Childminder in Bolton

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/05/2014 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

 Children are happy and secure, and they show this by exploring the resources and environment confidently. The childminder has a good understanding of how to manage any concerns regarding children's safeguarding and welfare.  The ways in which the childminder plans, observes and assesses children's learning are effective in helping children to make good progress from their starting points.  The childminder has established effective partnerships with parents, in order to better support children's learning. She has a good understanding of how working with other settings and agencies can support children's progress.  The methods used to evaluate the childminding provision are comprehensive and enable the childminder to identify where she can work to bring about continuous improvement.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder has not maximised the ways in which she supports children's recall of others and the use of texture, shape and colour when developing their listening skills and knowledge of words.  There is scope to refine the use of children's repetitive play to support greater progress in learning, such as children moving collections of objects around or hiding them.

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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

 A tour of the areas of premises used for childminding was made.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked the qualifications of the childminder, along with evidence of the suitability of adults living or working on the premises.

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Inspection activities

 The childminder's knowledge of areas, such as safeguarding and individual children's learning was ascertained by discussion

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Inspection activities

 Samples of documentation related to children's welfare and learning were examined by the inspector, as well as documents relating to evaluations that the childminder makes in order to bring about continuous improvement.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her 16-year-old son in the Harwood area of Bolton, close to shops, schools and public transport links. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding, which includes the lounge, dining room, conservatory, kitchen and toilet facilities. Access to a first floor bedroom and family bathroom is provided for overnight care. There is an enclosed garden for outside play. She attends groups and visits local parks with the children. The childminder provides flexible provision incorporating weekdays, weekends and overnight care, all year round with the exception of personal and public holidays. There are currently two children on roll in the early years age range. The childminder receives support and advice from the local authority.

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

 extend the use of collections of synthetic and natural objects with a variety of textures, colours and sounds to enhance babies' language development and provide ongoing access to these so that babies can explore them at will

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

 enhance the times used for talking about people who are not present by using photos of them to support children's learning and recall

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

 extend the ways in which the repetitive play of very young children is used to enhance their progress by exploring the resources that support this, for example, to learn about enclosing objects and rotation.

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who attend

The childminder makes detailed plans for individual children based on her frequent observations of their progress along with information from parents. She updates these regularly and when children are observed to make progress. The childminder regularly informs parents about their children's progress so that they are able to contribute to their learning. Parents are encouraged to make regular written contributions to children's learning journeys, when they take them home to read. This means that parents are kept well informed about their children's progress. The childminder assesses children's progress by comparing it with age-expected developmental milestones. She keeps detailed records of this, in order to support precision in planning. The childminder uses records of children's progress to monitor her breadth of planning and observations, and therefore is able to address rapidly any perceived gaps in this. Consequently, children make good

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who attend

progress in their learning, due to the childminder's thorough approach when supporting this. The childminder has an awareness of how establishing partnerships with other settings attended by children can complement their learning in both settings, when this is needed.

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who attend

Babies are encouraged to play with cause and effect toys to develop their manipulative skills. The childminder provides ones that children can also use to pull themselves up, to further their physical development. Babies delight in pushing buttons to hear music and see lights as a result of their actions. The childminder praises them for their effort in order to motivate them further. She provides opportunities for children to explore the texture of different messy materials, such as pasta and cereal hoops. This is also used to help develop children's communication and language. The childminder has a good understanding of how talking about what children touch and see enhances the number of words they hear. This also supports children's later development in literacy. Children make paintings with their fingers and with simple tools like sponges to learn how their actions can produce marks. This supports their later readiness for learning to draw recognisable

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who attend

pictures and then to write letters. The childminder sings with children, so that they experience rhymes and songs with rhythm, which provides an opportunity to move to music. This also enables children to hear rhythm in words, as preparation for later learning about letters, sounds and words. The childminder encourages very young children to play turn-taking games with her, such as rolling cars or balls to and from each other. This supports children's development of turn taking in their social skills, while developing their hand-eye coordination. The childminder makes some use of collections of natural and synthetic objects with varying textures, shapes and colours. However, she does not make these available on an ongoing basis for children to explore freely, which means their effectiveness as a tool for language development is not maximised. The childminder has a good understanding of how resources that can be used flexibly can enhance children's

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who attend

learning experiences and develop their imagination. For example, she provides very large cardboard boxes and cuts doors in these so that children can crawl in and out. She also recognises some patterns in this type of play, such as children hiding objects or moving collections of them. However, she has not fully explored how to refine her support for very young children's repetitive play. Consequently, this is not maximised through planning.

