Childminder in Cambridgeshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/01/2014 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 cultivates a positive learning environment, which motivates children to become actively immersed in the learning process. This helps them to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to support their future learning and development.  The childminder fosters positive working relationships with parents and key staff in other settings the children attend. This helps to promote purposeful continuity of care for the children.  Daily opportunities outside enable children to embed a positive understanding about the importance of fresh air and exercise to stay healthy.  The childminder has a good knowledge and understanding about safeguarding children. This enables her to take action if she suspects a child is being abused. All mandatory records are in place, supporting the positive daily management of the setting and providing positive outcomes for the children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope for the childminder to enhance chances for children to enrich their language skills by extending opportunities to link letters to their sounds.  There is scope to extend outside activities and teaching, to enhance opportunities for the children to investigate even further their imaginations through role-play and the natural world.

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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 spoke with the childminder and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection and recorded comments made by parents through letters for this inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in all rooms used by the children and the outside play area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of policies, procedures and relevant documentation including evidence of suitability checks and discussed evaluations carried out by the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out joint discussions with the childminder in relation to making observations of the children's play and learning.

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Information about the setting

The childminder has been registered since 2013. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently three children on roll in the early years age group. There was one child present during this inspection. The childminder operates all year round from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, except family holidays.

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Information about the setting

The childminder lives in Caldecote, Cambridgeshire. She lives with her husband and their two children aged eight and 12 years. The whole of the downstairs of the premises and the large back bedroom upstairs is used for childminding. There is an enclosed area for outdoor play. The childminder attends local toddler and activity groups and is able to take children to and from the local school and pre-school. The childminder 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 opportunities for children to extend further their developing language skills by increasing opportunities for them to link sounds and letters

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

 extend and enrich the opportunities for children in the outside learning environment to explore and investigate further their creativity and exploration of the natural world.

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who attend

Time is taken by the childminder, prior to placement, to talk with parents about what their children know and can do. This helps her to assess a base line relating to their ability and interest. With this information, the childminder plans a welcoming and inviting environment to help children feel at home, safe and involved. The childminder undertakes continuous observation and assessment, which enables her to monitor the progress children are making. Her approach also enables her to pin point any gaps in their learning and development, or any areas where they are exceeding expectations. This means that she can plan carefully to start closing those gaps or provide additional challenge, in both instances to support those children who will benefit from this added input. Information obtained is used well by the childminder to help her plan activities and identify how she can best support the individual next steps, in order for children to continue making good

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who attend

progress towards the early learning goals. Parents are encouraged to continue sharing learning, which happens at home and information supplied by the childminder also enables them to build on what their children enjoy in her setting.

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who attend

The childminder supports very young children and babies to develop their physical skills. This gives the children opportunities to move freely, access equipment and resources independently, helping to develop their self help skills and resourcefulness. During the inspection, children demonstrate how they have refined their physical skills. For instance, as the children undertake a gluing and sticking activity and hold single handed tools competently as they remove lids from glue sticks. They grip small creative media and arrange this on their card, using their imagination to design and create patterns which are pleasing to them. Their understanding of the world, relating to people is developing well. Children clearly have a sense of their own immediate family and relations, as they talk with the childminder about making the card for their mummy. In addition, their language for communication is evolving. The childminder supports this, helping children to extend

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who attend

their vocabulary by encouraging them to repeat words and adding actions to capture their attention. For instance, as they walk across the living room past the sleeping dogs' cage, she puts her finger to her lips and tiptoes saying in a hushed tone, 'quietly'. The children immediately copy what they see, repeating the word a couple of times before they are happy with how they are saying it. They are clearly confident, demonstrating a 'can do' attitude as they try out new words for themselves.

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who attend

Early reading skills are established well. The childminder clearly encourages a love of reading and sharing books together. She helps the children to link sounds and letters. For example, as their names are spelt out in chalks on the path outside, with sensitive interaction by the childminder, they are able to identify the letters, which are sounded aloud. However, there is scope to enhance these teaching opportunities even further, extending the approach to the same as those used by staff at other local early years settings. The childminder fosters an environment where children receive encouraging praise. This prompts them to offer their ideas and ask questions freely and has a very positive impact on their self-esteem. Children are encouraged by the childminder to propose their own thoughts about what and where they want to play. During the inspection, they very much wanted to move their play outside. Here the children enjoy

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who attend

searching for hidden objects, such as, plastic dinosaurs and other toys buried in a tray of sawdust and leaves. They are able to concentrate as they search, holding up proudly what they uncover. Children enjoy using wheeled toys and accessing the large play house. However, there is space outside to enrich outdoor learning activities to heighten investigative opportunities for children, enabling them to further extend their imaginations through role-play and the natural world. The range of skills children need for later learning are developing well.

