Childminder in Halton

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/02/2014 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Children are effectively safeguarded as the childminder has accessed appropriate training; has a first aid certificate and assesses risks in the environment.  The childminder has warm responsive relationships with children. Their needs are met and so they feel secure and enjoy her company. Parents are very pleased with the care of their children and say they feel like part of the childminders family.  The childminder is reflective and keen to develop her practice by accessing further training so she can more effectively meet all children's learning and development needs.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder does not always plan effective activities to develop children's next steps in their learning in all areas of the curriculum. She has not asked parents to contribute to all children's starting points. As a result, younger children do not always make the best possible progress.  The childminder has not yet fully considered how she can promote all aspects of understanding the world through providing suitably diverse and open-ended resources for children's play. Resources to promote all areas of learning are not always accessible.  Low-level noise from the television stops children from being able to listen closely to what the childminder is saying and so does not provide the best support for their developing speech.

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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 spoke to the childminder during observations and checked organisational documents, such as training certificates, risk assessments and the safeguarding policy.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the childminder and children during indoor and outdoor play and at lunchtime and accompanied the childminder and children on their walk to and from pre-school.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed the progress children have made with the childminder to assess her knowledge of their learning and development and spoke with parents to ascertain their views of the setting.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked all Disclosure and Barring Service checks and inspected all areas of the home used for childminding purposes.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2011 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her partner and four children aged eight months to 14 years in a house in Widnes. The whole of the ground floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has a rabbit and two cats as pets. The childminder attends a school based toddler group. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre- schools. There are currently two children on roll, both of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She operates during term time only from 7.30am 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:

 improve the assessment of children's learning by; developing the information gathered from parents to include what they know about their child's development in order to identify each child's starting points, and track children's development in all areas of learning so that appropriate next steps can be planned to help them make good progress

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must:

 observe toddlers closely so that you can provide them with a rich range of learning opportunities that build on their developing interests and allow time and resources for them to practise and refine their skills through repetition.

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

 organise and develop the resources available to children further so that a wider range can be accessed independently and learning in understanding the world can be more effectively supported. For example, offer a wider range of open-ended, natural and sensory resources for children to explore and extend the range of equipment to ensure the diversity of people in the wider community is reflected

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

 promote children's listening and speech more effectively, for example, by reviewing children's the use of the television.

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who attend

The childminder has only been minding children for a short time and is still developing her knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She acknowledges that she finds teaching and planning learning for children approaching school age, easier than for younger toddlers. She soundly supports pre- school age children's learning by asking open-ended questions and revisiting recent discussions and themes. For example, as children approach the play area in the park, she asks 'are dogs allowed in the play area?' Children confidently recall that they are not, unless they are special dogs that help children who cannot see. She encourages discussion about children's interest in superheroes and they enjoy explaining the difference between various characters. She then effectively uses this interest to encourage healthy eating, when she says one of their favourite characters has to eat lots of healthy food to grow

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who attend

strong. Adult-led planned activities are managed effectively to support teaching with different aged children. For example, toddlers and pre-schoolers make pizza bagels for lunch and independence skills are promoted in both. Toddlers spoon the tomato base onto the bagels and try to spread it, while the childminder guides their hands and pre-school children do the same by themselves and add their preferred topping. However, during the period when only toddlers are present, the teaching and learning is not as effective. The television is on throughout the inspection and consequently, the low-level background noise and visual distraction does not help toddlers to listen to the childminder. This does not provide the optimum environment for developing their communication skills. In addition, the childminder explains that toddlers enjoy filling and emptying containers but she does not provide the resources for them to practise this activity, to support their

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who attend

developing interest in investigation and early mathematical skills.

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who attend

While the childminder observes children's play and development, she does not plot their progress towards the early learning goals and so does not identify any gaps in their learning. Consequently, while she does teach them through their own child-led play, she does not plan their next steps to minimise any gaps. In addition, the childminder does not ask parents to share what they know their children can already do, when they first enrol, in order to form a starting point. As a result, she is not effectively assessing children's progress when they are new to the setting or on an ongoing basis. This means that all children are not making the best possible progress in all areas of learning.

