Childminder in Herefordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 04/03/2014 08/03/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 4 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 happy and contented. They form close attachments with the friendly, caring childminder who effectively promotes their social and emotional well-being.  Children's enjoyment, confidence, curiosity and physical skills are enhanced by regular opportunities to take part in worthwhile local activities.  The childminder has positive relationships with parents and with other settings children attend, ensuring consistency for them and effective information sharing about their care, learning and development.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder does not always successfully follow up children's next steps in their learning, in her planning and organisation of activities and resources. As a result, some activities lack sufficient interest or challenge for them.  Some aspects of the childminder's safeguarding procedures and record keeping do not fully meet statutory requirements. She is not familiar with current local safeguarding procedures and lacks a clearly defined policy regarding the use of mobile phones and cameras. The childminder has not obtained parents' written permission for their children to take part in outings.  The childminder's arrangements for working with parents to promote children's healthy eating and independence at meal times is variable.

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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 lounge.  The inspector spoke to the childminder and child throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at and discussed children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and training of the childminder and the suitability of the other member of the household.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at and discussed the childminder's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of records and policies relating to children's welfare, health and safety.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of a parent spoken to on the day and from parents' and carers' written feedback.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1995 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her adult son in a house in the city of Hereford. The whole of the ground floor, a first floor bedroom and bathroom and the front and rear gardens are used for childminding. The family has a pet dog.

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Information about the setting

There are currently two children on roll, who are in the early years age group and who attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family holidays.

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Information about the setting

Children are taken on regular walks and outings and attend various local toddler activities. The childminder takes children to and collects them from a local school and pre-school. The childminder has a level 3 early years qualification.

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must:

 improve the planning and the organisation of activities and resources in order to consistently offer children challenging learning opportunities and to focus more precisely on promoting their individual next steps

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must:

 improve safeguarding policies so they are in line with local safeguarding guidance and procedures and cover the use of mobile phones and cameras

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must:

 obtain parents' written permission for children to take part in outings.

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

 work with parents to develop young children's greater awareness of healthy eating and to better promote their independence in eating and drinking.

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who attend

Since the last inspection the childminder has developed her knowledge and improved her systems for observing and assessing children's progress. This includes completing required progress checks for two-year-olds, which are a helpful and positive guide for herself and parents. The childminder regularly talks to parents and to other providers of settings some children attend, about children's activities and achievements. She takes in to account their comments about children's learning when she is organising activities. From her observations and assessments the childminder identifies children's next steps for learning.

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who attend

The childminder plans appropriate topics and themes, for instance, about clothes, transport, numbers, music and nursery rhymes. These help her to follow up children's interests and to offer them new experiences, such as going on public transport. Through these topics the childminder also focusses on developing some key skills, such as, aspects of maths and literacy. For example, at the moment children are enjoying learning nursery rhymes and exploring different sounds, including making their own instruments, such as shakers. However, the childminder's planning and organisation of activities requires further improvement in order for her teaching to be good and for children to make good progress in relation to their starting points. She does not always successfully follow up children's next steps in her planning and or the organisation of activities and resources. This means the childminder misses opportunities to develop children's ideas or to build on

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who attend

their skills and understanding. For instance, a young child shows interest in the letters on plastic squares which he finds and which are part of a game for older children and adults. The childminder appropriately tells him about some letters and sounds and suggests they find the letters for his name. However, his interest is not sustained when she cannot find all the letters and does not offer alternatives, such as writing his name when he points to paper and crayons. Some other activities are mundane or repetitive. For instance, the childminder provides a limited selection of small world toys and associated equipment so a child's imaginative play is short lived.

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who attend

In other respects, the childminder helps children to be effective learners in readiness for school. She relates well to children and chats easily to them, promoting their understanding and developing their speech and vocabulary. The childminder often uses her knowledge of their characteristics and interests to get them involved in activities. For instance, a young child likes dinosaurs so she asks him to help her make a building for some dinosaur figures. She asks the child to find the figures, encouraging his problem solving and vocabulary while they talk about the different small world figures which also include some farm and wild animals. The child is eager and concentrates quite well, enjoying rebuilding the walls of the model enclosure when the dinosaurs keep escaping. The childminder effectively promotes the child's awareness of measure and number when she shows him how to measure the walls. The childminder talks about the different

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who attend

lengths and shows him the numbers of centimetres on the tape measure. The child repeats these numbers when the childminder follows his requests to do more measuring. The childminder also helps children to be confident to learn with others. For example, she and the children often meet with other childminders, carers and children for joint play sessions. The childminder takes children to local toddler activities and on regular walks and outings. As a result, children are able to play with a wider range of toys and equipment. They particularly enjoy exploring their natural surroundings, being active and tackling more challenging physical apparatus in local parks.

