Dodds Karen Claridge

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/07/2013 21/01/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children enjoy learning and are motivated and enthusiastic. This is because the childminder engages very well with children and skilfully covers all areas of learning with clarity and purpose. She focuses well on the three prime areas of learning for very young children and delivers activities in ways that have meaning to the children.  Children make good progress in their learning and development because the childminder undertakes purposeful observations of their achievements, accurately assesses each child's next steps in learning and focusses well on these through her interactions.

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It is not yet good because

 On one occasion the childminder potentially put children at risk by allowing her teenage daughter, who is not an assistant and has no paediatric first aid, to take the children to school and pre-school.  Children's sense of security, safety and well-being is not fully ensured at all times through consistently strong and robust practice.  The childminder has not yet established consistent information sharing with reception teachers. She is therefore unable to establish if there are ways in which she can help support children further to complement their school 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 had a tour of the premises and spoke with children.  The inspector observed children in the garden and the playroom.  The inspector and childminder completed a joint observation and discussed this.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with parents, sampled documents, policies and procedures, and looked at observations and assessments.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2000 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two teenage daughters aged 13 and 16 years in a house in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. All areas of the property are used for childminding, although this normally takes place on the ground floor. The rear garden is used for outdoor activities. The family has a rabbit and two guinea pigs as pets.

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Information about the setting

The childminder is a member of her local childminding group and attends a toddler group and activities at the local children's centre and library. She visits the shops and parks on a regular basis. She takes children to, and collects them from the local schools and pre- schools.

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Information about the setting

There are currently nine children on roll, five of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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must:

 acquire comprehensive knowledge of the use of assistants relating to age and ratios and ensure that this is applied at all times to ensure children's safety and well-being

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must:

 ensure at all times that any person who is deemed suitable to work as an assistant and who might be in sole charge of the children for any period of time holds a current first aid certificate to ensure children's safety and well-being.

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

 strengthen partnerships to ensure that children's learning and developmental needs are supported through a shared understanding that helps them to make consistently good progress, with specific reference to children in reception class.

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who attend

The childminder has good knowledge of the seven areas of learning and of how young children learn. She provides a wide range of well-planned activities that are stimulating and delivered well through effective teaching. She uses observational assessment purposefully to understand children's level of achievement and interests, and to identify learning priorities. She monitors and tracks children's progress consistently well to identify any gaps in their learning and to enable her to plan appropriate activities. This includes completing the Early Years Foundation Stage progress check at age two. As a result, the childminder knows the children very well and provides them with challenge in their learning. This ensures that children are motivated and eager to learn. Children make good progress in their learning and development and are actively engaged in things they enjoy.

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who attend

The childminder provides a good balance between adult-led, planned activities and joining in with play that children choose themselves. She places significant focus on promoting children's personal, social and emotional development, their language and communication and their physical development. She achieves this by consulting with children about what they would like to do so they are confident. They discuss what is taking place during activities and by doing so, children contribute their ideas, try new things and learn well from each other as well as from the guidance provided by the childminder. They are well prepared and, because of this, they learn with greater purpose. An example of this is an activity the childminder plans in the garden using water and various different containers. The children are very young and the intention of the childminder is to let children explore water, the feel of it, the temperature of it, how some things sink and others float, and

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who attend

how water can both pour and sprinkle. During this activity children really enjoy playing in the water tray and fill up and empty containers. The childminder shows the children how the water sprinkles through the containers with holes and lets them feel the sprinkles on their hands. They talk about if the water feels cold or warm and explore the difference between the objects that sink to the bottom and those that float. The childminder knows that the children are too young yet to fully understand these properties, but by introducing them to the children she is fuelling their curiosity to explore and is challenging their thinking well. This activity is also based on developing children's confidence with water and reducing any fears or anxieties about being splashed. The next step is for children to use their whole bodies in water when the childminder assembles her large pool for the children to develop water confidence and learn about water safety. Good progress is being

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who attend

made as one child who minded being splashed at the start of this activity showed no concern towards the end.

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who attend

Children are young yet but are beginning to recognise that there are different colours, shapes and numbers. The childminder engages children in many activities that promote their understanding of early mathematical concepts. For example, through singing songs, looking at books together, art and craft activities and through general conversations. Children spend lots of time outdoors either in the garden or being taken to places of interest. They have plenty of exercise and develop their physical skills well by climbing, running and playing outdoor games together. Further to this, they learn a great deal about nature as they participate in growing activities and help to care for the rabbit and guinea pigs. Children's attendance at various groups and children's centres enables them to develop their social skills and relationships with other children and adults. They engage in a further range of activities that include the specific areas of learning, such as counting

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who attend

games, arts and crafts and role play. Children visit the library to choose books and enjoy reading these with the childminder, which helps to develop their literacy skills. They have opportunities to draw and to develop their early writing skills, both indoors and outdoors. By the time children start school they are well equipped with the necessary skills they need.

