Gayton, Cheryl

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/05/2013 11/06/2012

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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 is committed to providing high quality care and education to all children who attend. Her robust monitoring of the provision and professionalism ensure there is excellent capacity to continually improve.  The childminder very effectively encourages and enables parents to share what they know about their children when they first attend the setting and this continues throughout the placement with her. Parents, therefore, feel extremely valued and actively contribute to their children's learning.  The childminder has a very secure understanding of individual children's needs and parental wishes. As a result they are meticulously met ensuring that children are happy, confident and secure.  Excellent organisation of the learning environment and the planning of activities enables children to fully engage in their learning throughout the day.  Rigorous observation and assessment arrangements and rich educational programmes,

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This provision is outstanding

ensure children reach their full potential and make rapid progress towards the early learning goals.

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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 children participating in activities in the childminder's lounge, kitchen/diner and in the garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at the childminder's self-evaluation document, a selection of policies and procedures and children's records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder and the children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of the parents with whom she spoke during the inspection.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2011 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband, who is also a registered childminder, and their two-year-old son in a house in the Grange Park area of Northampton. The whole of the ground floor, a bedroom on the first floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has a dog and chickens as pets. The childminder attends a variety of groups in the locality. She visits the shops and parks on a regular basis and takes and collects children to and from the local primary school and pre- school.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 31 children on roll, 11 of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. Some of the older children attend very occasionally. The childminder operates all year round from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday and at other times by arrangement, except bank holidays and family holidays. 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:

 continue to introduce innovative ways to extend partnership working with other early years providers to further secure continuity of learning for all children.

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who attend

The childminder has an excellent understanding of the individual care needs and the current stage of development of all the children placed with her. She has extremely high expectations for all the children and very effectively engages with parents about all aspects of their care and education. This helps her to support the children to meet their full potential taking into account their starting points and capabilities. The attention to detail she portrays when settling-in a child and the way she has established such strong relationships with parents means they feel extremely valued and very involved in their children's learning.

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who attend

Highly effective systems for the ongoing assessment of children's progress mean that the childminder can accurately identify what children need to learn next and whether or not they may need additional support. She confidently uses Development matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage and other early years materials to inform her planning. Parents are able to access their children's learning logs, including their next steps, on-line at their convenience. This enables them to fully support their children's learning at home and make regular comments. They keep the childminder well informed of what their children do when they are not with her and the childminder has links with other settings that the children attend although information sharing is not as highly effective as she would like.

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who attend

The childminder provides children with interesting and highly stimulating first-hand experiences and enables all children to participate. For example, all children are able to help collect the eggs that the chickens lay each day. They use them in baking activities and then enjoy eating the results or taking something home for their families. In addition, watching those eggs placed in the hatchery helps them to understand about lifecycles. Children thoroughly enjoy the outdoor activities, particularly when they are helping. For example, they water the strawberry and blueberry plants each day and talk with the childminder about when these will be ready to eat.

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who attend

Children have an excellent balance of self-initiated play and adult-led activities. For example, children choose to put together puzzles, often helping each other with the harder pieces and eagerly engage when the childminder suggests they might like to practise their pencil skills by drawing pictures of their own design and colouring them. Those that are keen are encouraged to attempt writing their name on the finished pictures. These developing skills thoroughly help to prepare children in readiness for school.

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who attend

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are extremely well supported. The childminder is very knowledgeable about each child's individual needs and fully includes all children in the life of the setting. For example, she is able to care for children for extra hours to support the parents and re-organises her week to do so. She adapts activities to ensure inclusion by making sure all resources are appropriate for each child.

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who attend

Children's personal, social and emotional development is exceptionally well supported as the childminder is extremely effective in encouraging children to 'have a go'. They are given sufficient time to put on their shoes and are able to select resources for themselves from the wide range stored at their level. The childminder instinctively knows when to intervene and when to allow children to solve issues themselves. For example, in the garden two children select the same can to water the plants. One child changes their mind and selects another so they can play amicably.

