Childminder in Essex

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/02/2014 14/05/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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 talks to children and models good language. Consequently, children are making good progress in their communication and language skills.  Children are settled and keen to learn. They have developed close relationships with the childminder and her family.  Partnerships with parents are strong. The childminder communicates regularly with parents so that they are fully aware of their children's care and she actively seeks to involve them in their children's learning. This shared approach supports children's needs well.  The childminder takes effective action to minimise potential hazards to children both indoors and on outings, so they play in safety.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to explore, build, move and role play in the outdoor play environment are not maximised because there is a lack of flexibility with regard to use of the garden throughout the year.

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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 activities in the childminder's house and talked with the childminder and her assistant.  The inspector viewed the areas of the premises and garden used for childminding.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of household members, and a range of other documentation, including the safeguarding procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents, as recorded in written questionnaires and reference letters.  The inspector reviewed and discussed the childminder's self-evaluation form.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2007 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two children aged three and seven years in a house in Loughton, Essex. The whole of the ground floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The childminder attends a toddler group and visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently six children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder works with an assistant and operates all year round from 7am to 7pm, 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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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 extend opportunities for children to play in the garden throughout the year so that they can explore, build, move and role play in an outdoor learning environment.

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who attend

Children engage well with a wide range of interesting activities because the childminder and her assistant make plans influenced by children's interests and skills. Children have free choices because there is a good balance between child-initiated and adult-led activities. Children receive very good attention, have fun and are making good progress. The childminder records children's development in individual profile folders. These collections of samples of work, photographs of children's skills, and regular observations are used well to plan next steps for learning. Parents are positively encouraged to share information with the childminder to help them settle. The childminder shares both verbal and written information with parents each day to enable them to contribute to their children's development and learning.

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who attend

Babies explore a variety of resources that encourage them to learn and investigate through their senses. For example, they exclaim with delight as, supported by the attentive childminder and her assistant, they discover that they can create a range of sounds as they beat a wooden spoon against different surfaces. The childminder and her assistant support children's physical development, as they encourage them to be active. For example, they develop confidence and skills while they use challenging physical play equipment at the park. The childminder identifies different play activities that are organised in the garden during part of the year, however, during winter months use of the outdoor play environment is not maximised to promote children's development in all areas of learning. The childminder and her assistant use the nearby amenities to offer children experiences in a number of different environments. For example, they visit the local

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who attend

playgroup with the children to provide stimulating play experiences which help them made good progress in their learning and development. These visits make learning fun for the children and enable them to socialise with other children of a similar age and to play with different toys.

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who attend

Children are developing good communication skills and have their vocabulary well supported and promoted. For example, the childminder and her assistant engage children in conversation, as they complete a jigsaw puzzle together and talk about the different pictures on the pieces. They talk to them about what they are doing, questioning children effectively and giving time for them to respond. The childminder and her assistant show children how to pronounce some words by responding and repeating what they say in the correct way. They follow their lead as they choose books and they share their interest in the story characters. This helps to establish children's interest in reading for pleasure and purpose. The childminder and her assistant extend children's learning by encouraging them to count during everyday routines. Consequently, children develop skills that support their future learning.

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

Children are happy and settled in the warm and caring family environment. They relate well to the childminder and her assistant because the relationship between them is warm and strong. These secure attachments help children to feel safe and valued in their care. Children demonstrate that they are happy in their care as they easily approach both the childminder and her assistant for support and enjoy their relaxed manner. The childminder and her assistant are good role models through being happy, calm and kind towards the children and setting clear house rules and boundaries. This develops children's understanding of right and wrong. The childminder and her assistant manage behaviour positively through using praise and encouragement and are consistent in their approach. As a result, children's behaviour is very good. The childminder spends time getting to know the children and their families well. She works with the parents to find out children's

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

likes and dislikes before they start to help them to settle. She also finds out about their routines so that she can meet their individual needs. This enables the children to settle and develops their self-esteem and confidence. Children are familiar with the routine, following the house rules, such as taking off shoes and hanging up coats on their return from outings in the local area. She and her assistant take time to give each child individual attention, so that they feel they are special and valued. They are motivated to learn because the childminder plans well to meet their needs and offers a wide variety of interesting, accessible resources.

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

The childminder gives appropriate priority to children's safety and well-being. Her home is safe and secure as she undertakes daily checks and regular risk assessments. Children have good awareness of how to keep themselves safe. For example, they know not to run around while eating because it could create a choking hazard. The childminder also teaches the children road safety and stranger danger. This enables them to learn how to keep themselves safe and develop skills to underpin their further learning. Children are encouraged to develop healthy lifestyles because the childminder follows appropriate hygiene procedures and practices that meet their physical, nutritional and healthcare needs. Her guidance and support help children to become independent in their personal care. Children are learning about the need for good hygiene practices as they routinely wash hands before touching food and after visiting the toilet. The childminder

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

offers nutritious snacks and meals, which include vegetables and fruit. Clear information regarding children's individual health needs, such as allergies, is obtained and adhered to.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are good because the childminder warmly welcomes them into the home and offers a flexible service to meet their needs. Written references from parents are extremely complimentary of the childminder. One writes, 'She is caring, trustworthy, dependable, reliable and professional. We are confident our son is in a safe and pleasant environment'. Another parent comments, 'She goes above and beyond her duties in order to meet our child's needs'. They state that they would highly recommend her to others. These strong partnerships with parents support children's individual needs well. The childminder is aware of the benefits of sharing information with other early years providers in order to provide continuity of learning for children.

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provision

The childminder has a clear understanding of her responsibilities to safeguard children in her care. She implements policies and procedures which underpin her service and help ensure the well-being of the children. The childminder shares these with parents so that they understand her responsibilities. She has a clear understanding of safeguarding issues and is aware of the procedures to follow if she was concerned about a child. The childminder understands how to report any concerns to the appropriate agencies. Children are protected further because the childminder carries out daily risk assessments on all areas and resources used by the children.

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provision

The childminder has an effective knowledge and understanding of the learning requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She successfully monitors the educational programmes to ensure that children make good progress. She demonstrates commitment to further improve the quality of provision and her knowledge, by attending ongoing training. Previous recommendations have been met successfully, such as developing use of observations, assessments and planning, to support individual children's learning. Through self-evaluation, she takes into account the views of children and their parents and uses this to reflect on the quality of her provision and to identify priorities for improvement.

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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 EY365094 Local authority Essex Inspection number 878508 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 6

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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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