Elliott Sharon

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31/07/2013 21/04/2009

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early years provision

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

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This provision is outstanding

 The childminder uses her extensive knowledge, skills and experience with full effect to make sure that children are continually challenged to reach the next stage in their learning and development. The choice of activities and resources is outstanding.  Children's social and emotional needs are exceptionally well-met by the childminder. Relationships are excellent, therefore, fostering a sense of belonging and ensuring that children are confident learners.  The partnerships with parents are highly effective. Information provided by parents enables the childminder to clearly identify starting points for learning and parents' views are highly valued. Consultation meetings are arranged regularly in order to share information and plan for children's learning.  The childminder supports children's communication and language development with full effect. She continually engages in conversation with children and promotes their

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This provision is outstanding

thinking and vocabulary because when questions are asked, they are open-ended and children are given plenty of time to respond.  Steps taken to safeguard children and promote their good health are comprehensive. The childminder identifies and successfully minimises potential risks to children. Her knowledge of the signs of abuse and her responsibilities to protect children ensures that children in her care are fully safeguarded.  Children's mathematical learning is promoted with full effect by the childminder as she supports their play activities. Children confidently use mathematical language, count and compare quantities, and talk about shapes and size.

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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 as children played in the ground floor playrooms and the outdoor play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's assessment records and planning, policies and procedures and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector took account of the views of parents.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2000. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder lives in Raunds, Northamptonshire with her husband and their two children aged 12 and seven years. She cares for children with an assistant. The ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding, except for the lounge and conservatory. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 14 children on roll, of these four are in the early years age group and two are aged over eight years. The childminder and her assistant walk with children to and from local schools. The childminder is a member of a Northamptonshire quality assurance scheme for childminders. She cares for children all year round, all day Monday to Friday.

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Information about the setting

The childminder and her assistant hold early years qualifications at level 3. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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

 further enhance children's literacy development, for example, by ensuring that print in the play environment is displayed in lower case letters as an example for their future writing and reading.

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who attend

Children make outstanding progress. They are extremely well-supported because the childminder has an excellent knowledge and understanding of how each child develops and learns. She challenges children with full effect to reach the next steps in their learning. Consequently, children are well-prepared with the skills they need in readiness for school. Comprehensive observation and assessment of children leads to planning for learning that is tailored to individual needs and interests. The childminder creates a stimulating learning environment and children show great confidence and curiosity as they take part in their chosen activities. Information provided by parents enables the childminder to clearly identify starting points for learning and parents' views are highly valued. Consultation meetings are held regularly in order to share information and plan for children's learning. The childminder is aware of the requirement to provide parents with a

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who attend

summary of the progress check at age two and completes this where necessary.

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who attend

Children are happy and motivated and the childminder constantly offers excellent support. They confidently choose from an excellent variety of activities and resources that are safe and meet their development needs exceptionally well. The childminder promotes children's language development extremely well as she supports their play. Children choose to play with a brand of foam that they can mould into different shapes. They talk about how big they can make their model and represent size with their hands. The childminder encourages children to describe how the foam feels and they copy the models that the childminder creates. Children confidently say that they have made a ball and they know that it looks like a circle. They spontaneously use mathematical language well as they talk about making 'a little ball' and a 'big, big, big, ginormous ball'. They make a few of these and the childminder asks them to decide which is the biggest. Children use very good

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who attend

manipulative skills as they mould and squeeze the foam. The childminder asks, 'can you remember how we make a worm?', and children skilfully roll the foam between their fingers. She asks what other favourite things they like to make. Children talk about spiders and know that they make a web. Children play with the balls that they have made. They ask the childminder if they can kick the ball, and she asks where they know they can play football. They respond confidently by saying, 'at the park'. Children again look at the size of the balls, put a small one on top of a larger one, and say that they have made a snowman. The childminder constantly ensures that children are never hurried for a response when she asks them open-ended questions. Consequently, children are given time to think about what they want to say and they are able to speak confidently and use full sentences.