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

Children benefit from a gradual introduction to the childminder and her family. They are positively welcomed into her home, where they spend time getting to know her, her husband who is her co-childminder, and her family and pets. The childminder uses these visits to thoroughly get to know the children and their families, the children's individual needs, interests and how their parents would like them to be cared for. As a result of this extremely careful planning, the transition from home or other setting to her home is relatively easy and children quickly settle. Children form strong attachments with the childminder and her family and she interacts positively with them which enhances their strong sense of security and belonging. Children are also fully supported through further transitions to pre-school and school as the childminder reads them stories and talks to them about their new adventure.

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

Children behave exceptionally because of the childminder's consistently high expectations. She explains the boundaries and her expectations, with older children being involved in setting the ground rules. Children participate in many activities to help them learn to share and take turns. For example, when completing puzzles they take turns to add a piece to the picture and when watering the plants they wait their turn to have water put into their can from the hosepipe.

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

Children's good health is very effectively supported. Meticulous records are maintained and shared with parents. Concise recording of children's allergies or food preferences ensure their needs are respected and met. Meal and snack times are very sociable occasions. Children sit together and often help to prepare their lunch. For example, they spread butter on to a wrap, add layers of cooked meat and roll it up as they sing, 'roll, roll, roll'. They select the flavour yogurt they prefer and watch as the melon is cut with a very sharp knife. Everything is eaten with great enjoyment. The childminder encourages them to adopt good table manners and as a result they learn to treat each other with much respect.

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

Children learn about excellent hygiene routines as they grow, and their independence with regard to personal care is very effectively encouraged. For example, children wash their hands after playing in the garden and in preparation for lunch, with enthusiasm. Children are learning to lead a healthy lifestyle through participating in a wealth of outdoor activities throughout the year while the childminder ensures they are appropriately dressed in rain suits and waterproofs during inclement weather. For example, those that are capable, walk to school and younger ones are pulled along in the 'choo choo train' as a healthy alternative to using the car. Children are regularly taken to local recreation grounds and parks to use different play equipment to that in the childminder's garden, which provides new challenges. They often visit the childminder's allotment to help to harvest the produce which they later have as part of a meal.

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provision

Rigorous monitoring of the educational programmes ensures the childminder is confident that she delivers a broad variety of experiences and activities that help children to make outstanding progress. The childminder's self-evaluation very effectively shows how she monitors all aspects of the provision. It shows how she deals with development issues and how she selects further areas of her practice for development. This shows an extremely strong capacity to improve over time. She is hugely motivated and places high emphasis on her own professional development. For example, she is researching courses which will support her to better understand how children learn and so make her a better practitioner. She seeks advice from the local authority development workers and asks parents for their thoughts. The childminder's understanding of the learning and development and safeguarding and welfare requirements is excellent. Children are effectively safeguarded. The childminder

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provision

keeps Ofsted informed of any change in circumstances, for example, when her husband started to work with her. She also has excellent oragnisational skills and ensures that ratios of adults to children are maintained at all times and documentation clearly evidences this. The childminder has a very secure knowledge and understanding of how to protect children. This includes knowledge of potential signs of abuse and the procedure to follow in the event of a concern. Information about the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures is easily accessible to herself, co-minder and parents.

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provision

Security is excellent, ensuring that no unwanted visitors are able to access the premises. All visitors are asked to provide identification before they are invited into the childminder's home. Written risk assessments are carried out and the childminder and her co-minder are vigilant at all times, ensuring the safety and well-being of the children. For example, children have supervised access to pets and are effectively learning how to keep themselves safe as they are taught about the green cross code on the journey to and from school, the park or the allotment. The emergency evacuation plan is displayed and talked about with the children so they understand what is expected of them when a practise takes place.

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provision

Partnership working with parents is highly effective. Those parents spoken to, believe they have the best possible working relationship with her. They feel she is very capable and confidently leave their children with her. They also feel that as the childminder's husband works alongside her, their children have two excellent role models. The childminder fully understands the benefits of good partnerships to provide a consistent approach towards children's care and education and continually strives to ensure that these are as highly effective as the ones she has established with parents.

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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 EY437380 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 890792 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 31

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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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