Childminder in Warwickshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/03/2014 14/07/2009

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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

 Teaching is good because the childminder has a secure awareness of how children and babies learn. She supports all children to make good progress through child-initiated and structured activities.  Relationships between the childminder and the children are warm, trusting and very secure. The childminder recognises the uniqueness of each child in her care and supports their emotional well-being.  The children's health, safety and well-being are given priority. The childminder has a range of clearly written policies and procedures and keeps accurate records, which support children's care and development well.  The childminder establishes positive partnerships with parents. Frequent communication promotes continuity of care for children and the sharing of information about their learning progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to enrich children's physical skills when they play in the outdoor area.  The childminder has not fully developed self-evaluation to utilise the views of parents in driving improvements in the setting.

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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 children engaging in activities in the living room and their interaction with the childminder and each other.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of training completed by the childminder, the self- evaluation documentation and looked at children's personal records, learning and development information and a selection of policies and procedures.  The inspector took into account the views of a parent.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1989 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband in Coleshill, Warwickshire. The whole of the ground floor and first floor bathroom is used for childminding. There is an enclosed garden available for outdoor play. The childminder lives close to local amenities, such as the park and is able to take and collect children from the local school and nursery. She attends the local children's centre, parent and toddler group and has a dog and a cat.

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Information about the setting

The childminder operates all year round from 7.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family holidays. There are currently five children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group. One of the children attends on a full-time basis. The childminder 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:

 enhance the range of opportunities, which promote children's physical development in the outdoor area

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

 extend the opportunities for parents to become involved in the evaluation process, so their views can be considered when improving the service further, for example, by providing questionnaires or surveys to gather their views.

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who attend

Teaching is good because the childminder has a secure knowledge of the prime and specific areas of learning. She knows how young children and babies learn and recognises that they develop at different stages and in various ways. The childminder spends time getting to know the children well when they start and through discussion with parents and regular observations, she is able to understand what children know and what they can do. She uses the information from parents to further enrich her own planning to enable her to provide a range of age-appropriate activities for each child, taking into account their interests and abilities. As a consequence, children are actively engaged in their play. The childminder effectively tracks children's progress towards the seven areas of learning and observations are used to identify any gaps in their learning and development. She discusses daily with parents what their child has been participating in and the progress

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who attend

that they have made over time. Parents are invited to discuss children's assessments and the childminder has fully implemented the two-year-old progress check. This means that the childminder and parents can consistently support children's learning in the setting and at home and ensures that parents are provided with a good overview of their child's achievements and progress. Parents make positive comments about the progress their children make, for example, one parent commented that the 'childminder has helped to provide a strong foundation for her child to build on and is now more confident'. This means that children's progress is well supported.

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who attend

Children clearly enjoy their time with the childminder and are confident and self-assured. There is a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities and experiences. This means that children are effectively stimulated throughout their day. For example, the childminder follows the children's lead in play and supports their interest in musical and programmable toys. Younger children show their delight laughing and have great fun as they press the different buttons to see what happens next. They concentrate well and enjoy the opportunity to explore and investigate the various resources. This supports their curiosity and knowledge of how things work. Children's communication skills are promoted particularly well as the childminder speaks calmly and clearly to them and introduce new words through songs and stories. She models language well and encourages babies to repeat words and sounds to help develop their language skills and vocabulary. Young

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who attend

children enjoy making marks with crayons and paint and show increasing skill at holding utensils correctly. Children have access to a good range of books and the childminder teaches them to recognise letters of the alphabet as they use a variety of electronic toys and resources. The childminder also uses these play and learning opportunities to teach children about shape, colour and number and regularly encourages the children to join in number rhymes and counting activities to promote their mathematical skills. As a consequence, children and babies are obtaining the skills, attitudes and dispositions they need to be ready for the next stage of learning.

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who attend

Interaction between the childminder and children is good. The childminder appreciates that babies and young children start to understand more than they can express themselves and encourages them to share the toys and play in harmony with their peers. She gives them simple instructions to follow and offers them lots of praise for their efforts, which helps to develop their personal, social and emotional development. The childminder teaches children to consider and value each other's backgrounds through the range of resources and planned activities, which portray positive images of diversity and acknowledge cultural differences. For example, children have visited a Chinese supermarket and joined in Chinese New Year festivals. This supports their understanding of the world they live in. Children also benefit from a wide variety of outings, which the childminder plans to develop their understanding of the natural world. For example, they

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who attend

visit the local park to feed the ducks and go on trips to the farm, so they can observe and learn about animals and insects.

