Childminder in Wakefield

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/02/2014 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's organisation, understanding of safeguarding issues, commitment to improving her provision and professional development is excellent. Therefore, she effectively safeguards and promotes children's welfare and she strives towards providing the highest standard of care, learning and practice.  The childminder has good relationships with children. She is actively involved in their play and through her very positive interactions; she promotes and supports children's communication skills well.  The learning environment is welcoming and stimulating. The childminder plans activities to promote children's learning around their likes and choices. Therefore, children approach their play with enthusiasm and excitement.  The childminder provides good information for parents. For example, a website provides detailed information about her service and regular text messages keeps parents well informed about their child's day.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder is not always gathering a comprehensive knowledge of children's starting points, prior skills and progress from parents during initial assessments.  The childminder is still embedding her strategies for involving all parents in their child's learning so that her assessments are precise and accurate when planning for children's exceptional learning.

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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 compulsory part 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 had a tour of the premises and observed children playing indoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning records, a selection of policies and procedures, discussed planning for children and arrangements for self-evaluation.  The inspector took account of the views of parents through documents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of qualifications of the childminder, and suitability of the childminder and other household members.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2013 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and grown up family in Wrenthorpe, Wakefield. The whole of the ground floor, except for the office and utility room are used for childminding. There is a large garden available for outdoor play. The family has three cats and two budgies as pets. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local children's centre. She visits the shops, parks and other places of interest with children on a regular basis. If parents arrange collection and drop off, she offers care for early years children who attend nursery or pre-school. There are currently three children on roll all within the early years age group. The childminder operates all year round from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She is able to offer alternative hours and days, including overnight care by

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Information about the setting

prior arrangement. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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

 strengthen information sharing with parents during initial assessments so that detailed and comprehensive information is gathered about children's skills, knowledge and progress to support planning for their exceptional learning

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

 strive towards successfully embedding ways to involve all parents in their child's learning so that assessments are precise, sharply focused and accurately reflect what children are learning at home.

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who attend

The childminder has a good understanding of how young children learn and develop. This means she effectively supports them in making good progress in their learning and readiness for school. She understands that children learn through their play and with the support of adults who adopt consistent and effective teaching practices. Therefore, she makes good use of her home and space to provide a fun, stimulating and exciting learning environment for children. For example, indoors children have access to three different play areas, all providing a wide variety of learning experiences. Children move freely between the spaces and this means they have good opportunities to be independent and make their own choices in play. This results in children approaching their play with enthusiasm because the childminder provides variety and takes their lead when planning activities to support their learning. In addition, the childminder regularly observes children and

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who attend

monitors their progress across all areas of learning. This means she has a good understanding of children's individual learning needs. Therefore, she plans a broad range of activities to support them in making good progress in their learning and readiness for school. For instance, she provides good opportunities for younger children to draw, make marks with paint and to look at books. In addition, she introduces young children to number and simple mathematical concepts, such as introducing counting when children look at books and talking about their big and small dolls. These activities, contribute to promoting children's mathematical and literacy development. Her teaching methods are good, she is actively involved in children's play, and during child-initiated and planned activities she skilfully encourages, questions and supports their progression. For example, she provides a running commentary, repeats words and asks a good range of open-ended

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who attend

questions. Therefore, supporting and encouraging young children to engage in conversations. Although, through training, such as 'Every Child a Talker', she recognises the importance of listening to children and giving them the time to respond to questions. This effective approach to teaching, positive interactions and involvement in children's play, effectively supports children's progress in communication and language.

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who attend

The childminder has a good range of resources across all areas of learning and she regularly rotates these to provide choice for children and to ensure she provides experiences and activities across all areas of learning. Through outings, such as, walks, splashing in puddles and visits to toddler groups, children learn about changes in the weather, seasons and their community. For example, on walks young children love to listen to environmental sounds, such as, the birds tweeting, emergency sirens and leaves crunching under foot. Children use simple equipment, such as resources that they need to lift, twist or turn to make work. This fosters their development in understanding the world. The children have good opportunities to express their own ideas, be creative and imaginative. For instance, through role play, such as pretending to put baby to bed and making tea in the home corner, children use their imagination. In addition, children

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who attend

explore different textures, such as, sand, water, natural materials, shiny ribbons, silky scarves and paint. These activities effectively foster children's development in expressive arts and design.

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who attend

The childminder has good relationships with the parents. She makes effective use of daily diaries, text messages, discussions and children's progress records to share information about children's care and learning. This includes sharing children's next steps and activities to extend their learning at home. However, through her own reflection and evaluation and the short time she has cared for children, she recognises her strategies for involving all parents in their child's learning are not yet highly successful or embedded in her practice. Therefore, understanding her assessments are not always precise and accurate in regard to including what parents know about their child's learning at home. Through a wide range of policies and procedures, including an informative website, the childminder provides detailed information for parents about the service she provides for children.

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

The childminder has good relationships with the children. Overall, she knows them well because she gathers some good information about their needs from parents when children first start in her care. For example, she completes relevant registration forms, uses settling-in visits and discussions with parents to get to know children. This includes completing an 'All about me' booklet, which includes detail of children's likes, medical needs, routines and care arrangements. This contributes to supporting the transition from home because children receive continuity in their care. As a result, children feel safe, happy and emotionally secure in the childminder's care. However, her 'All about me' booklet and parental input into her baseline assessments about children's prior skills and progress when they first start is not always as comprehensive as the information about their care and needs. Therefore, when planning for children's exceptional learning, the

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

childminder is not always basing it on precise, sharply focused and accurate assessments of children's starting points. The childminder reflects her commitment to supporting children's emotional well-being through her decision not to currently offer before and after school care. She feels this ensures young children's routines are not interrupted through having to take them out on school collections and drop offs. This, alongside positive relationships, secure bonds and attachments means the childminder effectively promotes children's progress in their personal, social and emotional development. Therefore, because children are happy and the childminder promotes their emotionally well-being, children gain the necessary skills and aptitudes to embrace their future learning, such as starting school. This is because they have confidence and self-assurance to manage change and the transition to other settings.

