Childminder in Cheshire East

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/01/2014 18/11/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 3 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

 There is a suitable range of resources indoors and outdoors that enables children to make choices in their play. Children feel secure to explore the environment.  The childminder is attentive to the children and they have formed an affectionate bond with her, which supports children's emotional well-being.  The childminder promotes children's social skills by encouraging them to develop relationships with other children and take part in group activities during toddler groups and regular visits to other childminders.

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It is not yet good because

 On occasions, the childminder misses opportunities during planned activities to fully promote all children's learning and development in order to ensure all children make good progress in their learning.  Opportunities to develop children's understanding of hygiene practices are missed. This means children are not always aware of the importance of hygienic practices which is important as they develop their independence.  The monitoring of assessment of children's learning and development is not yet consistently thorough enough for all children in order to identify any need for interventions to ensure any gaps in learning are closing swiftly.  Toddlers who are starting to feed themselves are not always given the opportunity to use a variety of utensils to encourage their independence 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 a range of child-led and adult-led activities taking place.  The inspector held discussions with the childminder during appropriate times.  The inspector spoke with parents to gain their views about the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of documents, policies and procedures during the inspection.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2010. She lives in a detached house with her two children aged 18 and four years in Gawsworth, Macclesfield. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding. Children can access the living room if they wish to play with larger toys and there is a main room with a variety of resources that children use to play in. There is a large secure rear garden for the children to play in. There are currently three children on roll in the early years age group who attend on a part time basis. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register as well as both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare register. The childminder attends a number of activities during the week at the local children's centre and also visits local parks.

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must:

 consistently assess all children's learning and ensure that planned activities are adapted so that they: maintain all children's interests, are developmentally appropriate for all children present and offer sufficient levels of challenge to promote best progress.

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

 promote children's independence skills further, for example, by increasing their awareness of the importance of handwashing and providing opportunities for younger children to use a range of utensils themselves

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

 monitor all children's learning and development consistently so that their learning needs are quickly identified and addressed to help them make good progress in their learning and development.

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who attend

Children enjoy a caring, relaxed and well-resourced environment, which stimulates their interest and curiosity and encourages them to explore. Children enjoy the freedom they have as the whole of the downstairs is used for childminding in the spacious property. The childminder has an adequate knowledge of the learning and development requirements and this is used to plan a range of adult-led and child-led activities. Children have access to a secure rear garden that that is resourced with a variety of large play equipment. Young children enjoy exploring the downstairs environment and have plenty of space to crawl and develop their physical skills. They enjoy the main room which is suitably resourced with a range of play equipment and toys. Children can select from boxes the toys they want to play with. Some boxes are labelled. This means children can begin to see that print carries meaning and encourages recognition of letters and words.

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who attend

The childminder is attentive to young children and listens to the requests of older children and quickly responds to provide the children with activities they request. Young children enjoy the one-to-one attention from the childminder and they like to pass her pieces of a jigsaw and explore where the pieces belong. There are occasions where planned activities are not given consideration as to how they can be adapted to include all children. For example, toddlers are given a variety of coloured bricks to play with while older children enjoy making play dough. This does not ensure that the younger children experience a range of interesting sensory activities and have the ability to learn new concepts. As a result, children sometimes lose interest because they are not always provided with activities that take into account their likes and interests. Behaviour is for the most part sound, with occasional lapses when children become tired or they request a different

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who attend

activity. However, the childminder offers gentle reminders of appropriate ways to behave and treat the resources, such as the role play costumes. She makes expectations of behaviour clear and encourages children to have control over their actions when with each other.

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who attend

The childminder uses photographic evidence of children taking part in a range of activities in the home and outside on trips and nature walks in local parks. The childminder visits toddler groups throughout the week and meets with other childminders. This encourages children's social skills and confidence. A parent spoken to on the day of inspection commented on how her child has developed in confidence since starting the provision and is happy to come when she is dropped off. The childminder has addressed the previous recommendation about providing more activities to promote children's knowledge of diversity. She has planned a visit to Chinatown along with other childminders. The childminder plans to extend this learning into the home/kitchen corner. This will underpin children's learning from their experiences and will allow them to explore their ideas, further developing skills of critical thinking.

