Childminder in North Northamptonshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/08/2013 26/10/2012

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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 and her assistant have warm relationships with children of all ages, which means that children feel safe and secure and enjoy their time at the childminder's home.  The indoor and outdoor child focused learning environments provide a range of activities and toys that engage children and build on their interests.  The childminder and her assistant work well together and are sensitive to children's learning styles when deciding whether to interact and when to leave children to develop their own play.  The childminder has a wealth of experience of working with early years children and fully understands her responsibilities.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for parents to contribute to their children's learning are not fully effective in ensuring continuity of learning.

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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 looked at the areas of the childminder's home used for childminding including the outdoor areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed practice and interaction between the childminder, assistant and the children during outdoor play and at lunchtime and discussed these with them.

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Inspection activities

 A range of documentation was made available for the inspector to view which supports the organisation of the provision.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2010 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and their 12-year-old child in Desborough, Northamptonshire. The ground floor rooms of the childminder's house are used for childminding purposes with access to the first floor for the bathroom and for sleeping. There is a decking area and a rear garden for outdoor play. The family has three cats.

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Information about the setting

The childminder employs an assistant. They attends groups at a nearby children's centre and visits local shops, market and parks regularly. She and her assistant take children to, and collect them from, local schools, nurseries and pre-schools. There are 24 children on roll including 10 in the early years age group. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder works each week day all year round from 7am to 6.30pm except for family holidays and bank holidays.

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

 develop further the system introduced to enable parents to be more involved in their children's learning so that continuity of learning is assured for all children.

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who attend

The childminder has a strong knowledge of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. She understands that children learn through play and by exploring their surroundings. To support these activities she provides a variety of toys and resources, both indoors and outside, for children to develop skills to support future learning. The childminder is led by children's interests and ensures that activities appeal to them. She and her assistant observe children as they play and the childminder makes sure children are making progress across all areas of learning by tracking their learning in-line with expected developmental milestones. This ensures that children gain the skills they need to be ready for the next stages in their learning, including school, and that any areas of concern are promptly addressed. Termly reviews of children's progress are completed and shared with most parents, and a new electronic system has been introduced to aid this

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who attend

process. However, this system is not yet fully effective and there is more to do to ensure all parents are fully involved in and can easily contribute to their child's learning and development.

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who attend

Children benefit from playing in an environment that is rich in opportunities for conversation and discussion. Children are well-supported in developing their communication and language skills. The childminder and her assistant listen to the children carefully. They ask appropriate questions and repeat words and extend phrases so that children make progress. This is particularly important when children have English as an additional language and sentence construction, for example, is different in their home language. Books are easily accessible and they feature prominently in the children's routine. Children enjoy looking at books alone or in a small group with the childminder or the assistant to share and interact with the story.

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who attend

Children develop their imaginations as they get the dolls settled in their buggies before dashing off on an outing. Each child carries a bag of essential items as they head off down the garden for the pretend wedding, christening or friend's barbeque. Later children decide to make a den using a large sheet. They use pegs to secure the edges of the sheet to the garden furniture and talk about the most efficient way to achieve this. Older children show patience and understanding when a baby, enjoying the freedom of being able to crawl, decides to explore underneath their sheet.

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who attend

Children's understanding of the world around them is enhanced by outings into the town to visit the butcher and the baker at the open market. They visit the childminder's allotment and see the vegetables growing and then see the van deliver the childminder's groceries. In this way children learn that although this bag of salad may have come on the van, it is grown in soil like at the allotment. Children attend groups at a local children's centre which enables them to socialise with other children who also go to a childminder or are maybe starting at the same school as themselves.

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

Children settle quickly with the childminder because she understands the importance of fully supporting the transition from home to her setting. Parents and children are invited to visit as often as necessary to ensure that both are happy with the new environment. There are warm and caring relationships evident between the childminder, assistant and the children that make the children feel valued and secure. Children's behaviour is managed consistently well. Children learn to share and be considerate to each other. They are treated respectfully by the childminder and her assistant and enjoy the encouragement and praise they receive from them both.

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

Children are encouraged to consider their own safety as they play, even though the childminder ensures that everything that they come into contact with is safe for them to do so. This has been particularly evident during the building of the kitchen extension. Children making the den quickly realise that the pegs will not stay in place on the plastic furniture. To avoid them popping off and possibly hurting someone, or having the sheet collapse on someone, the children replace the plastic chairs with wooden ones which have thinner slats and so accommodate the pegs more efficiently.

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

Children's personal care skills develop as they learn about the importance of hand washing. They chat while waiting their turn at the basin before lunch and practise putting on shoes and sandals so they can play outside. Children are provided with regular drinks of water and freshly prepared meals and snacks. The childminder takes into account children's dietary needs and preferences and encourages the children to help themselves. The bread, bought at the market earlier in the day, is cut into shapes, such as triangles and squares, for the children to recognise and talk about. A special treat for pudding is the cherries that one of the children spotted on a market stall. Some of the children have not tried them before so the childminder and her assistant are very careful to explain about the stones, removing them for the younger children.

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

Children's medical needs are known to the childminder and her assistant. Both hold a current paediatric first aid certificate and deal with minor accidents efficiently. For example, a toddler who knocks his head while manoeuvring a doll and buggy has 'Mr bump' applied to make it feel better. Those children moving onto nursery or school are taken to visit the new setting and children already attending talk to the younger children about it to reassure them.

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provision

The childminder has an established service and has made effective changes to keep up-to- date. She organises her setting well. She uses her assistant effectively to support her and the children's play. The childminder has a good understanding of the revised requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and provides activities to support children's development in all areas of learning. One area which the childminder continues to develop is providing opportunities for parents to contribute to their children's learning. She has started to use an electronic system, which she is still adapting so that it meets her particular requirements, and will be convenient and efficient for the parents to use.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of her role and responsibilities in relation to the safeguarding and welfare requirements. She has a thorough understanding of child protection issues and has clear procedures for the collection of children and the use of mobile phones and cameras in her setting. The childminder keeps the regulator informed of changes to her provision, such as, the appointment of a new assistant and she informs parents that her assistant has undergone clearance checks so that they are assured of their children's protection. She employs the assistant to help her whenever numbers require it to ensure that ratios are met and that children are thoroughly supervised while playing. The childminder carries out regular risk assessments on her home and garden and makes daily checks to ensure that everything remains safe for the children. Any outings the children are taken on, for example, to the market, are rechecked for safety at each

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provision

visit. The childminder has all the required documentation needed for the safe and efficient management of her practice. Policies and procedure are shared with her assistant and the parents so they understand how her provision operates. The childminder and her assistant maintain records, such as accident records, efficiently. The childminder is constantly reflecting on her practice and takes account of any comments from her assistant and from parents and children when she is reviewing her service. The childminder understands the importance of partnership working and has established links with other providers to support continuity of care and 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 EY405003 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 925261 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 11 Number of children on roll 24

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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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