Childminder in Wiltshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/04/2014 17/03/2011

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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

 Excellent systems of planning and assessment means that the childminder has a detailed understanding of children's specific learning needs, interests and next steps to help her accurately plan activities that will support each of them in making outstanding progress in their learning.  The childminder is fully involved with children as they play, using her expert knowledge of how children learn to provide just the right level of support to fully engage and challenge them.  The childminder gives utmost priority to supporting children's health and safety. As a result children develop a very strong awareness of how to keep themselves safe and healthy.  The childminder demonstrates a clear focus on constant and continuous improvement through her own reflection and feedback from children and parents.  The extremely well resourced play environments are welcoming and help to support children to become confident and independent learners.

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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 home and garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and a sample of welfare records.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the childminder's self-evaluation and written comments from parents.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2007. She lives with her husband and their two school-aged children in the village of Larkhill, near Salisbury in Wiltshire. The childminder works with a co-childminder on these premises and sometimes with an assistant. All areas of the childminder's home are included in the registration, with care mainly provided on the ground floor which includes a lounge, two playrooms, kitchen and access to toilet facilities. There is an enclosed garden for outside play. The family has a pet dog, rabbits, chickens and ducks.

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Information about the setting

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register to care. There are currently six children on roll, three of these are in the early years age range.

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

 enhance children's interest in stories by providing more opportunities for them to access books when playing outdoors.

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who attend

Children thrive due to the rich and varied experiences provided by the childminder. They make outstanding progress in all areas of their learning due to the childminder's excellent interactions and targeted support. The childminder has an expert understanding of how children learn, and carefully adapts activities and her input to support children's individual needs. Assessment arrangements are thorough and enable the childminder to monitor children's progress and development accurately. This means she can target children's individual learning needs through their play, and successfully identify and support any gaps in their learning. Planned activities link closely to children's interests and experiences at home. For example, focused activities about babies support children with a new baby in the family. All children receive the support they need to be well prepared for the next stage in their learning. Parents are fully involved in all aspects of the childminder's

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who attend

assessment procedures, including the progress check for two-year-olds. The childminder's ongoing discussions with parents helps her to gather information about children's learning at home, to help her create a bigger picture of the progress children are making. The childminder shares with parents children's learning folders, which they are able to take home and share with other family members. These contain extremely detailed information about the activities children are involved in, the progress they are making and their next steps. This provides parents with ideas of how they can further support children's learning at home.

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who attend

Children settle quickly and are immediately motivated to learn. They are inquisitive and interested as they engage in their activities and use their imaginations well. For example, they use the compost, spades, pots and rice grains to revisit a planting activity they completed recently. They carefully fill their pots and plant the grains of rice, clearly recalling the sequence they previously followed. They talk about how full their pots are and how many seeds they are planting, engaging children in simple number work and calculation. Older children are encouraged to identify the number of grapes or strawberries they can have at snack time from the numerals written on the snack label. They receive lots of praise for identifying the correct number and inform the younger children of the number of pieces of fruit they can have, proud of their own abilities. The childminder is fully involved as children play. She draws the children's attention to the

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who attend

butterflies that have hatched. She skilfully poses open ended questions to encourage children to talk about the experience. Even the younger children use words such as 'cocoon' to describe the changes they have observed and refer to the book about a caterpillar that they read together to link to their observations. Through these stimulating activities and the childminder's skilful interactions, children are learning new vocabulary, gaining confidence in using language to describe and explain and developing a keen interest in the natural world around them. The childminder organises space within her home extremely well to support children's learning. For example, after attending training on the 'Every Child a Talker' strategy, the childminder has created communication friendly spaces within her home. Children relax in the cosy converted cupboard, picking up books of their choice and engaging in discussions with their friends. This means that children are

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who attend

developing excellent communication skills. Although children access a wide range of books and written material indoors, resources are not so easily accessible when children play outdoors to enhance children's interests in books and literature. The treasure baskets and resource boxes available fascinate children. Younger children use their senses to investigate the different textures and sounds of the toys. Older children are interested in the Japanese style cooking tools and imitation foods in one basket. Sensory resources such as fragrance bags and shakers are also available, to stimulate children's interests and involvement. The childminder's involvement as children play with these resources increases their understanding of the world around them and encourages them to develop a respectful awareness of diversity. As children participate in a drawing activity, they identify the shapes they are creating. The childminder copies the shapes the children

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who attend

make, showing how she values and appreciates their contribution. She suggests her circle looks like a face, and goes on to talk about happy and sad faces and what makes children feel sad and happy. This helps children to express their own feelings and emotions and start to recognise the feelings of others. Children benefit from engaging in role play and access a wide range of dressing up clothes and equipment. The childminder provides jumpers to enable children to dress up in school clothing and pretend to go to school in their play. This helps to emotionally prepare children for the next stage in their learning, such as going to school, by enabling them to act out any worries they might have.

