Debra Ann Bennett

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/11/2013 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

 Children are happy and content with the childminder, which positively impacts on their self-confidence and emotional well-being.  Teaching is rooted in a good knowledge and understanding of children's learning and development needs. The childminder provides good levels of challenge, which are appropriate for the children's age and stage of development to help them progress well.  The childminder promotes the children's welfare as she meets the safeguarding requirements effectively.  Children receive the individualised support they need because the childminder works effectively in partnership with parents.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder is skilled in asking children open-ended questions in the knowledge that this supports learning. However, on occasion she does not give children time to think and respond before answering for them.  There is scope to improve the presentation of some of the play materials to enhance the opportunity for children to make independent choices in their 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 activities within the registered areas of the provision and viewed the resources and equipment available to the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder at appropriate times during the inspection and while observing children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of documents, including children's records, planning, policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her two adult children in a house in Meols, Wirral. The whole of the ground floor and rear garden is used for childminding. The family have a pet dog, cat and a rabbit. The childminder attends a childminder's group and the local children's centre. She visits the local shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently two children on roll in the early years age group, who attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder provides care all year round from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for family holidays. She holds a National Vocational Qualification at Level 3 in Early Years and Education.

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

 give children sufficient time to respond to the questions asked to effectively support their language development and thinking process as a characteristic of effective learning

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

 strengthen ways that enable children's independent access to the play materials, with particular reference to labelling the storage boxes to identify their contents.

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who attend

The childminder has a very good knowledge of how children best learn and develop, of child development and of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage. Therefore, her teaching practice is informed and effective, to support children's progress. She places importance on working in partnership with parents to effectively plan for the children's interests and move their child forward. Parents involvement in their child's learning and development is encouraged as soon as the arrangement starts. Children's starting points are identified through initial discussions with parents and their completion of the early years tracker and her observations. This forms the basis of the planning to support children's progress towards the early learning goals. The childminder completes ongoing observations of the children, which allows her to provide activities and experiences that enhance learning and support them to make good progress. The childminder maintains a

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who attend

record of individual children's learning. This record contains observations in both written and photographic format and the children's personal planning. The daily discussion with parents about the events of their child's day and their involvement in their children's learning records provides them with information to continue learning at home. The childminder demonstrates a good understanding of her responsibility in completing a progress report for children aged between two and three years.

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who attend

Children enjoy a good balance of adult-led and self-initiated activities. They really enjoy the childminder leading activities, such as, playing musical instruments and singing songs. Her involvement in the activities helps to develop the children's levels of concentration and social skills as they take turns playing instruments and choosing songs to sing. The children are confident to change the direction of the adult-led activity and the childminder responds to the children's play preferences. She skilfully follows the babies non-verbal cues and adapts activities and routines to their needs and interests. For example, when the babies move towards the age appropriate small world figures, she follows their lead and supports developing self-confidence by introducing further resources to explore. The childminder places high priority on promoting children's language development. There is ongoing communication between the childminder and the children. The babies are vocal

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who attend

and are enjoying experimenting with the sounds they can make. The childminder responds to their vocalisation in a lively and enthusiastic manner to help develop their listening and attention skills. At all times, the childminder speaks clearly for children to hear the correct pronunciation of words. The children show an interest in books and the childminder suggests that she reads to them. The children confidently state that they will read the story. The childminder responds to their suggestion and they sit together for the story session, led by the children. There is a sense of fun and they laugh together at the familiar story line as the children use the pictures as a prop to tell the story. As children play and during the story session, the childminder is skilful in asking open ended questions to help to extend their learning. However, on occasion, she does not give the children sufficient time to think and respond and answers the question for them.

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who attend

The organisation of the playroom provides plenty of clear floor space for children, including babies becoming mobile, to move around safely and select play materials of their choice. However, resources stored in boxes on the shelving are not labelled with photographs and written word to identify the contents, to further enhance children's independence in making choices in their play. The children are happy to play and have a go at completing tasks for themselves. For example, through persevering, making mistakes and retrying they are successful in completing jigsaws and shape sorter activities to their satisfaction. The childminder has confidence in her risk assessments to allow babies to explore using different approaches, such as, mouthing and handling safe resources that will later lead to the identification and naming of objects. The childminder effectively supports children's learning but does not interfere in there play to help nurture

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who attend

the characteristics of effective learning, such as, their desire to explore and investigate and their ability to concentrate.

