O'Hare, Belinda

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/05/2013 11/02/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 1 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 2

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This provision is good

 The childminder uses her considerable experience of how children learn and develop to make highly accurate assessments of their progress. This enables her to plan their next stage of learning effectively and helps ensure they make excellent progress in relation to their starting points and individual capabilities.  The childminder constantly seeks to improve her practice to maintain and improve all children's opportunities to achieve to the highest level. She has highly effective systems in place to monitor and assess their individual learning needs and also continually completes a detailed self-evaluation form in place which monitors and evaluates her practice in order to promote continuous improvement.  Children thoroughly enjoy exploring and investigating their surrounding environment and the excellent range of toys and activities. These are freely available both indoors and outside in the community and comprehensively cover all areas of learning.

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This provision is good

 The childminder makes sure that parents are kept well informed about their children's achievements and their daily care. She has very good relationships with parents and also other carers to ensure a good standard of continuity of care and learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children are not always given more opportunities to fully develop their independence at meal and snack times.

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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 playing with an excellent range of toys and activities both inside and outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at some documentation and talked to the childminder throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at the children's learning records and observed a joint activity with the childminder.  The inspector read letters received from parents.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2005 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and adult daughter in the Guiseley area of Leeds. The whole of the ground floor, upstairs bathroom and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has three cats as pets. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local children's centre. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 12 children on roll, six of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She is a member of the Professional Association of Childcare and Early Years. She holds a childcare qualification at level 3 and is a lead practitioner for 'Every Child a Talker'. She provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

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

 extend children's opportunities to become more independent, for example, by helping to serve themselves at meal and snack times.

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who attend

Children thrive as the childminder is proactive in providing very high quality care and learning opportunities based on each child's individual needs and their interests. She is an experienced childcare practitioner with a superb knowledge of children's development and how they learn. Each child has an individual learning plan that takes into account their interests, their starting points and their recognised stage of development. The childminder provides intensely detailed tracking sheets, which she shares with parents, both in hard copy and also on her own private website. This enables children to achieve the highest possible levels of attainment.

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who attend

The childminder completes the progress check at age two years and gives very good explanations to parents, ensuring they have a good awareness of how their children are progressing within the prime areas of learning and development. Parents are also extremely keen to comment about how their children are developing in order to help the childminder plan their progress.

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who attend

Children develop positive attitudes to learning as the childminder provides activities that are appropriate to their stage of learning and that they have lots of fun with. For example, all children thoroughly enjoy playing with the play dough. The childminder extends children's imagination in this activity and listens to the children's own ideas. Children reach for the puppets 'Charlie' and 'Billy Boy' and explain to the childminder that it is the puppet's birthday. The children all make their own birthday cakes out of the dough, they use their hand and eye skills well as they place the candles in the very small holders and then into the cake. Children then say they have to bake the cake and place in the pretend cooker. They then all sit around the table the childminder lights the candle, explaining how they must not go near them, and children reply 'because it is hot'. The children then ask everyone to join in and sing happy birthday to the puppets. This activity kept children

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who attend

engrossed for a long period of time and developed their mathematical skills as they counted the candles, recognition of colours as they said what colour the candles are and malleable skills as they use a very good range of tools to make their cakes shaped like 'stars' as younger children explained.

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who attend

Children's literacy skills are promoted extremely well, they have a wide selection of books to choose from along with regular visits to the library and other groups where story time takes place. The children are keen to select their favourite book about 'The hot chilli' the childminder gets a chilli from the fridge to show children what one looks like and together they talk about how hot they are. The children listen intently to the story and repeat the tale to their friends, getting very excited and telling everyone' don't eat the chilli it's very hot' and are also very well informed that you need milk to cool you down if you eat it. Younger children who begin to lose their interest are soon encouraged by the childminder to get out the nursery blanket, where they look in the pockets and get out the props and start to sing the nursery rhymes and action songs. For example, the children find the five

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who attend

soft toys shaped like current buns and begin to sing, developing their confidence, social and early mathematical skills as they count the buns. Children have free choice to go in and out of the exceptionally well resourced garden, where they are eager to show the sunflowers they are growing and hunt for bugs in the 'bug hotel' that they have constructed. These activities help to promote their understanding of the world.

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who attend

Children make extensive improvements in their learning from their starting points with any gaps closing rapidly. This helps ensure they are extremely well prepared for the next steps in their learning and eventually for their transition to school.

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

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the childminder's. They are confident in their relationship with her as they happily move around the bright, child friendly and attractive environment. They move purposefully around the indoors and outdoors and the childminder gives help to younger children as they go outdoors when required. She supports children in developing their physical activities, ensuring they receive lots of fresh air. They go on daily walks to local parks to balance on the large garden apparatus and kick the balls. The childminder takes them daily for walks to the park, to local places of interests and also childcare groups where they participate in lots of outdoor play and music and movement. This helps to promote children's understanding of a healthy lifestyle and helps to develop their physical and social skills.

