Childminder in Lincolnshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 04/03/2014 03/02/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 2 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children are highly motivated and engage eagerly in new learning. The childminder is highly skilled in maximising every opportunity for learning and as a result, children make excellent progress in their learning and development.  There are very secure attachments between the childminder and the children she minds and this fosters children's emotional security and sense of belonging very well. The childminder gets to know children extremely well and this enables her to meet each child's individual needs to a high standard.  Children's personal, social and emotional development is promoted exceptionally well. Children are confident and demonstrate high levels of self-esteem when they are with the childminder.  The childminder uses highly successful strategies to engage with parents. The partnerships established with other agencies help to support every child to learn and develop to the highest level.

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This provision is outstanding

 The childminder is thoroughly organised and has an extremely professional approach to childminding. She is meticulous and puts her heart and soul into providing the best possible care and education to the children she minds.  Children are safeguarded when they are with the childminder. She keeps them safe and prioritises their welfare. She is knowledgeable about the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures and knows the action to take to protect a child. She has an excellent vetting system in place to ensure children's safety.

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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 playroom, lounge/dining room and the outside area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the childminder at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of records including children's details, learning information, written policies, training certificates and a selection of other documents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the childminder's suitability and qualifications and her self-evaluation form.  The inspector interacted with children throughout the inspection.  The inspector read accounts from parents to take their views into consideration.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2003 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 years and seven years in a semi-detached house in South Witham, near Grantham in Lincolnshire. The childminder cares for children all year round, Monday to Friday, from 7.15am until 6pm with the exception of family holidays. The childminder uses the whole of the ground floor of her home for childminding and this comprises of a kitchen, lounge/dining area, conservatory play room and toilet. A bedroom upstairs is available for sleeping. There is an enclosed garden at the rear for outside play. The family have two dogs and five giant rabbits as pets.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 11 children on roll, five of whom are in the early years age range and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder receives funding for the provision of free early education for three- and four-year-old children. The childminder cares for children before and after school as well as during the day. She takes the children out and about in the local area on a daily basis to various groups, the children's centre and park and on the school run. The childminder uses a large nine seater minivan to transport children. The childminder is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years. She has a level 3 early years qualification.

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

 enhance the excellent quality of teaching even further by inviting other early years professionals to observe the childminder's practice and offer their critique to give additional perspectives on how she can continue to excel.

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who attend

Children make excellent progress in their learning and development based on their starting points and abilities. The childminder is an excellent teacher who uses her expert knowledge of child development and how young children learn to skilfully teach the children she minds. She assesses children's progress accurately and this ensures that all children make excellent progress when they are with her. Children thoroughly enjoy the time they are with the childminder. They take part in a wide range of activities and learning opportunities which are based around their individual interests and development needs. The childminder is skilled at linking all areas of learning to anything children show an interest in and this results in children benefitting hugely from learning that is specific and relevant to them. Children play and explore the stimulating and enabling environment the childminder has created for them in the playroom. The environment is designed

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who attend

around their interests and resources are freely accessible to children so they have choice in their play. Children's creations are proudly displayed and they are keen to show the inspector the various bugs they have painted which the childminder has laminated and hung from the ceiling. Children feel highly valued by the childminder who praises their work. The current theme is 'superheroes'. Children have shown a real interest in the superheroes they see on the television and in books and the childminder has skilfully linked this to the everyday superheroes we see in society, such as, doctors and fire officers. Each child has decided which special powers they will have and fantastic posters have been created showing pictures of the children as superheroes. Children learn about nature and the world we live in. They experience hands on learning as they prepare potatoes for planting by chitting them. They are learning about how things grow and

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who attend

where food comes from in a fun way. Children are very interested in exploring a globe. They quickly locate the United Kingdom and discuss that this is where they live. They are interested in how far places are from each other and the childminder helps them to understand the scale of the world and although this is a very difficult concept for such young children to get to grips with, the childminder explains it to them in a way they can understand and relate to. They find the North Pole and an interesting discussion about Father Christmas ensues. One child decides he would like to live in another country and turns the globe to assess which country would be the best to choose.

