Burton, Alison

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 31/01/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3

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This provision requires improvement

 The childminder provides a range of activities to ensure children are purposefully occupied. She observes children and accurately assesses their progress. Therefore, children make satisfactory progress.  Children are settled and content with the childminder because she provides a caring and nurturing environment that promotes their emotional well-being effectively.  Children learn how to be independent as they are encouraged to help in clearing up after their meal, tidy up toys and select play resources for themselves. Therefore, they are gaining some of the skills they require for their next steps in learning, including school.  The childminder has a good understanding of safeguarding. Consequently, she keeps children safe and promotes their well-being.  Good partnerships with parents and other settings that children attend, ensure that there is consistency and continuity in children's learning and care.

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It is not yet good because

 Teaching is not consistent as the childminder does not routinely use effective strategies to extend children's language or thinking and problem solving skills.  The childminder does not collect sufficient information from parents to establish children's starting points across all areas of learning at entry.

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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 the children and childminder in the playrooms.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the childminder at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector scrutinised policies and procedures, including safeguarding procedures, qualifications, self-evaluation and daily registers.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined children's observation and assessment files and written comments from parents.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and three children aged three, nine and 10 years in Warrington. The ground floor playroom, kitchen/dining room, side bedroom and rear garden are used for childminding. The family has pet guinea pigs and a pet dog.

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Information about the setting

The childminder attends toddler groups and activities at the local children's centre. She visits the library and parks on a regular basis. There are currently five children on roll, three of whom are in the early years age group and they attend for a range of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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must:

 raise the quality of teaching to consistently good or better by ensuring activities are challenging and interesting and interactions with children consistently promote language and communication, critical thinking and problem solving skills.

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

 collect sufficient information from parents to establish children's starting points as they begin attending the setting.

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who attend

The childminder has a sufficient understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. She provides a range of activities to ensure children are purposefully occupied. The childminder observes children and uses this information to accurately assess their progress. She is fully aware of her responsibility to complete the progress check at age two years and has developed a system to record and share her assessments with parents. Observations and assessments are collected in children's learning journals, which also contain annotated photographs of the children participating in activities and examples of their work. The childminder shares these with parents as often as she can. They are available for parents at anytime and she informs them when she has completed another observation, giving them an opportunity to contribute their comments.

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who attend

The childminder provides activities that follow children's interests, for example, some of them are interested in dinosaurs, so she ensures there are dinosaurs available to play with. Children are beginning to learn about different cultures as the childminder gives them printed pictures of a Chinese dragon to celebrate Chinese New Year. As they paint it, the childminder talks to the children about the colours they use, so consequently, they are learning about colours. They sit together to share a book that they have chosen during a visit to the library and this supports children's communication and language skills. While children thread buttons, the childminder engages them about how many they have on their lace. She asks direct questions about the shapes of the buttons or how many holes there are, therefore, children are beginning to understand mathematical concepts. Children develop their physical skills as they walk to and from a local school and frequently

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who attend

visit local parks. They enjoy putting together a track and they spend some time working out how to fit a truck from another game through the tunnel. However, the childminder does not intervene and children's thinking skills are not extended in this instance. At other times, the childminder does not engage with children's play or respond effectively to their searching questions. Teaching, therefore, is not consistent as the childminder does not always use effective strategies to extend children's language or thinking and problem solving skills. Consequently, children make satisfactory rather than good progress.

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who attend

The childminder supports children's readiness for school. She ensures they have the basic skills they will need, for example, sharing and concentrating throughout an activity, such as reading a story. Children are given opportunities to manipulate paint brushes and other mark-making utensils and understand that printed words contain meaning as the childminder reads a story to them. Therefore, children are suitably gaining the skills and aptitudes they require for their next steps in learning, including school. The childminder has established effective partnerships with parents. She informs parents about what children have enjoyed doing and encourages them to share observations from home. This ensures that children's learning can be consistently encouraged and supported, both at the setting and at home. The childminder collects some information from parents as their child starts. However, it is not sufficient to establish children's starting points across all

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who attend

areas of learning at entry, in order to effectively plan for children's learning needs. The childminder assesses children's achievements some weeks after they have started, based on her own observations and parents are invited to contribute their own comments to each of the areas of learning. Therefore, partnerships are ensuring that children's progress is accurately identified and effectively promoted.

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

The childminder provides a welcoming and stimulating environment, with a wide range of toys stored at low levels, so that children can select for themselves. This ensures they become independent learners. The indoor play space is limited, so children are given support to negotiate which toys to play with. They are encouraged to tidy up before accessing more toys to ensure they have space to play safely. The childminder has good relationships with parents and she collects information about their care needs, which helps her to establish consistent routines and care practices for children. Children, therefore, settle quickly and develop strong attachments with the childminder and with other children. The childminder supports children to be emotionally prepared for transitions by working closely with parents and other settings.

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

The childminder is an effective key person for the children, providing the individual care that each child needs. Children come to her with ideas and suggestions during their play. She manages behaviour appropriately for the ages of the children who attend. For example, the childminder effectively diffuses squabbles between children by calmly explaining the rules about sharing. Children behave reasonably well and enjoy their time with the childminder. They learn how to be independent as they are encouraged to help in clearing up after their meal, putting uneaten food in the bin and dirty crockery in the sink. The childminder gives appropriate reminders and support in tasks, such as washing hands and visiting the toilet, so children gain the skills they need to be independent. They confidently talk with each other and the childminder, including her in their play and asking questions.

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

The childminder promotes healthy lifestyles by providing a varied menu of freshly prepared foods for the children and talks with them frequently about why certain foods are good to eat. She promotes exercise as she talks to children about the importance of being active. During their walk from nursery, children enjoy jumping in the puddles and they have opportunities to run about, climb and swing when they visit the park.

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provision

The childminder has a sound understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework for Early Years Foundation Stage and implements them well within her setting. She has a range of clear policies and procedures, which are shared with parents. The childminder attends regular safeguarding training to ensure her knowledge and skills are up to date. She knows what to do if she has any concerns about a child in her care. The childminder risk assesses her home and the various places they visit to ensure children are safe. Furthermore, she holds a current paediatric first aid certificate and accurately records accidents to share this information with parents. The childminder discourages visitors to her home during the hours that she minds children and she appropriately supervises them during visits to groups, the library or the park. Consequently, children are safe while in the childminder's care.

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provision

The childminder has a suitable understanding of the learning and development requirements. However, teaching requires improvement because the childminder does not always use effective strategies to extend children's language or thinking and problem solving skills. The childminder aspires to improve and attends training when it becomes available. She gathers views from parents using a questionnaire and when sharing children's progress. The childminder has sound systems in place to record observations, assessments and planning for each child. However, she does not collect sufficient information from parents at the start to ensure children's learning needs are clearly known. The childminder uses a self-evaluation form to reflect on her practice. She uses a diary as a journal to record and evaluate activities. As a consequence, the childminder knows her strengths and weaknesses and has identified some targets for improvement.

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provision

The childminder has established good working relationships with parents and shares information with them regularly. This ensures parents are kept up to date with their child's progress. The childminder has positive relationships with staff at the nurseries that she collects children from. She liaises with them to ensure she is following a similar programme and implements the same themes. For example, at the time of the inspection, she was following the Chinese New Year theme. There are opportunities for her to share children's progress at other settings as she has been invited to attend one child's nursery. As a consequence, children are receiving continuity in the educational programmes and any gaps in their learning can be identified and appropriate interventions secured.

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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 EY460465 Local authority Warrington Inspection number 931616 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 5

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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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