Childminder in Hertfordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 06/03/2014 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 happy, settled and they have built solid bonds and attachments with the childminder and their peers. Consequently, children feel secure in the welcoming environment and their personal, social and emotional development is promoted.  High quality resources are in place to ensure that children can choose their own interesting play opportunities, therefore promoting their creativity and confidence.  The childminder understands how to protect children in her care and the safeguarding and welfare requirements are met. As a result, children are kept safe.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder does not have sufficient understanding of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage to plan purposeful, age appropriate activities for the children. As a result, children's starting points, progress and next steps are not clear.  Information about how children make progress is not sufficiently shared with parents and they are therefore unable to support learning at home. Therefore, children's learning and development is inconsistent and not extended. The childminder does not work well enough with other providers to support children's transitions.  The childminder does not have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the procedure to follow in the event of receiving a complaint from parents. In addition to this, a requirement of the Childcare Register is not met as the childminder does not have a written complaints policy in place.

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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.  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.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed the childminder's hardcopy self-evaluation form as provided to the inspector.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband in a house in Bricket Wood, Hertfordshire. The whole of the ground floor, two bedrooms on the first floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. She works from this premises with another childminder on a daily basis. The family has a dog and a hamster as pets.

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Information about the setting

The childminder attends a toddler group weekly and goes for walks outside on a regular basis. She collects a child from the local pre-school. There are currently four children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions.

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Information about the setting

The childminder operates all year round from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She works with her co-childminder and they both take equal responsibility for the childminding practice. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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must:

 improve knowledge and understanding of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure that children's individual needs, interests and stage of development are promoted effectively

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must:

 develop opportunities to discuss children's progress and achievements with parents to enable them to support and extend children's learning at home

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must:

 improve knowledge and understanding of the procedure to follow in the event of a complaint from parents.

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

 improve partnerships with external agencies, for example, by forming links with the local children's centre and primary school to ensure children's individual needs are supported

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

 increase opportunities for children to practise their communication and language skills, for example, by encouraging them to develop phonics within everyday activities, such as reading and writing.

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who attend

Teaching and learning is general good. Children access a range of high quality resources across the prime areas of learning which they enjoy playing with. The childminder sings regularly with the children and they join in with rhymes and dancing. As a result, children's basic communication and language skills and physical development skills are promoted. Children make choices about what they play with and creativity is encouraged. For example, when a child chooses to play with the toy kitchen, the childminder asks the child to pretend to make her a drink. Children are observed on a daily basis enjoying a range of activities, such as, cooking, drawing and role play. However, the childminder does not link the observations she makes to the assessment of children's development. This means that children's starting points, progress and next steps are not always identified and are, therefore, not linked to future activities which are appropriate to their age and stage of

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who attend

development. Children are consistently spoken with and listened to by the childminder. However, the childminder does not currently promote the use of phonics in her teaching. Consequently, children's more advanced speech and language and literacy skills are not developing to the very optimum.

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who attend

Children are generally challenged. For example, older children are encouraged to wash their own hands, put on their shoes and coats and to help the younger ones at meal times. The childminder uses mathematical language in everyday activities. For example, the childminder challenges children by counting blocks then asking them how many blocks are left, if some are added or removed. As a result, children are getting used to numbers from an early age and the childminder is suitably challenging them to do simple sums. The childminder ensures that the older children have one to one time with her to take part in more focussed activities, such as jelly making. Therefore, older children access a variety of opportunities across some of the specific areas of learning and are consequently being helped to begin to be ready for school.

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who attend

Parents are given their child's learning journal on a daily basis and there is a thorough handover at the end of each day by the childminder. However, no information about the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage is shared with parents and they are, therefore, unable to support and extend learning at home. As a result, children's continuous learning is not sufficiently cohesive in order to support children's progress towards the early learning goals.