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who attend

Children's early literacy skills are consistently well supported by the childminder. Their love of listening to stories and reading books is nurtured because the childminder sets aside quiet time each day to read to the children. She is a fantastic storyteller who makes the stories come alive. Children ask many questions about the story and lively discussions are held where children learn new facts and vocabulary. When one story is finished children ask for another as they have enjoyed it so much and they also re-read the books independently after the childminder has finished reading with them. Their love of books is plain to see and they enjoy telling the inspector all about the story they have just read. Children enjoy practising their early writing skills as they attempt to write their name. Their letter recognition is excellent and they easily identify their own names from the selection of name tags. They show off their skills to the inspector by identifying letters

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who attend

from their name on her identification badge. The childminder praises them highly for being so clever and they bask in this adoration. Children's communication and language is promoted very well by the childminder who has created an environment rich in language. She asks the children many questions to support their thinking skills and encourages them to converse with her and each other to extend their vocabulary. Children's small physical skills are very well supported as the childminder gives them many opportunities to use their hands in messy play and arts and crafts. She also supports the older children with pencil control and has purchased special pencil grips to support children who are struggling with this skill. She makes mastering these skills fun and children respond very well. Children's imaginations are encouraged as they make pancakes from play dough as it is Pancake Day. The childminder supports the children but they come up with their own

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who attend

designs and ideas for the pancakes and each one is very different. These differences are valued and praised by the childminder. Children thoroughly enjoy this activity and they persevere at it for some time. The characteristics of effective learning are evident and as a result, children are making excellent progress in their learning. The childminder supports children's development in the prime areas of learning extremely well. She is helping children to build the foundations they need to learn and prepares them very well for the next stage in their learning, which is when they start school. As children approach school age the childminder sensitively increases the emphasis on the specific areas of learning and this supports children's school readiness very well. The childminder fully includes parents and carers in their children's learning and development. She values their contributions highly as their children's primary educators. The childminder

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who attend

works in close partnership with the local school and pre-school to support children's learning and help to prepare them for when they start school. These partnerships are very effective in aiding a smooth transition when children leave the childminder to start reception.

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

Children are cared for in a very warm and welcoming, family home environment. They are made to feel at home as the childminder makes them feel so welcome and this fosters their sense of belonging and security very well. As a result, children thrive in this setting as they are so secure and confident. Children show real care for each other and the childminder. They know the childminder is expecting a baby and have noticed her tummy growing. When they snuggle up on the sofa for a story they remind each other to be careful of the childminder's tummy as they do not want to lean on the baby. Children are learning to love and care for others and this is extremely important. Children's behaviour is exemplary. They learn from the childminder who is an excellent role model regarding behaviour. She is kind and caring but also firm in her expectations of children's behaviour. She encourages manners and kindness at all times and the children respond very well to

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

her and respect the rules as they have been consulted on them and they have been explained. The childminder always offers explanations of why she is asking children to do things and as a result, they learn why certain behaviours are expected. The childminder encourages the children to rectify minor disputes and this supports them to cooperate with each other well. This is an important skill for life they are learning with the childminder at an early age. The childminder constantly praises children for their behaviour and for their achievements. The atmosphere in the childminder's home is so positive and any negativity is swiftly turned around to become positive. Children's self-esteem is exceedingly well promoted as their confidence is continuously boosted by the childminder.

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

Children have daily opportunities for fresh air and exercise whether it is in the childminder's garden or on trips out and about. They are also encouraged to be physical inside. Their physical development is supported well as a result. Children's dietary health is promoted well by the childminder as she provides healthy snacks and meals and encourages parents to provide healthy packed lunches. Meal time is a social occasion where the children and childminder sit round the table and eat together. The children's social skills are developing very well as a result. Children learn about excellent hygiene practices as they independently use the toilet and take pride in washing their hands and being clean. Their self-care skills are well supported as they dress and undress themselves. They confidently ask for help to do up their trousers and put on their coats and the childminder encourages them to have a go but always supports where needed.

