Messenger, Angela

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/09/2013 21/05/2012

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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

 Children are enthusiastic and eager to participate in activities. This is because the childminder provides rich and imaginative experiences based on detailed observations and assessments of children.  The childminder ensures that children's safety is given high priority. She displays a detailed understanding of her individual responsibility to protect children and keep them safe from harm.  Children display strong bonds and attachments with the childminder and her family. This promotes their feelings of safety and comfort and gives them a secure base from which they make good progress in relation to their starting points.  Strong partnerships with parents enable the childminder to have an accurate knowledge of children's abilities and interests. This ensures that she provides appropriately challenging experiences to enable children to make good progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to improve the clarity of the childminder's broad aims for improvement.  The impact of the childminder's professional working relationships with other providers in regard to children's learning and development cannot be accurately assessed. This is because children have not yet attended any other early years settings.

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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 looked at the resources and equipment provided and how effectively they are organised to support children's play and learning.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a selection of information and documentation relating to children's safeguarding, welfare and developmental progress.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector and childminder jointly observed and discussed children playing in an indoor activity.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2011 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and one child aged three years, in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. The whole of the ground floor and the rear garden are used for childminding.

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Information about the setting

The childminder attends local pre-school groups, farms and soft play areas. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis.

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Information about the setting

Sessions run each weekday from 7.30am until 6.30pm with the exception of bank holidays and family holidays. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently five children attending, who are in the early years age group

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

 instigate links with other settings that children will attend to ensure that children receive good levels of cohesion and consistency in their learning and development

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

 extend the effectiveness of self-evaluation by establishing detailed planned actions to overcome identified weaknesses and further support children's good progress.

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who attend

Children learn new skills and make good progress because the childminder motivates their interest in activities, which enables them to learn new skills. For example, the childminder engages children in their play and learning by talking to them as they explore the different colours and shapes they have created with the playdough. She asks them to describe what they have made, children giggle as they squeeze the tube and make pink and white 'toothpaste', green balls, purple face and wiggly worms. She draws children's attention to the different shapes and colours they have made, assessing their knowledge and understanding as they count the number of balls and the number of worms made as the long worm breaks into several pieces. Children show they understand and learn from these interactions because they then progress to making faces on the worms, proudly claiming 'it's got an eye now!' Young children are making very rapid progress in the prime areas of learning. They

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who attend

communicate at levels expected for their age and benefit from the childminder's consistently good support and encouragement in their evolving speech. Children who speak English as an additional language show they fully understand directions and questions and their communication is very good. Using babbling, facial expressions and by showing adults what they want, children communicate very well. They all show high levels of confidence and self-esteem. They choose their own toys and activities, which they can reach easily. They are learning responsibility by putting things away when they are finished playing, sorting the toys into their appropriate boxes and containers. Children are making very good progress in their physical skills as the childminder guides them in learning how to safely negotiate the climbing frame and slide steps. They also explore a wide range of physical activities, such as pedalling trikes, throwing and catching balls, as

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who attend

well as managing tools, such as pencils and crayons aptly. Children show right or left hand preference as they make marks on paper, representing drawings and early writing skills.

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who attend

Good partnerships with parents support children to quickly settle into the childminder's care. The childminder works together with parents to share information on children as soon as they start. This enables the childminder to have an accurate starting point for each child and from which she observes and monitors their progress. Children's progress is recorded using photographs and annotations and highlights their next steps clearly.

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who attend

The childminder makes sure that children of all ages participate equally in all activities. She is very effective in using incidental opportunities to expand children's learning. For example, during a playdough activity, children were encouraged to count, describe what they have made and imagine that their creation is a snail or a worm. The childminder praises efforts and celebrates achievements as children count the number of balls they have made and giggle at the long worm. Children are learning to share and take turns, joining together to praise and complement each other, which raises their confidence and self-esteem.

