Childminder in Manchester

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/09/2013 05/02/2010

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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 have a warm, close relationship with the childminder and this helps them to feel settled and secure.  The childminder provides good levels of challenge to the children because she uses her observations of children to identify and plan for the next steps in their learning. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development.  The childminder establishes generally strong links with parents. She keeps them well informed about their child's day through the use of daily verbal exchange.  The childminder has a secure understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. This ensures children are kept safe and their well-being is effectively promoted.  The childminder has a good knowledge of how children learn. She introduces new words and models simple sentences to encourage their communication and language skills. As a result, children talk confidently and use a wide range of words.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to enhance the range of natural resources in order that children gain an even wider understanding of the world and have further opportunities for sensory exploration.  Self-evaluation is not sufficiently embedded to consistently identify and act upon areas for improvement so that children continue to make the best progress.

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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 spoke to the childminder when suitable to do so.  The inspector observed the children in the playroom.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined documentation which included the childminder's planning, assessment and monitoring records, and some daily records.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1995. She lives with her husband and two adult children and one child aged 13 years. The family live in a semi-detached house in the Heald Green area of Stockport, which is in walking distance of parks, shops and the library. The childminder also attends a local childminding group. The children have access to the playroom and adjoining toilet. The rear garden, which is accessible from the playroom, is available for outdoor play. The family has a pet dog.

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Information about the setting

The childminder currently has four children on roll in the early years age group. She is able to collect children local school and pre-schools. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder operates all year round from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday, except for family holidays. She has a childcare qualification at level 3.

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

 use the views of parents and children to help identify areas for improvement so that the drive to improve is strengthened and practice is clearly targeted to help children reach the highest levels of achievements

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

 extend the range of natural resources in order that children gain an even wider understanding of the world and have further opportunities for sensory exploration appropriate to the stage of development.

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who attend

The childminder has a good understanding of how children learn. She provides a varied range of activities to promote their development in all areas of learning. As a result, children make good progress. The quality of teaching is good because the childminder knows the children very well and spends her time playing and interacting effectively with them. Children's communication and language skills are very well supported by the childminder. She grasps every opportunity to promote children's understanding and language and uses animated facial expressions and gestures with babies to reinforce what she is saying. The childminder speaks in short simple sentences appropriate to children's age and understanding introducing new words. This successfully promotes their learning and helps to extend their vocabulary. Children receive meaningful praise as they play and are encouraged to 'try and have a go'. Consequently, they are developing skills to help

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who attend

them in their next stage of learning, such as making choices in their play and using tools, such as cutlery, correctly.

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who attend

The childminder engages parents when children start to gain a sense of what the children like and can do. Following a settling-in period she uses her observations of the children to create a summary that covers the prime areas of learning to act as a baseline assessment. Children's development is carefully recorded in learning journey records, which include samples of work, photographs and regular observations. Parents have access to this information and make comments about their children's progress.

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who attend

Children thoroughly enjoy exploring their environment and they make choices about their play and learning. The childminder ensures she sets out a variety of toys, which she knows will capture children's interest. For example, a range of jigsaw puzzles and cause and effect resources are displayed attractively. The childminder knows the children well and has a variety of books that represent the wider diversity in today's world, to encourage children's interest in reading. The childminder uses children's interests to promote and develop their early mathematical skills. For example, she encourages them to count the pasta tubes. The children happily give her some pasta saying 'more'. They learn about shape, space and measure as they enjoy filling and emptying containers. As a result, they develop their imagination and exploratory skills. The childminder introduces the concepts of 'in' and 'out' as the children press the buttons on the cause and effect toy

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who attend

and place the pieces in the inset jigsaw puzzle. Children explore media and materials and enjoy using paints to make marks and play dough. They enjoy using familiar resources reflecting everyday life. For example, they use the high chair to put the doll in and give it a drink using a tea cup. As a result, children's understanding and learning are well supported as they play. However, there is scope to further develop a wider range of natural resources for children to explore and investigate.

