Childminder in North Yorkshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/10/2013 03/04/2013

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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

 The childminder has a secure knowledge of how children learn, and provides a rich, varied and stimulating educational programme in which children are motivated to learn.  The childminder is well organised and undertakes detailed observations, which are reflected in her planning and meet the individual needs of every child. This ensures that each child makes good progress in their learning and development from their starting points.  Partnerships with parents are effective as the childminder is committed to working effectively with them. Daily verbal communication and written information ensure they are kept well informed about their child's care and learning.  The childminder shows dedication to enhancing and developing her service. She acts on advice, attends training to develop her knowledge, and her action plans for improvement are well targeted to strengthen her provision.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to further enhance the good opportunities children have to express and follow their own interests and ideas, with particular regard to some aspects of creative play.

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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 the childminder, her assistant and the children in the main playroom.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to the children and the childminder at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of the childminder's documentation, including children's learning records, policies, daily registers and risk assessments.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector acknowledged the views of parents through their written responses to questionnaires and through the information they shared on the day of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2012 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her parents and sister in the village of Cawood, North Yorkshire. The barn and the rear garden are used for childminding purposes. The childminder works alongside two registered assistants. The family has three dogs.

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Information about the setting

The childminder attends a toddler group 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. The childminder holds a recognised level 3 qualification and provides funded education places for children age three years. There are currently 23 children on roll, 16 of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates from 7am until 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, all year round, with the exception of 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 express and follow their own interests and ideas, particularly in creative activities.

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who attend

The childminder is a qualified childcare practitioner who is dedicated to supporting children to make good progress in their learning and development. She does this through the provision of a very good range of stimulating toys and activities and her quality of teaching, plus her effective observation and assessment of children. The learning environment is exciting and vibrant to children. Toys and activities are freely accessible overall, enabling children to make independent choices which inspire them to be motivated and interested learners. However, opportunities for children to express their own creative ideas, for example, through the play dough, are not as freely accessible at all times of the day. The childminder gathers some valuable information from parents about what their children can do when they start at the setting. The childminder uses this knowledge, along with her own initial observations of children to establish their starting

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who attend

points, from which she completes their individualised planning. The childminder completes regular ongoing observations of children engaged in play. She ensures she relates these to the areas of learning and illustrates them with photographic evidence. Children's learning is tracked using the Early Years Outcomes, and parents are kept up to date and involved in the learning process to enable them to successfully support their children at home. Parents are also involved in the completion of the progress check at age two. This results in a collaborative approach to development, which includes well-planned activities using children's next steps and personal interests.

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who attend

Children's communication, language and literacy skills are promoted well with each age group. Children have free access to a well-resourced book area. They enjoy spending time listening to stories read to them by an adult and also independently looking at books. The childminder has developed a range of story sacks for the children to enjoy in the setting and take home to share with their parents. The sacks include the story, both a reading book and an interactive version, and dressing up clothes, enabling the children to take on the role of the lead characters. Smaller props support the storyline and enable more children to be fully engaged. These sacks support and encourage children's enjoyment of and interest in books, their listening and attention skills and their vocabulary. Children have good opportunities to use and develop their imaginative play, through the freely accessible role play resources. Young children enjoy using the hobby horses and make

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who attend

clopping noises as they ride them around the playroom acting out the sound of the horses hooves, before accessing a food and water bowl and pretending to give them a drink and a treat. This also supports their physical play as they skip around the playroom. Other children dress up as a witch and a pumpkin linking to the Halloween theme and chat to the childminder about the upcoming party they are going to have.

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who attend

Very young children's personal, social and emotional development is supported well when they first arrive at the childminder's home. They are given comfort and support as their parent leaves. The childminder then engages children in resources she knows interest them, for example, she places activity centres near to them and encourages them to press the buttons. Children delight as the lights flash. Younger children have good space to crawl and move about, they show their developing muscle control as they pull themselves to their knees and are given close supervision and support by the childminder. Children can access a good range of rattles and age-appropriate toys which meet their needs and support their ongoing development. For example, babies select rattles that catch their interest. They pass them from hand to hand and also put them to their mouths, exploring and experimenting using all their senses. They respond to the sights and sounds they

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who attend

hear, and in particular repeat movements which they begin to understand trigger an action. A favourite seems to be a range of toys which make 'rattily' and 'jingly' noises. The childminder acknowledges the children, narrating on their play with enthusiasm, and receives smiles and coos in response which she repeats back to them, supporting their early language development.

