Childminder in Lancashire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 04/02/2014 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 quality of teaching is good because the childminder has a thorough awareness of how young children learn and develop. She provides a wide range of imaginative activities for the children. As a result, they are eager to learn and demonstrate high levels of engagement considering their ages.  The childminder is very caring, sensitive and skilled in helping children to feel settled and to form secure emotional attachments. This in turn nurtures their independence, confidence and overall well-being.  The childminder has a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements, which means that children are kept safe and secure in her care.  Partnerships between parents and the childminder are very positive. The joint approach to the children's care and learning ensures that are fully supported to make good progress in all areas of their development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Babies and young children are unable to freely access the garden area to fully support their good physical development.  The childminder occasionally does not give children sufficient time to think about their responses to questions that she asks, to be able to put their thoughts into words as part of their language development.

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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 and spoke to the childminder and children during activities in the living room.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the childminder, the self-evaluation form and policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents by reading their written comments in the daily diaries and learning journals.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in Aug 2013 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and child aged 18 months in Morecambe, Lancashire. The whole of the house is used for childminding apart from the spare bedroom. There is a garden available for outdoor play. The childminder attends toddler groups and activities at the local library and soft play centre. She visits the local shops and parks on a regular basis. There are currently two children on roll, both of whom are in the early years age range and they attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder is a qualified secondary school teacher with six years teaching experience.

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

 provide more opportunities for babies and young children to fully develop their good physical skills by having greater access to the outdoor play area

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

 enhance teaching strategies by consistently giving children thinking time to put their thoughts into words to further support their language development.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good. The childminder makes very good use of her teaching, parenting skills and experience to support children to make good progress in their learning and development. She organises her homely learning environment well by providing a varied range of stimulating, age-appropriate activities to promote children's development across all areas. Activities and resources are carefully planned around the individual children's interests and developmental stages. Due to the ages of the children currently attending, the childminder is focusing mainly on supporting them in the prime areas of learning. The childminder assesses and identifies the children's starting points and ongoing developmental stages extremely well. She undertakes regular observations and precise assessments of the children and uses this information to plan for their individual next steps in their learning. The childminder involves parents in their child's learning when they

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who attend

first attend and thereafter on an ongoing basis. The childminder and parents share information about the children's progress and well-being on a daily basis, both verbally and by using daily diaries. This joint approach supports the children well to make good progress towards the early learning goals. The childminder works hard to create an environment that is stimulating but still homely. She provides good quality resources made of different materials, such as wood, to support children's learning. These are easily accessible to children in labelled baskets to encourage them to make choices and be independent. Print and numbers are clearly displayed in the home to fully support children's good progress in literacy and numeracy. The childminder provides open-ended resources, such as treasure baskets full of household items for the children to explore. Children experiment with various wooden and metal items and listen

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who attend

to the different sounds they make as they bang them together. They enjoy exploring coloured rice and noodles by feeling the texture and pouring them from one container to another, showing delight as the rice flows through the funnels. The childminder has undertaken speech and language training and is effectively using the techniques learnt on the course to support young children's communication and language skills. She gets down to their level so they can see her as she speaks to them and responds to their early language in a positive manner. She uses props, such as a bag of toys and household items for the children to select and encourages them to say the words as she models language clearly. Consequently, the children are becoming skilful communicators and confidently begin to babble as they play. When talking to the children and asking them questions, such as what sounds different animals make, the childminder occasionally speaks quickly

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who attend

and gives the answers without giving the children sufficient time to think about their responses to questions that she asks. This slightly hinders their opportunities to put their thoughts into words to further extend their vocabulary.

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who attend

The childminder fully supports children's personal, social and emotional development. She attends community groups to take children to so their learning can be further extended. For example, they join in with planned rhymes and singing sessions at local groups and the library. As well as accessing additional learning opportunities, this gives children the chance to socialise in larger groups and gain in confidence. This helps in their preparation for nursery and school when the time comes. It also enables them to learn about the world around them and the community in which they live. The childminder teaches the children about diversity from an early age. They learn about Chinese New Year by enjoying Chinese food and making Chinese lanterns. They enjoy watching a dragon dance on the tablet computer and delight in playing musical instruments, therby, developing a sense of rhythm.

