Childminder in Cumberland

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/01/2014 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

 The quality of teaching is good because the childminder has a thorough awareness of how young children learn and develop. She provides a wide range of imaginative activities for the children. As a result, they are eager to learn and demonstrate high levels of engagement considering their ages.  The childminder's enthusiasm and ability to engage wholeheartedly in the children's play, motivates them and, as a result, they are making good progress in their development.  The childminder is very caring, sensitive and skilled in helping children to feel settled and to form secure emotional attachments. This in turn nurtures their independence, confidence and overall well-being.  The childminder has a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements, which means that children are kept safe and secure in her care.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Methods for helping all parents to support their children's learning at home are not fully embedded in order to extend children's good learning even further.  The outside learning environment is not as well resourced as the inside to fully support children's good progress in literacy, numeracy and to explore natural and sensory materials.

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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, kitchen and outdoor area and conducted a joint observation with the childminder.  The inspector spoke to the childminder and child during activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of 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 self-evaluation form and policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents by reading a number of questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in July 2013 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two children aged two and four years in Whitehaven, Cumbria. The whole of the house is used for childminding apart from the main bedroom. There is an enclosed garden available to the rear of the property for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The childminder visits the library, toddler groups and parks on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools. There are currently three children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range and they attend for a variety of sessions. The childminding provision operates all year round from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder is a qualified primary school teacher and holds a Graduate Certificate in Education. 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:

 develop further methods to help all parents to support their children's learning at home, so that they continue to extend the good progress in their learning and development

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

 enhance the outdoor learning environment by providing opportunities for children of all ages to explore more natural and sensory materials and display more numerals and letters in order to further extend their good literacy and numeracy skills.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good. The childminder understands how children learn and she uses her teaching skills and experience to support them effectively in this homely learning environment. She provides a varied range of activities to promote their development in all areas of learning. These are planned with the individual needs and interests of the children in mind. For example, she recognises that the children like music, so she involves them in making their own shakers, using plastic bottles and filling them with various items, such as pebbles and lentils. The children delight in filling the bottles with their chosen items and listening to the different sounds as they shake them. As well as this activity providing them with opportunities to be creative, the childminder introduces simple mathematical concepts, such as shapes and sizes, as they work out which items fit into the bottles. The childminder also introduces counting with the children from an early age,

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who attend

as she counts the items and encourages the children to join in. The children also enjoy playing with shiny items, so the childminder provides treasure baskets full of household items of interest for the children to explore. Children enjoy playing with shiny paper and the childminder introduces words such as 'shiny' and 'crinkly' to help young children develop their vocabulary. As a result, children engage well in their play and make good progress towards the early learning goals.

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who attend

The childminder assesses and identifies the children's starting points and ongoing developmental stages extremely well. She undertakes regular observations and precise assessments of the children and uses this information to plan for their individual next steps in their learning. The childminder involves the children's parents in their children's learning when they first attend and thereafter on an ongoing basis. The childminder and parents share information about the children's progress and well-being on a daily basis, both verbally and using a daily diary. This joint approach supports the children well to make good progress in their learning towards the early learning goals. The childminder has begun to provide parents with suggestions of how they may further support their children's learning at home. This is in its early stages and there is scope to build on this further to enhance children's good progress in their learning and development.

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who attend

Children's communication and language skills are supported well by the childminder. She gets down to their level so they can see her as she speaks to them and responds to babies early language in a positive manner. Consequently, these youngest children are becoming skilful communicators and confidently begin to babble as they play. The childminder chooses good quality community groups to take children to so their learning can be further extended. For example, they enjoy joining in with planned rhymes and singing sessions at local groups. As well as accessing additional learning opportunities, this gives children the chance to socialise in larger groups and gain in confidence in preparation for school and nursery. The childminder takes children on many outings and takes advantage of the nearby parks and nature areas. This enables children to learn about the world around them and the community in which they live, while benefiting from being in the

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who attend

fresh air. The childminder works hard to create an environment that is stimulating but still homely. She provides good quality resources to support children's learning. These are easily accessible to children to encourage them to make choices and be independent. Print and numbers are clearly displayed in the house so that children begin to recognise these. However, the outside learning environment is not as well resourced to fully support children's good progress in literacy, numeracy and to explore natural and sensory materials outdoors.

