Childminder in Oxfordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 30/07/2013 28/02/2013

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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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children make good progress because the childminder plans interesting activities for them, which motivate them to learn.  The childminder has high expectations of the children so that they behave well and share their toys with one another well.  The childminder provides a calm and friendly atmosphere so that children enjoy attending and feel secure.  The childminder works in very close partnership with parents who are extremely satisfied with the provision. They feel very well informed about their children's progress and development.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder has occasionally exceeded the permitted number of young children she minds at any one time although this has had no impact on children's safety.  The children do not see letters, numbers and shapes in the environment to enable them to consolidate their understanding.

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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 compulsory part 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 children present playing indoors and outdoors and engaged in various activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed children's records and a sample of other relevant documentation such as risk assessments, policies and registers of attendance.  The inspector talked with the children present on the day of the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with the childminder about her procedures and systems including her assessment of the children's progress.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 1994. She lives in a residential area on the outskirts of Banbury with her husband and two adult sons. The ground floor of the house is used for childminding and there is an enclosed garden for outdoor play. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. There are currently 11 children on roll; of these, seven are in the early years age group. The childminder walks or drives children to and from a local school and attends toddler groups. She is open all year round from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday, except for family holidays. The childminder is a member of Oxfordshire's Trio Network and is accredited to receive government funding for early years education to children aged three. The childminder has a degree in Early Childhood Studies.

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must:

 ensure that the correct adult to child ratios are met at all times.

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

 enable children to consolidate their understanding of sounds, letters, numbers and shapes by providing more opportunities to see these in the learning environment.

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who attend

The childminder provides a wide selection of good quality toys suitable for young children that develop their enthusiasm for learning. Toys are easy to reach so that children can choose what they want to play with. There are pull along toys and shape sorters to develop young children's small physical skills. The childminder tells parents about the activities she has planned for the children and what they have enjoyed during the day. This helps parents extend this learning at home, if they wish to do so. Children often take home their pictures and drawings so that parents understand the skills their children are developing. There are good resources such as pencils, chalks and crayons to help children develop their writing skills well. They develop an early understanding of some mathematical concepts by playing board games and solving puzzles. However, they do not see letters, numbers or shapes displayed in the childminder's home to consolidate their

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who attend

early understanding of number or the sounds which letters make. The children talk about textures of food and the language of measuring when they make fruit kebabs and juice cocktails for their Caribbean party. They develop their creative skills by making dressing up clothes and garlands for special events. There are toys that develop children's ability to solve problems and they show a willingness to persevere to complete them. For example, they built a tall tower by balancing wooden bricks on top of one another. Children develop their imagination well when they are dressing up in different outfits, and through role play. There are many books that children can look at independently, or choose for story times. The childminder encourages the children to retell their favourite stories and helps them to develop a wider vocabulary by explaining the words they may not know. The childminder plans activities to develop children's curiosity well and help them learn more

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who attend

about their environment. For example, she has taken them pond dipping and often visits local parks and woods. She uses these times well to talk to the children about road safety. The childminder is keen to provide children with experiences they may not have elsewhere such as incubating chicks and observing the stages of their growth. She takes children to circus skills sessions and for rides on trains and buses. Activities often follow a theme such as transport so that children can make links between areas of learning. Children develop good technology skills when they observe insects they have found in the garden with a digital microscope.

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who attend

The childminder takes the children to toddler groups where they can make other friends and develop their social skills extremely well. They also enjoy a wider range of enjoyable experiences such as 'messy play'. The children often play with others who are looked after by another local childminder so that they make a wider circle of friends and have friendships with children of different ages. Children develop their physical skills well when they play in the park, and also in the childminder's garden where there is a slide, a sandpit and water tray. There are also vehicles to ride and space for ball games and the children enjoy playing outdoors at all times of the year. The children grow vegetables and fruit, then they learn about new flavours by picking, washing, cooking and eating them. The children learn about textures and the language of measuring when they help to prepare snacks and meals. Children learn about different cultures through special activities such as

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who attend

making flags and tasting food on Ugandan Independence Day. They learn about life in Caribbean countries by planning a Hawaiian party. They begin to understand equality through books, toys and pictures showing people with disabilities and from different heritages. The childminder understands how to provide appropriate support for children who are learning English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs.

