Childminder in Norfolk

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/11/2013 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

 Teaching is good as a wide range of well-planned activities and trips to the local area provide children with enjoyable and challenging opportunities to explore and make good progress in their learning.  The childminder carefully listens to children's ideas, asks questions and models new vocabulary to help children to develop good communication skills and promote their understanding of the world.  The childminder works well with parents to develop warm and secure relationships with the children in her care, enabling them to settle quickly and feel happy in the setting.  The safeguarding and welfare requirements are well understood by the childminder, enabling her to keep children safe both in the setting and during visits to the local area.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to further improve the already good range of activities provided in the outdoor area, in particular, to enhance opportunities for children to develop their speaking and listening skills.

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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 and routines in the playroom and downstairs areas.  The inspector discussed the quality of provision with the childminder.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the childminder, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers from information included in the setting's own parent survey.

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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 husband and three children aged eight, four and two years in Tunstead, Norwich. The whole of the house and rear garden is used for childminding with the exception of one bedroom. The family has a pet dog. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local children's centre. She visits the local park on a regular basis. She takes and collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently five children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 continue to develop the already good learning opportunities in the outside area, for example, by creating a range of interesting learning spaces to encourage children to develop their speaking and listening skills.

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who attend

The childminder provides a welcoming and friendly environment. Children quickly learn to be independent in their learning as the childminder encourages them to follow their own interests and attempt new skills for themselves. For example, her praise and encouragement motivates young children to gain the confidence to balance and walk steadily around the playroom when practising their first steps. The childminder is skilful at intervening effectively in children's learning, playing alongside them and asking questions to help the children develop their understanding. For instance, children are encouraged to explore the sensory qualities of new materials as the childminder plays with them, modelling how to use their fingers to find out about the texture while asking what they can feel. Teaching is strong as the childminder clearly understands how children learn through free play and planned activities. She provides a varied range of resources which

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who attend

the children clearly enjoy using. New vocabulary is modelled by the childminder to support the children to learn new words. Children develop good communication skills in the setting as the childminder regularly gives them choices, asking the children to verbalise their ideas. She models language using clear sentences and praises the children's attempts to develop their speech. This approach helps all children to learn but particularly supports those with additional needs, who are well supported through the use of simple explanations and picture cards of important words to help them to develop their understanding. Children are inspired to develop an interest in books as they listen to stories with enthusiasm. Books are displayed at a low level to help children to handle them independently. The childminder is committed to enhancing children's literacy skills, which is evident in her use of story sacks with the children. They enjoy looking at the pictures

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who attend

and develop their knowledge and understanding by exploring the animal puppets.

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who attend

Children are encouraged to count as the childminder models early mathematical skills. As a result, children quickly learn to use number names in their play and daily routines. The childminder regularly takes children to local groups and plans engaging visits according to the children's interests, such as the beach, farm and local playgroups. These visits provide the children with opportunities to socialise with others, broadening their awareness of the community and wider world. For example, children enjoyed learning about a different culture when the childminder helped to organise an Indian dance workshop. These experiences enable children to learn to understand and respect different cultures and traditions. Children have opportunities to develop creative skills through singing, dancing and imaginative play, while physical play happens regularly outside and is enhanced with visits to the local park. The childminder has effectively identified that the outdoor area

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who attend

could continue to be developed to provide further opportunities for children to discover and explore. Developing the garden to provide a wider range of interesting learning spaces, would build on the already good provision by providing children with rich, varied and imaginative opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills.

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who attend

Parents are effectively engaged in their child's learning, as they regularly share children's learning records. The childminder takes account of parents' ideas and feedback, using this information in her planning to ensure that the children's interests and needs are met. Detailed records help to inform parents of children's activities over time. The childminder is suitably prepared to carry out the necessary progress checks at age two, to review children's achievements and identify required areas of development.

