Childminder in Croydon

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/10/2013 08/11/2010

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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

 Children feel secure and confident in the care of the childminder and thrive as a result of the strong bonds they have formed with her, which enhances their emotional well- being.  Children take part in a wide variety of interesting activities and experiences. They make good progress in their development in relation to their starting points and capabilities.  Children enjoy daily opportunities to play and explore outside, which supports their physical development and their understanding of the world around them.  The childminder actively involves parents in children's learning and development and keeps them well informed about children's activities and achievements.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not fully extend children's early mathematical awareness in relation to the concept of time.  The childminder does not routinely encourage children's growing independence skills, for example, in managing buttons and zips when dressing.

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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 majority of the inspection was spent observing the childminder interacting with the children.  The inspector spoke to the childminder about her service.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled records and documentations used to underpin the organisation of the setting, including those relating to children's individual needs.  The inspector discussed the childminder's self-evaluation process with her.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2008. She lives with her family, including two children, in Coulsdon, Surrey. Children have use of the lounge, kitchen/dining room and toilet facilities on the ground floor. There is also an enclosed garden available for outside play. There are a few steps down to the front door and there are parking facilities outside.

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Information about the setting

The childminder offers care five days a week throughout the year. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently four children on roll in the early years age group. The childminder also offers care to older children and supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder occasionally works with her mother as her assistant.

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

 develop further children's mathematical awareness in relation to time by, for example, using clocks and timers to time activities and waiting times

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

 encourage children to practise and develop their growing independence skills, for example, in relation to dressing and undressing themselves in preparation for school.

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who attend

The childminder demonstrates a good understanding of how to support children's learning and development through play. She ensures good settling in procedures are in place to help new children settle quickly and happily. The childminder uses a well-planned registration process to help ensure she is aware of the individual needs of all the children in her care. She also provides parents with regular questionnaires, which helps ensure she can provide relevant on-going support for each child.

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who attend

The childminder makes regular observations of children's achievements and plans activities that effectively build on their interests. She offers children suitable challenges in line with their starting points and abilities. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development, are interested in the activities provided and are motivated to learn. They respond with excitement when new activities are proposed. For example, children demonstrate good levels of involvement and enjoyment when creating hedgehog collages as part of the autumn theme.

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who attend

The childminder keeps parents well informed about their children's progress. She talks to parents each day and completes a daily diary to ensure parents have up-to-date information about their child's experiences. Parents are also encouraged to share information of achievements from home and to be actively involved in extending their children's learning. For example, they share a child's favourite story book between the home and the setting to support children's continuity in their learning.

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who attend

The childminder is caring and affectionate and children are happy and content in her care. The home is well organised enabling children to safely and freely move around, helping themselves to the many accessible toys. Children take the lead in their play and make their own choices according to their interests. As a result, even children who are new to the setting are self-confident and emotionally secure.

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who attend

The childminder successfully promotes children's language and communication skills when she talks to them as they play, extending conversations and introducing new words. She encourages children to listen and to respond verbally to her prompts, thereby developing their verbal communication. For example, she explains to the children what to do when using the glue sticks. Children receive encouragement to talk about the different coloured leaves they have collected on a recent trip to the park and to think about their different sizes. The childminder encourages children to say 'please' and 'thank you' to each other as they learn to share toys. She uses puppets to help build children's vocabulary while they sing and repeat nursery rhymes. The childminder helps children to develop their literacy skills. They learn to recognise letters, for example those that are in their names, in readiness for school. Children also have access to a good range of materials to practise

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who attend

their drawing and early writing skills in preparation for their next stage in learning.

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who attend

Children have some good opportunities to develop their early mathematical skills. For example, the childminder makes generally good use of everyday activities and routines to develop children's understanding of number. For example, she counts with the children as they select cars of their choice. There is a good selection of puzzles available and children enjoy building the train track together. These activities give children good experience of different shapes and how they fit together. However, The childminder talks about time as she reminds children to 'wait five minutes' when children take turns and share toys. However, she does not support children's learning, for example, by using a clock or timer so that children have a visual clue. This limits children's understanding of the concept of time to some extent.