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who attend

Parents are welcomed into the setting and provide information about children's starting points on entry. The childminder keeps a 'my week' sheet so that she can see if children attend other settings or family members to gain a full understanding of the child's overall care. There are some indications of planning available for parent's to see on the noticeboard. The childminder has provided parents with a colourful daily diary that they can fill in about any information or achievements the child has made at home. The childminder makes observations of children, which are transferred to their learning journey files and she is able to identify next steps in children's learning and plan suitable activities to support their progress. However, this process is not yet consistent for all children that attend part time and therefore challenging activities are not always provided to extend their learning.

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

The childminder uses settling-in periods to support children when they first start at the setting and leave their parents. Parents are also invited to bring their child for short sessions until the childminder feels the child is familiar with the setting. This supports children's emotional well-being as affectionate relationships are formed between the childminder and children. Healthy lifestyles are adequately promoted. Healthy snacks and meals are provided and hygienic care routines are in place, although there is scope to develop children's understanding of the importance of healthy choices, exercise and hygienic practices, such as washing hands. The childminder values the importance of outdoor play and children have access to a variety of large play equipment outdoors and also daily outings and parks where they can explore nature. Children's physical development, well-being and knowledge of nature are promoted well.

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

The childminder has policies and procedures in place to ensure children's safety on trips and implements risk assessments beforehand to secure children's safety. The environment is safe, welcoming and provides a wealth of space for children to move and develop activities. Children can take larger equipment, such as train sets, out into the living room. This allows children more space to develop their ideas and imaginative play. The childminder is looking to re-evaluate where she positions resources so that it maximises children's interest and motivation, for example, the home/kitchen corner to incorporate ideas from the trip to Chinatown, in order to extend children's learning about this celebration and culture.

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

Steps to ensure that children are ready for transitions to other settings or school are in place. She has made contacts with the local school and plans to implement activities that reinforce knowledge of a school routine. She plans to ensure that children's learning journey files move with children so that practitioners receive detailed information about each child's learning and development.

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provision

The childminder has addressed issues arising from her previous inspection to keep children safe. There is a suitable safeguarding policy in place that parents are fully aware of, should they wish to make a complaint about the provision. Regular fire drills are carried out and recorded in the form of a log book to monitor their effectiveness. The childminder encourages children to be aware of their own safety by setting them the challenge of how quickly they can evacuate the premises. She has also improved the quality of how she assesses and plans for children's learning. For example, observation records are now in place and are linked to areas of learning in order monitor and assess children's progress. Next steps in children's learning are identified and parent's can see photographic evidence of children 'having a go' at activities and acquiring new skills. However, the system is not yet consistent with all of the children that attend to ensure all

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provision

children, including those who are part time, receive good levels of support to help them progress even further.

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provision

The childminder is successful at completing a thorough progress check at age two. A detailed file of the child's development is kept and parents contribute information towards this. They are encouraged to be involved in children's learning and share information about children's achievements at home. Children's starting points are discussed and written down. The daily diary complements the entry procedure and aims to maintain a consistent approach to children's learning between home and their care environment, which enhances the progress they make. The childminder aspires to improve the quality of the provision. She evaluates her provision regularly and shares practice with local childminders. She has recently moved to a new premises which offers plenty of space for children to explore. She has many plans to re-shape the main room where most resources are kept and is reviewing the use of the spacious outdoor area. Children enjoy exploring

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provision

on the large play equipment and there are sensory objects that hang from a tree that children like to explore.

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provision

The childminder is developing partnerships in the local and wider community; therefore, children's learning is extended through their visits to playgroups. Relationships with local schools are building. This will support children's transitions when they are ready to move on.

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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 EY416364 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 875588 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 3

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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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