Childminder in Derby

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 30/07/2013 05/01/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children are happy and relaxed in the warm and welcoming environment that the childminder provides. This helps them settle quickly and enjoy their learning.  The childminder uses consistent and clear boundaries for children, who develop a good understanding of acceptable behaviour.  Strong relationships with parents build up through effective daily discussion. This helps the children's continuity of care and learning.

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It is not yet good because

 Assessments and observations of children's learning are not used efficiently to identify the next steps in their learning and to ensure they make good progress.  Monitoring is not robust enough to identify any gaps in children's learning or how the educational programme is delivered to ensure each child is fully challenged.  The childminder has yet to form a clear plan of how to achieve identified areas for improvement, in order to secure good quality care and education for the children.

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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 and spoke to the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children in their play, participating in focused activities, outside play and lunch time.  The inspector held a joint observation with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journal records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the childminder, her documentation and her policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1989 on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her two children aged 12 and 14 years in Derby City. The whole of ground floor of the childminder's home is used for childminding purposes and there is a garden for outside play. The childminder operates Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 5.30pm, all year round, apart from bank and family holidays.

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Information about the setting

There are currently seven children on roll, of whom three are in the early years age range. Children attend on a full- and part-time basis. The childminder takes and collects children from local schools. She has a level 3 childcare qualification and is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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must:

 ensure observations and assessments of each child's individual needs, interests and stage of development are used to identify and plan their next steps of learning, so that children make good progress.

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

 develop the monitoring process to ensure gaps in children's learning are effectively identified and the educational programme fully challenges each child

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

 develop further, effective processes for self-evaluation, in order to devise a clear and successful improvement plan to demonstrate how identified areas for development will support children's achievements over time.

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who attend

Children are happy and content in this childminder's home. The childminder understands that children learn best through play. She has a basic knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Parents provide information about their child's preferences, characteristics and capabilities before they start in the childminder's care. She uses this information to form her starting points for children's learning. As a result, she can provide activities of interest for them when they first start, consequently, children settle quickly into her home. The childminder provides a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities that stimulate children appropriately. She observes children while they play and assesses their progress, however, she does not use these to identify children's next steps or prioritise their learning. As a result, she is not always providing challenging activities for each child and

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who attend

their progress is satisfactory, overall, rather than good. Furthermore, the assessment process is not robust enough to enable her to accurately complete the progress check at age two. Overall, children are acquiring satisfactory skills, attitudes and dispositions to take them to their next stage of learning and ultimately ensure their readiness for school.

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who attend

The childminder talks to the parents daily and shares information about what children have been doing at pick up times. This contributes to the continuity of care for children and involves parents in their learning. She offers suggestions to help parents support children's learning at home, for example, reading stories or completing jigsaw puzzles. Communication with the parents provides the childminder with a reasonable awareness of any achievements the children make or new experiences they encounter at home.

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who attend

The childminder interacts warmly with children and gives them positive attention. She is enthusiastic and this motivates children to become active in their play, exploration and learning. Children are active learners and engage in the opportunities available to them with excitement and enjoyment. They maintain focus and pay attention to the childminder's suggestions. She encourages play and talks to the children constantly, expanding their communication and language skills appropriately. The childminder follows their lead in conversations and helps children expand on what they say. She asks children questions during their activities and models language to help them describe their experiences. For example, children play with the 'farm animals' and the farm. The childminder asks children about the animals and the sounds they make. She encourages children to repeat words to help them pronounce these correctly, which aids their

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who attend

Children are developing appropriate small muscle skills. They handle small puzzles with increasing skill. They also develop their understanding of how to use tools, such as, crayons, construction toys and paint brushes. One example of this is when the children use paint brushes and water and paint the fences using up and down movements. The childminder provides children with opportunities to make marks using chalks and crayons. They make circular movements and straight lines, which helps them to develop their small muscle skills further. Children access the garden daily to help develop their movement skills. Here, they ride sit-and-ride toys, balance and climb as they use the slide and learn how to use a variety of small equipment, such as bats and balls. Furthermore, the childminder regularly takes the children to local parks, where they can enjoy an additional selection of resources.

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who attend

Children find and handle books for themselves and enjoy the interaction with the childminder as they look at books together, snuggling on her lap. There is a wide provision of books and sound games to develop children's early literacy skills. Children also participate in regular trips to the library. They listen and eagerly join in with popular action songs and rhymes. These experiences and activities help children to understand about rhyming words and that books are pleasurable. The childminder ensures children develop a satisfactory awareness of numbers by singing nursery rhymes and counting during their play. For example, children use buckets and spades to scoop up the sand. They fill buckets to make sand castles. The childminder counts the sand castles with the children and refers to mathematical language, such as 'full and empty'. Activities, such as these, help children to develop an awareness of space, shape, position and numbers. Children

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who attend

are fascinated as they use pop up and press button toys, giggling as they watch the toys move. These opportunities aid young children to develop an understanding of early information and communication and technology skills. Older children use a toy computer and learn how to use the 'mouse' as they play games.