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who attend

The children have many opportunities to be creative and express their own ideas. The childminder provides a varied range of textured materials for children to explore and use creatively. For example, on a walk they enjoyed playing in the fallen autumn leaves and brought some back to the childminder's to paint and make prints. The childminder adapts activities for all ages of children to be included and to enjoy. For example, she makes her own play dough in large quantities for younger children to explore using their senses and for older children to design their own models. The children pursue role play using resources to play out events that they have observed or experienced in real life, such as, making sure the baby doll is safely secured in the high chair before feeding her. The childminder maximises the use of the outdoor environment to support children's learning and development. On walks, she introduces mathematical concepts as they make

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who attend

observations of the world around them and compare sizes, look at numerals and count. The childminder values giving children opportunity to play and learn in an unhurried manner and responds to spontaneous situations to support their learning. For example, the children were fascinated watching construction workers at a local building and the childminder enabled them to observe, ask questions and learn about the world around them for as long as their interest was sustained. Outings and activities in the childminder's garden help children learn about the natural world. They study the bugs and insects attracted to the 'bug hotel' they built with the childminder and use binoculars to watch birds in the garden. The children are eager to identify the birds they can see on a reference poster displayed in the playroom. Children are enthusiastic and confident in their play and are acquiring the skills, attitudes and dispositions they need to be ready for

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who attend

school or the next stages in their learning.

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

The childminder gains knowledge of children's needs and interests from the parents before they start. Consequently, she has a good understanding of the care they need to feel safe and secure in her care. The childminder enables children to build their confidence and be independent because she gives them the support they need to feel secure, while encouraging them to do as much as possible for themselves. Children demonstrate they have a strong sense of belonging as they choose the resources they wish to play with and bring them to the childminder so she can join in their play. Children quickly form close bonds with the childminder because she takes great care to make them feel special and valued. Young children reach out their arms for a cuddle and snuggle in for comfort and feel relaxed in her care. The childminder provides a nurturing environment which is calm, positive and conducive to effective learning.

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

The childminder is a positive role model for children's behaviour. She talks to children in a respectful and gentle manner. The childminder takes the children to group activities where they have the opportunity to play with a larger group of children. Consequently, children are making relationships and developing their social skills in preparation for later transitions into nursery or school. Play materials, which reflect positive images of diversity and the outings in the local community, help to nurture children's respect towards people who are different to themselves. The childminder involves children, from a young age, in implementing the safety procedures to develop their understanding of how to look after themselves. For example, she follows the road safety and emergency evacuation procedures for them to observe her actions. In play, children respond to the childminder's gentle reminders about safety issues. The older children are considerate towards the

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

needs of the younger children by making sure they cannot access smaller pieces of play materials, which may be harmful to them.

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

The childminder helps children to develop an awareness of a healthy lifestyle through their daily routines. The main meals are currently provided by parents. The childminder offers children healthy snack options and introduces children to different food tastes and food textures to extend their interest in healthy eating. Mealtimes are a pleasant and sociable time, with the children and childminder eating and chatting together. The childminder teaches children to develop their self-care skills, such as, the importance of washing their hands before eating and after toileting and to eat independently. Children have many opportunities to enjoy being physically active to support their physical development, both at the setting and on outings. The comfortable furniture gives children the opportunity to rest their bodies if they are tired and the childminder provides facilities where they can sleep undisturbed. She is vigilant about checking sleeping children on a regular basis, for

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a good understanding of her safeguarding responsibilities. She has an up-to-date policy, which outlines the procedures in place in the event of a safeguarding concern, which she shares with parents. She vigilantly checks the identification of visitors and keeps a written record of them. The childminder ensures she is always close to the children to ensure good supervision and for their safety. The childminder undertakes a risk assessment of her home and of outings. She puts effective measures in place to minimise any potential hazards. For example, children do not have unsupervised access to the family pet cat or rabbit and have no contact with the dog. The childminder maintains all regulatory records as required for children's well-being.

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provision

This is the childminder's first inspection since registration. She is an experienced and qualified childcare practitioner and has a good understanding of using evaluation processes to monitor the quality of the educational programmes to support children's progress. The childminder fully understands the impact her own childcare knowledge has on the quality of the provision and outcomes for children. Consequently, she is keen to continue her professional development. The childminder has introduced self-evaluation systems to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Through reflecting on her practice and self-evaluation, the childminder is developing a provision based on children's interests. For example, she observed their interest in caring for others and developed opportunities for children to care for dolls.

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provision

The childminder is committed to partnership working to help her meet children's individual needs. She strives to provide a welcoming environment for parents where they have regular opportunities to exchange information with the childminder. She shares her written policies and procedures with parents to make them aware of her practices. Parents comment positively about the relationship their children have with the childminder and the wide range of activities she provides. She is aware of the need to work with other professional agencies and childcare providers if children are delivered the Early Years Foundation Stage at other settings. However, this situation has not yet arisen.

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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 EY464792 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 923497 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 2

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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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