Childminder in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/03/2014 21/11/2011

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early years provision

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

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This provision is outstanding

 Children are exceptionally settled and happy in this homely child centred environment.  The childminder is inspirational, knowledgeable and proactive in constantly developing her skills and the opportunities to encourage children's progress.  All children make excellent progress because the childminder works in partnership with parents to understand and build on each child's individual interests and skills.  Safeguarding all children is given the highest priority.  Children have excellent opportunities to learn about their natural environment and to develop their understanding of the world.

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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 the premises and resources with the childminder.  The inspector observed the children and childminder at play.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined records, documents and policies, including safeguarding and behaviour management provided by the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector read comments from parents in the questionnaires and letters provided.  The inspector read the providers self-evaluation.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2007. She lives with her partner and school age child in a house in Poole, Dorset. The living accommodation is on one level and children have access to the lounge, dining room, a bedroom to sleep in and toilet facilities. There is an enclosed garden for outside play.

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Information about the setting

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently seven children on roll; of these five are in the early years age range. The childminder holds a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at level 3. She is an accredited member of the local authority childminder network. The childminder is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged two, three and four years.

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

 consider ways to make sure natural objects and textures are consistently available indoors.

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who attend

Children are constantly active, purposeful and focused in their play. They laugh and giggle together as they learn about and discover the properties of water, shaving foam and paint mixtures in the garden. The childminder makes excellent use of the garden to extend learning opportunities. Children explore the natural world and investigate living things through bug hunts, using pine cones and shells to learn about the patterns they make in paint and making bird feeders to hang by the bird boxes. Children learn about sand lizards that appear in the garden, and delight in making dens using natural resources. Through den building children learn to co-operate in the construction, negotiate the organisation and interchange ideas about the contents of the dens. Children enjoy a range of interactive toys from everyday items such as torches, calculators and cameras to equipment that they use in their role-play in their dens. A wide range of equipment to

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who attend

crawl over and through, sit, balance and ride on and balls to kick and throw help develop children's physical skills. The childminder uses the fairy garden, easel and Dinosaur sand land to promote children's creativity, imagination, and cognitive development through exploration of their ideas with the resources provided. However, indoors there are fewer natural objects and textures consistently available. This slightly reduces opportunities for children to explore and investigate resources that develop their curiosity both indoors as well as outside. The childminder makes excellent use of the outside environment to help children to acquire communication and language skills, supporting physical, personal, social and emotional development. Children attend soft play and toddlers groups. They regularly attend rhyme time at the library. Here they also celebrated Chinese New Year by watching a Chinese dragon dance and eating chow mien with chop sticks. The childminder

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who attend

takes children to the Oceanarium and the beach to teach them about sea life and enable them to feed turtles and watch the otters play. She also takes children on visits to local farms so she can teach them about where milk comes from as they watch the cows being milked. Children took a boat to Brownsea Island where they looked for red squirrels, painted stones and made brass rubbings. These experiences provide excellent opportunities to learn about the wider world and their own community.

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who attend

Accessible games, books and mark-making resources demonstrate the childminder has a versatile and established understanding of the value of play. Children are strong and confident communicators. The childminder ensures children are encouraged to think about what they are doing and why, and she understands the right moments to intervene to move children's learning on by joining in or asking a question. She gives children time to reply to open-ended questions and responds extremely well to their verbal and non-verbal communication. Children access a wide range of books and are highly inquisitive and motivated to learn, which promotes their future skills. The childminder is extremely attentive as children confidently and freely share their thoughts, feelings and ideas using the 'emotions' board and bunny puppet. Extensive opportunities to teach mathematical concepts are provided through everyday experiences. Children learn about volume and

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who attend

capacity as they play with water, compare sizes of hand and foot prints in the sand, and begin to learn that money has value as they help buy items from local shops.

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who attend

All children are extremely well supported in their learning. They are making very rapid progress towards the early learning goals due to the childminder's thorough knowledge of how to successfully implement the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder completes highly detailed individual files for children, which include lively observations and photographs linked to the areas of learning. Observations and assessments about what the children can do ensure that the childminder has a clear outline of how she will move them forward to the next steps of learning. Examples of children's creative work using a range of media are displayed in a scrapbook and on the walls. This gives children a strong sense of pride and achievement that promotes high levels of self-esteem.

