Childminder in Birmingham

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/02/2014 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 childminder provides a wide range of exciting and stimulating activities for children. They make very good progress as a result of his high quality teaching and care.  Children are very safe, both on and away from the premises, as the childminder implements his thorough knowledge of safeguarding practice.  Children are active each day and healthy eating and lifestyles are promoted by the childminder so that children's health is well protected.  The childminder is highly motivated and committed to providing high quality care and learning for children. There are very effective systems in place for monitoring and self- evaluation so that children's learning experiences are continually improving.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to further strengthen the communication links with parents to enable them to support the continuity of children's learning and 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 the children engaged in a range of learning activities, play and daily care routines with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at and discussed the childminder's self-evaluation process and improvement plans.  The inspector spoke to the childminder and the children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers and children, including recent letters from parents containing their comments on the provision.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. He lives in a flat on the fourth floor of an apartment block close to Birmingham city centre. Access to the property is via stairs or lift. All areas of the property are used for childminding apart from the main bedroom. The childminder is open from 7am to 7pm on Monday to Friday, all year round.

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Information about the setting

The childminder attends local playgroups, visits the shops and park on a regular basis and collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There is currently one child on roll, who is in the early years age group and attends for a variety of sessions. The childminder is a member of the Professional Association for Childminding and Early Years.

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

 strengthen the communication links with parents by finding more successful ways to encourage and enable them to support children's learning and development.

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who attend

The childminder records detailed observations of children, which he uses to guide their learning. Children choose what they want to play with from a wide range of good quality, interesting toys, which they can access easily. Some information from parents is obtained when children first start, so that this is used alongside the childminder's own observations to provide a starting point for their learning. He knows children very well and builds on the next steps in their learning at every opportunity, which means they make very good progress. The childminder completes children's progress check at age two and uses ongoing assessments to quickly identify and address any gaps in learning. He communicates an enthusiasm for learning to children so that they are engaged, interested and eager to learn. He encourages parents to share daily information about children's achievements at home and keeps them very well informed about children's activities and

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who attend

progress. However, this is not yet fully effective in enabling parents to share what they know about their child's learning and development or to support this at home.

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who attend

Young children enjoy pretending to sweep the floor with a toy dustpan and brush set. At tidy up time, they use the brush to pretend to sweep the toys back into the box. The childminder helps children to count and recognise numbers, as they count conkers and fir cones they collect at the park. The childminder knows how far children can count, so encourages them to count further each time so they build on their learning. They see if all the conkers will fit in a bowl and the childminder helps children to acquire mathematical language well. He asks if the bowl is full or empty and points out which items are big or small. He challenges children to see if the conkers will all fit into one bowl or if they might need another one. Children are very curious and engaged in the activity. They try to fit a conker into a length of hollow foam tubing. They realise the conker is too big, so they immediately find a smaller one which does fit. Children then realise that the tube has a slit

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who attend

down its length, through which they can fit all the conkers into it. They persevere with challenges until they succeed. The childminder encourages children to be imaginative, as they use the foam tube as a hose when they pretend to be firemen and look at birds through the window with binoculars made from cardboard tubes.

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who attend

The childminder takes children on many trips to the park so that they develop their physical skills very well on their journey and in their use of the climbing and balancing equipment. They learn about nature, as they feed the ducks and the childminder teaches children all about the birds, trees and flowers. They visit the library to listen to stories and choose books. Children choose from a good selection of books at the childminder's home. These include some about children with disabilities so children become aware of positive images of differences in people. Children enjoy watching the rubbish collection lorry from the window and seeing children going to school or people going to work, so they learn about the world around them. They can see the birds' nests and learn about how the baby birds grow and learn to fly, as the trees are close enough for this. The childminder develops children's language and vocabulary very well, as he encourages them to repeat

