Childminder in Birmingham

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/07/2013 25/02/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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

 Overall, the childminder uses good methods to teach children because she asks open- ended questions to extend and support children's critical thinking. She gives clues to children to help them recall recent events, which supports their thinking.  Children form good attachments with the childminder. They receive one-to-one attention and bring in their favourite toys from home, which helps them to feel safe and secure and also supports their transition from home into the setting.  The childminder is keen to develop and further improve her service. She acts promptly on advice and attends regular training to enhance her knowledge, which further supports children's development. As a result, children continue to make good progress in their learning and development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children do not have a wide enough range of opportunities to recognise letters and write their names on a regular basis, which does not fully support their literacy skills.  There is scope to better enhance children's learning and development through further improving communication with other settings which they attend.

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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 the childminder engage in a range of indoor learning activities, play and daily care routines with the children.

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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 children's learning journals, documentation, and a selection of policies and procedures, which included safeguarding.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at areas on the ground floor, such as the kitchen, playroom and front room, and the garden.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2002 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with husband, adult child and one child aged 13 years in the Northfield area of Birmingham, close to shops, parks, schools and public transport links. The whole of the home is used for childminding, including the toilet on the first floor. Access to the property is via one step to the front of the property and three steps to access the back garden. The family has a pet dog.

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Information about the setting

There are currently eight children on roll, of whom three are in the early years age group. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder also cares for older children before and after school and in the school holidays. She operates all year round from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, except for family holidays.

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Information about the setting

The childminder attends a local childminding group on a daily basis. She takes children on visits to local tea rooms, shops and the park on a regular basis. The childminder collects children from local schools and the nursery. She has an early years qualification at level 3 is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years. She is an accredited childminder and part of the Children Come First Network.

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

 extend children's awareness of letters, for example, by supporting them in recognising and writing their own names more frequently

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

 strengthen the communication with other settings which children attend and encourage the sharing of information, in order to further enhance and complement children's learning and development.

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who attend

Children are enthusiastic and demonstrate a positive approach to learning due to the childminder's secure knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She is fully aware of the different ways in which children learn through play, and knows how to best support individual children and capture their interests. For example, children develop their vocabulary as they read books alone or to their teddy bear in the cosy tent, which gives them time to reflect and express themselves in a comfortable environment. The childminder attends a local pre-school group on a daily basis, where she plans activities with other childminders. She adapts her planning to suit the needs of individual children and extends learning from the group at home. As a result, children to make good progress in all areas of their learning, and also develop skills which will prepare them for the next stage in their learning.

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who attend

The childminder uses the 'Development matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage' guidance well to accurately track children's development and ensure they continue to make good progress in all areas of their learning. Effective systems for observation and assessment are in place, which informs future planning. For example, the childminder places photographs of children taking part in activities against the prime and specific areas of learning on the wall. This helps her to track children's development and identify any gaps in their learning. In addition to this, it also provides parents with further suggestions of how they can extend children's learning at home. Children develop their communication and language as they look at their favourite books with the childminder. She uses good methods to teach children, which include talking and asking questions to support and extend their thinking and learning. She gives them clues and encourages them to recall

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who attend

recent events, which supports their critical thinking.

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who attend

Children learn about numbers, colours and shapes as they play with puzzles and construction equipment. This is further extended as children visit the local tea room, where they make decisions about what they would like to eat. This also provides opportunities for children to solve simple problems as they work out how much money they need to pay for the food. Children make marks with crayons, felt pens and pencils, which support their skills in writing. They play with flash cards, which helps them learn about letters and sounds. Children know what letter their name starts with and can point these out in books. However, there is scope to enhance and extend on these skills by having more opportunities to write and recognise their names. Children have their favourite pictures on their coat pegs, but these are not labelled with their name to help them recognise this. Children develop a good range of physicals skills as they use a

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who attend

selection of wheeled toys in the garden with ease and confidence. They enjoy regular outings in the community to local parks where they feed the ducks and use a range of equipment which further enhances their skills and coordination.

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

Children develop secure bonds and strong attachments with the childminder. This is due to effective settling-in procedures and information gathered from parents about children's starting points and individual needs. Children bring in their favourite toys from home, which changes as they get older. For example, younger children start with a blanket and this changes to a soft toy. As a result, children feel secure and their growing needs are taken into consideration, which helps them to feel secure and supports a smooth transition from home into the childminder's care. Procedures to prepare children for school include supporting their independence and self-care skills, such as doing up their shoelaces. Children attending are regularly taken to pre-school groups, where they learn to form new relationships with both adults and other children, which further supports the transition to school.

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

Children learn about different feelings, such as happy, sad and angry, through stories. This supports their emotional development as they learn to play with other children and manage their feelings. Children receive regular praise and encouragement for good behaviour. The use of star charts and the 'thinking step' allows children to take time to reflect on their behaviour. A good range of freshly prepared meals and snacks contribute to a healthy lifestyle and meeting children's individual dietary needs. Children help themselves to drinks from the fridge, which supports their independence, and ask for fruit when they are hungry. Daily outings in the community mean that children benefit from regular fresh air and exercise. They enjoy walks in woodlands with the pet dog.

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

Children learn about being safe as they practise road safety. For example, they know that the green lights means 'go' and red means 'stop'. They talk about how a lady did not press the button to cross the road and how she could have got run over. This means children are developing a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe in their environment. There is a wide range of toys and equipment which provides good levels of challenge and interest to support children's learning in all areas. Toys are made accessible to promote choice, and children take these into lounge to play with them. This helps them to extend their learning where they feel comfortable.

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provision

The inspection took place following an allegation made against the childminder about safeguarding children. The childminder reported the allegation immediately to Ofsted and was questioned further by the police. No further action was taken by the police or Ofsted. The inspection found that the childminder promotes children's safety and follows procedures to notify Ofsted of any significant concerns. A safeguarding policy, which includes child protection, is in place and shared with parents so that they understand the childminder's role in protecting children from harm. The childminder has a good understanding of safeguarding procedures through attending regular training, which ensures she has an up-to-date knowledge of current practice to promote children's safety and welfare. Thorough risk assessments are in place for both the home and outings in the local community, which ensures children are protected and their welfare is promoted.

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provision

Good procedures are in place to keep children safe from persons who may not be vetted. For example, visitors are not left alone with the children and a full record is maintained in relation to all people visiting the home, and this further supports children's safety.

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provision

Parents receive both written and verbal information, which gives a summary of the activities their children have taken part in, as well as information about their learning and personal care. They have access to children's journals, and photographs of children taking part in activity are displayed in the playroom. This ensures parents are kept well informed of their children's progress. Children attend other settings which deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder talks to parents and reads letters from the school, which helps her to support children's learning. However, there is scope to further improve partnerships with the nursery class to enable the childminder to better extend and complement children's learning between the different settings they attend.

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provision

The childminder has good procedures to help monitor the educational programme and children's progress through regular observations and assessment. She collects parents' and children's views through regular discussions and questionnaires, which enables them to contribute in the process of improvement. Self-evaluation is strong and accurately identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the service. Plans for future are well targeted to promote continuous improvement. For example, following recent training the childminder has altered how she tracks children's progress in the seven areas of learning. This helps her to clearly identify any gaps in children's learning so they are able to continue to make good progress. The childminder works closely with other childminders and shares good practice, which supports her personal development. She is committed to further developing her practice through attending additional training. This further supports

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provision

her to acquire the necessary skills and experience to support young children to learn and develop to their full potential.

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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 EY221895 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 912101 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 8

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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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