Childminder in Suffolk

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/09/2013 01/06/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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 provides a stimulating and enabling environment where toys are easily accessible and children are encouraged to make independent choices in their play and learning.  Children's behaviour is highly positive. They learn to play cooperatively together because the childminder makes excellent use of praise and consistently promotes sharing and taking turns.  The childminder places great emphasis on fostering effective partnership working with parents. As a result, information is shared readily to promote strong continuity in children's care and progression.  Rigorous risk assessments are implemented to ensure children are cared for in very healthy, safe and secure surroundings.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope for children to be offered an even wider range of writing equipment in order to extend opportunities for making marks and practising writing in different situations.

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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's activities in the lounge and dining room, and viewed the childminder's front and rear gardens.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the feedback from parents in written reference letters and questionnaires.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at the children's assessment records, the childminder's self- evaluation form and some written policy documents.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2002. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two adult sons in a bungalow in Ixworth, Suffolk. The whole of the property is used for childminding. Children also have access to the childminder's enclosed front and rear gardens for outdoor play. The family has four dogs as pets.

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Information about the setting

The childminder attends a toddler group, childminder group and visits the park and library on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently nine children on roll, six of whom are in the early years age group. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder holds a relevant early years qualification at level 3.

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

 enhance the educational programme for literacy by expanding the range of writing equipment and creating further opportunities for children to practise writing for different purposes.

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who attend

The childminder is keen to support children to make the best possible progress. She provides a broad range of stimulating play opportunities both inside and outside of her home. These are planned effectively to fully reflect the children's individual interests and ensure they remain curious and interested in exploring and discovering new things. A vast majority of the toys and resources are carefully organised to fully maximise the children's ability to see what is on offer and choose for themselves. For example, they enjoy delving into a box of toys, pulling out dressing up clothes and electronic toys that capture their interest. The childminder is skilful in observing and assessing children's progress at regular intervals, and draws successfully on the information she gathers from parents about their child's starting points. As a result, she has a strong knowledge of each child's achievements and knows how to tailor their learning and care, in order to fully meet their

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who attend

individual needs. Children's 'learning journey' records provide parents with clear examples of their good progress, including meaningful observations, photographs and examples of their craftwork. Parents are encouraged to contribute to the childminder's planning as she asks them about children's learning at home. For example, when parents indicate that they are focusing on supporting their child's cutting skills, the childminder ensures that they are provided with scissors to suit their needs in being left-handed.

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who attend

Children enjoy playing imaginatively. This is because the childminder provides a particularly wide range of role play resources to inspire their creative ideas. For example, they become engrossed in pretending to drive a train, wearing the 'driver's hat' and making the sounds of the moving train. The childminder is skilful in extending children's communication and language skills as she prompts them to describe what happens when their train travels under a bridge. They show great understanding as they cover their eyes with their hands and explain that it is dark under the bridge. Younger children demonstrate a strong enjoyment of looking at books. The childminder purposefully organises these in a low-level bookcase so they have full scope to help themselves before sitting comfortably to turn the pages. The childminder extends children's speaking skills as she models clear use of language and prompts them to name the objects, colours and

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who attend

Overall, there are good opportunities for older children to develop their early writing skills in preparation for when they move on to school. For instance, they sit at the low-level table to draw pictures of different shapes, before the childminder encourages them to write the first letter in their name. However, writing tools and resources are not always made available throughout the continuous provision to fully enhance opportunities for children to attempt writing for a wider range of different purposes. This includes the creation of shopping lists, maps, tickets, recipes and instructions in popular role play activities.

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who attend

As children play, the childminder often steps in to consolidate their mathematical skills. In particular, children are encouraged to count the number of candles on the birthday cake and prompted to refer to the numbers on the telephone.

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who attend

The childminder's gardens are resourced well to offer an inviting extension to the indoor learning environment. Here, children enjoy investigating as they place pine cones into long pieces of guttering pipe. The childminder ensures the youngest children are fully involved as she shows them how to lift and tilt the pipe to make the pine cones slide to the end. In turn, this helps them to develop their physical strength and coordination in moving and handling different objects. When children master the skill of pedalling a tricycle, she helps them to progress further by offering them a more challenging bicycle with just two wheels. This demonstrates that the childminder has high expectations of what children can achieve and is instrumental in ensuring they develop good skills in readiness for the next stage in their learning.

