Childminder in Cumberland

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/05/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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

 Through ongoing evaluation, the childminder accurately assesses her practice. She has a strong commitment to maintaining high standards throughout her provision and has clear action plans in place to drive forward improvements.  Children develop close, trusting relationships with each other and the childminder. The childminder acts as a good role model and builds children's self-esteem and confidence through the positive reinforcement, praise and encouragement which she gives. This helps them to feel good about what they do.  Children make very good progress across all areas of learning, with a strong focus on their acquisition of communication and language skills and in their physical, personal, social and emotional development. As a result, all children have the key skills for the next steps in their learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Nappy changing procedures are not consistently robust. As a result, there is an increased risk of cross-contamination between children that could impact on their health and well-being.  Opportunities to provide parents with ideas of how they can further support children's learning at home and share the progress the children are making are not fully maximised.

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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 asked the childminder questions at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, learning journey records, planning and a selection of records, policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed snack time and a selection of activities in the playrooms and outside.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2013 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her partner and four children aged 17, 15, six and 18 months in a two-story house in Cockermouth, Cumbria. Childminding takes place throughout the ground floor of the premises and children have access to the downstairs bathroom. A sleep room is also used on the first floor at the rear of the house. Children have access to a large and fully enclosed garden and outdoor play area. The childminder attends a local toddler group once a week. She visits the shops, library and park on a regular basis. There are currently three children on roll, all are in the early year's age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She operates all year round from 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday and occasional weekends depending on parents' needs. The childminder does not operate during the Christmas

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Information about the setting

period as well as bank and family holidays. The childminder holds a National Vocational Qualification in Childcare and Education at level 3.

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

 strengthen nappy changing procedures by reducing any cross-contamination risk between children that could impact on their health and well-being, for example, by wearing disposable gloves between every nappy change and ensuring that the changing mat is consistently cleaned down between every nappy change

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

 develop further the arrangements for sharing information regarding children's ongoing learning and development with parents, to help them continue their child's learning at home and give them the opportunity to contribute information to support their child's learning.

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who attend

Children show high levels of confidence and self-esteem in exploring the play environment with close support from the childminder. They benefit greatly from the high quality teaching that she uses throughout their activities and daily routines. The childminder provides an excellent variety of high quality and well-maintained resources that are responsive to the interests of the children who attend. These are attractively displayed, labelled and easily accessible so that children can independently follow their interests. As a result, children are fully engaged in the activities they choose and are highly motivated learners as they explore, experiment and refine their skills. For example, children play happily with construction bricks, pushing them together and pulling them apart to build towers and simple models as they develop an understanding of cause and effect. They develop their hand eye coordination as they explore floor puzzles and the mathematical

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who attend

concepts of shape and size. The childminder is highly skilled in her teaching skills as she sensitively uses these child-led opportunities to support and promote children's learning further, by introducing and modelling new ideas and offering just enough support so that children can achieve things for themselves. The childminder consistently supports children in the acquisition of their communication and language skills. During their play and interactions with the childminder, they babble and squeal excitedly in response to her chatting and ongoing narrative of what she is doing. She models language consistently well as she labels objects while the children engage with them. For example, during the routines of the day the childminder uses and repeats single words in context, such as naming fruits at snack time as the children pick them up one by one and taste them. This supports young children in gradually linking words to objects and supports them in their

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who attend

understanding of spoken language. The children show a very keen interest in handling books and exploring familiar characters on the pages. The childminder promotes this further by planning regular trips to the local library so that children can discover new books and develop new interests in line with their identified next learning steps. As a result, children begin to develop early literacy skills that will support their future learning and development. Trips to places of interest where children enjoy learning in the wider environment, promote their understanding of the world around them. As a result, they enjoy learning in a larger social environment and this helps to prepare them for the next stage in their learning, such as when they move on to school.

