Childminder in Wiltshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/07/2013 27/09/2010

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early years provision

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

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This provision is outstanding

 The childminder provides a highly stimulating environment with child-accessible resources to challenge children both indoors and out.  Children rapidly form secure emotional attachments due to the childminder's sensitive and skilful interaction.  The childminder has an exceptionally good knowledge of the children and their families and works extremely successfully to engage parents and others in children's learning.  The childminder constantly seeks to improve her practice to maintain the highest standards and to successfully meet children's individual needs.  The childminder accurately assesses children's stage of development and the progress they make and she skilfully plans for their next steps in learning.

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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 activities in the playroom, dining area and garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of children's learning journals, the childminder's self-evaluation form and a selection of policies.  The inspector gave feedback to the childminder at the end of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2009. She lives with her husband and one school aged child in Andover, Hampshire. All of the home is used for childminding with play taking place mainly downstairs. There are upstairs toilet and sleeping facilities. There is an enclosed rear garden for outdoor play. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently nine children on roll, of these five are in the early years age group. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. She has a relevant qualification at level 3. The family has a pet cat, rabbit and a millipede.

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

 expand the opportunities for children to understand that print carries meaning, for example, by adding to the labelling in the environment.

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who attend

The childminder offers a stimulating environment and welcoming family home where children thrive. She has an excellent knowledge and understanding of how to support children's learning and development. She sensitively and skilfully engages children as they play, making the best of every learning opportunity. Experiences for children are varied and exciting and enable them individually to make outstanding progress. Children are eager to learn, explore and investigate. They are able to build on what they already know and can do as the childminder provides increasing challenges in their play. This high quality play helps the children become exceptionally well prepared for the next stage in their learning. The childminder supports children's move to school by ensuring that they are proficient in managing their personal care. They learn about going to school through reading books borrowed from the library and use a specific interactive book that helps

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who attend

them learn to fasten buttons, tie laces and do up zips.

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who attend

The childminder makes sure activities reflect children's interests and experiences. For example, to support children whose parents are serving overseas in the armed forces, the childminder has attended a 'Military Matters' course and she reads books about parents working as soldiers to the children. Children look at a map in the play room that shows where they are and where their parents are in the world and they make cards and pictures to take to the post office to send to them. The childminder promotes equality and diversity in a way that is meaningful to children, for example, by using toys, activities and books. Children make Diwali lights using a range of textured materials and engage in an excellent range of activities that support different national charities. For example, they made teddy bear biscuits with spotty eye patches, and poppy wreaths. They had great fun decorating small pots with their own unique designs and planted daffodils in them. These activities

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who attend

and experiences help children to develop awareness of the wider world and the needs of others.

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who attend

Children enjoy a full range of creative and messy play opportunities. They explore a range of textures and use different equipment and techniques to express themselves in different ways. They confidently count conkers and roll them in paint to create patterns. They identify the colours of leaves they use for collages and experiment with a range of brushes, sponges and prints. Children enjoy playing with jelly, ice cubes and rice. They frequently enjoy cooking with the childminder. This develops their mathematical thinking through pouring, measuring and mixing the ingredients and the childminder uses numbers and shapes in activities as children play. Children count the number of squirrels they see on their walks and on a train ride to Salisbury they looked for different shapes along the way. The childminder chats with the children and uses open questions to help develop their language skills. The childminder displays artwork to provide children with a sense of

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who attend

pride and belonging. Books are easily accessible and are used as a source of knowledge and for pleasure. Children learn to sound out letters to make words and there are some labels and posters displayed in the play room. However, while the childminder makes good use of print in some areas, the use of labelling and large print is not consistent throughout. This means the opportunities for children to learn that print carries meaning are not fully exploited. Children benefit from plenty of daily fresh air, exercise and opportunities to learn in the garden, the park, walking to and from school and on special visits, such as to the zoo and the farm.