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who attend

Children of all ages have very good opportunities to enjoy outdoor play and learning. There is a good selection of ride-on toys and resources to promote children's understanding of the weather, and they can also make choices from the heuristic play boxes and the multi-sensory resources. The childminder's knowledge of individual children and the quality of her teaching foster the characteristics of effective learning. This enables children to play and explore, be creative and think critically as they make progress towards the early learning goals.

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

Children move confidently around the playroom. Very good attention is given to assessing risks, with the childminder being mindful not to restrict children's play and exploration. This supports them to become inquisitive and active learners. The childminder uses planned events and topics, plus daily routines, to support children's understanding of safe practices. An example of this is when they talk together about road safety, stranger danger and the emergency evacuation of the setting. Children build secure attachments to the childminder and her assistants because she ensures everyone is clear about their individual routines. Daily discussions and written diaries shared with parents enable her to provide individualised care tailored to their personal needs. This contributes to children's emotional well-being, ensuring a smooth transition into the childminder's care by promoting their sense of safety and security.

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

Children are relaxed and happy in the setting, approaching the childminder to give and receive cuddles. When necessary, they respond well to the childminder's interventions which help them to keep themselves safe and promote positive behaviour. They learn to use good manners and be polite when speaking to the childminder, her assistants and their friends. Children receive good levels of praise for their efforts and achievements, supported by marks on their behaviour charts and smiley face stickers. This encourages and develops children's overall behaviour, which is observed to be good.

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

Consistent daily routines support children to learn about good personal hygiene and prevent the risk of cross-infection. For example, children use antibacterial liquid soap for hand washing and access their individual towels for drying. Children's good health is further promoted as they enjoy both indoor and outdoor play as part of their daily routine. They enjoy walks within the community to play parks, where they develop their physical skills and test their abilities, and to join in at child-orientated play sessions. The childminder is careful to provide meals and snacks that are in line with parents' wishes and include fresh fruit and vegetables. She also supports parents to provide healthy options in packed lunch boxes if they decide to provide their own foods for their children. There are lots of opportunities for children to learn about fruit and vegetable growing as they engage in planting and tending home-grown produce at the childminder's allotment.

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

Opportunities to learn about the wider world are supported by positive images and written word, to reflect difference, diversity and language, to help children to value themselves and others.

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provision

The childminder has a very good understanding of her responsibility to protect children from possible harm. She has attended safeguarding training, resulting in a robust knowledge of the procedures to follow should she have any concerns about children in her care. Her past work experiences also support the effective practice in place. Very detailed risk assessments ensure children are safe indoors, outside and on outings. Safety features are in place, such as safety gates and smoke alarms, and the childminder fully understands her responsibility to maintain the correct adult-to-child ratio. She ensures children are well supervised and keeps detailed registers showing children's arrival and departure times. Disclosure and barring checks are in place for the childminder, her assistants and other adults in the home. Consequently, children's safety and well-being are given good priority. However, the inspection was triggered following a concern raised

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provision

with Ofsted regarding the safeguarding of children. This led to Ofsted sending a warning letter and raising several actions with the provider with regard to their daily registers, adult-to-child ratios, the vetting procedures and the storing of confidential information. The childminder has successfully met the actions and she remains registered with Ofsted.

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provision

The childminder continues to attend training events to increase her knowledge in a wide variety of childcare courses, for example, forest schools and creative thinking. Through gaining a recognised childcare qualification, the childminder uses her knowledge to provide a very good range of activities which enable children to make good progress in their development. Effective monitoring of planning and progress enables the childminder to identify and address gaps in learning and areas requiring additional support. The playroom is well organised to meet the changing needs of the children and provide enjoyable play experiences. Documentation to support the safe and efficient management of her service is in place and stored to maintain confidentiality.

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provision

Relationships with parents are good and information is regularly shared. For example, daily discussions and a written diary are used to ensure a constant exchange of information. These especially focus on children's well-being and the activities they have been involved in during the day. The childminder understands the importance of reflecting on her practice and continues to maintain a written evaluation document to identify her strengths and areas to improve. Clear action plans enable her to continuously develop her provision and act upon identified areas to further benefit the children's care, learning and development. Parents are very complimentary about the high levels of care their children receive, through their responses to questionnaires and the comments they share with the inspector. The childminder has been proactive in developing links with other settings in readiness for when children move on to pre-school and school. This supports their

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provision

progress and continuity of care and learning.

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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 EY452551 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 935635 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 23

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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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