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

The childminder provides a warm, homely environment which significantly helps children to feel relaxed and emotionally secure. Children form strong bonds with the childminder and are happy and content in her care. The childminder responds well to children's emotional needs which helps them to separate from their parents confidently. The childminder recognises when they need reassurance and comfort and children happily approach her for cuddles and hugs. Lots of information is gathered from parents about their child's needs before they start, for example, what children are interested in and their sleeping and eating routines. Settling-in arrangements are very much tailored to individual children and families requirements. This helps to ensure a happy, smooth transition between home and her care. The childminder recognises that this can be an anxious time for parents and provides them with lots of reassurance that their children are well cared

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

The childminder teaches children about acceptable behaviour and supports them in learning how to share, take turns and respect each other's feelings. She gives them lots of praise and encouragement which builds their self-esteem. For example, children are extremely pleased with themselves as the childminder shows her delight when they demonstrate their early walking skills. The childminder takes children to groups and on outings, and as a result, they learn how to adapt their behaviour to different social situations. This increases their self-confidence and prepares them well for the transition to nursery and school when the time comes. Children have an increasing understanding of how to keep themselves safe due to the childminder's consistent guidance. For example, they understand that they need to wash their hands before eating and the food needs to be the correct temperature to prevent them from burning themselves. Children are

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

encouraged to learn self-care skills early on and they competently manage their personal needs as they get older. The youngest children are encouraged to 'have a go' at feeding themselves and are soon able to do this successfully. As they get older they are shown how to put on their coats and shoes by themselves and manage this competently. All of this gives children the essential skills and attitudes needed for their future learning.

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

The promotion of children's health is given good consideration. Effective procedures are in place to deal with any accidents. The risk of cross-infection is minimised within the home with effective hand washing procedures using individual face cloths and towels. Also by keeping the premises and resources clean, for example, the childminder ensures that shoes are removed so that the carpet remains hygienic for babies and young children. Children have ready access to drinks to keep them hydrated and the childminder teaches them about the benefits of healthy eating. Meals and snacks are nutritious and enjoyed by children. A great emphasis is placed on children having regular exercise and fresh air regardless of the weather. Good attention is given to promoting children's physical development in the garden, park, countryside and at community groups. This enables children to gain good control and coordination of their bodies as they grow and develop.

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provision

The childminder has a good knowledge of how to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. She views the safeguarding of children as a priority. Her understanding of child protection is good and she has secure procedures in place to follow should she have a concern about a child in her care. She and her husband have undertaken Disclosure and Barring Service checks to demonstrate that they are suitable to be in contact with children. Detailed records of children's information are kept and the childminder implements a good range of written policies and procedures so that all children in her care remain safe. The safeguarding policy contains a procedure for the use of mobile phones and the childminder provides a container in the hallway for visitors to deposit their phones so that they are not used in the presence of children. She also undertakes robust risk assessments of her home,

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provision

garden and outings to ensure children are kept safe and secure at all times.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. She is a qualified and experienced teacher and is successfully adapting her teaching skills in her new childminding business. She monitors and evaluates the activities to ensure the children are enjoying the activities provided and that she is covering all areas of learning. She tracks children's development and has a very good understanding and knowledge of the children's stages of development. Evidence shows that she has high expectations of the children and that they show very positive attitudes towards their learning through play. Consequently they are making good progress towards the early learning goals.

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provision

The childminder has very positive relationships with parents and engages in daily conversations with them about their children's well-being and progress. As well as verbal information sharing, they also use daily diaries to share information to enhance the consistency of care provided for the children. A vast amount of useful information is displayed on the walls for parents to read and they also receive regular newsletters about the service provided. Written comments from parents in questionnaires are positive. They include 'I am very happy with the fantastic service and good feedback' and 'You go above and beyond and I recommend you highly'. The childminder also shares information with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage, such as teachers, to fully support the children's learning. The childminder has made a positive start to her childminding career and demonstrates a strong drive to build on her success. She is open to the views of

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provision

parents and children and she regularly evaluates her practice accordingly. She continually identifies areas for development and make the changes needed to further improve the provision. For example, she has recently taken advice from the local authority early years advisor regarding her planning and assessment system. Consequently she has streamlined this process to make it far more effective to share with parents. She is very conscientious and passionate about her work with children and is committed to providing a good quality learning environment for all.

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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 EY465383 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 928141 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 4 Number of children on roll 3

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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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