Childminder in Leeds

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/02/2014 23/05/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 1 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 settled and feel at ease in the childminder's care. Each one is valued as an individual and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive effective additional support, which promotes inclusion.  The childminder takes children to a range of activities in the local community. This successfully supports them to develop their social skills as they interact with other adults and children outside their normal childcare environment.  The childminder develops positive relationships with parents. This means information is shared effectively, which promotes a cohesive approach to children's ongoing care.

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It is not yet good because

 There is no documentary evidence to show that the childminder's assistant has a current paediatric first aid certificate. This means he does not meet the qualification requirements to have sole charge of children for short periods of time.  The organisation of space in the home and required documentation is not fully effective, which means the environment in which children are cared does not fully support their play and the service is not managed in a consistently efficient way  The arrangements for self-evaluation are not reviewed on a consistently regular basis to fully aid setting targets for the future, to support long-term achievements and outcomes for all children.

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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 had a tour of the premises and observed children playing in the downstairs rooms of the house.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's records, planning documents, and policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector made observations of and discussed the outcome of an activity that involved children using play dough with the childminder.  The inspector took account of the views of a parent spoken to on the inspection.

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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 partner and adult child in East Ardsley, near Wakefield. The whole of the ground floor of the home and the enclosed garden are used for childminding purposes. A cat is kept as a pet.

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Information about the setting

The childminder holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 3 and is accredited to provide funded early education. She is registered to work with an assistant. She regularly attends activities at the local toddler group and visits the park on a regular basis with children. She takes children to, and collects them from the local school and nursery. There are currently 12 children on roll, four of whom are in the early years age group. They attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She operates Monday to Friday all year round from 6.30am to 6pm, except for family holidays. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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must:

 ensure any assistant who may be in sole charge of children for any period of time holds a current paediatric first aid certificate.

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

 make better use of the available space in the home, to fully promote children's choice and independence in their play, for example, by presenting toys so these are easy for children to access

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

 strengthen the management of the service by making sure all required documentation is organised in an efficient manner, so all necessary information is easily located and accessible

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

 enhance the arrangements for self-evaluation by reviewing this on a consistently regular basis, so it is up to date and can be used to better inform priorities and set challenging targets for future improvement.

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who attend

The childminder has a sound knowledge of how children learn and develop. She uses her observations of children at play to assess their achievements and plan for the next steps in their learning. This means children are suitably prepared to move on to school when the time comes. The childminder talks to parents about children's development and they are given their children's learning record to take home, so they can view this at their leisure. The childminder also asks parents to tell her about activities their children have been involved in at home. This means she is aware of children's current interests. The childminder has a range of resources to support the play of different ages of children. However, she does not make best use of the available space to present these. For example, many items are stacked on top of each other in a corner of the room that is used for children's play. This means children cannot easily see what is available or make choices

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who attend

in their play. Consequently, they are not fully supported to develop their independent learning skills, or have variation in their play and rich opportunities to develop their own interests.

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who attend

The childminder interacts well with children as they play and her teaching successfully supports them to further their learning. For example, as children build with bricks she encourages them to name the colours they are using. The childminder also provides opportunities for children to increase their vocabulary by introducing them to more complex words, such as explaining how she has put several arched bricks in a line to make a 'viaduct'. This successfully supports their development in communication and language. As children explore play dough she asks them how it feels as they squeeze it in their hands. This supports children to use descriptive language. The childminder provides props, such as picture cards, with missing features, for children to use with play dough. This gives the activity a focus for them. For example, one child successfully works out that they need to shape two wings to add to a butterfly body on their card. The childminder

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who attend

supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well, through close partnership working with other agencies, the provision of specialist equipment and her use of signing, to aid communication.

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who attend

The childminder successfully promotes children's mathematical development. For instance, as they play with bricks she asks 'Shall we sort them into different colours?' She models what she wants children to do by showing them how she is finding all the orange ones. The children react positively to the idea and one child responds with, 'I'll collect the yellow ones', which they do successfully. This shows children are beginning to use their critical thinking skills as they differentiate between objects. The childminder encourages children to develop their spatial awareness by showing them how to use bricks to build bridges of different sizes and asking them to see which toy cars will fit under these. She successfully brings in the use of size language by asking a child 'Do you think you can find a car to fit under this tiny bridge'. This prompts the child to try different cars until they are successful. This means children learn to keep trying and not just settle on their first idea.