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

Children are happy and settled and enjoy warm relationships with the childminder. As result, they display a strong sense of belonging in her home. Children are gradually settled into the setting while the childminder discusses their individual needs with their parents. This means that their routines are followed and their welfare needs are well-met and results in a smooth transition for children from their home. The childminder knows each child well and is very attentive towards their needs. Plenty of hugs and cuddles are offered, so that young children feel very welcome. The childminder tunes into children's communication both verbally and non-verbally. For example, she effectively supports younger children by following their non-verbal signs that indicate they are hungry, tired or need a nappy change. She responds positively to children's attempts to express themselves, which has a positive impact on their confidence and self-esteem. The

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

childminder is a good role model of behaviour and children enjoy high levels of attention. She acknowledges their achievements with lots of praise and encouragement and gentle reminders about being kind and sharing help children to begin to understand the rules about playing together and developing positive relationships with others. The childminder understands the importance of integrating children into the community and plans regular visits to the local toddler groups and the children's centre where the children socialise with other children. As a result, children learn good social skills and manners, in readiness for the next big steps in their lives and later to other settings.

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

The childminder teaches children to keep themselves and others safe. She regularly practises the evacuation procedure with the children to ensure that they can act swiftly in the event of an emergency. Independence is positively encouraged by the childminder, so children make good strides in their self-care skills. For example, they know to wash their hands at appropriate times of the day and the use of individual towels ensure the risk of infection is reduced. This means that children learn about good hygiene practices. Children enjoy healthy snacks and food provided by the parents is supported by the childminder. Fresh drinks are available at all times and are placed within easy reach of the children to enable them to access them independently. Children use the garden for physical play and have access to climbing equipment and a variety of role play resources. However, opportunities are not fully embraced to enable younger children to move their bodies in

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

different ways, for example, by using a range of outdoor equipment, such as sit and ride and push-along resources to further promote their physical development. However, the childminder plans frequent visits to the local park where children enjoy fresh air and exercise on a regular basis, which help support their overall physical well-being.

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provision

Children are safeguarded effectively because the childminder has a good understanding of her role and responsibility to protect children in her care. She is fully aware of the different signs and symptoms of abuse and has a policy and procedure detailing the course of action she would take in the event of a concern. The childminder checks the identification of any visitors and clear procedures ensure children are only collected by authorised people. The childminder keeps the premises secure to ensure children cannot leave unattended. She keeps her home safe through ongoing visual and written risk assessments and the use of safety equipment, such as, stair gates, fire guard and cupboard locks. As a result, children are kept very safe in the childminder's care.

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provision

The childminder is an experienced early years provider and is very keen about developing her understanding of high quality childcare. She has good awareness of the welfare and learning and development requirements and attends a range of training courses to ensure her knowledge is updated. For example, she has updated her knowledge in first aid, child protection, food hygiene, self-evaluation and the Early Years Foundation Stage. She effectively tracks children's progress and shares the process with parents to ensure that she can easily identify if there are any gaps in a child's development. Overall, the childminder has a good understanding of her priorities for development and has positively addressed the recommendations raised at the previous inspection. For example, she keeps accurate records of children's attendance, has improved the complaints policy and implemented an effective system to carryout observations of children during their play,

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provision

which she uses to help identify children's learning priorities and plan for their next stages in the development. As a consequence, the childminder demonstrates a commitment to continuously improving her setting. However, she has not recently encouraged parents to offer their views and suggestions about all aspects of the care and learning provided, to widen the scope for improvements that will benefit children over time.

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provision

The childminder establishes and maintains good relationships with parents. They receive an informative welcome pack with detailed information regarding the care arrangements and this explains how the childminder operates. The childminder is well organised and children's personal details are stored appropriately to ensure confidentiality is maintained. She has a clear understanding of the importance of working in partnership with other early years providers and has established effective links with the local school, children's centre and nursery. This enables her to support continuity of care and learning for children.

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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 201225 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 876207 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 5

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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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