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who attend

The childminder develops very young children's early mathematical learning by providing very small groups of objects, counting them out loud, and then hiding one away. The childminder then counts again for children, encouraging them to join in. This helps babies develop their understanding that an object can be present even if they cannot see it. It therefore encourages babies to search for objects, as part of their development of logical thought processes. Young children also become familiar with number names and have opportunities to learn to match small numbers with the correct sound, for quantities up to three objects. The childminder also talks to very young children about people in their close family who are not present, in order to develop their awareness of others. There is scope to enhance this activity, through the use of photographs. The childminder has a good understanding of how to support children's learning about the natural world along with

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who attend

local and wider communities. She makes plans for children to learn about seasons. She combines this planning, with that identified to meet their individual developmental needs, such as learning about spring and young animals. The childminder also seeks out simple and age-appropriate activities to use when teaching children about diversity, such as learning about festivals like Christmas, Eid Mubarak and Diwali.

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

The childminder has a comprehensive knowledge of the children and families for whom she provides a childminding service. This means that she can address the needs of children well. The childminder seeks detailed information regarding children from their parents prior to them joining and asks for updates to ensure that she holds relevant current information. This is in order to effectively support children's welfare, such as being aware of any changes to a baby's routine for sleep. It also means that the childminder can help children to settle more quickly. She has a good knowledge about their routines and preferences, as well as any health-related issues from the outset of care. The childminder provides copies of her policies and procedures for parents who use her setting, so that they are aware of how these are used to support high standards of care and learning for children. Arrangements for children joining the setting are very flexible, in order to support

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

their emotional well-being. This is planned on an individual basis to ensure its impact is positive.

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

Toddlers and babies are observed to be confident and secure in the childminder's care. They explore the space and resources fully, and vocalise confidently to the childminder, showing good attachment to her. The childminder implements a behaviour management policy to help children develop independence in this respect as they become older. For example, her policy describes the use of age-appropriate strategies such as distracting children and using simple explanations. The childminder models using good manners, in order to encourage children to say 'thank you' and 'please' to help them develop good early social skills. Parents are well informed about their child's care, learning and activities. This is to promote continuity between home and the childminder's care using daily verbal feedback and written diaries. Resources are highly accessible to children and this helps them to make their own choices about what to play with, extending their independence.

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

Babies and toddlers have daily access to local parks, playgrounds and the rear garden to enjoy outdoor play. The childminder provides equipment, such as trolleys to push and small slides, to support very young children to develop their whole-body coordination, including walking. Children therefore have frequent opportunities to learn about taking reasonable risks in physical play, with careful supervision. They also learn to enjoy exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle each day. The childminding premises are very clean and well-maintained, with effective measures to promote children's safety and help prevent illness due to cross-contamination. The childminder provides home-prepared meals and snacks for children to support them having a balanced diet. These are healthy, with an emphasis on the use of fruit and vegetables, so that children learn about the foods that form the basis for a nutritious diet. The childminder encourages babies and

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

toddlers to develop independence at mealtimes and this also extends their manipulative skills as they handle spoons or use their fingers to pick up food using a thumb and finger grip.

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provision

The childminder makes comprehensive risk assessments and daily safety checks for the premises which are regularly reviewed. This means that children can learn and play safely as well as enjoy a variety of local outings. The childminder demonstrates a detailed knowledge of the procedures to manage any concerns she may have about a child's welfare. She also fully understands procedures to be followed in the event of an allegation being made against herself. Suitability of adults living and working on the premises is checked through Disclosure and Barring Service checks, in order to protect children. The childminder has a valid certificate in paediatric first aid, so that she has been trained to deal correctly with any emergencies of this type. All documentation is completed in detail to support the safe and effective running of the setting, such as daily records of children's attendance and any accidents. The childminding provision is enhanced by the use of

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provision

policies and procedures that thoroughly underpin all aspects of children's well-being and learning.

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provision

The childminder has a good knowledge and understanding of how to support young children's learning, along with the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Therefore, she provides effective support for children's progress, preparing them well for their next steps in learning. The educational programmes resulting from planning provide a variety of learning experiences that promote individual children's development. This is because the childminder makes frequent reviews to check that these meet children's needs and cover all areas of learning. As a result, children make good progress from their starting points. The ways in which children's progress is recorded are detailed, so that precise plans can be made based on their observed needs. Hence, planning can effectively address any perceived gaps in children's development. The childminder has a comprehensive understanding of the importance of working with other

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provision

professionals and settings in order to better meet children's needs when this is required. She has a robust understanding of why this contributes to depth and breadth of planning and assessment for children's learning.

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provision

The childminder recognises the importance of regularly asking parents for their views in order to further enhance the provision for children's welfare and learning. For example, the childminder now provides examples of daily menus so that prospective users can gain an idea of the meals and snacks provided. The childminder makes frequent reflections in order to bring about continuous improvement in her practice using a diary, then transfers the resulting changes to the Ofsted self-evaluation tool. As a result, she has made sure that reflection has become an integral part of her practice, and is a strong basis for future enhancements. For example, the childminder has identified that she would like training on phonics to better support children as they become ready for this type of learning. The childminder's extensive experience in management roles stands her in good stead with regard to organising her new childminding provision. Consequently, children benefit from

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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 EY469154 Local authority Bolton Inspection number 945664 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 2

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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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