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

The childminder successfully supports children's emotional well-being because she is enthusiastic and nurturing in her approach. This ensures children establish trusting relationships, which in turn, helps them to feel very secure in the childminder's care. Children's individual care routines and personal preferences are fully respected as the childminder makes sure that she finds out about these in her initial discussions with parents. The childminder stays nearby to the children, chatting with them and showing a genuine interest in their ideas. Praise and positive encouragement is consistently provided in order to boost children's self-esteem and motivation. From a young age, children are actively supported to develop their social skills as they play together. When minor disagreements occur between the younger children, the childminder steps in calmly and consistently to model good turn taking with toys. As a result, children quickly return to

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

playing cooperatively and often initiate sharing for themselves. This is good progress given their current stages of development. Regular outings to local social groups and events go further to promote children's personal, social and emotional development and ensure they develop confidence in larger groups.

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

Children like to be independent in their everyday routines. The childminder builds successfully on this, giving them time to manage tasks for themselves. This includes opportunities to peel their own banana at snack time and to put on their coats and shoes. The daily routine helps children to develop a secure sense of belonging. For example, they look forward to the daily ritual of collecting the post when it is delivered and waving to thank the postman. The childminder recognises the importance of preparing children well for their transition into school. She works with parents to provide children with a bag containing various school-related items. This motivates them to look forward to starting school and aids their smooth transition when it is time to move on.

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

The childminder takes good steps to support children's health. As well as enjoying outdoor play in the garden, the children regularly visit the park where they have more space to run around in the fresh air and benefit from physical exercise. The childminder works closely with parents to ensure they are provided with nutritious snacks and meals to meet and enhance their dietary needs.

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

Role play situations provide valuable opportunities for children to talk about risks and how to manage these. For instance, they remind the childminder to be careful with the hot pizza when they take it out of the imaginary oven. The childminder is also very consistent in providing younger children with clear explanations to ensure they learn the dangers of 'crashing' into things if they run while indoors.

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provision

The childminder has a comprehensive understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. She monitors the educational programmes closely to ensure children continue to be enthused and challenged by the provision. The children's 'learning journey' records have been extended since the last inspection to ensure they continue to support the childminder in tracking children's progress and identifying any gaps in their development. The childminder evaluates her practice as a matter of course. This ensures that she has a good awareness of what she does well and how the provision for children can be improved. For instance, the childminder recognises that she has limited skills in using a computer and is seeking to improve her knowledge so that she can access more online training opportunities. This ongoing commitment to her professional development means that she

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provision

continues to enhance her skills, knowledge and understanding of how to meet children's needs.

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provision

The childminder has a very secure understanding of child protection issues. She has very recently attended relevant training to refresh her knowledge of how to identify and follow up any concerns about a child's welfare. This means that she has the information she needs to liaise with local child protection agencies and ensure children are well protected from harm. The childminder pays constant attention to promoting children's safety. She carries out robust risk assessments to ensure her home is maintained to a very clean, safe and secure standard. More recently, an additional safety gate has been installed to fully prevent children from accessing the garden while unsupervised. This also ensures children are kept safe when they come into contact with the childminder's pet dogs. The childminder is very mindful to supervise children closely as they flow freely around the home and garden. She also makes sure they are not left alone with people who have not

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provision

completed the required checks to confirm their suitability to be in contact with children.

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provision

The childminder strives to promote cohesive partnership working with parents. She ensures her policies and procedures are shared with all parents from the beginning, and provides ongoing updates during daily discussions. As a result, parents understand the expectations of the provision and can support good continuity in their child's care. Parents are encouraged to share their views and suggestions, both in discussions and via questionnaires. Their responses are highly positive, with many highlighting that their children make good progress during their time with the childminder. The childminder has not had reason to share information about children with other early years providers until very recently. However, she welcomes opportunities to network with other practitioners at local authority 'keeping in touch' meetings, and has a clear understanding that these links stand her in good stead for developing effective partnership working in the near future.

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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 EY232289 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 877423 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 9

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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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