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

The childminder has very high standards of cleanliness, hygiene and safety in her home and this promotes children's health and safety very well. Children learn about risk taking and keeping themselves and others safe. Outside, they negotiate the steps to the slide safely and with the childminder's support they walk along the low wall. They remind each other not to run in the house and not to stand on chairs as they may fall.

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

The childminder works in close partnership with parents and carers. She gets to know the parents as well as the children and forms close relationships with them. Parents are welcomed on days out with the childminder and children and the children really enjoy looking back at photographs of special times they have shared with their families and the childminder together. The childminder has created a special book all about families and the children love looking through this. There are pictures of their family members in the book as well as different images of families from around the world. This supports children's understanding of their families and communities as well as families from the wider world. The childminder gathers extensive information when children first start about their care requirements and uses this information to meet each child's individual needs to a high standard.

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provision

Leadership and management is outstanding. The childminder has a thorough understanding of her responsibility to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children are safeguarded very well as the childminder knows the signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect to look out for and is confident in the procedures to follow if she had any concerns about children in her care. She has robust policies and procedures in place to underpin her practice and reviews these regularly. The childminder has attended safeguarding training and this has enhanced her practice by making her acutely aware of the need to protect children from potential abusers. Children are very safe when they are with the childminder. This is due to the thorough risk assessments she has conducted, which ensure the environment is free from hazards and her vigilance in supervising the children. The childminder welcomes students into her

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provision

setting on placements. She conducts thorough checks on their suitability to work with children and communicates continuously with parents and the educational establishment the student attends to ensure ongoing suitability.

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provision

The educational programmes are monitored very effectively by the childminder. She regularly reviews the range of activities and play experiences she offers the children to ensure they are interesting and challenging and have depth and breadth across all seven areas of learning. She is skilled at evaluating the effectiveness of activities and adapting and re-shaping them to promote children's learning exceedingly well. The childminder is extremely well organised. She takes her job very seriously and puts a great deal of effort into her childminding business. She is a dedicated childcare professional who strives for the very highest standards to benefit the children in her care. The childminder is very good at reflecting on her practice and conducts regular self-evaluation. She very effectively identifies areas for improvement and is confident to access training or support to help her to continuously improve. She regularly attends training courses to enhance her

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provision

practice and is committed to continuous professional development as she would like to further her qualifications to degree level. The impact of this training and commitment is very positive as the quality of the childminder's teaching is excellent. The childminder is aware that studying to a higher level would deepen her knowledge of child development and improve her teaching skills to an even higher standard. She effectively monitors her own teaching practice to ensure excellence. However, there is scope to invite external early years professionals to observe her and offer their critique to enhance her excellent practice even further. Excellent progress has been made since the last inspection. The childminder has taken action on the recommendations that were raised but has also been extremely pro-active and made many more improvements based on her own assessment of her setting.

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provision

The childminder works in close partnership with parents and carers. She involves them in all aspects of her setting and values their input highly. Parents are involved in the childminders self-evaluation as she regularly asks them for their feedback. She actively seeks critique from parents as she always wants to improve and enhance her practice. The childminder has established excellent links with the local school, pre-school and health professionals. She clearly sees the benefit of these partnerships in promoting children's care and education to a high level. The childminder works closely with the local authority where possible and welcomes their evaluation of her setting, which she uses to continually improve. The childminder has extremely high expectations of herself. She has an inspiring drive for improvement and will never believe she has achieved perfection. Her utmost priority is supporting the children in her care to grow and develop to give them the best

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provision

possible start in life so that when they leave her they can move forward in their lives confidently and thrive in whatever they choose to do. The reward of achieving this gives her the motivation to continue and to make a difference to more and more children's lives.

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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 EY403312 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 940759 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 4 Number of children on roll 11

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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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