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

Effective arrangements are in place to support children's transitions into the childminder's care. Their individual needs and routines are discussed with their parents and followed by the childminder, such as those for sleeping. This provides stability for children and means they feel secure. Children are happy in their environment and are keen to talk about what it is they like about attending. For example, one child tells the inspector that their favourite activity is going to the park. Children's health and self-care is promoted successfully. For example, children benefit from fresh air as they go for walks in the local area, such as going to observe horses in a nearby field and visiting the local park, to use large play equipment. This enables children to develop their coordination. Children are taught the importance of washing their hands before eating their meals and the efforts of those who are potty training are acknowledged with reward stickers. This support and

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

guidance means children develop confidence in their self-care abilities.

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

The childminder provides children with valuable opportunities to take part in activities in the local community, such as attending a music session and toddler each week. Consequently, children have experience of working as part of a larger group and become aware of the needs of others. This prepares them for similar experiences they will encounter at school. The childminder makes children's transition to other settings, such as the local school nursery a pleasant experience because they are well-prepared for this. For example, she makes a booklet to share with children prior to the move that includes information, such as photographs of staff who will care for them and their new learning environment. The childminder effectively supports children to behave well. For example, she encourages them to share and take turns with equipment, such as a rolling pin, as they use play dough together. She acknowledges children's efforts and achievements with

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

praise, which helps them to feel good about themselves. In turn this positive role modelling is reflected in the children's attitude towards each other. For example, one child spontaneously thanks another when they give them a brick to add to the tower they are building. Children's opinions are listened to, which means they make a positive contribution to the life of the setting and this raises their self-esteem. For example, they are involved in choosing new resources for the garden, so these meet their interests.

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

The childminder successfully supports children to learn about personal safety. For instance, she reminds them to sit on their chair correctly at the table during meal times, so they do not fall. She makes sure children follow safe practises when walking out in the community and on the school run. For example, she uses pushchairs as appropriate for younger ones. She makes sure older children know the boundaries they need to follow to keep them safe on the walk to school, such as not walking too far ahead, so they can be seen at all times by the childminder.

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provision

The childminder is confident in her knowledge of child protection issues. She is able to discuss the possible indicators of abuse or neglect and knows what to do, should she have a concern about a child's welfare. The childminder ensures that all necessary checks have been carried out on her assistant and any adult household members. This means they are suitable to have access to children. Effective measures are taken to minimise any potential hazards to children's safety in the home and on outings. However, the childminder does not organise her day-to-day documentation effectively. Consequently, she is not able to easily locate information for all children, should she need to refer to this quickly in an emergency. This poses a risk to children's well-being. In addition, although the childminder states that her assistant has completed a first aid course she is unable to locate the certificate, to show that this is valid. This means her assistant does not meet

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provision

the qualification requirements, to have sole charge of children for short periods.

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provision

The childminder successfully monitors the effectiveness of the educational programmes she provides. For example, she uses a 'tracker' sheet to plot children's progress in all areas. This means she can identify any gaps in their learning and address these. This ensures children make steady progress towards the early learning goals. The childminder has a level 3 early years qualification and attends some further training, to enhance her childcare practice. For example, after attending a course on nurturing two-year-olds she incorporated a 'mud kitchen' in the garden, to enhance children's exploratory play. Photographs show children of a variety of ages engaged in making mud 'pies' and decorating mud 'buns' with flowers, which supports them to develop their creativity and imagination. The childminder has also attended an accredited course in promoting children's movement play.

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provision

The childminder makes sure her assistant understands how the service operates by discussing her policies and procedures for this with him. She makes some observations of his practice to assess that he is following these. The childminder understands the importance of using self-evaluation, to help her assess the quality of her service. However, she does not do this on a consistently regular basis, to fully aid her in prioritising and setting targets for the future to continually shape the service, to meet the changing needs of children who attend. Partnerships with parents are positive. The childminder goes through all her policies and procedures with them when they start to use her service, which means they are suitably informed of how this operates. Contracts are provided as to the business arrangements and daily discussion means they know how their children have spent their day. A parent spoken to on the day of inspection commented that she is

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provision

'happy' with the service she receives. The childminder has positive links with providers of other early years settings children also attend. For example, she has discussion about their care and learning across both settings on a regular basis, which supports children's transitions successfully between provisions.

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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 320243 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 952159 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 12

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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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