parents to be more actively involved in supporting their child's next steps in learning at home.

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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 children's activities in the childminder's lounge and kitchen.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of children's play with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at the children's assessment records, planning documentation, and some written policy documents.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2011. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her partner and two children aged six and 12 years in a house in Thetford, Norfolk. The whole of the property is used for childminding, with the exception of two bedrooms. Children also have occasional access to the childminder's garden for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The childminder visits the park with the children on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently seven children on roll, three of whom are in the early years age group. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language. She operates all year round from 5.30am to 7.30pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder 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:

 create further opportunities for parents to support their child's individual next steps in learning at home in order to enhance children's learning and development.

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who attend

The childminder is competent in her understanding of how children learn and develop. Since the last inspection, she has worked hard to improve the effectiveness of the arrangements for assessing children's progress. This means that she has a good grasp of each child's individual learning styles and interests, and can successfully identify any gaps in their development. The childminder skilfully uses this information to plan a wide range of activities that offer plenty of challenge to move children on in their learning. This approach is particularly effective in meeting the needs of babies because the childminder adapts the environment, resources and her interactions to fully meet their needs. For example, space is fully maximised in the childminder's lounge to create scope for babies to develop strong physical skills in crawling and pulling themselves up to stand. Furthermore, a mat placed on the floor provides babies with a colourful, comfortable space to sit and

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who attend

engage in tasks that enhance their control in moving and handling smaller objects. For example, when the childminder demonstrates how to stack some cups, babies are keen to have a go for themselves and demonstrate strong coordination as they reach forward to put a cup on top of the tower. Children eagerly explore a wide range of toys featuring interesting lights, sounds, buttons and flaps. This means that they are developing their interest in discovering how things work and have a good awareness of how to operate different types of technology.

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who attend

From a young age, children's communication and language skills are well promoted. The childminder talks with babies and children throughout the day, introducing them to new vocabulary and encouraging their use of gestures. For example, babies learn to express their enjoyment of songs and rhymes by making high pitched sounds and clapping their hands. Several of the children currently attending the setting speak English as an additional language, and the childminder tends to educate them in their home language of Portuguese. However, she also has a strong grasp of English to enable her to support children in developing a good standard in spoken and written English. For example, while sharing toys with younger children, she repeats key animal names and encourages children to say 'hello' in both languages. This stands children in good stead for developing the skills they need in readiness for starting school. Children take outings in the local area

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who attend

where they learn about nature when feeding the ducks. In addition, older children show a growing interest in the numbers they see in their environment. For example, the childminder consolidates their mathematical skills by encouraging them to identify the numbers they see on different buses. She then extends their learning further by talking about the time the bus should arrive and encouraging them to work out when it is running late.

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who attend

Overall, the childminder fosters close partnership working with parents, ensuring they are given regular updates about their children's progress. For example, each child's assessment record is readily shared with parents, providing them with meaningful photographs of their child's achievements. Parents are encouraged to tell the childminder about any learning which has happened at home, helping her to gain a clearer picture of each child's stage of development. However, there is scope for the childminder to provide parents with more ideas and suggestions in order to assist them in supporting and extending their child's learning and development at home.

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

Children delight in spending time with the childminder because they are reassured and settled by her warm approach and the homely, child-friendly environment she provides. They establish genuinely strong relationships with the childminder and can often be seen sharing cuddles and dancing happily with her. Every child's transition from the home into her care is carefully managed through a gradual and flexible process for settling in. The childminder gathers a good amount of information from parents, using this to plan the children's preferred activities and routines to help them to settle easily during their first sessions. Through gentle praise and encouragement, children learn to behave well and to approach new experiences with confidence. For example, babies are keen to put their hands in paint for the first time because the childminder shows them that it is safe and fun. Children are encouraged to think about their own safety in a variety of ways. For

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

instance, babies are given clear safety messages as they are discouraged from climbing on the toy boxes, while older children talk about road safety when out and about. The childminder is proactive in supporting children's future move into new settings such as pre-school and school. She makes plans to attend local toddler groups and children's centre activities to promote opportunities for younger children to experience play in larger groups and develop their confidence in new situations. The childminder understands the importance of providing children with opportunities to be independent in their routines and everyday tasks. She gives children time to put on their own coats and shoes, and encourages them to pour drinks and prepare their own snacks. Consequently, children progress well in their personal, social and emotional development.

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

Children are actively supported to adopt aspects of a healthy lifestyle. They benefit from the childminder's skills in preparing fresh meals including wholesome vegetable soup with fish and chicken with pasta. The careful planning of food and drinks ensures that the dietary needs of all children are always consistently met. Children learn to recognise and manage their own needs as they help themselves to drinks when they are thirsty. Children's health also benefits from the childminder's practice in following strict hygiene routines. The environment is kept very clean, and procedures for nappy changing and hand washing are successful in limiting the spread of infection. Daily visits to the local park enhance opportunities for children to engage in plenty of exercise as they run around in the open space and take in the fresh air.

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provision

Children are consistently well protected whilst in the childminder's care. This is because the childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. She successfully implements a wide range of policies and procedures aimed at promoting children's health and safety. For example, she conducts a thorough daily risk assessment of her home, garden and outings to ensure any risks to children are fully minimised. Babies and younger children sleep safely and comfortably because the childminder is diligent in checking on them at regular intervals. The childminder fully understands her role and responsibilities in identifying any concerns about a child's welfare and reporting these to the relevant child protection agencies. Consequently, children are effectively protected from harm. Documentation, such as daily attendance registers, shows that the

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provision

childminder conscientiously meets the required adult to child ratios at all times. She is also particularly mindful to ensure the care of any older children does not impact on her ability to meet the needs of the younger children. Children's welfare is further promoted because all members of the household have completed the necessary checks to confirm their suitability to be in contact with children.

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provision

The childminder is keen to secure continuous improvement to the provision. Her commitment to promoting good outcomes for children is demonstrated through her strong drive to research good practice and make well-targeted improvements since the last inspection. For example, the childminder now uses observation much more purposefully in order to assess children's progress and plan more effectively for any gaps in their learning and development. The childminder proactively attends local childminding support meetings. These provide her with purposeful opportunities to reflect on her practice in discussion with other experienced childminders and to share good practice. This means that she can monitor the educational programmes effectively and ensure children continue to enjoy new activities that widen their learning experiences. For instance, the childminder has secure plans to increase the range of craft activities in order to support children's use

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provision

of different media and materials. The childminder welcomes verbal feedback and comments from parents and children, and willingly adapts the provision to embrace any suggestions and ideas they make. As a result, children's needs continue to be met successfully.

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provision

Overall, opportunities for partnership working with parents are well established and promote good continuity for children. For example, the childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to respecting parents' wishes in relation to their children's care routines. She is keen to promote further partnership working to benefit the children in her care, including opportunities to liaise with outside professionals, schools and other early years settings, should the need arise.

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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 EY426883 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 888788 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 7

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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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