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who attend

When children first start attending the childminder asks parents for detailed information, which helps her to decide what activities and toys children will enjoy. This helps them to settle easily. She keeps photographic evidence of the children's progress and observes children while they are playing, noting what they achieve and enjoy in their personal files so that she can share this information with parents. The childminder uses this information well to identify the next steps in children's learning so that they make consistently good progress in different areas of learning. The childminder understands the purpose of specific checks on children such as the progress check at two, so that she identifies any areas where children need help. She works in partnership with other agencies when she needs their advice. She liaises closely with parents to provide a consistent approach and to involve them in their children's learning. The childminder understands the learning and

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who attend

development requirements for young children. This ensures that all children make good progress while they are in her care and develop good attitudes for their future learning.

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

Children are very well cared for in a calm and friendly atmosphere. They learn to share toys well and take turns when they play with the older children. This also helps them to become more confident. The childminder has high expectations of children's behaviour and is a good role model. She is consistent and patient, and she uses praise and positive language to help children make the right choices. The childminder plans activities that children will enjoy and which will consolidate their previous learning experiences. Toys and equipment are of good quality so that they are safe to play with. The childminder gives children many choices and lets them make decisions as to what they would like to do. She has good procedures for the care of the youngest children. The childminder allows children to sleep when and where they are most comfortable and monitors them closely during sleep times. Nappy changing and feeding routines are hygienic. Children form close

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

and trusting relationships with the childminder and her family.

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

Children understand how to leave the building in an emergency because they practise and talk about this regularly. They learn to be independent, for example by tidying toys away and by choosing their snacks. The childminder praises children for showing good manners and being helpful. She celebrates their achievements with the group so that children develop their self-esteem. The childminder understands the differing needs of children's families and supports them well. She aims for families to feel that the children are at home with her and that they are all part of one family. Older children learn to take care of the younger ones and encourage them to develop new skills. The children also enjoy looking after the childminder's tropical fish so that they understand how to care for living things.

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

The premises are safe, clean and tidy, and children learn to avoid infection by washing their hands at appropriate times. There is a poster to remind them about this. The childminder uses a safety gate when children have learned to walk so that they remain in the parts of the house where the childminder can see them. She follows very good procedures when she takes children out and supervises them closely so that they are safe. She assesses the risks of outdoor activities and takes steps to ensure that children do not have accidents.

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provision

The inspection was brought forward following concerns that the childminder had been looking after more children than requirements allow. The childminder acknowledges that she has, on occasions cared for more children than allowed, for short periods as times have overlapped, when children arrive and leave. There had been no adverse impact on children's safety, but this is a breach of requirements. The childminder had done this unintentionally and intended to rectify it immediately. She now shows a good understanding that if she looks after more children there is a risk that they will not be as well cared for as she would like.

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provision

The childminder has good policies and procedures in place to ensure that the children are safe. Parents understand these policies well and can refer to them at any time. The childminder checks the premises regularly to ensure they are completely safe and keeps doors and gates locked. The childminder has a thorough understanding of safeguarding children and updates this training regularly. She is also trained in first aid and food hygiene. The childminder has a very good partnership with parents and is in touch with them frequently so that they are always well informed about their children's progress and development. She invites them to tell her about children's development at home, such as holidays and trips they have made so that she can include these ideas when planning activities. She now incorporates parents' views in evaluating the provision. Parents feel that their children are making good progress in all areas of their development in a

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provision

The childminder is ambitious and she evaluates her provision well to identify anything that she could improve. She has met the recommendations of the last inspection report so that the children now make better progress in developing their information technology skills.

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provision

The childminder shares important information about children's routines and development each day with their parents. This ensures that they are fully informed and are assured that their children are safe. The childminder works in partnership with the other settings the children attend so that she is aware of the progress they make there. The childminder often acts as the link between teachers and parents for sharing important information. The childminder is experienced, she shares good practice with other childminders and is always keen to improve her practice further.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 133560 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 929142 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 11

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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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