Childminder in Birmingham

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/01/2014 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 childminder works patiently and sensitively with children and parents to help children settle when they first attend her setting.  Children choose activities and play for extended periods at their own pace, using their imagination and problem-solving skills. This promotes their development in all areas of learning very well.  The childminder keeps up to date with developments in childcare through regularly attending training and is always looking for ways to improve her practice and outcomes for children. She is well-organised and maintains records and documentation to support children's needs and to promote the safe and efficient management of her setting.  The childminder has a good understanding of her responsibilities with regard to child protection. Her home is safe and good steps are taken to reduce potential dangers, therefore, children are well safeguarded while in her care.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is room to increase print in the indoor environment to further extend children's literacy and language 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 in the front room and lounge and the interaction and learning between the childminder and children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the childminder and her self-evaluation document.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation, including children's records, learning and development information and a selection of policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents through discussion and from written questionnaires sent out by the childminder.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and children aged eight and 12 years in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham, within walking distance to local shops, parks and schools. The whole of the ground floor of the property is used for childminding purposes. There is an enclosed garden available for outside play.

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Information about the setting

The childminder is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools. The family has a pet cat. The childminder supports children who speak English as an additional language. She is currently caring for one child in the early years age group. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 12 years. She operates from 5.30am until 6.30pm. 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:

 enhance the indoor environment to include opportunities for children to access, see and make use of print and images in their learning environment to build on their language and literacy skills.

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who attend

The childminder has a good understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and demonstrates good quality teaching skills. She provides a learning environment where children independently access a range of toys and play equipment. The childminder knows children well and has an accurate understanding of where they are in their development and aspects of what she needs to do to help them reach the next steps in their learning. Using detailed information about children's starting points, which she fully understands following discussions with parents, the childminder is able to build on what children know and can do. This enables her to extend their learning to a good level, which is further supported through the informative observations that she undertakes and makes use of. These observations indicate that children are making good progress in all areas of their learning. Consequently, children are well-prepared and ready

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who attend

to start nursery and school. The childminder tracks children's progress using a tracking report and she encourages parents to contribute to this by sharing observations from home. They take the learning journals home, which show what children have been doing, enabling parents to further support their children's learning and development at home. The childminder has put in place a process to complete the 'progress check at aged two years', when necessary.

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who attend

The childminder interacts well with children as she sits at their level and joins in with activities, motivating them and encouraging their use of language. Using home-made musical instruments, created from tins and recycled containers they sing popular nursery rhymes and songs. The childminder takes children on regular outings, such as, to local children's groups, visits to the park and local walks, to help them to socialise and learn about the world around them. Children have many opportunities to follow their own interests and they enjoy playing with dolls as they dress them, put them to sleep in cots or pretend to feed them. The childminder uses such play opportunities to help children develop counting skills. For example, as they count the number of dolls and colourful necklaces they use to dress the dolls with. The childminder also uses the dolls to help children learn about how they should be gentle with their siblings, modelling this as she

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who attend

The childminder engages very well with children. She joins in with activities, sitting on the floor and motivating them while also encouraging their use of language and equally supporting their home languages. The childminder is bilingual and communicates with children in both English and their home language. She listens to what they say, gives them time to think about their responses and offers plenty of praise. She uses open-ended questions to develop and extend children's thinking and understanding and builds on their vocabulary by extending their sentences. As a result, children are becoming confident communicators and are able to implement their own ideas in their play. She introduces new words, such as 'slithery snake, slithering through the scratchy sand as she spirals up the bumpy tree', as she reads to children to help them develop their vocabulary. However, there is scope to further enhance children's literacy skills by making the environment rich

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who attend

with words, through using labels and pictures to help children's language and early literacy skills. Children demonstrate increasing levels of concentration as they sit at the table making collages from different texture, shapes of paper and sparkly glitter. They design calendars, colourful butterflies and decorate balloons with glitter. Children sit attentively as the childminder reads to them and they point to familiar objects in the books.