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

The childminder has good transition procedures in place. When children first come to the home, they are given several settling in sessions and these are very flexible according to children's and parents' needs. This helps children to settle in with ease, separate from their main carer and build their confidence.

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

The childminder ensures that all children have a good understanding of how to stay safe, both within the home, through regular practising of fire drills, teaching them how to come down the stairs slowly and safely holding on to the hand rail. Children's knowledge of safety also extends out into the community. As they follow road safety instructions about crossing the road and all children are fully aware of always holding hands and waiting for the childminder to instruct them whose hand to hold before going on their way. This has been reviewed recently and children explain that they wait for the childminder to give the 'thumbs up' before they start to walk.

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

Children develop a good understanding of their own self-care and the importance of good health. Good eating habits are promoted as they talk about what they are eating and enjoy social occasions as they sit together. There is scope at snack and meal times for the childminder to encourage children's independence even further, as children currently do not serve themselves. Drinks are always available and young children are encouraged to drink regularly. Children are provided with a healthy and nutritious diet, a menu is displayed and their dietary needs are taken account of. The childminder is a very good role model. Good hygiene practices are reinforced as children see hand washing posters in the bathroom and use a fresh individual towel each time they dry their hands and after wiping their nose to help prevent cross-infection.

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

The childminder has high expectations of behaviour and children behave very well. Younger children play alongside each other well and older children develop an high sense of responsibility for the younger ones. They ask them how they are feeling and share the toys with them. When having snack, they make room for them at the table, demonstrating care and concern for others. The childminder fosters children's sense of community care and responsibility as they go out regularly in the local community, for example, to collect older children from schools and attending a variety of children's play groups. This sense of familiarity and the links the childminder is promoting with other practitioners, supports children's on going learning. This very good combination provides support that helps build self-esteem and helps children develop key skills for moving on to school.

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provision

The childminding day is organised successfully as the childminder implements effective and well written policies and procedures to help protect children's welfare and keep them safe. She regularly updates her safeguarding training and demonstrates a good understanding of her role in protecting children should she have any concerns about a child in her care. For example, she has an informative flow chart showing signs and symptoms to look for along with contact numbers and a cause for concern form should she have any worries about a child in her care. Parents are given copies of all policies and procedures and discuss them at initial visits to help ensure they have clear expectations of her practice. Children move around and play safely in the home and risk assessments identify and effectively minimize possible hazards. All children's documentation, including initial information requested from parents about children's interests and preferences, is

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provision

professionally maintained, securely stored and includes required parental consents. Consequently, children's needs are quickly identified and exceptionally well met.

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provision

This inspection was triggered by notification of a recent incident where a child went missing for a few minutes whilst on the way home from school. The childminder reported the incident herself immediately and also notified the parent. A full incident report was completed by the childminder and she has reviewed the way that she escorts children and this is included in an in depth risk assessment, where children are always in sight and walk beside the childminder. The inspection found that the childminder continues to comply with all requirements and as a result, children's safety is fully promoted.

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provision

The childminder's very good understanding of the learning and development requirements and comprehensive systems for assessments and planning enable her to meet children's learning needs very well. All planning is monitored and adapted not only to children's individual needs and interests but also to their age banding in line with the required documentation. Parents are asked to complete an assessment form prior to starting with the childminder and she ensures that children are progressing according to the learning stages and that clear explanations are given to parents. This ensures that everyone is working with the children's best interests in a fun environment.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates great commitment as she uses her wide experience as a child care practitioner to provide consistent and focused evaluations of her practice, through the completing and continual updating of a detailed self-evaluation process. In this, she recognises her strengths and areas for improvement. She also recognises and completes any training. For example, she has completed a qualification at level 3 in childcare, safeguarding and variety of learning and development courses including sign language and much more. She actively seeks advice from local authority advisers to maintain professional development that will keep her knowledge and practice at a very good standard. This forward thinking helps ensure she is able to provide for children's future needs.

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provision

The childminder has excellent relationships with parents and this has been built through a variety of ways. For example, ensuring children have a settling in period; assessment forms for both welfare and learning are completed. This ensures that both parent and childminder are working together and know the child well. Parents receive daily diaries; they have a regular newsletter telling them about planning, activities and ideas they can do with their child at home, along with information completed electronically. The childminder also notes how children respond to activities and uses this information to reflect on and adapt her educational programme. Parents express their full approval about the service provided as they comment that 'this childminder has always put the individual needs, interests and learning styles/stages of each child first, yet managed to combine this so that they also learn collectively and enjoy playing and discovering together'.

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provision

The childminder has very good procedures in place for children when they are ready to move into school and also for those already attending other childcare settings, such as nurseries. She shares planning, their learning record and invites the teachers from the schools to visit her home prior to children starting and also introduces the children to their school and has meetings with the head teacher. This ensures continuity of care and learning for all.

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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 EY303337 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 917744 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 12

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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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