Childminder in Gateshead

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/09/2013 20/12/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 4 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 The childminder provides an appropriate mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities that keep children engrossed and engaged in play. Consequently, children make suitable progress.  Children have strong and secure relationships with the childminder and they have lots of fun together. Therefore, children are happy and their emotional needs are well met.  The childminder is friendly and approachable and provides a flexible service for parents. This means that she is reliable and is able to meet parents' individual requirements and children's needs appropriately.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder has not fully developed ways in which parents can be involved in their children's learning by encouraging them to share their views on children's activities, learning and progress and by finding out what they enjoy doing at home.  The childminder does not follow clear procedures for the administration and recording of medication, which does not fully support children's welfare.  There is no attractive and cosy area where children can rest or sit quietly and comfortably with books to promote their literacy development further.  The sand and water troughs are not full and readily available outside, to promote children's learning and sensory experiences further.

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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 playroom and toured the premises.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed a sample of documentation, including; policies, children's learning journals and the childminder's certificates.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2011 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her adult child and 13-year- old child in a house in Sunniside, Tyne and Wear. The whole of the ground floor, an upstairs bathroom and the front garden are used for childminding. The childminder attends a toddler group and 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 four children on roll, three of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of part-time sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She holds a National Vocational Qualification Level 3 in childcare.

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must:

 develop further ways in which parents can be involved in their children's learning by encouraging them to share their views on children's activities, learning and progress while in the setting and by finding out what they enjoy doing at home

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must:

 obtain written permission from a child's parent and/or carer before any medication is given to a child.

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

 provide an attractive and cosy area where children can rest or sit quietly and comfortably with books to promote their literacy development further

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

 ensure that the sand and water troughs outside are filled and readily available, to promote children's choices, learning and sensory experiences further.

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who attend

The childminder has a sound understanding of what children are good at and she is aware of what they like to do. She has brief planning notes that mainly cover her routines. However, she does think about what activities and toys to put out before children arrive, to ensure that these support their interests, enjoyment and learning. For example, she always puts out small world cars and wooden trains and tracks for one of the children and they recently went on a visit to see the real trains at the station. She also knows that another child loves art and craft, so when she has one-to-one opportunities, she concentrates on providing lots of adult-led and child-initiated creative activities and play. This ensures that children's interests are supported appropriately, so that they make suitable progress.

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who attend

The childminder is aware that children of different ages have varied development and learning needs. She provides a range of activities and outings to meet these needs and covers the seven areas of learning appropriately. However, the environment is not sufficiently enabling to fully support and extend children's learning further. For example, storage of buggies and highchairs, when not in use, takes up valuable space in the playroom. There is no attractive, quiet, cosy book area where children can rest or sit quietly and comfortably with books to promote their literacy development further. As well as this, although, the outdoor environment provides a nice area for children to play, the plastic equipment is not ready to use and there is no water and a limited amount of sand in the troughs. Consequently, this limits children's opportunities to extend their exploratory and physical development further. The childminder does, however, make room for large

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who attend

creative play, such as providing large sheets of paper on the floor. Toddlers also join in messy activities by exploring paint while sitting in their high chair. This promotes children's sensory and expressive development appropriately.

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who attend

The childminder supports children sufficiently in their self-chosen activities and follows these through, so that they make suitable progress. For example, on a shopping trip, children chose a mask making kit to make masks in the home. Children independently choose materials they want to use from the low-level art and craft drawers, such as, scissors, sequins, crayons and glue. During this activity, the childminder helps children to recognise and name colours and animals. She asks appropriate questions and makes statements that make children think, such as 'What does this mask look like?' and 'What colour are you using now and what will you use next?' When children respond, she talks with them about animals, numbers, colours and shapes, which promotes their language for thinking and mathematical development appropriately. Children draw and colour with good control and the childminder helps them to thread the string. Once finished, they put

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who attend

on their lion mask and roar at the childminder. They laugh and giggle together as the childminder pretends to get a fright. This raises children's self-esteem and confidence and ensures that they have lots of fun. During planned activities, the childminder also follows the children's lead, for example, when they want to cut out or paint, she ensures that they have sufficient resources to carry out their chosen activities and ideas, such as old birthday cards and paper. Therefore, children are engrossed in what they do, successfully recognise colours and use scissors, sequins, paint and paint brushes with good control. This effectively supports their hand/eye coordination and developing skills in using different tools for a purpose.