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who attend

Children are encouraged to develop age-appropriate independence. Toddlers feed themselves and lie down on the changing mat in anticipation of having their nappy changed. Older children confidently undress themselves and dress-up in a fancy dress costume, help clear the table after lunch and are allowed to walk ahead a few feet on the walk home from pre-school. Promoting independence teaches children to develop the skills they will need to be ready to start school. The childminder discusses each child's daily routine and activities they have enjoyed each evening with parents and passes on any specific information or correspondence from the pre-school setting children also attend. This helps parents to continue their child's learning at home.

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

The childminder forms warm and responsive relationships with children, they enjoy her company and are happy and settled because their needs are met. Parents discuss what their children like or dislike and their familiar care routines at enrolment. They are offered flexible settling-in sessions to ensure their children are emotionally prepared for the move to the childminder's care. The environment is comfortable and homely, with some resources available for children to access independently. However, there are insufficiently available to promote children's choice and developing desire to explore and investigate. In particular, the resources to support learning in the area of understanding the world, are less well-developed. As a result, children's learning about the diversity of the wider world is not promoted as effectively as other areas of learning.

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

Young children begin to learn what is acceptable behaviour, when the childminder gently asks them not to smack her and to be gentle with her pet cat. She models good manners by saying please and thank you and praises cooperative behaviour. She reminds children to walk along the pavement by the wall, not the road and not to climb too high as they play on the climbing frame. As a result, they are beginning to learn how to play safely. The childminder plans to take children to a new toddler groups in the local school and this will help them develop appropriate social skills as they learn to share and negotiate with children of different ages. This will help them to adapt to larger groups of children as they move on to busier settings, such as pre-school.

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

Healthy and nutritious snacks are provided, such as strawberries and crumpets. They are encouraged to feed themselves from a young age. They are beginning to learn about healthy eating by helping to prepare their own food. Children rest and sleep according to their individual needs, and sometimes choose to have a nap on the settee after lunch. The childminder stops at a local park on the way home from pre-school and this allows children to challenge themselves appropriately on the large play equipment. They climb, swing and balance, so children are developing a range of physical skills. Consequently, children are beginning to develop the habits that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Walking to and from the local school also helps them to experience the local community and begin to learn about the wider world.

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provision

The environment is safe because the childminder completes risk assessments for the playroom, kitchen and any outings children go on. She has an up-to-date first aid and food safety qualification and has accessed safeguarding training. She is able to identify possible indicators of abuse and has developed her safeguarding policy to ensure it meets the requirements of the Local Safeguarding Children Board. This ensures that she has suitable knowledge in order to keep children safe.

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provision

The childminder's developing knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements and children's stages of development, is ongoing. As a result, the planning of learning experiences and activities, to enhance and extend children's learning and development, does not always effectively reflect individual children's level of ability and their interests. Consequently, the monitoring of the educational programme is not vigorous enough to help the childminder fully understand what children can do and what they need to learn next. However, she does talk to parents on a daily basis about what activities their children have enjoyed and so is sharing some developmental information with them that will help them to continue their child's learning at home. Parents comment very favourably about the care their children receive. They feel reassured by the emotional attachments their children have formed with the childminder

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provision

and feel they are kept well-informed about their progress.

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provision

The childminder is reflective and committed to developing her practice as she recognises that, being new to the role, she still needs to develop her skills and knowledge. She attends training courses through the local authority and has plans to develop the space she has available further, so that children can access a wider range of resources. The childminder is able to access the support of a local authority advisor. She has begun to develop a friendly partnership with the local preschool and has a clear understanding of how she would work with health professionals should children require additional support. Consequently, she is beginning to build relationships with other professionals who will help her to share and develop effective practice.

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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 EY434431 Local authority Halton Inspection number 794068 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 4 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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