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

Children form strong bonds with the childminder and are happy and content in her care. She provides a warm, homely environment which significantly helps children to feel relaxed and emotionally secure. The childminder responds well to children's emotional needs, which helps them to separate from their parents confidently. The childminder recognises when the children need reassurance and comfort and children happily approach her for cuddles and hugs when they are tired. Comprehensive information is gathered from parents about their children's health needs and routines before they start, as they complete detailed forms. Settling-in arrangements are very much tailored to individual children and families requirements. This helps to ensure a happy, smooth transition between home and her care. The childminder recognises that this can be an anxious time for parents and children and provides them with lots of reassurance during

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

The childminder teaches children about acceptable behaviour and supports them in learning how to share and take turns. The childminder takes children to groups and on outings, and as a result, they learn how to adapt their behaviour to different social situations. She gives them lots of praise and encouragement, which builds their self- esteem and confidence and prepares them well emotionally for the transition to nursery and school. Children have an increasing understanding of how to keep themselves safe due to the childminder's consistent guidance. For example, they are learning about road safety when on outings. They also understand that they need to wash their hands before eating. Children are encouraged to learn self-care skills, for example, the youngest children are encouraged to 'have a go' at feeding themselves and are soon able to do this successfully. All of this gives children the essential skills and attitudes needed for their

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

The childminder teaches children from an early age about the importance of leading healthy lifestyles. Children have ready access to drinks to keep them hydrated and the childminder teaches them about the benefits of healthy eating. Healthy snacks, such as fruit are nutritious and enjoyed by the children. Effective procedures are in place to deal with any accidents. The risk of cross-infection is minimised within the home with effective hand washing procedures. The childminder ensures that children have regular opportunities to enjoy fresh air and exercise. They develop good physical skills as they visit parks, community groups and enjoy regular walks. Equipment, such as baby walkers and ride-on toys are also available for very young children to use indoors to encourage their walking and balancing skills. The childminder encourages the children to move in different ways by setting up obstacle courses using tables for them to crawl under and

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

cushions to crawl over. This enables children to gain good control and coordination of their bodies as they grow and develop. However, the garden is not currently suitable for babies and young children to freely access and to fully extend their good physical development.

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provision

The childminder has a good knowledge of how to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. She views the safeguarding of children as a priority. Her understanding of child protection is good and she has secure procedures in place to follow should she have a concern about a child in her care. She and her husband have undertaken Disclosure and Barring Service checks to demonstrate that they are suitable to be in contact with children. Detailed records of children's information are kept and the childminder implements a good range of written policies and procedures so that all children in her care remain safe. She also undertakes robust risk assessments of her home and outings to ensure children are kept safe and secure at all times.

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provision

The childminder is a qualified and experienced teacher and is successfully adapting her teaching skills in her new childminding business. She monitors and evaluates the activities she provides to ensure the children are enjoying the activities and that she is covering all areas of learning. She tracks children's development and has a very good understanding and knowledge of the children's stages of development. Evidence shows that she has high expectations of the children and that they show very positive attitudes towards their learning through play. Consequently, they are making good progress towards the early learning goals.

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provision

The childminder has very positive relationships with parents and engages in daily conversations with them about their children's well-being and progress. As well as verbal information sharing, they also use daily diaries to share information to enhance the consistency of care provided for the children. The childminder is aware of the importance of sharing information with other providers of the Early Years Foundation Stage to fully support the children's learning. The childminder has made a positive start to her childminding career and demonstrates a strong drive to build on her success. She is open to the views of parents and children and regularly evaluates her practice accordingly. She continually identifies areas for development and makes the changes needed to further improve the provision. For example, she recognises that her garden is not totally safe and suitable for very young children to use currently. Consequently, plans are in progress to

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provision

enhance the outdoor learning environment. The childminder is very conscientious and passionate about her work with children and is committed to maintaining a good quality learning environment for all.

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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 EY461845 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 933146 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 2

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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

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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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