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who attend

The babies enjoy crawling and investigating easily accessible resources. Their physical development is further promoted as they can pull themselves up to a standing position using furniture and the resources available. In the garden children climb up the ladders, slide down the slide and use sit and ride toys that promotes their physical development and there are good opportunities to practise their climbing skills on the equipment in the park. Posters and pictures provide visual images of numerals and print in the environment, such as road safety posters and an alphabet display. Small world toys, dressing-up clothes and figures foster the children's imaginative play and understanding the world. For example, the childminder takes the children to visit the farm. The children's learning is further supported as they play with small world animals and copy the noises that the childminder makes for each of the animals. The children giggle as they listen to each other

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who attend

making the animal noises. Children are very comfortable and relaxed with the routines and rhythms of the day. For example, they know when it is time for lunch, nappy changing and sleep time. As a result, they feel secure and content.

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

Children's health is well promoted. They begin to learn to manage their own personal hygiene and they know why they need to wash their hands before they have their lunch or after using the toilet. Healthy snacks of fruit and breadsticks are prepared for the children. The childminder also takes into account dietary requirements, which shows how she works effectively with parents to support children's well-being. Children's self-help skills are supported very well and in close collaboration with parents, such as potty training and weaning. The childminder encourages their independence skills at mealtimes as the babies attempt to feed themselves. This supports children to develop their independence, which helps them with their next stages of learning and contributes in the long term to their school readiness.

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

The childminder has organised her home well, so that children are independent and free to explore while remaining safe. A main playroom provides a base for the children, with a wide variety of toys and equipment available that helps to extend all aspects of their development. For example, there are various resources for children to build with to support the development of creativity and imagination. A selection of photographs displayed shows the children as they take part in different activities. This helps children to gain a sense of community and belonging, which is important for their confidence and sense of self-worth. It also helps them to gain an awareness of themselves as an individual.

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

The childminder provides an environment where the children's personal, social and emotional needs are confidently met. As a result, children are happy, secure and relaxed. They share warm relationships with the childminder and readily seek a cuddle from her. She responds positively to them to provide comfort or reassurance when needed. The childminder's home is set up so that children of all ages can independently access a wide range of toys and activities. Consequently, children show good levels of independence in their play. Good settling-in procedures ensure a smooth transition between home and the childminder's care. Behaviour is managed in partnership with parents, to ensure consistency in approach for the children. Children are praised and supported to behave in a positive manner and are rewarded. For example, they learn to take turns and to share equipment fairly. Children are beginning to learn about their own safety as they take part

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

in fire evacuation procedures and are reminded not to put toys in their mouth and why.

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provision

The childminder has ensured that she keeps her first aid training and public liability insurance up-to-date and displays her registration certificate. She has a good understanding of her role and responsibilities in protecting children from possible harm and neglect. The childminder is confident in her approach to protect the children in her care and has clear safeguarding procedures in place, which are shared with parents. She has completed safeguarding training, which ensures she is up-to-date with current guidelines. The childminder organises her provision well and all required documentation to support the effective management of her setting is in place. For example, risk assessments, policies and procedures and children's records. Children's safety is further promoted as the childminder is clear about informing Ofsted of household family members to ensure all adults in the home have been fully vetted.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of her responsibility in meeting the learning and development requirements. She monitors the educational programmes to ensure all areas of learning are covered and that they provide suitable challenge for children. The childminder is keen to maintain continuous improvement and has started to identify areas for improvement, such as attending specific training. For example, training in meeting the needs of children for whom English is an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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provision

Effective partnerships with parents ensure that children's care and welfare needs are known and catered for. Before children attend, the childminder discusses their individual routines, likes and preferences in depth with parents to support children to settle quickly into their new environment. The childminder understands about working in partnership with any other professionals or providers involved in children's care when the time comes to ensure children's needs are met. The childminder has attended local authority training and has regular contact with other childminders to share good practice. However, the self- evaluation process is less well embedded because the views of parents and children are not fully used to support the identification of priorities and plans for improvement. The childminder ensures that her home is welcoming, clean and safe so that children enjoy their play and learning. Consequently, she promotes the safety of the children effectively.

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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 306665 Local authority Stockport Inspection number 937477 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 3 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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