Childminder in Essex

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/11/2013 05/01/2011

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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

 The childminder demonstrates secure knowledge of the children in her care. This enables her to provide children with a wide range of stimulating and challenging experiences, which help them to make good progress across all seven areas of learning. Teaching is good because the childminder understands how to assess children's progress and plan for their next steps in learning.  Children settle well in the childminder's care as her effective settling-in procedures enable them to easily deal with the transition from home to the childminder's care.  Children are effectively protected from harm as the childminder demonstrates a secure knowledge of safeguarding procedures.  The childminder makes good use of praise and encouragement so that children remain confident in their own abilities. She supports them in becoming independent and well- behaved individuals who understand the importance of keeping themselves safe.

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This provision is good

 Partnerships with parents and others are strong, which means that the childminder is able to complement the learning that takes place in other areas of the children's lives.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for younger children to follow their own natural curiosity with regards to exploring natural items and household objects are not consistently available.

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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 lounge and playroom and viewed all areas of the childminder's home used for childminding purposes.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of records including children's details, information about children's learning and development, written policies, written risk assessments, accident and medication records and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to at the time of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1996 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two children aged 17 and 14 years in a house in Colchester, Essex. The whole of the ground floor and the rear garden is used for childminding. The family has a cat as a pet.

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Information about the setting

The childminder attends toddler groups and activities at the local children's centre. She 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 eight children on roll, three of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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

 enhance opportunities for children to follow their interests and curiosity of natural and household objects, for example, by providing them with shells, stones, feathers and whisks.

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who attend

The childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of the seven areas of learning and how children learn. This enables her to deliver an educational programme that has breadth and depth and provides interesting and challenging experiences for all children. The quality of the childminder's teaching is good. She enthusiastically follows children's leads and sucsessfully captures their interests. The childminder uses her frequent observations of children's play to identify their next steps in learning and to assess their progress. She has an accurate assessment of their development and builds on this when planning appropriate activities. Parents are encouraged to become involved in their children's learning, by sharing special moments or interests from the child's home life and discussing their progress on a regular basis. Information available within the childminder's recording systems shows that all children in her care make good progress towards the

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who attend

Children are keen and active learners, who enjoy the childminder's company and interaction. They enjoy exploring the environment and resources, often asking the childminder to accompany them between the playroom and lounge. The childminder readily accepts and follows the children's lead. Children's language skills are expertly promoted by the childminder who skilfully questions their thinking and provides them with a good amount of time to consider their responses. Children enjoy looking at books, a shared activity, which the childminder actively encourages. They sit together and discuss the pictures. The childminder asks children what they think is happening in each picture, enabling them to be imaginative and to articulate what they can see.

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who attend

Children enjoy being creative and often participate in messy and creative activities. The childminder takes children for walks and encourages them to explore nature, often bringing natural objects back to the garden to further explore. While this provides good opportunities for children to feel, smell and touch natural objects outdoors, there are fewer opportunities provided indoors for younger children to follow their natural curiosity. For example, younger children do not have consistent access to natural materials or household objects to enhance their knowledge of how things work.

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who attend

Children are actively prepared for the next stage of their life, for example, school, as the childminder recognises the importance of preparing for these transitions. Good communication with the local primary school reception teachers provides the childminder with an understanding of their expectations of children's abilities on entry to school. She works with this knowledge to ensure that children are confident about putting their coats and shoes on and taking them off, understand about listening and have good opportunities to begin to develop recognition of their written name.

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

Children settle well into the chlildminder's care as her effective settling-in procedures are guided by the parents and children. She encourages parents to visit her a number of times, before leaving their child for the first time. During these visits, she observes the children and identifies favourite toys or activities. During the first few sessions when they attend alone, she ensures that there is a range of their favourite toys available for them to access. Children form close relationships with the childminder and approach her confidently for cuddles and reassurance. The childminder understands the key person role well and ensures that children's emotional well-being is secure, through effective practices. The positive relationship between the childminder and minded children results in happy young people, who behave in ways which show that they feel safe and secure in the childminder's care. Children behave well and understand the childminder's house rules.

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

The childminder uses praise and encouragement effectively to promote children's self- confidence and self-esteem.

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

Children's good health is well promoted through the childminder's established practices. She follows parents' wishes with regards to potty training and ensures younger children's personal needs are effectively met. Children develop a good understanding about how to keep healthy by eating foods which are good for them. Parents generally provide children's meals, so the childminder uses discussion to inform them about healthy eating. Children experience fresh air and exercise daily, when they play at local parks and playgrounds. They develop physical skills, such as climbing when they make use of the large equipment. Younger babies, who are developing mobility, are provided with appropriate equipment and furniture to begin pulling themselves up and to cruise around the furniture safely. Children have some opportunities to explore risk, for example, when they go for walks in the woods and negotiate uneven ground.

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

The childminder provides children with a wide and exciting range of resources, which are well presented in a dedicated playroom. Children are encouraged to develop independence by freely accessing play materials, which are suitable for their age and stage of development. The childminder makes good use of the local environment to enhance children's learning and to prepare them for their next stages of learning. For example, they visit toddler groups to help to develop their social skills.

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provision

The childminder has cared for minded children for many years. She demonstrates a good understanding of how children learn, which enables her to promote children's learning effectively. Well-considered monitoring of the childminder's setting and especially her educational provision ensures that she maintains an accurate assessment of children's learning. Any gaps in children's learning are quickly identified through this process and the childminder seeks appropriate interventions to help to support the child and their family.

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provision

The childminder's extensive knowledge of safeguarding children, enables her to ensure that the children in her care remain safe and well protected from harm. She regularly updates her safeguarding knowledge through appropriate training courses and uses a forum of local childminders to discuss current practices and guidance. All adults living on the premises are vetted and the childminder monitors the visitors to her home, keeping a clear record of their presence. Daily safety checks and more thorough annual risk assessments ensure that children remain safe in the childminder's care.

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provision

The childminder regularly reviews her provision and considers her ongoing professional development. She is in the process of embarking on some on-line training, which she has identified would benefit her childminding service. The childminder reviews the ways in which she observes children and shares information about their learning with parents. This process has resulted in her purchasing some new learning journals which she feels will be clearer to use and more informative for parents. Parents provide the childminder with verbal feedback on her provision through informal and more formal discussions. The childminder acts on their views and suggestions and implements any necessary changes.

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provision

Partnerhsips with parents and others are strong. The childminder recognises that parents are the children's primary carers and follows their wishes fully when caring for their children. She provides them with clear written information about her childminding service and a set of her written policies and procedures. Parents are encouraged to share information about their children with the childminder, initially through the 'all about me' booklet they complete and then through an ongoing process of effective communication. Links with other early years settings, which children attend are good. The childminder has an effective policy of visiting all settings which the children in her care also attend, to meet their key person and to develop strong working partnerships. This enables her to complement the learning that takes place in the other provision. The childminder is very familiar with the local primary school and works well with reception class teachers during

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provision

children's transition from her provision to school.

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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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY103696 Local authority Essex Inspection number 877316 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 8

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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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