Childminder in West Northamptonshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/01/2014 15/05/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 The childminder ensures that children are challenged effectively so that they make good progress while they enjoy and get involved in a full range of play activities.  Children's personal, social and emotional development is addressed well by the childminder and children are happy, settled and secure. The relationship between the childminder and the children is very good.  The childminder successfully identifies and minimises risks in her home and on outings. Children are safeguarded because the childminder is fully aware of her responsibilities to protect them from abuse and neglect.  Children make good progress in their communication and language development. The childminder promotes their learning well because during her conversations with children, any questions asked are open-ended and the childminder gives children time to think about their responses.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The partnership with parents is not initially fully maximised with regard to working together to identify starting points in learning. Some information is obtained on what the child knows and can do, but detail at this time links more to care than to learning.  Children's literacy development is not fully promoted because examples of print for them to refer to in the play environment are not maximised.

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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 as children played in ground floor play areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's records, policies and procedures and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector took account of the views of parents.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1996 and is on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder lives in Daventry with her adult son and her husband, who is also a registered childminder and works with her. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's home and two first floor bedrooms are used for childminding. There is an enclosed garden available for outside play.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 12 children on roll and of these; seven in the early years group and two are aged over eight years. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder walks with, or transports children to and from local schools.

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Information about the setting

The childminder holds an early years qualification at level 3. She is linked to an approved childminding network and provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year- old children. She cares for children all year round, Monday to Friday from 7am until 7pm.

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

 extend the partnership with parents by extending the initial information obtained from them on what their child already knows and can do so that early planning is maximised in challenging children to make as much progress as they can

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

 enhance children's literacy development by extending examples of print in the play environment.

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who attend

Children make good progress. The childminder challenges them effectively so that they acquire the skills and capacity to learn and develop in order to reach the next steps in their learning. Information is regularly shared with parents and planning for learning includes detail provided by parents on achievements at home. However, the partnership with parents at the time of their child's induction is not fully maximised with regard to obtaining detail on what the child already knows and can do. Therefore, working together initially to plan for learning is not maximised. The childminder supports children well so that they develop skills in readiness for nursery class and school. She is aware of the requirement to provide parents with a progress check at age two and completes this where necessary.

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who attend

Children are happy and settled and they speak confidently. Their language development is promoted well by the childminder as she talks with them. During conservations with children the childminder asks open-ended questions and she encourages children to think about how they want to respond. The childminder skilfully promotes learning across different areas of learning as she supports play activities. For example, a group of older children play with dough and the childminder models what can be created with the use of a garlic press. First of all children mould and roll the dough into a ball and decide what size the ball needs to be so that it will fit into the press. They then talk about what is happening as the dough comes out of the press and some children decide that it looks like hair and others say they have made spaghetti. Children mould their dough into balls of different sizes. The childminder promotes their mathematical learning well because she

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who attend

asks them to talk about the biggest and the smallest and then estimate which they think will be the heaviest when placed onto the scales. Children then look at and name the numerals displayed on the digital scales and record their findings in a notepad. The childminder asks them to write their names in the notebook also and they skilfully do so. While the childminder supports this activity, she ensures that younger children are also able to play with dough if they choose to do so. They enjoy moulding their dough and they make marks in it with their fingers, with cutters and with rolling pins that are moulded so that they create different patterns. They develop their manipulative skills as they learn to use plastic knives to cut the dough.

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who attend

Children enjoy listening to stories and their interest is enhanced by the childminder because she uses props effectively. She ensures that all children can easily see the pictures in the book and older children are encouraged to see the print. They talk about the story after the childminder has finished reading and older children recall and confidently repeat their favourite parts. Literacy development is promoted well by the childminder and children are encouraged to hear and say the initial letter sounds in words. However, their learning is not fully maximised because the play environment is not fully rich in print. For example, toy boxes show pictures of what is inside, but they are not labelled with words. Children enjoy continuous access to a good range of resources and these include a variety of role-play toys. Younger children play happily alongside others while they play with these toys and older children join together and use their imagination

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who attend

in pretend play. Children enjoy moving to music. They listen to loud and soft music and decide whether they should pretend to be, for example, big giants or small fairies.

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

Children's personal, social and emotional development is given a high priority by the childminder. Relationships are very good and children are happy, settled and secure. Children's emotional security is initially addressed well because a settling-in period is arranged with parents in accordance with each child's different needs. Friendships form between the children cared for by the childminder and they socialise with other children and adults at groups. Consequently, children are prepared well for their transition into other early years settings and reception class in school. Children behave well and their self-confidence and self-esteem is promoted well by the childminder because positive behaviour and achievements are consistently acknowledged with praise. Children make choices and decisions, for example, they decide which fruits they would like to eat at snack time. Toys are organised so that children can select for themselves and the

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

childminder has created a book containing pictures of toys that are also available to them. Resources are safe and meet children's learning and development needs well.

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

Children's good health and safety is addressed well and information on the childminder's good practice is shared with parents in policies on safety, illness and accidents. The play environment is warm and welcoming. Clear admission information obtained from parents ensures that individual care needs are well met. Children's good health is protected because the childminder encourages them to be physically active. For example, they develop confidence and physical skills when they use challenging large play equipment at the childminder's home and at the park. They move their bodies in different ways while listening to music. Children learn to attend to their self-care needs and the childminder teaches them how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn how to cross the road safely and they practise the fire drill. Children's good health and well-being is promoted well by the childminder and she provides them with healthy drinks and snacks.

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provision

The childminder's home is safe and secure. She keeps her safeguarding knowledge and her awareness of Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Board procedures up-to-date. Consequently, the childminder is fully aware of the signs of abuse and neglect and her responsibility to protect children. Necessary checks for all members of her family aged 16 years and over have been completed and the childminder ensures that children are never left unsupervised with a person who has not been vetted. Parents are made aware of the childminder's thorough safeguarding policy.

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provision

The childminder successfully monitors the educational programmes to ensure that children make good progress. She is aware of the requirements within the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and ensures that children's care and learning needs are well met. The childminder continually reviews her provision in order to maintain high standards. She meets local requirements for accreditation in order to provide funded early years education for children aged two-, three- and four-years-old. Requirements include regularly attending training courses, workshops and meetings. The childminder welcomes advice offered by local authority development workers. Recommendations raised at the time of the last inspection have been addressed. The childminder's current priority to enhance her provision is to develop a sensory area in the garden. Resources meet children's different learning needs effectively and are maintained in a good state of repair.

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provision

Required documentation is kept up-to-date and in good order.

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provision

Good communication between the childminder and parents means that children's care and learning needs are met well. The childminder requests feedback from parents on the service she provides, verbally and through the implementation of a questionnaire. A range of written policies successfully reflect the childminder's practice with regard to meeting children's needs. The childminder is fully aware of the importance of obtaining as much information as possible about each child's individual care needs from parents and agreeing with them how they can work together to meet these needs. Links with other early years providers ensure continuity of care and learning.

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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 220455 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 865877 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 12

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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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