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

The childminder plans well for each child in her care. Secure attachments have been forged and the children are clearly content and settled in the setting. This enables them to move with confidence between their homes, other early years settings and that of the childminder. The childminder promotes positive interaction and open communications with all parents. This makes sure that the changing needs of the children are met at all times. Children personal, social and emotional development is nurtured well. The organisation of space enables them to move around the childminder's setting with ease. Child-height furniture and access to toys and resources means that they are supported in their independence to make their own choices and decisions. The good organisation also makes sure that the children can play and learn safely and securely.

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

The childminder actively promotes safety. She talks with the children about the importance of road safety and together and they practise emergency evacuation from her setting. This attention to detail means that the children know what action to take in order to stay safe during an emergency. Learning to keep themselves safe is ongoing, for example, when sitting on child-height chairs, they know that they need to sit still and keep all four legs on the floor to avoid toppling over. The childminder uses a sensitive approach, including age-appropriate discussions, re-direction and on occasions, 'time out' with her. This time is used well to focus on emotions and why they are feeling the way they do. The open discussions with parents also enable the childminder to adapt approaches used in their home, where these are appropriate. This helps to provide a consistent approach where children learn about clear and sensitive boundaries and expectations. As a result,

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

The childminder has completed food hygiene training and is registered with the local environmental health department. A well-balanced menu of snacks and meals are planned on a daily basis. This makes sure that the children receive the nutrients they require in order to grow strong and thrive. Discussions with parents prior to placement include identifying any allergies of specific dietary requirements, along with parents' wishes. This means that the childminder can plan in advance to meet the requirements of each child. For example, to protect children from foods which could potentially harm or to respect individual diets on religious grounds. The children follow good daily routines, in relation to addressing their personal hygiene needs. For instance, they know that they need to thoroughly wash their hands after playing with pets or outside, in order to prevent germs from hurting their tummies. Nappy changing routines are carried out well in order to limit

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

the spread of infection. The childminder clearly understands the importance of fresh air and exercise for growing children. She organises daily excursions either in the garden, local parks or to groups. These include messy play and music sessions along with using large apparatus at the parks and children's centre. These opportunities allow the children to socialise with others and learn about the wider world around them. They are also able to develop physical skills on a larger scale than is possible inside. These activities help the children to embed a positive early understanding about being healthy.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding, in relation to protecting children from harm. She has completed safeguarding training and knows what to do if she suspects a child is being abused. The childminder also understands the importance of obtaining enhanced Disclosure Barring Service checks through Ofsted for all persons over 16 years of age working or being in contact with the children. As such, all persons in her home have the necessary checks in place. The childminder never leaves the children unsupervised with visitors. The safeguarding and welfare requirements are met well. Attention to risk assessing all areas of her home and garden means that any potential hazards are minimised. This makes sure that the children can play in safety within a secure and well maintained setting. The childminder has completed necessary training and is proactive in continuing her professional development, which means that because she implements what

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provision

she learns, her practice evolves and remains up-to-date. This enables her to deliver a good quality service for families and provide an interesting range of learning opportunities for the children. These opportunities reflect current thinking to support future success in children's overall learning and development. The childminder undertakes additional training, such as food hygiene and paediatric first aid. These permit the childminder to deliver appropriate care in the event of an emergency, helping to keep the children safe.

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provision

The childminder undertakes self-evaluation in order to support the continuous improvement of her setting. She identifies areas where she is doing well along with areas for further development. For example, questionnaires and discussions with parents recently highlighted an area for improvement, with regard to her 'All about Me' forms, used prior to placement. These have now been adapted so that they reflect more age- appropriate questions and, therefore, the information obtained is more accurate about the child she will be caring for. She monitors her practice and the progress children make in her care. The childminder's secure understanding of the areas of learning and how children learn, along with her accurate monitoring of development; the children make good progress towards the early learning goals, given their age, ability and starting points.

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provision

Partnerships with parents, external agencies and other providers are well established and make a strong contribution to meeting children's needs. The childminder's professionalism supports parents and families. In addition, her flexible approach enables working parents to undertake necessary shift work or longer working days. Parents report that they are extremely happy with the service offered by the childminder. They know their children enjoy her company as they are always happy when they are dropped off and collected. Parents feel that the childminder really values the individuality of their child and that she meets their needs very well. They report that they liked the opportunities their children have to get out and about to local groups, such as the music group. Parents are impressed with her professionalism, in relation to keeping them up-to-date and fully informed about how their child spends their day along with their learning and

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provision

development. They are very pleased with the social skills their children are developing and would recommend her services to other families without hesitation.

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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 EY467071 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 932462 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 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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