Childminder in West Berkshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/11/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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

 Interesting and varied experiences, based on the childminder's secure knowledge of individual's needs, help children make good progress across all areas of learning and development.  The childminder's monitoring and assessment of children's skills is precise. As a result, she knows when children need more support to help them make the best progress possible.  The childminder provides a stimulating environment that motivates children to develop their imaginations, strengthen their physical development and explore the world around them.  The childminder is highly responsible in keeping the children in her care comfortable, safe and healthy.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not consistently implement interventions aimed at supporting children's next steps to close gaps in their learning, and to help them achieve the desired levels of 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 with the children and the childminder throughout the inspection.  The inspector observed a wide range of activities and care routines.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documents relating to safeguarding, risk assessment and self-evaluation and checked a selection of other policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records, learning journals and progress checks, the childminder's planning and evaluation documents and information sharing with parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day, checked the complaints log and reviewed information provided by parents in their responses to several questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2013. She lives with her husband and school age child in Reading, Berkshire. All areas of the premises are used for childminding, including a large conservatory playroom. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play. A nature reserve, a river and shops and parks are only a short walk away. Several local schools are within easy reach and the childminder offers before and after school sessions to primary school age children.

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Information about the setting

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder holds qualifications in Children's Care, Learning and Development and in Health and Social Care at level 3. She offers a flexible package of care which includes day care and occasional overnight care. There are currently seven children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range. The childminder welcomes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who are learning English as an additional language. The family has pet rabbits.

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

 use suitably challenging 'next step' targets to support children's developmental needs in order to rapidly close gaps in their learning.

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who attend

The childminder has a secure understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and knows how to put it into practice. Her skill in building educational programmes that cover and link all areas of learning and development is evident throughout her practice. Monthly topics provide one method of stimulating children's interest across different areas. For example, during autumn, a selection of toy woodland animals and picture books help children think about the animals they could look for on outings. They walk in the woods collecting leaves and autumn fruit to bring home to examine and weigh. Children enjoy painting a large tree with autumn coloured handprints for leaves. They learn about woodland animals that hibernate and pretend to curl up and go to sleep. The childminder links this with naptime and plays quiet music for 'sleeping mice'. After their sleep, she plans to take them out into the garden to stroke the

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who attend

families' rabbits, and after they have washed their hands, they too can snack on a stick of carrot. In this way, she creatively weaves all areas of learning into the children's daily experiences and they make good all round progress. The childminder has a secure understanding of how children learn effectively. Toys and resources are accessible and plentiful so that they may choose to develop their own interests. The childminder gives them time to explore and observes them closely, recording their interests and noting how to extend their thinking so they learn and develop. When younger children lose interest, she draws them back to have another go, or try a different strategy to make something work. She patiently encourages and praises their efforts before she steps in to help. In this way, children learn to persist and try again and they learn to be a little independent and more confident in what they can do.

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who attend

Parents help the childminder to establish a clear picture of their children's skills and achievements before they join her care. She spends the next few weeks observing children's likes and dislikes, abilities and interests, so that she has a clear baseline for the measurement of future progress. The childminder's ongoing assessments are based on daily observations of children's achievements, linked with age appropriate criteria across all areas of learning. This information gives her the opportunity to see when children need a little more help to learn a new skill, or if they need challenging activities to stimulate them further. All children in her care make good progress from their starting points. However, the childminder does not always consistently implement fully challenging next steps for individual children to further support and close any gaps in their development. The childminder shares her knowledge about children's learning with their parents through

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who attend

daily conversations and more formally through termly reviews and the Early Years Foundation Stage progress check at age two. Her reviews relate closely to the same early learning goals used by the local schools, so reports on older children support their moves to school.

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who attend

Parents are engaged in their children's learning and development from the start. They sign individual diaries when they collect their children to confirm that they are happy with the sleeping and eating patterns of the day. They are given time to talk with the childminder to share information or concerns on a daily basis. Every term the childminder compiles a review of children's progress and discusses this with parents during an evening session or time to suit them. Children's activities are also well documented through photographs and dated observations in their individual learning journeys and evident in the art and craftwork. Parents are also encouraged to comment on the childminder's services through a complaints and comments book in her front hall way and through regular questionnaires. Good partnerships with parents help provide consistency in learning for children helping them learn and achieve across all contexts.