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

The childminder provides a warm and welcoming environment and the children are happy and have bonded well with her. Their personal, social and emotional development is supported because the childminder uses praise and encouragement to promote children's self-confidence. For example, the childminder frequently claps children, who in turn have started to clap themselves when they have done something well. As a result, children's emotional well-being is sound. There is a clear partnership with parents in place, in regard to children's welfare needs. For example, prior to starting at the setting the parents and childminder meet to discuss the child's likes and dislikes, sleep patterns and other key care information. Therefore, children settle with the childminder quickly and separate from their parents with ease. Consequently, children feel secure while they are away from their parents. The childminder completes a section in the daily learning journal which informs

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

the parents about their child's care and activities during the day. As a result, parents and the childminder are working well together to share appropriate welfare information about children. Children generally behave well and are kind to each other most of the time at the childminder's home. The childminder encourages good manners by acting as a role model and consistently saying 'please' and 'thank you' to the children. Therefore, children are beginning to learn about how to conduct themselves in social environments.

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

Children demonstrate a secure bond with the childminder as they spontaneously sit on her lap and go to her for a cuddle. Furthermore, children are forming close relationships with one another and are progressing in their personal, social and emotional development. Children have an awareness of personal safety and risks. For example, the childminder teaches older children about road safety and stranger danger and younger children are taught to pick up toys after they have finished playing with them so that they do not trip over them. Consequently, children are learning effective strategies to keep themselves safe. Children's independence in generally promoted as they are encouraged to feed themselves and help to tidy up.

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

Children eat a range of nutritious meals, cooked by the childminder. She provides a variety of home cooked food, including vegetables and children enjoy their meals. The childminder generally promotes hygiene as she washes her own hands prior to cooking, but does not always promote good hand washing skills for younger children. As a result, children are not encouraged to learn about healthy lifestyles. The childminder ensures that children get fresh air and exercise every day in the form of walks outside along nature trails, where they go to look at birds. Therefore, children's physical development is promoted. The equipment in the childminder's home is appropriately tailored to the early years age group.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a sound understanding of how to safeguard children. For example, the childminder completes risk assessments and she checks the home on a regular basis. There are appropriate safety mechanisms in place, such as, stair gates and locks on the doors. When they leave the home for walks, the childminder ensures that all younger children are strapped into the buggy and both herself and any older children present carry emergency contact cards. The childminder demonstrates how to safely cross roads when out and about. All toys in the home are kite marked to ensure that they are safe for the children to play with. As a result, children are kept safe from harm while with the childminder. However, the childminder is not able to talk confidently about how she deals with complaints from parents and she does not have a written statement of procedures to be followed, in relation to complaints which relate to the requirements of

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provision

the Childcare Register and which a parent makes in writing. This is a breach of the Childcare Register requirements.

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provision

The childminder and her co-worker have high expectations of their childcare provision and have plans in place to improve it. For example, they intend to create growing patches in the garden and covert the garage in to a playroom so that they can purchase more resources. However, the childminder demonstrates a limited understanding of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage which means that learning and development is not effectively promoted to ensure that children make progress. As a result, children are not always provided with appropriate activities to assist them in progressing towards the early learning goals as the childminder does not have the knowledge to do so. Consequently, monitoring of the learning and development requirements is, therefore, not in place.

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provision

The childminder has a sound relationship with parents and regularly seeks their views via questionnaires. Parents are complimentary about the childcare provision and highly praise both the childminder and her co-worker. The parents feel that their children are happy and have settled in well. Views of children are sought by gauging their reactions to activities and asking older children to verbally express their opinions. Activities are adapted as appropriate if required, based on the children's views. For example, one child was seen to be uncomfortable to touch play dough so the childminder introduced shape cutters and he is now happy to join in. Partnerships with other providers is basic. There are no links in place with the local schools, children's centre or other agencies. As a result, children with special educational needs or those moving on to school are not adequately supported.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 implement a written statement of procedures to be followed in relation to complaints which relate to the requirements of the Childcare Register and which a parent makes in writing (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  implement a written statement of procedures to be followed in relation to complaints which relate to the requirements of the Childcare Register and which a parent makes in writing (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 EY463371 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 936099 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4

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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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