Childminder in Hertfordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/11/2013 01/12/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 The provider builds strong relationships with children in her care. This helps them to feel of confident and secure in her home.  The provider maintains communication with parents, which means that she is kept well- informed about each child's individual care needs. This ensures that she is able to effectively provide care based on their specific needs.

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It is not yet good because

 Partnership arrangements with the other settings which children attend, are not effective enough to fully support continuity in their learning and development.  The systems in place to make sure that all required areas of learning are effectively monitored are not effective. This does not fully promote children's continued progress.  The organisation of toys and resources does not fully promote children's easy access. At times this impacts on their independent learning.

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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 living room and dining area of the provider's home and viewed the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held a wide range of discussions with the provider and interacted with minded children.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the provider.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked through a range of relevant documentation, including the provider's policies, procedures and children's development records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day and from information included in the provider's own parent survey.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2000 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two teenage children in a house in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The whole of the ground floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has three cats, two dogs and two guinea pigs as pets.

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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. The childminder collects children from the local schools and pre-schools.

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Information about the setting

The childminder operates from all year round, from 8am until 7pm. There are currently four children on roll in the early years age group, who attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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must:

 extend partnership working with other providers to obtain a fuller picture of children's next steps, especially where the child attends the other setting for most of their Early Years Foundation Stage provision.

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

 develop self-evaluation systems, in order to drive improvement for the monitoring of educational programmes and ensure all required aspects of learning are fully covered, to help children make progress

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

 ensure that children are able to consistently access learning in all areas by making sure that resources are easily available to them.

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who attend

The provider undertakes some basic observations of children in her care. These are in the main, lead by development issues raised by parents or other settings children attend. This meets requirements because all children attending receive the Early Years Foundation Stage in other settings providing care and education. Overall, the provider plans a reasonable range of activities for children attending. This helps to balance children's experiences with those gained in other settings. The provider has a wide range of toys and understands the importance of child-led play and exploration. However, the current organisation of resources does not effectively ensure children's easy access. As a result, teaching is not consistently supported across all seven areas of learning.

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who attend

The provider is aware of children's interests and ensures that she offers resources which reflect these. For example, children have fun playing with small world figures and a garage. This teaching method successfully engages children, encouraging them to develop their imagination alongside their peers. As a result, they successfully build a make believe story, extending and elaborating their ideas. Showing developing language skills children learn how to take turns in conversation. The provider uses local parks, which helps her to teach children how to extend their physical skills. For example, they learn how to climb large play equipment and increase their balancing skills. The provider uses appropriate teaching opportunities to encourage children's language development. For example, at lunchtime children are given placemats decorated with pictures of their favourite cartoon characters. This engages their interest and prompts a number lively discussions. The

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who attend

provider teaches children how to extend their self-help skills and concentration, for example, they learn how to peel an orange. Showing a real sense of pride children enjoy the positive praise and encouragement given by the provider. This shows how she appropriately teaches children to develop self-esteem and confidence.

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who attend

The provider encourages parents to share information about their child's achievements at home prior to starting and throughout their placement with her. This means that she is aware of children's changing abilities, which helps her to adequately support individual learning. Parents are provided with verbal information about their child's learning and how they can support this at home. As a result, children make sound progress in their development and gain adequate skills for their next stage of learning, such as moving onto school.

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

The provider finds out information from parents about children's personal care needs before they start attending her service. This helps her to prepare her setting to ensure that she supports continuity of care. Ongoing verbal communication with parents means that the provider is able to effectively maintain children's ongoing personal needs. Parents comment that their children have a fantastic bond with the provider and always miss her when they are not there. Parents also comment that every care was taken to make the move from home smooth and easy for them and their child. This shows that children are supported to develop strong relationships with the provider, which helps them to feel emotionally secure in her care.

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

The childminder uses a sound range of consistent age-appropriate behaviour management strategies. For example, young children enjoy praise and encouragement for their achievements. Overall, the childminder promotes children's growing independence, which helps them to develop confidence and self-esteem. For example, they are supported to develop self-care skills.

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

The childminder's practice with regard to children's well-being helps them to learn about how to keep themselves and others safe. For example, they show a sound understanding about how to cross the road safely. Children move confidently around the provider's home, demonstrating that they feel safe in the environment. The provider protects children's heath because she supervises hand washing, which ensures that young children clean their hands thoroughly before meals. The use of individual paper towels for hand drying means that the risk of cross-infection between children is reduced. This also helps to promote children's understanding about effective hygiene practices. The provider makes sure that she stores any packed lunches brought into her home appropriately. Daily trips out of the home mean that all children have the chance to regularly spend time in the fresh air, further supporting their health.

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provision

The provider has recently completed safeguarding training, which ensures she has an up to date understanding of how to protect children in her care. She has appropriate procedures in place, which are implemented in her practice. This gives parents reassurance that children are cared for in an environment where all adults are suitably vetted. The provider has risk assessed her home and outings in line with the age and abilities of children in her care. As a result, she has identified and minimised relevant risks to children. For example, she ensures that children are monitored when using the toilet, which prevents them from entering out of bounds areas.

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provision

The provider shows an adequate awareness of her obligation to ensure that learning and development requirements are met. She has attended a sound range of training, which has had a reasonable impact on children's learning. The provider at times reflects on her practice and has identified some strengths and areas for future development. This demonstrates her commitment to improve the service she provides. However, she has not fully implemented a recommendation raised at her last inspection. In addition, the provider does not fully extend self-evaluation to regularly include the monitoring of educational programs. This does not consistently ensure that all required aspects of learning are fully covered, to help children make progress.

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provision

Partnership working with other settings children attend does not fully promote information sharing about their achievements. As a consequence, it does not consistently support continuity of learning. The provider works in partnership with parents, for example, she seeks their views and opinions about the service she provides. Parents feel that 'there are plenty of things for children to do' and that the provider is 'very forthcoming with information'.

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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 149234 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 936869 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4

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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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