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who attend

Children participate in physical exercise daily. They choose from a wide selection of tools and equipment, which are suitably challenging. Children crawl into the play tent, climb up the ladder to the slide and use cutting tools, such as scissors and knives safely while playing with playdough. The childminder provides a good choice of challenges for children to move them on to the next stage in their development. For example, by providing children with regular visits to pre-school groups to get them accustomed to being in group learning situations in readiness for school. The childminder places high priority on promoting children's high levels of confidence, self-esteem and independence. This ensures that they have most of the skills they need to be ready for the next stages in their learning.

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

Children spontaneously show affection. They are happy and confident and show strong attachments to the childminder and her family. Children freely choose toys and games from a wide selection of inviting and accessible resources. They are encouraged to use the whole floor space to piece jigsaws together. Very young children learn how to turn the toy hairdryer on and off and display good skills when coordinating their actions using a mirror.

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

Children independently reach their drinks when they are thirsty and the childminder reminds them to drink more when the weather is warm. The childminder ensures that children are competent in their self-help skills, appropriate to their age, by giving them direction and encouragement. She holds back and only intervenes if asked or needed, for example, when children are taking off their cardigans when feeling too warm. The childminder gives children the time to try for themselves. Children show their ability in threading the buttons through the button holes and removing their cardigans, smiling broadly with their achievement. This is very effective in supporting children's personal independence skills and self-confidence.

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

The childminder gives children clear and consistent messages about behaving safely and acceptably. This results in all children displaying a very good understanding of boundaries and keeping themselves safe. For example, the childminder encourages children to hold on to the rail to climb the steps on the slide. Older children show their awareness of the danger of small parts as they put small items away when toddlers are close by. Their growing confidence in climbing steps shows they are learning how to manage risks for themselves. The childminder is very vigilant and stands close by to protect children but allows them to have a go themselves.

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

The childminder's good care practices effectively support children's welfare and emotional well-being. They are provided with balanced meals and snacks and they grow their own vegetables in the garden. This promotes children's understanding of adopting healthy lifestyles. Older children see the hand washing poster in the bathroom and talk about washing germs off their hands after playing in the garden and before eating. Young children show they have also adopted good routines as they instantly go to wash their hands when reminded. They copy the actions of older children and this helps them adopt good hygiene routines easily.

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

The childminder's home is a well-resourced and welcoming environment, where children are happy and settle quickly. Strong working partnerships with parents and regular information sharing helps children's move from their home to the childminder's go smoothly. Detailed discussions about children's starting points, likes, dislikes and interests ensure that the childminder has a very accurate knowledge of their starting points, health needs and abilities, right from the start.

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

Children display good skills and confidence, which enable them to continue making rapid progress in the prime areas of learning. They do not attend any other settings at this time, which shows that their progress has been as a direct result of the childminder's good practice. The childminder is aware of the importance of engaging in professional working relationships with other providers when the need arises. She has thought about this and her suitable knowledge and understanding is clearly demonstrated. However, the impact on children cannot be assessed in this report.

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provision

The childminder is effective in delivering a wide range of activities and resources that enable children to make good progress in all areas of learning. She has a good knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements and she effectively monitors all activities that she provides. This ensures that all children receive a wide variety of learning experiences, which successfully support their good progress towards the early learning goals.

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provision

The childminder has a detailed understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. She is clear about what action she will take if she had any concerns about the safety or welfare of a child. Clear and detailed written policies are shared with parents, which ensures that all of them and visitors are clear about the childminder's safeguarding procedures. All adults living in the home have been checked to ensure that they are suitable to be in contact with children.

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provision

The childminder is aware of the importance of forming professional partnerships to share information confidentially and to make sure that children receive consistency in their learning and development. In the coming weeks, changes to children's routines will enable the childminder to establish a complementary approach to their learning and development. Partnerships with parents are good and they are provided with daily communication and ideas of activities to do with their children to support their learning.

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provision

The childminder has a commitment to improving children's learning experiences further. She monitors her practice using a written self-evaluation process. Parent's views and comments are sought through questionnaires. Their remarks are very complimentary. The childminder's self-evaluation is effective in identifying what she needs to improve. However, there is scope to focus the targets to specific plans and their impact on children. For example, the childminder wishes to extend her qualifications but has not planned which qualification she will study for, when and how she will accomplish this and how it will benefit children.

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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 EY419319 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 874386 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 5

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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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