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who attend

In the outdoor area, children have good opportunities to be physically active and enjoy the challenges that the garden provides. For example, they climb up and down the wooden steps of the decked area and refine their walking skills as they learn to adjust their balance as they walk on uneven and changing surfaces, such as grass, pebbles and sloped areas. Babies show growing independence as they learn to take their first tentative steps after they learn to balance safely on the grass. The childminder plays alongside the children as they become independent, investigative learners while they explore the sand and begin to develop their understanding of capacity, by filling and emptying containers using a range of scoops. The childminder skilfully introduces number language and counts as each scoop is poured into the container. She asks them questions which encourage them to think, such as 'Where has the sand gone?' and children respond by looking inside

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who attend

the containers. She makes suggestions and introduces additional resources to adapt the activity, such as natural objects including stones and shells, which provide a new challenge and extends further learning opportunities. In response, children begin to further develop their critical thinking skills and adapt their approaches to achieve the desired effect. Children show high levels of confidence and self-esteem in exploring the play environment, with close support from the childminder. The learning and development needs of all children are fully met and all children make very good progress based on their unique starting points on entry. This is because the childminder has a very good understanding of how children learn and carefully adapts activities and her input to support children's individual needs. The childminder clearly knows the children in her care very well and she demonstrates a good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage

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who attend

learning and development requirements. The educational programmes on offer are interesting and challenging and have depth and breadth across all seven areas of learning. The childminder provides settling-in sessions and undertakes a home visit before children first start, so that she becomes familiar with their individual needs and capabilities through discussion with parents and observations. The childminder obtains information from parents about children's starting points when they enter her care. Parents complete an 'all about me' book for their child, to support the childminder in establishing a good knowledge of what the child can already do prior to starting in the childminder's care. The information is used to plan activities that are responsive to the immediate needs of the child and meets their learning styles and preferences. Assessment arrangements are very effective and enable the childminder to monitor children's progress and development

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who attend

accurately. This means she can target children's individual learning needs through their play and successfully identify and support any gaps in their learning. The childminder keeps a written record of the activities children have been involved in and meticulously records the daily care routines undertaken and the responses of the child. These are shared with parents through a variety of methods, for example, discussion, daily diaries and phone calls, as appropriate. As a result, parents are well informed about their child's time in the childminder's care. The childminder has developed and established a highly effective recording system that provides a wonderful story of the learning taking place for each child through photographs, samples of creativity and exploration and recorded written entries, that enable those sharing the file to develop a wonderful insight into the learning taking place. Children's individual learning journals are comprehensive and

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who attend

contain extremely detailed information about the activities children are involved in, the progress they are making and their next steps in learning. However, there is scope to share this information with parents to provide them with ideas of how they can further support children's learning at home and the progress the children are making. The childminder is aware of, and prepared to carry out, the required progress check at age two, although, at present, she is not caring for children within this age group.

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

The childminder uses 'all about me' books to obtain information from parents about children's routines, individual care needs and their likes and dislikes. Settling-in visits are planned with parents, taking into account the individual needs of each child. This ensures children are supported well during transition and provides some continuity in their care. Children demonstrate that they feel emotionally secure with the childminder, as a result of the care and support she gives to them. She shows an interest in what they are doing and is supportive of them. Parents provide favourite toys or comforters from home and this helps children to settle quickly and feel emotionally secure. As a result, children develop close, trusting relationships with each other and the childminder. For example, cuddles are readily given and received and the childminder demonstrates a very good awareness of the signs of the children being tired or hungry. As a result, children respond positively to

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

the childminder and are happy and settled in her care. The childminder acts as a good role model and builds children's self-esteem and confidence through the positive reinforcement, praise and encouragement she gives. This helps them to feel good about what they do. They are confident and sociable as they begin to share their ideas and choose from the resources available. The childminder is a good role model as she says 'please' and 'thank you' and prompts the children to do so. She sets sound examples to children and encourages them to show kindness to others. For example, she encourages and reminds the children to be caring to each other as they play together and share resources. The home is arranged to enable children to move safely within the areas available to them and to encourage babies to build the strength in their legs needed to pull themselves to standing and become more mobile. Children enjoy outside play. They