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

Children thoroughly enjoy their time with the childminder. They enjoy affectionate, sensitive and caring relationships with her, and are developing high levels of self-esteem and confidence. Highly successful activities help children learn to protect themselves and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Children participate in regular fire drills. They learn to cross roads safely and how to behave in a safe manner when out on trips, such as visits to farms and the beach. Safety is reinforced by a variety of games, books, daily routines and activities with the children to heighten their awareness. Children learn rapidly because they are secure and content. The exceptional adult support and guidance helps children gain an excellent understanding of hygiene and a desire to become increasingly independent in their personal care. For example, consistent daily routines for hand washing are supported by discussions and

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

posters in the bathroom. Meals are provided by the parents and snacks provided introduce children to a wealth of different tastes and textures. The childminder teaches children how to safely chop up their snack. She uses snack time as a prime opportunity to extend children's mathematical knowledge by examining shape, size, colour, number and proportion. Fresh water and drinks in lidded beakers are readily accessible to children at all times. Children thrive in the extremely well organised and resourced indoor and outdoor environment. The creative organisation and use of rich, varied and quality resources enables all children to self-select and be fully included in all activities. This means they develop high levels of independence, learn to make choices about the toys they wish to play with and are encouraged to get plenty of fresh air to promote their good health.

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

Children behave exceptionally well, because they are continuously occupied and the childminder gives them her full attention. She talks calmly to the children and explains at an age-appropriate level the importance of sharing. As a result, they play well alongside each other because the childminder helps them to learn the need to share toys and take turns during activities and games. The childminder uses praise and continually acknowledges children's achievements, enabling them to feel good about what they do. Significant moments in a child's day are celebrated with 'WOW' cards and children relish the opportunity to share these achievements with their parents. Children enjoy an excellent range of well-planned, stimulating activities, which actively contribute to their physical skills and enjoyment of the fresh air. Each day there are interesting outdoor and indoor activities which help them to enjoy being active. There are exceptional

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

opportunities for them to learn about the wider world, as they participate in a wealth of outings in the local community and further afield.

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provision

The childminder's knowledge and understanding of safeguarding issues is excellent. She fully understands her role in child protection, including the procedures to follow should a concern arise. She continues to keep up-to-date with child protection issues by attending regular relevant training, including an advanced safeguarding course. A highly detailed child protection policy is shared with parents which ensures they are made very aware of the childminder's role and responsibility. The childminder is extremely aware of children's safety and security at all times. Documentation and records are comprehensive, exceptionally well organised and reviewed regularly. The childminder carries out comprehensive and informative risk assessments, which help to ensure that the premises, activities and outings are all managed safely.

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provision

The childminder is highly competent and forward thinking in the management of her provision. A cohesive self-evaluation process has been implemented and is used to enhance her practice for the continuous improvement of her provision. The childminder complements this by engaging parents and children in evaluating the care and education provided. Her clear and comprehensive methods and highly effective systems to continually monitor and evaluate her practice underpin the service she provides so that children learn rapidly and their welfare needs are met. The childminder has attended a wealth of training which she uses to inform her practice. Consequently, this has a significant positive impact on the exceptional quality of care provided.

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provision

The childminder has excellent communication with parents and this is enhanced by face to face conversations, a daily diary and opportunities to discuss the children's learning journals. Parents report very positively on the provision. For example one parent said, 'the range of activities the children undertake with the childminder and the quality of care she provides is fantastic'. Termly newsletters keep parents fully updated about current issues, together with a wealth of additional information covering all aspects of the childminder's practice. This ensures parents are kept extremely well informed about the care, welfare and learning of their children. These positive relationships enable the childminder to fully understand the children's individual care and learning needs and successfully meet them in partnership with parents. The childminder proactively initiates effective partnerships with practitioners who care for children in other early years settings, via link books, to

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provision

ensure children's progress is readily shared and cohesion in their learning is fully maximised.

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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 EY350115 Local authority Poole Inspection number 954482 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 7

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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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