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

Children settle extremely well in the childminders welcoming and well-resourced home. They are relaxed and feel safe and secure due to her warm and caring nature. Children develop strong emotional attachments with the childminder, her co-childminder and members of her family. They develop a strong sense of belonging as they look at photographs of themselves on displays and see their names written on coat pegs. They call out to other children by name, demonstrating the strong relationships they are building with others. This means children have the confidence to explore and become increasingly independent. Consistent boundaries and expectations, and lots of praise and encouragement, help children to learn how to behave appropriately and consider the needs of others. For example, older children are helpful when younger children need to put their shoes on to go outside. Children are very polite and well mannered due to the

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

positive reminders they receive from the childminder. As well as being involved in children's play, the childminder encourages children to play independently to enable them to continue their learning without interruption. This helps them to become self-sufficient and confident in their own abilities.

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

The childminders dedicated playrooms are extremely well resourced and motivate children to get involved. There is a wealth of resources, both natural and man-made, for children to investigate and explore. Most resources are stored at a low level, with boxed items clearly labelled with pictures and written words. This enables children to make choices and self-select the equipment they want. The outdoor area is generally utilised well to enhance children's learning experiences. The childminder offers excellent support for children's physical development. Children benefit from playing out in the fresh air daily, as they have wet weather gear and warm clothing to wear. They build control and co-ordination as they climb the steps on the ladder, standing up and calling out to their friends, showing how proud they are. The childminder regularly reminds children of positive routines to support their own health, such as blowing their nose and putting their hand over their mouths if

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

they cough. The childminder offers children healthy snacks and drinks throughout the day, and children participate in growing fresh fruit and vegetables to help them become aware of the value of fresh ingredients in their diet.

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

High priority is given to keeping children safe. The childminder constantly reviews safety arrangements to ensure children are as safe as possible when playing in her home or when on outings. Comprehensive use of documentation, such as records of administered medication and daily registers, help to support children's ongoing safety. As well as taking steps to keep children safe, the childminder also encourages children to learn about personal safety. For example, she talks to the children about safety in the garden, helping children to understand why they must not leave the gated area. Levels of supervision are excellent to support the needs of each child.

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provision

The childminder is committed to providing the very best support for each child. She constantly reflects and evaluates the service she provides and seeks feedback from parents and children to identify areas for improvement. She acts promptly on any comments to improve the service offered. For example, changes have been made to the detail in daily records, to help further promote continuity of care for the younger children. Accurate monitoring of children's progress enables the childminder to make sure that the educational programmes are fully effective to support children in making excellent progress in all areas of learning. The childminder is proactive in engaging with parents, encouraging them to share what they know. This means she is able to support children's individual development needs to ensure they are all encouraged to reach their full potential. The childminder constantly seeks and attends training to help her develop and

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provision

extend her own knowledge, and uses this information to make positive changes in her provision. She has made many improvements since her last inspection, to further support children's learning and welfare.

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provision

The childminder has an excellent knowledge of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements for both learning and development and welfare. She is very confident in the area of safeguarding and child protection due to training she has attended. She has a clear policy that she shares with parents so they fully understand her role and responsibilities. She makes sure she follows procedures rigorously, such as recording any existing injuries and noting any visitors to the home. This helps her to fulfil her role in keeping children safe.

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provision

The childminder is highly professional and establishes excellent relationships with parents. Parents receive detailed information about children's experiences through the daily diaries, newsletters, notices and sharing children's learning folders. This means that parents are fully involved and well-informed about all aspects of their child's care and learning. The childminder is pro-active in establishing links with local pre-schools that children also attend. She actively shares and seeks information about children's learning and development to help all those involved work consistently in supporting children's needs.

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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 EY348193 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 837862 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 6

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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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