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

develop physical skills, while learning how their bodies benefit from healthy exercise. They benefit from regular walks around the local area and show great pleasure in being out in the fresh air. They enjoy play on the large equipment, such as the slide, and the childminder shows good vigilance in ensuring children are kept safe, while also providing children with the freedom to develop their physical skills and begin to learn how to risk assess for themselves. This promotes their understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

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

Through everyday practices, children demonstrate their growing independence in attending to their own personal needs. Younger children are encouraged to feed themselves and support is given where needed. Children are encouraged to develop a growing understanding of the need for a healthy diet. They enjoy healthy snacks and meals, which they bring from home and are responsive to the childminder's healthy eating policy. Fresh drinking water is easily accessible throughout the day. Hygiene procedures in place are generally good and the childminder is a very good role model in demonstrating how important it is to wash their hands after going to the toilet, after changing nappies and prior to touching foods. As a result, children are beginning to understand and establish healthy routines that promote good health. For example, they hold up their hands to have them washed before snack and signal that they need help with wiping them

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

again when they have finished. However, nappy changing procedures are not consistently robust. As a result, there is an increased risk of cross-contamination between children that could impact on their health and well-being.

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provision

The childminder has a good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements, which is reflected in her written policies and procedures. She places great importance on protecting children in her care from abuse and neglect and keeps her knowledge up to date through ongoing training. In addition, her detailed safeguarding policy clearly outlines that she fully understands which agencies she must involve if she has any concerns. This means she understands her responsibilities and contributes to her protecting children from harm. Children's safety is a priority and the childminder's premises are safe and secure. She carries out daily safety checks, supervises children's play and completes regular risk assessments and procedures to safeguard children when in the setting and out on trips. This means good precautions are in place to minimise risks and accidents. For instance, she uses safety gates, secure fire guards, socket covers,

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provision

keeps her premises locked and ensures all dangerous items are out of reach of children. In addition, she maintains a wide range of written policies and procedures, such as dealing accidents, safe use of cameras in the setting and the administration of medicines. The childminder supports parents' understanding of her practice by providing them with copies of the policies and procedures, so they are clear about the service she provides. Records are kept of all children's attendance, including when they arrive and leave. The childminder holds a current first-aid certificate, which means she can give appropriate treatment if there is an accident involving a child in her care and keeps detailed records of any incidents that she then shares with parents and uses to inform her future practice. This contributes to the childminder taking all reasonable steps to keep children safe. Information about how to make a complaint is provided for parents, although, the

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provision

childminder always aims to resolve any concerns that may arise by discussing any issues with them. Parents can view insurance and Ofsted registration documentation on the parent notice board, along with planned activities, contact numbers for Ofsted and childcare information that parents may find useful.

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provision

The childminder has a very good understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Arrangements for observation and assessment are secure overall and children's progress is tracked effectively. Consequently, the educational programmes are carefully monitored.

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provision

Through ongoing evaluation, the childminder accurately assesses her practice and is aware of her strengths and has highlighted some areas of weakness. She has a strong commitment to maintaining high standards throughout her provision and has clear action plans in place to drive improvement. For example, she plans to improve her outdoor area to give children more learning opportunities. The childminder consults with parents through daily feedback and is currently developing parent questionnaires to further identify areas for future development and improvement. She meets up weekly with other childminders and continues to develop her knowledge through ongoing reading and research. This enables her to introduce new ideas, share good practice and improve her knowledge, understanding and practice. The childminder fully understands the importance of working in partnership with parents and other settings to ensure consistency of care

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provision

and children's next learning steps are identified and inform future planning. Planning takes account of children's interests and next steps in learning and, because it is flexible, it can be changed to accommodate children's individual preferences for learning. This ensures children make strong progress towards the early learning goals. Children enjoy a vibrant and welcoming environment that has a large number of resources, both indoors and out, that support their all-round 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 EY468134 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 940500 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 3

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection not applicable

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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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