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who attend

words and learn new ones. For example, they pretend to use the toy builder and tools to fix a wheel on the toy trolley. The childminder shows children which of the tools is a hammer, spanner and drill. A child uses a large plastic brick as a drill and makes a sound like a drill. This shows children are making sense of their world and how things work and what they are used for. Children are very well prepared for the next stage in their learning, as they make marks, draw and learn to recognise sounds, letters and shapes. The childminder has a very thorough knowledge of how children learn through play, so that all their activities and routines are stimulating and exciting learning experiences. The childminder knows that a young child enjoys music, so they visit the music shop, see the instruments and listen to some of them being played. Children enjoy miming playing a flute, a saxophone and a violin, which they see buskers playing on their trips into

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who attend

Birmingham. They play the toy guitar and sing, dance and clap to music. All children's interests are used by the childminder to engage children in their learning. He uses ongoing observations and assessments to build on their learning very effectively so they make very good progress.

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

Children are very happy and secure in the childminder's care. He finds out about their routines and needs from parents so that these are continued. He advises and encourages parents to continue routines, such as potty training at home so that children have consistency of care and so that they learn this quickly. This communication with parents has not yet been fully effective, but it does not affect children's well-being, as they are very settled and confident. The childminder makes potty training fun and children put a sticker on their chart if they use it successfully. Children really enjoy engaging in play with the childminder and form close bonds. He uses children's favourite toys to encourage them to sit at a small table to eat lunch and snacks or to use the potty. The childminder makes careful observations of children so that he is aware of their needs, likes and dislikes. He places a very high priority on children's well-being and he asks them how they

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

are feeling each day, as they use a sticker chart to show smiley or sad faces.

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

The childminder promotes healthy eating and lifestyles; children are active each day and are taken on many outings. He teaches them about road safety and stranger danger and they learn to manage risks safely as they climb and use the play equipment at the park. Children bring their own healthy lunches and snacks and the childminder ensures parents are well informed about portion sizes and sugar and salt content in various foods so that children's health is well protected. Parents are informed about what children eat during the day and how often their nappy has been changed. Children are offered water or diluted juice throughout the day. They learn to be independent, as they choose their activities and handle their cups and cutlery well. The childminder practices a very high level of hygiene so that children also learn the importance of this in preventing the spread of germs.

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

Behaviour is excellent as the childminder sets clear boundaries, shows respect for the children and values their opinions and their work. They are frequently praised for their achievements, which means they gain confidence and good self-esteem in the very welcoming, family environment. The childminder takes children to toddler groups each week, so that they learn to share and socialise with other children. This gradually increases their confidence in making relationships. The children cared for are very young at present, so will not be moving to other settings yet, but the childminder has good links with local schools, so that transition is managed smoothly when the time comes.

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provision

Children are very safe in the childminder's care as he implements a thorough knowledge of safeguarding and child protection. He has attended recent safeguarding training and has effective policies and procedures in place. He keeps meticulous records and supervises children vigilantly so they are safe. Effective risk assessments for the premises and for outings means that children are safe both on and away from the premises. The childminder takes water, a small first aid kit, children's contact details and other essential items on trips and has an effective procedure for emergency evacuation. The premises are secure, as a buzzer entry system means the childminder only lets people he knows into the building. He is suitably vetted and qualified to work with children.

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provision

The childminder has devoted a great deal of time and effort to ensuring that his practice and knowledge of childcare is very effective in helping children to enjoy their learning and to make very good progress. He reflects on his teaching and children's learning each week and documents this effectively so that he measures children's progress. He works with a local authority early years consultant to ensure that all aspects of his provision are of good quality. He evaluates his provision effectively so that children continue to receive very good quality care and learning experiences. The childminder is highly motivated and strives for continuous improvement through his attendance at many training courses and his effective use of childcare websites, so that he can increase his knowledge and skills even further. He includes the views of parents and children into the self-evaluation process so that all their needs are met.

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provision

There are good links with other local early years providers, as the childminder takes children to toddler groups or 'messy play' sessions each week. He shares ideas and best practice with other childminders and staff at these venues and at regular training courses. He keeps up-to-date with current practice through a childminding association and other information available on the internet. He has good links with local schools, as children he minded previously moved to these and through his involvement in local community projects.

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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 EY447857 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 896595 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 1

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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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