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

The childminder's care practices are effective in helping children feel secure and ensuring they are physically and emotionally healthy. Children quickly settle in to the childminder's care where daily routines complement their patterns at home. The childminder records the children's sleeping and eating practices in a diary for parents' information. She has a good system of record keeping for individual preferences and allergies and for how to sooth and comfort individual children to support their emotional well-being. Parents comment that their children settle particularly quickly in the childminder's care. This provides a strong base for developing further independence as children are more confident in exploring their wider environment in the security of their childminder's presence.

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

The childminder models consistent expectations and strategies for managing behaviour and generally children learn to behave well and become more socially skilled. Relationships are strong between the childminder and children and her patience and kindness helps them learn to tolerate each other's needs and wishes.

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

The childminder demonstrates her knowledge of how to keep children safe through her diligence in daily practices and attention to all safeguarding requirements. A stair gate separates the working part of the kitchen from the adjoining playroom. Children know the area is out of bounds for everything but washing their hands. The use of a small step and an attentive childminder help them to do this safely. The childminder routinely talks through the potential risks of daily hazards so they develop a sense of personal safety within the childminder's home. She also guides the children towards healthy choices at snack times and extends the repertoire of food they eat by encouraging them to try new foods. The childminder is effective in supporting children's understanding of how to be healthy, which helps children establish a healthy lifestyle from an early age.

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

Children are encouraged to cooperate and actively explore their environment indoors and outside. The childminder's large well-resourced playroom is full of accessible resources to stimulate children's interests and imaginations. It is well organised so that children of all ages may find a quiet corner to read or curl up with the childminder for a story on the sofa. They are able to use the large floor space for imaginative play and construction projects. Doors from the playroom lead straight out on to a garden designed to challenge children physically and tempt them out into the fresh air. The patio area provides a good space for riding tricycles and for bringing toys from inside to play with outdoors. Further down the garden is a mud patch for messy play and gardening. Children have ample opportunity to be challenged by their surroundings, to manage risks proportionate to their ages and to enjoy the fresh air.

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

Children explore the local bird reserve and hunt for insects and mini-beasts in this undisturbed wild habitat. They take picnics down to the river and watch canal boats go through the lock. A railway is also nearby giving children the opportunity to watch the trains, linking their play with the train track and familiar stories at the childminder's house. This is a highly stimulating environment for children to discover and extend their imaginative play.

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

The childminder takes and collects children from the local primary schools. This helps the younger children become familiar with these settings, get used to the number of children they see in the playground and the enthusiasm of the older children. All of which are good preparation for their own moves to schools.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, which she implements effectively so that children learn well in a safe and stimulating environment. She uses both the indoor and outside environments as the setting for education programmes that cover all areas of learning and development well. Her formal and informal observations of children's progress help her to identify gaps in children's learning and put some good intervention plans in place to support them to make progress. Being relatively new to childminding, she has less experience in fully challenging children to meet and sustain their highest levels of achievement possible.

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provision

The childminder has completed training in child protection and has written policies and procedures to safeguard children. Implementation of these procedures is in evidence on a daily basis, with risk assessments well thought through for each area of her home and for different trips beyond.

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provision

A well-established programme of professional development ensures that the childminder is constantly improving her already competent understanding and practice. The childminder has recently updated her training in first aid at work, paediatric first aid, food hygiene and in fire awareness to help her in her care of the children. She has also completed introductory courses in special educational needs and/or disabilities, autism awareness and behavioural management to support her care of children with specific needs.

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provision

The childminder has a well-documented drive to improve and provides a high quality of service for all children. She works well with parents and children's extended families to provide flexible, caring and good quality childminding. Children enjoy being with her and make good progress through her stimulating and well-planned activities.

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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 EY458561 Local authority Reading Inspection number 914604 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 7

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection not applicable

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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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