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who attend

Children enjoy easy access to books at all times and they choose favourite ones for the childminder to read to them. Babies' sensory development is promoted well because they explore brightly coloured books that contain different textures and sounds. All toys are easily accessible to children because they are stored in boxes on low-level shelving. Children are able to see through the boxes, and to promote their literacy development the childminder has labelled them. However, children's learning with regard to future writing and reading is not fully maximised because print in the play environment is written in upper case letters. Children enjoy mark making when playing with resources, such as dough and paint, and writing materials are always easily accessible. The childminder promotes their skills very well because writing is included in different kinds of role play situations. For example, children take food orders in their restaurant and write shopping

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who attend

The outdoor play environment is constantly used effectively by the childminder to promote children's learning. They are currently growing sun flowers and they are measuring and comparing the different heights of their flowers. They talk about which ones are growing the fastest. Children play with large balancing scales and decide to use stones from the garden. Their mathematical learning is promoted with full effect by the childminder as she supports their play because children are encouraged to count, talk about which side of the scale is the highest and compare amounts in order for the scales to balance. Children are gaining knowledge of numerals because they play with toys such as inset puzzles that promote their learning effectively. When out walking they are encouraged to notice and talk about numbers on houses and registration numbers on cars. Children's physical development is promoted with full effect by the childminder. Manipulative skills are

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who attend

practised with use of a full range of safe small tools and toys.

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

Children's well-being is addressed exceptionally well by the childminder and parents are provided with clear detail on her practice in policies on safety, illness and accidents. Children's physical development is fostered with full effect. They are physically active each day and enjoy a full range of play activities equally in the indoor and outdoor play environment. Children develop confidence and skills with use of challenging large physical play equipment. The childminder ensures that the park is also regularly used so that children can run around and play ball games. Children enjoy moving their bodies to music and joining in with the actions to different songs. The childminder supports them well in understanding the importance of a healthy diet and managing their own hygiene and self- care needs. Dietary needs are met because these are fully discussed with parents, and the childminder ensures that food provided is healthy and nutritious. She uses her food

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

hygiene knowledge with full effect to protect children's good health. The childminder's superior practice ensures that children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they develop an awareness of the fire procedure because it is regularly practised and they learn how to cross the road safely.

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

Children are supported extremely well in the transition from home to the childminder's setting in a manner sensitive to their different needs and those of parents. This includes a gradual introduction into the childminder's care. Children are settled, happy and confident and relationships are excellent. They are extremely well-prepared for the transition to pre- school settings and reception class in school because at toddler groups they socialise with larger groups of people. Superb organisation of resources on low-level shelving encourages children's independence as they are able to choose and easily select resources for themselves. The childminder consistently meets the care needs of each child and responds sensitively to them as individuals. Children behave well and the childminder identifies the importance of positive reinforcement in order to boost their self-esteem. She promotes children's understanding of their differences and their similarities. For example,

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

by providing resources that reflect positive images, and by raising children's awareness of different traditions, customs and beliefs.

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provision

The childminder ensures that excellent measures are in place to promote children's health and safety. Necessary checks for all adults living and working on the premises have been completed and the childminder ensures that children are never left unsupervised with a person who has not been vetted. She is fully aware of her responsibilities with regard to supervising the children in her care. Superior systems are in place to protect children from abuse. The childminder makes sure that parents are aware of her clear safeguarding procedure and the Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Board procedures. She is fully aware of her responsibilities and keeps her child protection knowledge up-to-date. The childminder uses her early years knowledge, experience and skills effectively to continually monitor the educational programmes successfully. Consequently, she ensures that children's care and learning needs are fully addressed. The childminder is highly

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provision

successful in ensuring that all children make as much progress as they can in relation to their starting points. She continually reviews and seeks to improve her practice to ensure that she provides the best possible quality of care and education. To this end, she regular attends training to enhance her knowledge and skills and good practice ideas are shared between childminders when they meet at groups. The childminder welcomes advice and support from local authority development workers. She is part of the Northamptonshire Childminding Network quality assurance scheme and has met requirements to offer funded early learning for two-year-old children. The childminder's current priority for improvement is to review her questionnaire for parents to make the questions more open- ended. In this way she hopes to obtain a fully considered response from all parents to all of the questions asked. The choice of resources is extensive and toys are chosen for their

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provision

quality and durability as well as to meet children's needs extremely well at their different stages of development.

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provision

The information obtained from parents on their child's individual care and learning is outstanding and communication between the childminder and parents is excellent. They work together exceptionally well to meet these needs. The childminder seeks and welcomes parents' views on her provision in order to review and improve her practice. She does this verbally and through the implementation of her questionnaire. The childminder ensures that links with other early years providers are strong in order to ensure continuity of care and learning for children. Policies and procedures fully support the safe and efficient management of the provision and parents are aware of them. All documentation is exceptionally well-maintained.

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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 221469 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 931322 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 14

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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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