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who attend

The childminder uses a suitable tracker system based on information she received from the local authority. This helps her to identify where children are doing well and shows if they are demonstrating typical development for their age across the seven areas of learning. She has carried out the required progress check at age two and written a short summary for the parent, although, has not yet shared this with them. The childminder has not yet found successful ways of maintaining engagement with parents regarding exchanging relevant information on children's learning regularly. Individual learning files are in place, which show photographs and captions of what the children do and younger children have a daily diary. However, these are not used effectively to ensure that parents can be further involved in their children's learning. For example, by encouraging them to share their views on children's activities, learning and progress while in the setting and by

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who attend

gaining sufficient information about what they enjoy doing at home.

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who attend

The childminder has a suitable understanding of how to move children on in their development. This means that they are adequately supported to be ready for the next stage in their learning, such as attending pre-school or nursery. For example, she encourages children to interact with older children at groups, to sit down at tables for activities and games that aid concentration and she supports them in their emerging ability to share and consider others.

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

The childminder provides a welcoming home, where children are happy and feel safe and secure. They clearly have good relationships with her and she manages their behaviour well. She is quiet and gentle and teaches children by example. For example, when pre- school children start throwing all the dressing-up and dolls clothes out of the hamper to look for dolls shoes, she explains to them how they should do this carefully and why. She joins in with them to look for the shoes and shows them how to do this properly. This teaches children to have respect for things and to understand acceptable behaviour. She notices when children feel unsure and offers cuddles and verbal reassurance, which supports their emotional needs successfully. Children have plenty of opportunities to play outdoors and they regularly walk to school. They visit the nearby park to play on equipment and when children look through photographs in their files, they state that they

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

went high on the swing and climbed up the slide. This promotes children's need for fresh air and exercise, which enhances their good health and well-being.

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

Children move around the childminder's home confidently and independently select their toys and equipment. They demonstrate a sound knowledge of managing their own self- care needs as they tell the childminder when they are hungry, what they would like to eat and when they need the bathroom. The childminder conducts risk assessments on her premises and for outings. She uses a double buggy and ensures that pre-school children hold onto buggies and learn to cross roads safely using appropriate crossings. She also practises evacuation drills with the children, which helps to keep them safe.

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

Settling-in sessions are provided and are flexible to meet the children's individual needs. This helps children to manage the transition from home to the childminder's setting successfully. She goes through her registration form with parents to ensure that she has all the details she needs. She asks about any allergies or medical conditions and what the parents expectations are. Attendance times and days for some of the children varies depending on the parents' shift patterns, therefore, she is flexible and helpful. The childminder exchanges verbal information about the children's care to whoever drops of and collects children, such as grandparents. She also uses text messaging to and from the parents and a daily written diary for the younger children to ensure that appropriate care information is exchanged. However, her systems for handing over information regarding what activities the children have been doing are not as secure.

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provision

The childminder has an appropriate awareness of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has relevant information available to her to help her put the learning and development and welfare requirements into practice. The childminder has made some changes to her practice and has satisfactorily addressed the actions and recommendations from the last inspection. For example, she has removed a large table to make more space for children's play, reorganised some of her resources and updated relevant policies. She has a fair idea of what she does well and what she would like to improve, such as the outdoor play area and equipment. She sets herself realistic targets and identifies training she would like to do. This means that the setting has a satisfactory capacity to improve further to benefit the children's care and learning.

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provision

The childminder has sound health and safety written policies, which are shared with parents. However, some are not fully practised to fully promote children's safety and welfare. For example, the childminder only obtains verbal consent for administering medication, which does not meet the requirements on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder understands what to do if she has concerns over a child's care or welfare and has all the information she needs to make a referral or seek advice. This means that child protection procedures are secure and that children are suitably protected from harm.

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provision

The childminder builds positive relationships with parents and some of the children have attended since babyhood. This demonstrates that parents are satisfied with the care that their children receive. None of the children cared for currently attend other early years settings, but she is aware of how to work in partnership with staff to provide continuity and coherence for children. She also aims to visit the nursery with parents during the children's visits and settling-in periods. This supports partnership working appropriately and helps children to cope well with change.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 obtain and keep a record of consent from a parent/guardian/carer for any medication administered to a child (compulsory part of the Childcare Register).  obtain and keep a record of consent from a parent/guardian/carer for any medication administered to a child (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 EY419983 Local authority Gateshead Inspection number 900395 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4

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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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