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who attend

Children play well together and support each other in their imaginative games. Older children enjoy dressing-up and acting out well-known stories, using their imaginative skills appropriately. They learn about nature through visits to the local woodland. Children have fun, socialise with others of their age and take part in messy play and creative activities at toddler group, as well as at the childminder's home. For example, they enjoy painting, playing with play dough and exploring different textures, such as shredded paper.

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

The childminder is sensitive to children's needs and has developed warm, affectionate attachments with them. Children enjoy close and trusting relationships with the childminder, which are developed over a period of time as they are gradually introduced to her home. Consequently, children feel confident to explore their surroundings within a loving and secure environment, which enables them to settle quickly and to become active in their play. Good settling-in times ensures the childminder can obtain information about children's backgrounds from their parents. This helps their smooth move from their home to the childminder's home. The childminder has built up effective links with other establishments where children attend. This helps prepare children well for their next stage of learning and aids their smooth move to either pre-school or school.

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

The childminder provides a safe environment and has simple rules in place to ensure children understand the need for safe play. Children behave well and learn social skills, such as sharing and taking turns. They learn good behaviour from the childminder's consistent approach to positive behaviour management. She praises and encourages them when they persevere at a task or achieve a result, for example, when they help tidy away the toys, or when they successfully complete a jigsaw puzzle. This process encourages their self-esteem successfully. Children develop independence and self-help skills well. They find their shoes when they are going out and younger children feed themselves from an early age. Furthermore, they are free to play and explore within the indoor and outdoor environment, which supports their development of confidence and independence.

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

The childminder keeps her home clean and tidy. She creates a stimulating environment where children choose what they want to play with and have resources that interest them. A broad range of toys are available that cover all areas of learning. Toys for younger children are on low shelves for easy access. Other toys are stored in clear or labelled boxes. The childminder displays children's work, which helps to provide a good sense of belonging.

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

The childminder follows effective hygiene routines. For example, she provides liquid soap and individual towels for drying hands. In the bathroom, there are posters to show children how to wash their hands effectively. Older children understand when and why they need to wash their hands. Children enjoy daily physical exercise in the garden area and they regularly visit the local parks, where they can get fresh air and be active. The childminder provides healthy snacks, usually containing fruit, salads and vegetables. Children enjoy nutritious home-cooked food, such as pasta made with home-made sauce and a dessert of fruit salad containing, bananas, strawberries, apples and grapes. They eat well and are encouraged to help themselves to fruit and use good manners, such as 'please' and 'thank you'. Children sit at the table to eat snack and meals and this supports the development of their social skills.

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

Children are learning how to keep themselves safe effectively, because the childminder provides gentle suggestions to help keep them safe. For example, she suggests they sit on the chair rather than stand and to hold onto the wall while walking down the steps into the garden. While on outings, children use the zebra crossing and wait for the 'green man' before crossing the road. They also part take in fire drills, which helps them to know how to keep safe in an emergency.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a sufficient knowledge and understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation. She clearly understands her role in child protection and has sufficient referral details in place should she have concerns about a child in her care. Children are kept safe and their well-being is promoted sufficiently. Her home is safe and secure and risk assessments help to identify and minimise hazards. The risk assessments are clear and show the hazards the childminder has identified and the precautions she has taken to keep the children safe. A suitable range of policies and procedures are in place to support children's welfare and these are made available for parents to see. The childminder maintains appropriate records for attendance, medication and fire evacuation drills, to adequately promote children's safety overall.

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provision

The childminder reflects on what she is good at and what she needs to develop next. She takes acceptable steps to improve the provision for the children by talking regularly with parents, local childminders and other early years professionals. The childminder shows an appropriate understanding of her strengths and weaknesses and she is beginning to address areas for improvement. For example, since the last inspection, she has sought advice and guidance to help improve her knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has also completed both her actions successfully and some of her recommendations. However, she has not yet developed a clear and targeted plan to demonstrate how these improvements will be addressed, in order that the provision for children improves. The childminder is monitoring her practice in a, mostly, satisfactory manner. For example, she is beginning to evaluate the play activities the children participate in. This has helped

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provision

her to plan better activities for the children. However, monitoring is not robust enough to plan for the next steps in children's learning or to show how the educational programme is delivered to ensure each child is fully challenged. The childminder continues to attend training events to update her knowledge and skills. For example, she has recently completed first aid training. To aid her professional development, she reads magazines and articles on childcare issues.

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provision

The childminder builds strong relationships with parents. She provides a flexible service and communicates with parents about their children's welfare needs. She has a positive relationship with parents and regularly shares information about children's routines and the activities they enjoy. The childminder understands the importance of working in partnership with other providers and sharing information if children attend more than one setting. She shares information about the children, so they can work in partnership to support their ongoing development. This helps provide continuity of care and learning for children.

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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 205879 Local authority Derby, City of Inspection number 818031 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 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

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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