Childminder in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/05/2014 30/03/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Children are very happy in this nurturing and welcoming setting. The childminder and her assistants form secure emotional attachments with children through an effective settling-in procedure.  The environments are vibrant and well resourced and welcome children to play and learn. Photographs of the children are displayed in all areas and this clearly demonstrates that they are highly valued in this inclusive setting.  The childminder has a wealth of knowledge and provides a wide range of high quality learning opportunities that inspire and motivate children to learn.  Partnerships with parents are excellent. The childminder expertly involves them with their children's learning because she uses a range of different strategies to engage them.  The childminder safeguards children well. She provides opportunities for children to learn how to manage risks for themselves and teaches them how to keep themselves

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to further enhance the opportunities for children to develop their independence skills at mealtimes.  There are opportunities to further extend the range of questioning that the childminder uses to consistently encourage children to think creatively and critically for themselves.

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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 areas used for childminding, including the outdoor area.  The inspector observed children in the playroom and in the outdoor environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the childminder, her assistant and the children during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the childminder in the outdoor environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the comments made by parents and carers within the setting's own parent surveys.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of supporting documentation. These included children's record files, self-evaluation documents, the policies and procedures, children's diary books and a record of the childminder's and her assistants' training and suitability documents.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1998 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and three children aged six, 14 and 17 years in a house in Endmoor. The whole of the ground floor and three rooms and the bathroom on the first floor are used for childminding. There is a secure outdoor play area for children to access. The family has two dogs as pets. The childminder works with an assistant each day and there is a bank of additional assistants to cover periods of absence and holidays. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The childminder holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 4. The childminder visits areas of interest in the local community on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently 12 children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of

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Information about the setting

sessions. She operates all year round from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Wednesday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She is a member of 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 further the opportunities for children to develop their independence skills even further at mealtimes. For example, by enabling children to pour their own drinks, prepare their own snacks, and set and clear away their cups and plates as part of their daily routine

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

 extend further the opportunities for children to think creatively and critically during activities. For example, by consistently asking open-ended questions to enable children to further develop their own thinking skills.

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who attend

Children make good progress in their learning given their starting points. The childminder uses information from parents as well as her own early observations to identify what children can already do. Observations are well captured and clearly identify the achievements that children make as they play. Progress reports are completed for all children. They are accurate and precise and effectively identify the progress that children are making towards the early learning goals, clearly highlighting the next steps in their learning. The childminder uses this information to skilfully shape children's learning experiences and make enhancements to her setting. As a result, all children are making good progress and are well prepared for their next stages in learning and for their move on to school.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good because the childminder and her assistants have a sound understanding of how to promote children's learning and development across all areas. They have high expectations of children and together they provide a wide range of good quality learning opportunities for them to engage in that motivate and inspire them to learn. For example, children develop a good understanding of living things and how they grow because the childminder organises visits to a local pigeon farm. The children enjoy this experience and sustain interest as they observe the pigeons hatching from the eggs after a number of weeks. The childminder encourages them to talk about what they see and predict what will happen by the next time that they visit. As a result, children develop an understanding of the world in which they live, showing respect for living things and the environment. Children enjoy taking Chester the monkey home. They develop their

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who attend

confidence and communication skills as they return and talk about their adventures. Children develop their early literacy skills as they make marks on the chalk board outdoors and take books home from the setting in their 'cheeky monkeys' bags to read with their families. They develop their awareness of different sounds as they play in the well- resourced music area. The children weave materials through the threading wall outdoors and learn to throw and catch using the balls. This ensures that children have a wide range of opportunities to develop their physical skills. A good range of supporting resources enables children to develop their imaginative skills. For example, children bake cakes in the oven and make cups of tea using a selection of the role-play resources in the playroom. They later develop their own play and create an ice cream shop in the outdoor play house. The childminder skilfully engages with children during their play, using

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who attend

purposeful questioning to support them in developing their ideas. However, there are opportunities to further enhance the questioning techniques that the childminder uses to consistently encourage children to think creatively and critically for themselves.

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who attend

Partnerships with parents are excellent. The childminder uses a wide range of strategies to ensure that all parents are fully engaged in their children's learning at every opportunity. Communication is excellent and the childminder ensures that parents feel welcomed to look at their children's well-presented learning files at any time. Daily diaries are extremely informative and clearly invite parents to actively contribute, recording their children's learning and achievements from home. 'All about me' sheets are sent home to parents every half term and request information regarding children's needs, interests and learning. Progress reports are shared each term. As a result, children are extremely well supported because a shared approach to their learning is fully embedded within the setting.