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

The childminder provides a warm and welcoming home. She works very closely with parents to help children make an easy and confident transition from home to her care. Consequently, children are relaxed and happy in her care and develop close attachments to her. Parents are asked to supply family photographs to include in the learning journals to help children settle when they see familiar faces and pictures of events, such as family weddings and parties. Children demonstrate they feel safe and secure by confidently moving around her home and approaching her with much affection. The childminder supports children well, engaging herself in their play and her positive interactions and frequent use of praise reinforce children's feelings of self-worth and confidence. The childminder offers a wide range of interesting activities to prepare children for the move to school. For example, they go on frequent outings in the local community, such as play

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

groups and the local children's centre with the childminder. In addition, younger children go with her on the school pick-up, so they become familiar with the school. This helps them to develop the confidence they need when they are ready to transfer to new settings and school.

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

The childminder is familiar with children's routines, such as, eating patterns, sleeping and general preferences as she gathers good information from parents when children first start with her. She sensitively supports young children at mealtimes to promote their independence and to encourage them to eat healthy food. She provides lots of praise and encouragement to reward children for their efforts. This approach successfully promotes children's self-esteem and positive behaviour. She helps young children to become aware of good hygiene practices by washing hands before meals and after using the toilet. She adapts sleeping routines sensitively for each child depending on their individual needs and preferences, such as providing a bed in a quiet area of the house. Children are helped to learn about their own safety because the childminder reminds them why they must be careful when crossing the road. Children regularly practice fire drills to ensure they know

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

what to do in an emergency. Visitors to the premises are asked to sign in and out. The childminder encourages children to be active. Physical play opportunities in the garden are good with a broad range of activities available to them. They walk to the shops and parks in the immediate area and take part in sessions at the local play group and children's centre.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of her responsibilities to meet the legal requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has a good understanding of child protection and knows the procedures to follow should she have concerns about a child's welfare. These are shared with parents when their child first attends, in order to make clear the standards to which she works. She has updated her knowledge by attending the child protection training for designated persons and reading the detailed safeguarding policy she holds. She helps to keep children safe through her close supervision and by providing a secure and safe home and asking visitors to sign in and out. She also undertakes risk assessments prior to children arriving each day and when planning trips outside of the home to help ensure children are safe in her care.

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provision

The childminder has worked hard to develop her provision and is very keen in maintaining and building on her good quality setting. She regularly seeks advice and support from others, such as, the local network coordinator, her local children's centre and other childminders. Her understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and in particular, the learning and development requirements, enables her to monitor the educational progress of children effectively and efficiently. The childminder accesses ongoing training to raise and develop her childcare knowledge and has consistently attended training over the last 12 months. She has effective systems in place to monitor the learning and development provision, to ensure she is helping children to make good progress. Through her continuing evaluation of her practice and her personal development, she is able to build on her knowledge to further improve the effectiveness of her service, to meet the needs

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provision

of both parents and children. Parents are very pleased with the care and education their children receive. They state how much their children have progressed since being here and how much they enjoy coming. They appreciate the information they receive each day about their children's day and progress. This also promotes continuity of care and learning for children.

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provision

The childminder uses self-evaluation effectively and is clear on her strengths and areas she wants to develop. She consults parents through discussion and the use of questionnaires and constantly monitors and evaluates children's care and learning experiences. As part of this process she talks to children, in order to gather their views. Parents have written very complimentary testimonials about the quality of care their children receive and how much they value the service offered. For example, the say 'the childminder encourages me to continue learning songs and rhymes at home that my child likes and we talk daily about what they have been doing at home and at the childminder's. Another parent said, 'my child is now saying full sentences as a result of being with the childminder. I am very happy with the care and development my child is getting'. The childminder develops good partnerships with the local school, children's centre, play

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provision

groups and other registered childminders. This means when children are ready to move on they are supported well.

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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 EY444894 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 890215 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 1

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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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