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

Through good use of praise, the childminder celebrates children's achievements and provides clear messages to what is right and wrong. Therefore, children behave well because they know what the childminder expects of them. This includes the childminder working closely with parents so messages for children are clear and consistent. For example, through play and discussions, she reinforces to young children how it is kind to share the toys and be gentle when playing with their friends. In addition, through taking children to groups, she provides good opportunities for them to mix socially and play with other children. This supports children in developing positive relationships with their peers. Through everyday routines, such as talking to children about safe boundaries, she helps them to learn about keeping themselves safe. For example, she organises her resources so that children make safe and independent choices in their play. In addition, when caring

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

for young children, she provides the space for them to explore their environment and to take safe risks. For example, encouraging young children to take their first steps or use new equipment, while being close by to offer support and reassurance.

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

The childminder supports children in developing a good understanding of the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. For example, she takes babies and young children on daily walks, they regularly go to indoor play centres and she provides good opportunities for them to be outdoors. These opportunities enable children to be physically active and to enjoy the benefits of being in the fresh air. For example, young children enjoy pushing and pulling wheeled toys, such as prams around the home and climbing on the equipment at the indoor play centre. In addition, through activities, such as weaving with ribbons and hoops, young children have good opportunities to develop their hand and eye coordination and dexterity skills. These activities effectively support children's physical development. The childminder successfully promotes children's health. Parents provide all children's meals and they fully support the childminder's healthy eating policies. In addition, through

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

games, role play, books and discussions, the childminder talks to children about the benefits of eating well. Through everyday routines, she ensures children have a good understanding of effective health and hygiene practices. For example, children routinely wash their hands at appropriate times throughout the day. This supports children from a young age in developing good self-care skills and an understanding of their personal care needs.

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provision

The childminder has an excellent understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. This is through her childminding experience, alongside extensive years of working in various roles within the early years sector. She frequently accesses safeguarding training, including advanced training for designated officers, which means she has a secure understanding of child protection issues. She maintains a comprehensive safeguarding policy and she has detailed documentation about her local child protection procedures. Therefore, she has a robust understanding of the possible signs of abuse, neglect, and her responsibilities in monitoring and reporting concerns to appropriate agencies. This contributes to her safeguarding and protecting children from harm. In addition, all adults living on the premises complete relevant suitability checks to ensure

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provision

they are suitable to have contact with children. This contributes to keeping children safe. The childminder provides a safe and clean learning environment for children to play. She manages this successfully because she supervises children's play, completes detailed risk assessments and carries out daily safety checks. Therefore, she ensures excellent safety precautions are in place to minimise the risk of accidents. The childminder maintains and implements a wide range of policies and procedures. These include managing illness, infection, dealing with accidents, managing complaints and promoting equality. This, alongside her extensive experience of working in early years, contribute to her having an excellent understanding of her responsibilities in promoting and safeguarding children's welfare.

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provision

The childminder's commitment to improving her service and provision for children is excellent. Therefore, she has a robust approach to self-evaluation, programme of professional development and implementing effective quality improvement plans. This means she is extremely proactive in striving towards providing high standards of care, learning and practice. She has a secure understanding of her strengths and areas to improve and her aspirations for herself and supporting children's achievements over time are high. For example, her own self-evaluations include further enhancement of the outdoor area and embedding the strategies for involving all parents in their child's learning so that she consistently promotes highly successfully partnership working with parents. The childminder has a comprehensive overview of her curriculum, resources and children's progress, which means she provides a wide breath of activities across all area of learning

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provision

to support children's progression. The childminder makes excellent use of training to improve her personal effectiveness. She has worked within early years for many years and through accessing training courses to support her childminding service means she has an excellent understanding of how young children learn and develop. Her positive approach to keeping up to date through training contributes to promoting her professional development and improving the provision for children. For example, following training on supporting children's emotional well-being, she provides enclosed and quiet areas for children to relax and spend time alone, to support them in settling and feeling safe.

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provision

The childminder has good relationships with parents and through her own evaluations; she is continually striving towards promoting highly successful partnership working. Although, she recognises her approach is not yet fully embedded in practice. She shares children's progress records and uses a diary to keep them informed about their child's day and progress. In addition, through her policy file, informative website and noticeboards, she ensures parents are aware of the service provided for children. This information sharing contributes to promoting continuity in children's care. Comments in documentation and on websites, demonstrate parents are very happy with the service. Parents say the childminder shows a genuine affection towards their children. In addition, they highly recommend the service to others because of the high levels of care, learning and support their children receive. Through discussions, diaries and feedback on websites, she

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provision

encourages parents to share their views and ideas about the service and what they want for their children. Presently, children in her care do not yet access other settings. However, the childminder has a good understanding of the importance of working with others, such as school to support continuity in children's learning. In addition, through her experience working in early years, and being fully aware of her responsibilities as a childminder, she understands the necessity of working in partnership with other professionals or external agencies. Therefore, all measures are in place for seeking intervention or for supporting children who may need additional support or help in their learning.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 EY464685 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 933759 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 3

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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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