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

Children are very happy in this welcoming and nurturing setting because the childminder and her assistants are friendly and caring. An effective settling in procedure ensures that children form secure emotional attachments with their key person over a period of time. For example, organised visits are flexible, giving children and parents time to settle when they are ready. As a result, children's emotional well-being is fostered well through strong and trusting relationships. Children socialise well with each other and display positive behaviour because the childminder effectively teaches them how to do this. For example, the children sit nicely at toast time and are encouraged to take turns and talk about their weekend adventures. They are encouraged to share toys with each other as they play. As children engage in the 'please and thank you' song at snack time, they learn to be well mannered. As a result, children play cooperatively with each other and clearly know the

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

The environments are vibrant and well resourced with good quality toys and equipment both indoors and outdoors. They welcome children to play and learn in a relaxed atmosphere where music plays softly in the background. Children are highly valued in this fully inclusive setting because the childminder displays a wide array of photographs of them around the rooms for them to see and talk about. She praises them for their achievements and creatively displays their artwork around the rooms. This enables children to be proud of their achievements and supports them in developing their self- esteem and self-confidence skills. The childminder's high expectations of children ensure that they are developing their independence skills in readiness for school. Children help to get themselves dressed as they put on their coats and shoes for outdoor play. They choose their own resources because the childminder ensures that they are freely

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

accessible and safely organised. However, there is room to enhance the already good opportunities for children to develop their independence skills during mealtimes. For example, by preparing their own snacks, pouring out their drinks and setting out and clearing away their plates as part of their daily routine. Children develop their awareness of eating healthily because the childminder ensures that meals and snacks are balanced and nutritious. Children have many opportunities for exercise as they play on the climbing frame in the garden and as they go for walks in their local community. As a result, children adopt healthy lifestyles.

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

Children learn to keep themselves safe because the childminder teaches them about the importance of safety. For example, she supports children as they play with the dolls and pushchair. She sensitively explains that they need to be strapped in like a real baby to ensure that they are safe. Children begin to manage risks for themselves during activities. For example, the children are closely supervised as they play in the recently implemented tyre resource. The childminder encourages them to dig out the pebbles using the diggers and spades. She encourages the younger children to get involved and closely observes them to ensure that they do not put anything in their mouths. Furthermore, children are encouraged to independently walk down the steps into the garden. The children are confident to seek support from the childminder who is always on hand to support them when needed.

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provision

The childminder and her assistants have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Well written policies are in place and procedures are effectively implemented and understood to safeguard and protect children from harm. They have all completed the local authority approved safeguarding training and, therefore, have a firm understanding of the steps that they would need to take should they have any concerns about a child in their care. Detailed risk assessments ensure that children are kept safe as they play and as they participate in outings. The childminder implements robust recruitment procedures to ensure that all of her assistants are experienced and suitable for their role. For example, suitable candidates are invited in for interview, references are sought from previous employers and suitability checks are complete to ensure that they

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provision

have the necessary skills. The record of children's attendance, medication and accidents are accurately recorded within the setting and both the childminder and all of her assistants hold an approved paediatric first aid qualification. As a result, children are very well cared for by a childminder who shows high regard for their safety.

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provision

Children make good progress in their learning because the childminder has a wealth of knowledge and a sound understanding of how children learn. A good programme of activities inspires children to learn and develop across all areas. The childminder and her assistants work extremely well together, sharing ideas and teaching strategies to support children in making good progress towards the early learning goals. They regularly attend training events to further develop their knowledge and skills and make enhancements to the setting that will have a positive impact on children's care, learning and development. The childminder demonstrates a clear determination and commitment to continuous improvement and clearly aspires to develop her setting through regular evaluations. For example, she has recently further improved the outdoor environment for children by introducing a music area, threading wall and a natural tyre resource area for them to

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provision

access. She constantly looks at ways in which she can develop children's knowledge. For example, children have fun as they walk around the shed in the garden. The childminder has recognised this and extended their learning by painting numbers on the ground so that they can develop their awareness of numbers and counting as they do this. As a result, children benefit from high quality learning experiences that fully support them in making good progress.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are superb. They report through questionnaires that they are very happy with the care that the childminder provides and feel fully involved in their children's learning. The childminder provides parents with a detailed information booklet about the Early Years Foundation Stage so that they have a good understanding of the learning experiences that will be provided. This ensures that they can then support their children's learning and development effectively at home. The childminder highly values the information that parents communicate about their children and uses this to complement the learning that takes place within the setting. This ensures that a shared approach to children's learning is fully embedded within the setting. Partnerships with other agencies are very good. The childminder is extremely confident in working together with other professionals to support the children in her care. For example, the childminder has good

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provision

relationships with the local schools and pre-schools and she communicates effectively with them so that children's individual needs are met. Progress reports are shared with other providers and ensure that children have continuity in their care, learning and development.

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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 317054 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 868400 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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