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

Children thrive in this extremely well organised and resourced indoor and outdoor environment. Children easily select from the creatively organised rich, varied, quality resources. This means they develop high levels of independence and learn to make choices about the toys they wish to play with. There is a superb mix of child-led and adult- initiated activities that greatly enhance the learning of the children. Children play safely because the childminder identifies hazards extremely well and minimises these effectively. Their evident trust in the childminder is justified because their welfare is her first concern. Children learn about their own safety through regular discussions with the childminder and in play. For example, the childminder reminds the children to take care moving between the house and the garden. Children make traffic lights using tissue paper and paints. They discuss the sequence of changing colours of the traffic lights at crossings, what this means

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

and the action they need to take. They learn how to evacuate the home safely in the event of an emergency through regularly rehearsing fire drills. This helps them to develop a sense of responsibility for their own well-being.

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

Children are confident, articulate and self-assured. They behave very well. The childminder uses effective praise and encouragement frequently to promote children's self- esteem and a positive and enthusiastic attitude to learning. Children are valued as unique individuals and the childminder's passion for promoting the outcomes for all children is at the heart of her practice. These positive early experiences help children to flourish and to form sound relationships. All children and families are welcome and children's backgrounds and cultures are valued and respected. Children find out about their local community and learn social skills as they attend a variety of groups and meet up with other childminders and their minded children.

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

Children enjoy a range of activities, which help them to recognise the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. For example, they help choose fruit at the local fruit and vegetable shop. They take the basket and decide what they want to eat at snack time. They count the fruit as they place it into the basket and discuss the different shapes, sizes and colours of fruit and vegetables. Children learn about healthy eating as they eat an appropriate diet, provided by their parents, and discuss healthy choices. The childminder takes note of children's individual needs and follows babies and young children's familiar routines. The childminder regularly offers drinks to very young children, and older children may access drinks when they choose. This helps children to recognise their needs and learn good self- care skills. Children learn about good hygiene by following routines such as washing hands before eating. They relish the opportunity to move freely and comfortably between the

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

house and garden for daily fresh air and exercise. The garden is particularly well resourced and imaginatively laid out to encourage children to develop their physical skills. Children excitedly practise their mark making as they use the chalk boards on the fence. Large picture boards, representing various nursery rhymes and animated characters, are a huge talking point among the children. They are used effectively as a visual clue, for example, for singing activities.

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provision

The childminders' superb understanding of her responsibilities and excellent measures to safeguard children help to ensure children's safety at all times. She gives the utmost priority to ensuring that children's welfare is safeguarded. The childminder undertakes thorough risk assessments and is aware of how to keep children safe on outings. She keeps a record of visitors to her home. As a result, children feel extremely safe and secure and are ready to learn. All required documentation to effectively support children's safety and welfare is in place. Policies and procedures are detailed, carefully catalogued and regularly reviewed, so they reflect her practice and provision accurately. The childminder demonstrates an excellent commitment to continually improving her practice as she constantly seeks new ways to maintain children's excellent care and learning. She constantly reviews all areas of practice using feedback from parents and other early years

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provision

professionals to identify more successful ways of working. Children actively evaluate their activities by the use of a 'smiley face' grading system. The childminder is proactive in accessing training to increase her skills and knowledge.

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provision

The childminder establishes excellent partnerships with parents based on mutual respect. All parents receive comprehensive, regular information about their children's progress by a means helpful to them, such as texts, emails, photographs, diaries and daily chats. Regular updates from the childminder inform parents of forthcoming activities and topics. This means that parents are fully involved and can offer additional support to children's learning at home. Cards and questionnaires from parents state that they are exceptionally pleased with the service provided. They feel confident in the childminder's ability to care for and protect their children. The childminder has superb links with other Early Years Foundation Stage provisions that children attend. Working closely with these provisions helps ensure children move on smoothly and provides excellent continuity in children's care and learning.

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provision

The children's learning journals provide a clear picture of children's individual development and their next steps in learning. They are formatted in such a way that they are a superb keepsake for parents. From the outset, there is excellent assessment and monitoring of children's development and progress in relation to their starting points. This helps the childminder plan activities that are well targeted to meet children's needs efficiently. The childminder keeps assessments updated, providing a useful record of children's progress. Challenges for children are based on their individual interests so learning experiences are relevant to them. The childminder holds a regular review with parents. This includes the required progress check for two-year-olds and includes parents and others involved in the children's care. For example, the childminder shares knowledge with the health visitor and other childminders involved in the children's care on a 'need to know' basis. This helps to

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provision

promote consistency in welfare 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 EY401054 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 816174 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 9

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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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