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

The childminder has a warm, welcoming and caring approach. Parents comment that their children feel happy and contented in the family environment and thrive with the childminder's attention. They are particularly pleased with the range of trips and new experiences their children access while in her care. Parents and children are invited to attend the childminder's house together before they start, giving them the reassurance to feel safe and well cared for. Relationships are strong and children show they feel comfortable in the childminder's care by involving her in their play and enjoying her attention when they become tired or upset. The childminder encourages open communication and works hard to develop very good partnerships with parents to ensure she clearly understands each child's needs. Children's well-being is promoted as the childminder follows children's individual routines, providing a consistency of care. Children

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

are supported to develop emotional attachments as the childminder caringly reassures them. The strong focus on developing positive relationships enables the children to play and learn happily in a secure environment.

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

Snack time is a well thought out and positive experience for the children who learn routines and make their own choices of what they would like to eat. They enjoy being independent as they happily tuck into mango, banana and breadsticks. Children's health is promoted by the healthy home-cooked meals that are provided every day. Children are encouraged to develop healthy lifestyles with regular exercise, fresh air in the garden and trips to the local area. Opportunities to learn about the outside world are plentiful as children regularly visit the local farm to find out about the animals and enjoy collecting eggs to use in their cooking activities. Children learn ways to keep themselves safe when out and about. For example, they develop their knowledge of essential safety procedures during an interesting talk from the local police. Hygiene practices are thorough, with well- planned procedures for attending to children's care needs. Children feel respected and are

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

supported to start to manage their own needs by the childminder who is encouraging and sensitive. The childminder is a good role model; she has a calm manner and encourages the children to start to recognise their own feelings. Positive behaviour is continually promoted by the childminder, who offers children consistent amounts of praise and encouragement. This means that children develop high levels of self-esteem and have a desire to behave well. As a result, children play happily and learn to respond well to their peers. The focus on promoting good behaviour and caring relationships, enables the children to learn to follow routines and socialise together, helping them to be prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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provision

Children feel safe and secure because the childminder clearly understands the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. All the required checks have been completed to confirm that all adults in the home are suitable to be in regular contact with the children. Regular training enables her to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse and how to report concerns. Risk assessments are effective to ensure that children consistently stay protected from harm because procedures to check that the environment is suitable and to ensure that children are kept safe during outings, are rigorous. The indoor and outdoor environments are secure and enable children to move around safely and explore during their play and learning. She has an up-to-date knowledge of first aid and practises emergency evacuation procedures with the children to ensure that children's health and safety needs are consistently promoted.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates her commitment to provide high quality education for the children in her care. Planning is monitored to check that activities appeal to children's interests and meet their learning needs. Assessment processes are rigorous, with the use of regular observation and planning for the next steps, ensuring that children's learning and development is promoted well. Since registration she has continued to make a number of improvements to support the development of the children in her care. For example, the introduction of a detailed tracking system has enabled her to assess the needs of individual children when they start in her care and ensure that they make good progress in their learning. This tracking system is used very effectively to identify areas where a child may need additional help and enables the childminder to advise parents about how to seek the necessary support required. As a result, provision for children with

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provision

additional needs is strong and parents are very well supported. The childminder is enthusiastic about continuing her professional development and is pursuing a range of training opportunities to help to extend her already good knowledge, particularly about how to meet the individual needs of all children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This means she will be suitably prepared to provide interventions and work in partnership with parents to help children to achieve the next steps in their learning.

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provision

Self-evaluation is strong, and consequently, the childminder maintains a very good capacity to build on her existing good practice. She regularly evaluates the activities, experiences and overall provision she offers to ensure that the needs of all children are met. Accurate reflection and action planning help to set well-identified areas for improvement. The childminder is effective at taking into account the views of others as she regularly seeks the views of parents and children and uses feedback effectively to identify priorities and meet children's developing needs. The childminder has a good understanding of how to work together with other agencies. She is committed to working in partnership with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder regularly researches different interventions to help all children progress with their learning. For example, she develops her knowledge of a sign

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provision

language programme to enable children to communicate, using their hands to represent words. The childminder's commitment to developing her knowledge and skills means that she is suitably prepared to meet the learning and development needs of all children, ensuring that every child is able to reach their full potential.

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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 EY463512 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 921815 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 4 Number of children on roll 5

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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

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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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