Childminder in Buckinghamshire

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD Telephone: 0300 123 1231 Fax: 0300 123 3159 Minicom: 0161 618 8524 Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk Web: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Outcome of monitoring visit for provision judged as inadequate

An Ofsted inspector, Linda Cass, carried out a monitoring visit of your provision on 14/10/2013. This visit follows on from your inspection where the provision was judged to be inadequate.

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Outcome of the visit

As a result of our inspection on 01/07/2013, we sent you a welfare requirements notice.

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Outcome of the visit

The welfare requirement notice required you to address the following:

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Outcome of the visit

notify Ofsted of any change in the address of the premises, which may affect the space available to children and the quality of childcare available to them; keep a daily record of the names of the children being cared for on the premises, their hours of attendance and the names of each child's key person; obtain parents' and/or carers' permission to leave children with an assistant, including for very short periods of time.

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Outcome of the visit

A notice to improve was also issued which required you to address the following:

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Outcome of the visit

ensure any care provided for older children does not adversely affect the care of children receiving early years provision; improve the educational programme for physical development, by helping children learn about health and self-care skills by teaching children about the importance of hygiene and hand washing routines and by challenging children's physical abilities through the activities and resources provided; improve the educational programme for communication and language by offering children opportunities to extend their vocabulary by carefully questioning them and using language with children to extend their learning; develop knowledge of the learning and development requirements in order to ensure that every child's learning and care is tailored to meet their individual needs and challenge children to reach the next steps in learning across all areas, particularly mathematical development. Seek to engage and support parents in guiding their child's

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Outcome of the visit

development at home; improve knowledge of assessment and use observations to understand children's levels of achievements, interests and learning styles and use this information to review children's progress between the ages of two and three years and provide parents with a short written summary of their child's development; reflect on practice and identify strengths and key areas of development that will improve the quality of the provision for all children; make sure the premises and equipment are organised in a way that meets the children's needs, particularly in making sure children have plenty of space to move around freely and to choose the toys they wish to play with; make sure staff understand their roles and responsibilities and that they have opportunities for training and development, to improve their knowledge of the welfare, and learning and development requirements; obtain consent from parents for children to be left with a childminding

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Outcome of the visit

assistant for periods of no more than two hours per day (compulsory part of the Childcare Register); keep a daily record of the names of the children being cared for on the premises, their hours of attendance and the names of each child's key person (Voluntary and compulsory part of the Childcare Register); keep a record of the name, home address, and date of birth of each child who is looked after on the premises and the name and home address and telephone number of a parent/guardian/carer of each child who is looked after on the premises (Voluntary and compulsory part of the Childcare Register); inform Ofsted of a change to the address of the premises where they are providing childcare (Voluntary compulsory part of the Childcare Register)

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Outcome of the visit

Having considered all the evidence, the inspector is of the opinion that at this time you are making satisfactory improvement overall.

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

A monitoring visit took place on 14 October 2013.

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

You explained to the inspector that you had previously taken some children to a hall to play badminton. You did not use the hall for the purposes of unregistered childcare. You hired the hall for a hour so that children could have a larger indoor play space. Following your inspection you no longer take children to the hall. You now keep a daily record of the names of the children being cared for on the premises, their hours of attendance and the names of each child's key person. You have obtained parents' and/or carers' permission to leave children with an assistant, including for very short periods of time. The welfare requirement notice has been met.

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

Records detailing the name, home address, and date of birth of each child who is looked after on the premises and these are now in place.

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

Although children are very well supported and are happy and secure in your care, insufficient progress has been made to ensure any care provided for older children does not adversely affect the care of children receiving early years provision. You informed the inspector that up to 15 children attend your setting at any one time. Space requirements are not always met due to children over-crowding the playroom during certain activities. You have not organised the activities effectively to make the best use of the space available. The premises and equipment are not organised in a way that meets the children's needs. Although children can access some toys they have no access to role play resources which limits their imaginary play. Completion of this action will be monitored at the next visit.

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

You have made some progress to improve the educational programme for physical development by ensuring children wash their hands before meals and after stroking the cats. Children are able to use a resources in the garden to promote their physical development and use soft balls indoors to practise throwing and catching. Their fine motor skills are promoted through a variety of activities. Completion of this action will be monitored at the next visit.

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

Some progress has been made to improve the educational programme for communication and language. You and your assistants talk to the children about what they are doing and it is a language rich environment. However, there are missed opportunities to extend children's vocabulary by carefully questioning them and using language to extend their learning. For example, children are not always given the opportunity to respond due to being asked too many questions in quick succession or the answer is given to them before they have the opportunity to speak. In addition, opportunities for children to think for themselves and describe what they are doing are missed during activities such as using musical instruments. For example, by counting the beats with the children or asking them to describe the noise. This action will be monitored at the next visit.

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

You have developed your knowledge of the learning and development requirements. However, there is still insufficient challenge for children to reach the next steps in learning across all areas. Some activities are too adult directed and limit children's creativity. For example, pre-cut leaves are used for a craft activity instead of encouraging older children to draw a leaf and cut it out. In addition, children between 15 months to four years are all expected to sit and listen to a story together. Initially children enjoyed using the story props such as hats and brooms but when the younger children lost interest due to the story not being suitable for their age group there was no alternative activity for them. When they attempted to access a toy it was removed. They became distressed and restless as they were unable to leave the assistants knee. This demonstrates a lack of understanding of individual children's stage of development and ability. This action will be monitored

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

Satisfactory progress has been made to engage and support parents in guiding their child's development at home. Assessment and observations are used to monitor and record children's levels of achievements, interests and learning styles. This information is used to review children's progress between the ages of two and three years and a summary is provided to parents regarding their child's development.

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

You have not fully reflected on practice to identify strengths and key areas of development that will improve the quality of the provision for all children. Completion of this action will be monitored at the next visit.

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

You have made satisfactory progress to ensure staff understand their roles and responsibilities and they have opportunities for training and development. There is further scope to improve their knowledge of the welfare, and learning and development requirements. This is reflected in their lack of understanding of children's individual stage of development and capabilities.

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Next steps

Having considered all the evidence the inspector is of the opinion that at this time:

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Next steps

 The childminder has made satisfactory progress in addressing the points for improvement. The next visit will be a further monitoring visit.

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Next steps

I hope that you have found the visit helpful in promoting improvement in your childminding service. If you have any further queries please contact us on the number at the top of this letter.

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Next steps

Susan Gregory HMI National Director, Inspection Delivery

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