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who attend

Children have good opportunities to develop their understanding of their local community and the wider world as they take part in daily activities outdoors. They visit numerous local facilities, including parks, farms, soft play centres and the local children's centre. Here they have good opportunities to mix with other children and experience the changing seasons while also developing their physical skills. There is a very well maintained garden for the children to use. This is very well resourced with numerous toys including sand and water trays, wheeled toys, a play house and a trampoline. Children gain lots of confidence as they play, successfully developing their skills and having great fun.

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

Children are happy and settled in the childminder's care because the childminder organises the day around children's individual needs and interests. This helps children feel safe and develop a sense of belonging as they are warmly welcomed.

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

The childminder is calm and consistent in her manner, which helps children develop positive behaviour management skills. The childminder quietly and gently resolves minor squabbles and upsets, and children respond well to her guidance. As a result children form good friendships with each other and enjoy playing together. For example, they play cooperatively with the doctor's set, taking turns to 'make each other better'. The childminder reminds the children of the importance of safety, for example, keeping the floor tidy so they will not trip over the toys. These simple and effective strategies help children feel protected and teach them to take age appropriate responsibility for their own safety.

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

The childminder carries out regular checks of the home each day to ensure children can play safely. She has precautions, such as safety gates, in place and is vigilant about supervising children at all times. The childminder keeps detailed risk assessment records to help her evaluate the ongoing safety of the setting. The childminder has a clear evacuation plan in place and carries out monthly fire drills with the children. This ensures children know what to do in an emergency.

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

The childminder effectively promotes children's good health and well-being. Children enjoy freshly prepared, nourishing meals and snacks of fresh fruit. They are offered regular drinks to ensure they do not become thirsty and are supported in their toileting needs. Good hygiene routines help to protect children from the spread of infection, for instance the use of individual hand towels and wet wipes for hand washing. Effective procedures are now in place in relation to the administration of medication. This follows an action raised during the last inspection and results in improved measures to support children's well-being. However, children do not have consistent opportunities to practise some independence skills. For example, the childminder is not consistent in encouraging children to put on their coats for themselves and to fasten buttons and zips. This limits children's skills in readiness for nursery and school where they will need to be more independent.

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provision

The childminder has effective procedures in place to safeguard children's welfare. For example, she knows the child protection referral procedures to follow if she is concerned about a child's welfare. Well maintained records enable the childminder to quickly access the required information necessary to report any concerns. The childminder ensures this is updated as necessary and that safeguarding information is effectively shared with parents. The childminder has recently completed child protection training following a recommendation made at her last inspection. As a result, the childminder demonstrates a good understanding of the procedures to follow if she has any concerns.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of the learning and development requirements and demonstrates good knowledge of the children's individual levels of development. As a result of careful monitoring and planning, children are achieving well and making good progress towards the early learning goals.

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provision

The childminder works closely with parents to ensure children settle smoothly between home, this childminding setting and other early years provisions they attend. This supports continuity of care and ensures important information to support children's welfare, learning and development is effectively shared.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a good capacity towards maintaining continuous improvement. She has appropriately addressed the actions and recommendations from her last inspection, which has resulted in improved outcomes for children. The childminder evaluates her service to identify any improvements she can make to help meet the children's needs. Parents are actively encouraged to take part in this process and complete six monthly questionnaires so that the childminder can take their views into consideration.

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provision

The childminder recognises the value of training and has recently completed a level 3 child care qualification. This enables her to keep up to date with developments in early years, maintain improvements to her provision and promote effective outcomes for children. She has attended training so that she is well prepared to complete the progress check for children aged two years when this is appropriate.

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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 EY384277 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 815842 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 5 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

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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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