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who attend

The childminder gathers purposeful information from parents when their child first starts and contributes this information to her own observations that she undertakes to assess children's starting points. She involves parents well in their child's learning and consults with them fully about how they can complement their child's learning at home. Verbal discussions, home-link diaries and the children's development folders provide feedback in relation to the children's care and learning. Parents contribute observations and experiences their child has at home, which the childminder uses well to include in her planning. She keeps parents very well informed about what she has planned for children so that parents can continue this at home, which helps to consolidate children's learning very well.

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

Children develop secure bonds with the childminder, which helps them to settle well. However, their security is not fully promoted as all aspects of their safety are not assured through consistently robust practice and supervision. Therefore their safety is not fully prioritised. The environment and resources are kept safe through routine safety checks, which enables children to explore and be active learners through making their own choices. Young children are taught to recognise dangers and how to manage risks safely. For example, young children learn to use outdoor equipment safely, to be safe around animals and to follow simple rules. The childminder provides clear and consistent messages about her expectations for children's behaviour. She is a positive role model who treats children with kindness and respect. Children play cooperatively together and develop their understanding of positive behaviour. They learn about sharing and taking

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

The childminder is attentive and makes children feel welcome. She has strong knowledge of the prime areas of learning and of how necessary these are for young children to build on. Through close liaison with parents, the childminder gains understanding of children's likes and dislikes, and individual routines. She plans her day effectively so that children enjoy their time with her as they engage in activities that make them happy. This promotes their confidence and their self-esteem and helps to ensure that they are emotionally equipped for their future transitions.

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

Children are well nourished with balanced meals and supplementary snacks so that they do not become hungry. The childminder operates a healthy eating policy and provides parents with clear guidance about how she achieves this and her expectations. She gathers appropriate information about children's preferences and any allergies or dietary needs they may have. Children sit together for meals in a family group, which promotes their social learning. They develop their self-care skills well as they learn to understand their personal needs and how to do these independently. The childminder makes sure that children have lots of outdoor play and walk to places of interest so that they get the fresh air and exercise they need to keep them healthy.

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provision

The childminder mainly has a secure knowledge of the safeguarding and welfare requirements and has all the required records, policies and procedures in place to support children's welfare. She has completed safeguarding training and understands the procedure to follow if she has concerns about the welfare of a child in her care. However, she has failed to comply with two welfare requirements. One that relates to staffing ratios and the use of assistants and the second that relates to the necessity for any person who is used as an assistant and who works alone with children for any amount of time to hold a local authority approved paediatric first aid qualification. On one occasion, the childminder agreed that her daughter who is aged 16 years could take three school-aged children to school and one child in the early years age group to pre-school. The childminder was unable to do this herself for a valid reason and agreed to this

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provision

arrangement in response to the requests made by parents. She assessed the risk to children and considered this minimal, however, she did not refer to the legal requirements or consult with Ofsted about this. This was an error on her behalf, which she fully realises. There was a potential risk to children's safety and well-being, although proportionally this is minimised as her daughter is well-known to the parents who requested this, she has been vetted and she is a mature 16-year-old. The childminder now has a full understanding of her duty to ensure that all persons who have sole charge of children for any period of time are fully suitable to do so. She ensures that all household members or those who have close, or regular contact with children are vetted for their suitability.

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provision

The childminder has implemented effective systems to help her monitor and plan for children's progress and this helps to ensure that any gaps in their learning are identified early and acted on. She places importance on developing her professional skills and knowledge to ensure the effectiveness of the teaching and learning that children receive. Since the last inspection the childminder has completed a behaviour management course as recommended. This has improved her knowledge of how to manage a wide range of behaviours. She has also undertaken a special educational needs coordinator course and achieved childminding accreditation. She reflects on her practice well and completes a detailed evaluation of the improvements she wishes to make to improve the provision for children. For example, she is booked to complete the level 2 safeguarding course, food hygiene and Makaton signing. She actively seeks the views of parents through feedback

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provision

letters and includes any contributions they make in her improvement plan. The childminder has established successful partnerships with parents who state that they are very happy with the care and learning that the childminder provides. One parent commented on how well her child has settled and how much progress has been made in a very short time. Partnerships with other pre-schools and nurseries that children attend are also firmly established, however less so once children start reception class in school. In most cases purposeful information is regularly shared and ensures that children receive consistency and continuity with the progress they make in their learning. This also contributes well to children's transitions. However, when children start in reception class the childminder is less proactive about gathering and sharing information. Therefore, she does not keep herself well informed about ways in which she can help support children's

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provision

learning in partnership with their teacher.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that at least one person who is caring for children has an appropriate first aid qualification to ensure children's welfare (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that any person aged under 18 caring for children is supervised at all times by a person who has attained the age of 18 to ensure children's welfare (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that at least one person who is caring for children has an appropriate first aid qualification to ensure children's welfare (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that any person aged under 18 caring for children is supervised at all times by a person who has attained the age of 18 to ensure children's welfare (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 257423 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 926176 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 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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