Childminder in West Berkshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/10/2013 23/10/2009

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3

p.1

This provision is satisfactory

 The childminder provides a relaxed and homely setting in which children enjoy a selection of activities organised to suit their interests.  The childminder demonstrates the importance of reflecting on her practice and is aware of some of the areas that need to be developed in order to maintain continuous improvement.  The childminder's effective implementation of the safeguarding and welfare requirements supports children's health, safety and well being.

p.1

It is not yet good because

 The childminder has not begun to implement the progress check when a child is aged between two and three years.  Younger children have fewer opportunities to freely explore an exciting range of natural or sensory materials and resources to promote their learning and curiosity.  Arrangements to develop secure partnerships and valuable links with other settings that children attend or which children may transfer onto are not well embedded.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector spent time observing the childminder with children in the main play room.

p.2

Inspection activities

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

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of children's observation records, a selection of policies and children's records.  The inspector took account of the views of parents through their written comments.

p.2

Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2002. She lives with her two teenage children, in a house in Burghfield Common, near Reading in Berkshire. The ground floor is mainly used for childminding, with the exception of the bathroom and a sleep room on the first floor. There is an enclosed rear garden available for outdoor play. Access to the home and garden are restricted by the use of steps. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Currently there are five children in the early years age range on roll. The family has a dog, guinea pigs, fish, a cat and a budgie as pets.

p.3

must:

 improve observations of children's learning and assess their progress between the ages of two and three years, to provide parents with a short written summary of their child's development in the prime areas.

p.3

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

 extend the programme for understanding the world by providing stimulating sensory resources and materials to promote younger children's learning and curiosity.

p.3

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

 extend partnerships to help the children be well prepared for when they leave and move to other settings.

p.3

who attend

The childminder enjoys the time she spends with the children. They benefit from the individual time and attention she gives them. She sits with them on the floor continually interacting, supporting and guiding them in their play. The childminder provides children with a range of activities and experiences that are linked to their interests and abilities. These also help children to develop new skills. Children direct most of their own play with the childminder offering advice and making suggestions. This enhances their learning and understanding as they play and enjoy themselves. Children develop useful skills in language and numeracy through their play experiences. For example, children enjoy exploring a range of puzzles with large pieces and successfully fit shapes into spaces. Younger children use their imaginations as they play with small world toys. As they become engrossed in building tall towers with bricks, the train track

p.3

who attend

and the pretend kitchen area, the childminder increases young children's awareness of concepts, such as different colours and counting. Children have many opportunities to experience musical instruments and show great pleasure when making different sounds with a xylophone. Young children show delight in exploring simple equipment, requiring them to press and push buttons and turn equipment on and off. The childminder allows children time to confidently explore the environment, where they are supported to develop their own ideas. However, the childminder does not make the most of opportunities to strengthen younger children's exploration of sensory skills in the home; for example, sensory treasure baskets and a range of natural materials for younger children to use. Despite this, older children have many experiences to be creative as art and craft materials are always available. The childminder supports and fosters children's personal,

p.4

who attend

social and emotional needs well. She engages in playful interactions with children to support their play. Through their play they learn to respect different cultures and how people celebrate individual traditions all over the world. Overall, children are making steady progress in their learning and development, which supports their individual care and preparation for their future.

p.4

who attend

The childminder generally promotes successful partnerships with parents. They are informed about many aspects of their children's care, well being and what they have been doing within the setting. She engages parents in discussions, daily diaries and shares the children's learning journals. The childminder also encourages parents to share information about their children's learning and development at home to support their children's progress. The childminder makes general observations on the children while they play. However, she has yet to demonstrate a clear understanding of how to complete the progress check for children at age two years. This is a requirement of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. This means children's development is not clearly shared with parents to evaluate their progress and identify future learning aims.

p.4

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

Children are safe and secure as the childminder is responsive to their needs. She supports them emotionally when they show signs of hunger or tiredness. Children benefit from the warm relationships with the childminder. They form positive relationships with other children and are encouraged to respect their environment. Children develop responsible behaviour. The childminder praises and encourages their achievements and efforts. The childminder is gentle in her approach and acts as a good role model. This further encourages their positive behaviour and helps to promote children's self-esteem and confidence. Children show great respect for the childminder and in return they behave well. They develop social skills as they mix with other children and this is further supported by attending various toddler groups. Consequently, children have their emotional needs met in a calm and child friendly environment.

p.4

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

The childminder implements sound safety measures in the home to enable children to enjoy the space and resources without risk to themselves. These safety measures include ensuring the play equipment is suitable for its purpose. Children enjoy finding out what they can do. The childminder supervises children appropriately and conducts checks on the home to minimise children's access to any potential hazards. This contributes to children's wellbeing and helps to make sure that children are safe. The childminder's home is generally well resourced and overall there is a wide selection of toys and equipment. Resources in the main playroom are regularly rotated around and are mostly presented at the children's height. The childminder generally promotes inclusion through supporting the children's choices of activities. She knows the children well and treats them with equal concern. Toys, resources and experiences promoting positive images are plentiful.

p.5

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

The childminder supports children's awareness of healthy lifestyles by offering a range of nutritious snacks and meals. Children develop an awareness of good hygiene skills through their daily routines. The childminder promotes children's physical development well, as they regularly visit local parks and use the garden area to exercise in the fresh air. Younger children are able to rest and relax when they need to throughout the day.

p.5

provision

The childminder's documentation is organised and easily accessible. The childminder follows a range of written policies and procedures to ensure children's welfare is effectively safeguarded and promoted. These are also shared with parents so they are aware of her responsibilities. The childminder has a secure understanding of safeguarding issues. She is aware of the procedures she should follow should she have a safeguarding concern, including notifying the correct organisations in good time. The childminder regularly completes risk assessments to ensure that any potential hazards are minimised. This allows children to play safely both indoors and outdoors.

p.5

provision

The childminder is developing a sound understanding of the strengths of her practice through her self-evaluation process. She has a generally sound understanding of the learning and development requirements. She uses her general observations to organise flexible, relevant and fun activities for the children in her care. The childminder demonstrates a sound commitment to providing valuable care and education. The childminder's quality assurance system requires her to reflect on her childcare practice and to highlight areas requiring some improvement. However, she has yet to consider strengthening good partnerships with other settings that children attend and local schools to contribute to a smooth transfer when children move on from the setting. Nonetheless, the childminder has positive relationships with parents. Through parents' letters of compliment, it is evident that they have high levels of appreciation and respect for the

p.5

provision

childminder. They praise the childminder and comments include 'she is calm, caring and is committed to the well being of all the children in her care. We chose the childminder as she offers a wide range of experiences, both in her home and with lots of trips and visits. She has a good understanding of our children's needs and we have total trust and confidence in her'.

p.5

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

p.6

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.

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number EY250710 Local authority West Berkshire (Newbury) Inspection number 936209 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 5

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

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’.

p.10

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10