Mayhew Elsa

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 06/08/2013 07/07/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2

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This provision is good

 The childminder is warm, caring and builds strong, trusting relationships with children. She is very aware of the importance of smooth transitions and takes time to ensure children are happy, secure and settle well.  The childminder gets to know children very well and recognises their individuality, enabling her to provide and plan a variety of stimulating play activities around children's interests and needs.  Parents are involved in their child's learning and development in the setting and work in close partnership to ensure children make good progress.  Children are happy, motivated and eager to join in. They cooperate together very well as they share the resources and ensure that all children are included in their games.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder's assessment of children's achievement is slightly variable at times and as a result, some children who are new, or attend less frequently, do not consistently benefit from the mostly precise and robust assessment.  The drive for improvement relies on the childminder's memory and as a result, identified improvements are not always clearly targeted or acted upon in a timely fashion.

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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 in the childminder's home and garden.  The inspector made a tour of the premises, including the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed the provider's self-evaluation and how she monitors her daily activities.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2002 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two children in Leiston, Suffolk. She uses the whole of the ground floor and the rear garden for childminding. The family has goldfish as pets.

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Information about the setting

The childminder visits the shops, the forest, the beach and parks on a regular basis. She collects and takes children to and from the local school and pre-schools.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 10 children on roll, four of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She supports children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She is open all year round from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for 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:

 refine the assessment process for children, who attend less frequently or are new to the setting, to ensure that all children benefit from precise and robust assessment, which displays an accurate understanding of children's skills, abilities and progress

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

 extend the evaluation process through careful analysis and self-challenge, so that the drive to improve is further strengthened and practice is clearly targeted and acted upon in a timely fashion to help children achieve the highest levels of achievement.

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who attend

Children are happy and keen to get involved with the activities because the childminder provides a variety of resources to stimulate their interests. Their enthusiasm for learning secures a firm foundation for their future learning in pre-school and in school. Children cooperate in role play and use the play kitchen and food as they pretend they are shopping and ask the childminder for money. They demonstrate how to care for babies as they put the dolls to bed and make sure everyone is quiet to enable them to sleep. Children move freely from the playroom to the outdoor garden and summer house, accessing resources and moving them from one area to another to extend their play.

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who attend

The childminder supports children's communication and language through talking to them about what they are doing and introducing new words. Some children have opportunities to hear their home language in the setting as the childminder chats to them in Spanish, valuing their linguistic identity and helping them to settle. She supports children's counting and mathematical skills as they count objects on the way to pre-school and collect groups of pots, cups and bowls as they sort them by size, colour and shape.

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who attend

Children explore their local and the wider community as they go on outings in the forest, to the beach, the museum and parks. They have lots of opportunities to explore nature and some like to photograph beautiful flowers to look at later on the childminder's mobile telephone. They enjoy helping to plant and harvest carrots and help to water plants in the garden to make them grow.

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who attend

The childminder has worked hard to increase her knowledge and understanding in child development and in how children learn, to ensure they make good progress. She uses observation and assessment to plan for children's next steps in their learning and development and these are recorded in 'learning journeys' for some children. The learning journeys are shared regularly with parents, who are actively encouraged to contribute to them, ensuring a consistent approach to secure future learning. However, children who attend less frequently, or are new, do not fully benefit from the robust system.

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

The environment is bright and welcoming and children's drawings and artwork are valued and displayed on the wall of the playroom. Resources and activities are organised into accessible low-level storage units and the items are rotated to ensure variety and to keep children's interest. Children confidently explore their environment and access the resources, promoting their independence. The childminder gives a high priority to supporting children to settle well and to feel safe and secure in her setting. She demonstrates a loving and generous personality and strives to make children and parents feel as comfortable and welcome as possible. Children are very much 'at home' and it is clear from the interactions that they are fond of each other. She has a clear settling-in procedure, which is flexible to meet the needs of the individual children. For example, they attend with their parents for a couple of visits and then on their own for a couple of hours.

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

They slowly build up their hours once they are happy and feel confident. Parents are encouraged to spend time in the setting and come into the garden at the end of the day and watch their children play. The childminder also supports children to move into pre- school or school and is happy to attend with them to build their confidence to enable them to settle well.

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

Children are treated with kindness and respect and as a result, behave well. They build strong friendships with the other children, who attend as well as with the childminder's own children. From an early age they learn to cooperate with others, to negotiate, take turns and to share the toys. The childminder supports children to keep themselves safe as they get to know the simple house rules. For example, they always sit down to eat and remove their outdoor shoes when in the house. They learn about road safety when out and take part in regular fire drills.

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

The emotional and physical needs of very young children are met well as the childminder works closely with parents and follows their home routines for sleeping, eating and playing. They learn to keep themselves healthy as they wash their hands and help to wipe the table before eating lunch. Parents mostly provide the food for their children and the childminder offers a choice of fruit for snacks, encouraging them to make healthy choices. They have lots of opportunities for playing in the fresh air and get daily exercise as they pedal in cars, kick balls and climb on the large apparatus in the park.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates her understanding of meeting the learning and development requirements, in order for children to make good progress. She has a clear and concise set of policies, which she shares with parents when children first start. These provide a clear explanation of her practice and her duties regarding the safeguarding and welfare requirements. The childminder has a good understanding of child protection issues and is confident in the procedures to follow in the event of a concern about a child in her care. All the required documentation and parental consents are in place and stored to ensure confidentiality. The premises are safe and secure and thorough risk assessments take place for all areas of her home and for outings, ensuring children are safe.

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provision

The childminder informally monitors children's learning and reflects on her practice, adapting activities to suit the learning styles of children present. For example, she uses rhymes, songs and dance to help the more active children to learn the sequence of numbers as they count to 10. She works closely with the local authority and with other childminders to develop her practice and to ensure she has all the paperwork in place to meet the requirements. She has plans to improve her practice further, driving her provision forward. For example, she has identified the need to explore the cultures, beliefs and languages of all children in her setting to further respect and promote the cultural and linguistic identity of all children. However, these plans are not always carried out in a timely fashion as they rely on her memory to put in place.

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provision

Parents appreciate the close working relationship they enjoy with the childminder as she keeps them informed on a daily basis of their child's activities and progress. For example, she sends them photographs by text of their child's first steps and of them taking part in outings. She understands the benefits of working in partnership with other agencies involved in children and has established links with the local schools and pre-schools to support children in their next phase of learning.

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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 EY299245 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 930915 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 10

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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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