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who attend

The childminder and parents work together to support children's learning in the setting and at home. The information parents provide helps her to get to know children's interests and differing abilities. Parents appreciate her regular feedback about their children's activities and achievements and suggestions for activities to follow up at home.

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

Children are happy and settled. They develop a positive sense of belonging and form close attachments with the kind, approachable childminder. She and parents agree appropriate settling-in arrangements for new children, which include the childminder recognising the importance of reflecting their interests and favourite activities in her provision. The childminder also finds out as much as possible from parents and carers about each child's care routines and dietary and health needs which she carefully follows during sessions.

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

The childminder successfully promotes children's confidence and social skills in readiness for school. As part of this, she ensures they have regular opportunities to socialise, play and learn with other children in different locations. The childminder does not currently look after any children who are preparing to move into full-time education, but she understands how to foster other skills they need. This includes promoting their understanding of good hygiene procedures and developing their independence in seeing to other aspects of their self-care, such as, going to the toilet unaided or putting on coats and footwear. Parents comment how they appreciate the childminder's patience and guidance in helping them, for example, with their children's weaning and potty training. However, at the moment there is potential for the childminder to be more proactive about talking to parents in order to better promote children's awareness of healthy eating

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

choices and their independent eating and drinking at meal times. Other aspects of children's good health are fostered well so they love being outdoors, are physically active and move and balance with confidence and control.

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

Children are effectively helped to feel emotionally and physically safe. For example, the childminder values and praises their efforts and achievements so children are keen to behave well. She supports them in developing positive relationships with each other, for instance, so they share and take turns. The childminder, in the main, also creates a physically safe environment for children, although there are weaknesses in some aspects of her safeguarding procedures. During outings she teaches them about road safety and makes sure they behave safely and sensibly when they use physical play equipment.

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provision

Through her personal research and contact with other childminders, the childminder has improved her understanding of the learning and development and safeguarding and welfare requirements since the last inspection. She has, in the main, addressed actions raised at this inspection. As a result, the childminder has developed better systems for monitoring children's progress and for identifying their next steps for learning. Improved systems for assessing children's progress also enable the childminder to pass on more accurate information to parents about their children's learning and development. She organises enjoyable, usually relevant activities and experiences for children, especially within the local community. However, the childminder does not always make the best use of her planning, teaching and resources to fully promote children's purposeful learning and to consistently follow up their next steps during activities.

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provision

There are some weaknesses in the childminder's safeguarding procedures. She does not have clear procedures for her own and parents' reference regarding the use of mobile phones or cameras. The childminder also does not have current local safeguarding guidance to refer to, so some aspects of her safeguarding policies are not up-to-date and require improvement. As a result, the childminder does not fully meet requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. In other respects, she shows a satisfactory knowledge of signs of abuse and knows what action to take if she has concerns about a child's welfare. The childminder has other effective arrangements for keeping children safe. This includes implementing appropriate risk assessments and safety checks so her home is adequately safe and secure. In addition the childminder makes sure she obtains all required information about children and their parents. This includes clear agreements with parents

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provision

relating to their children's care and good health. However, she has not obtained required written parental permission for children to take part in outings. The impact of this omission on children's welfare is limited. The childminder has made sure parents and carers know all about the range of outings children go on, and some parents have specifically asked her to take their child to and collect them from another setting.

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provision

The childminder has well-established relationships with parents and they work effectively together to promote their child's care, learning and development. Parents and carers appreciate her warm welcome for their children and themselves, highlighting the home- from-home atmosphere. The childminder has also made good links with staff at other settings some children attend. Parents feel this has contributed to children making smooth transitions to these other settings. The childminder also includes some activities from topics being covered at the other settings, providing children with continuity and further enjoyment.

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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 223442 Local authority Herefordshire Inspection number 925484 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 2

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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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