Childminder in Leeds

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29/05/2014 10/10/2008

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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

 The childminder ensures that the provision stimulates the children's interests and challenges their learning. Opportunities for learning are created in all aspects of the provision.  Children develop close attachments to the childminder. This is because she spends good quality time supporting them in their activities.  The childminder works closely with parents to support children's ongoing progress.  Children are safe and protected because the childminder has an effective understanding of how to safeguard them.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to further develop communication with other professionals in order to plan appropriate, additional support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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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 made observations of the children while they were engaged in activities indoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records, observation and assessment files, planning documentation and a selection of policies.  The inspector spoke to the childminder and children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability of the childminder and all persons living on the premises.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2003 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband, one adult child and one child aged 13 years in Chapel Allerton, a suburb of Leeds. The whole ground floor of the house is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. There are currently four children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local children's centres. She visits the local shops, cafes and parks on a regular basis. The childminder operates all year round from 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, except Bank Holidays and family holidays. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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

 enrich partnerships in order to enhance the already good communication links with other professionals, so that children fully benefit from a shared understanding and common approach to supporting their progress.

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who attend

Children take part in a good range of interesting activities, both inside and outside of the childminder's home, which cover all seven areas of learning. The childminder has a good understanding of where children are in their learning because she uses information provided through initial discussions with parents, along with carrying out observations to establish children's starting points. On the whole, children are developing comfortably within the typical range of development expected for their age. The quality of teaching is good. The childminder ensures that the children receive a balanced and broad range of activities that present challenges for them. For example, she provides a selection of books that children can choose from. Children benefit from individual time with the childminder when listening to stories. They have good opportunities for counting and recognising numbers to 10. This is because the childminder pauses when reading stories to count

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who attend

familiar objects, and supports children to recognise the numbers that are displayed on the wall in the main childminding room.

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who attend

The childminder uses effective teaching strategies to ensure children make good progress. She ensures that there is a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated play opportunities to engage and challenge children appropriately. She uses interaction effectively to help children learn. For example, as the children explore blocks and build towers, the childminder engages with them on their level. She ensures that she is playing alongside them. She uses praise and encouragement, recognising children's achievements and celebrating success with them when the tower is built. The childminder checks their awareness of colour, and children are encouraged to name the colours of their blocks as they make their towers. The range of activities and experiences are broad enough to allow children to make progress in all areas of learning and acquire the skills and knowledge required for future learning. The childminder teaches the children about a range of

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who attend

festivals. She plans fun and exciting activities, such as making chapattis and samosas with the children. This means that they gain a good sense of themselves as part of a diverse community. They enjoy learning about a variety of traditions. The layout of the home is stimulating to engage children's learning. For example, children's early literacy skills are effectively supported because the home has a wide selection of books and resources to support singing favourite nursery rhymes and songs. Children receive good encouragement from the childminder as they improve their small muscle skills. They develop their hand grip using thick pencils and practise large and small movements to create marks on paper. Children also have many opportunities to develop their large muscle skills. They go for walks and use climbing equipment at a local gymnastics session. The childminder makes regular observations of the children as they engage in child-

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who attend

initiated play. She skilfully uses these observations to plan children's next steps in learning across the seven areas.

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who attend

Parents are fully included in their children's learning right from the beginning, before children start at the setting. This is because the childminder gathers detailed information from them about each child and uses this to plan children's learning. Discussions and the regular sharing of the children's records ensure both parties work together to support children. The childminder has a clear understanding of the purpose of and how to implement the progress check for children aged between two and three years. This enables her to demonstrate to the parents how the children are developing in the prime areas of learning when they reach the appropriate age. She skilfully identifies any gaps in learning and makes suggestions about the support that parents can access from other professionals as appropriate. The childminder works alongside the parents to help children achieve important milestones, such as progressing their physical, social and

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who attend

communication skills. She encourages the parents to share information about what the children do at home, and provides suggestions in her newsletters for how learning can be extended outside of her setting.

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

The childminder has formed warm, caring relationships with the children and they are happy, settled and relaxed in her care. This is a result of good introductory visits planned to support transitions from home to the setting. Children's emotional well-being is evident as they give her lots of cuddles and giggle as she tickles them. The childminder gathers information about children's routines and care needs at the start. This helps her to meet children's individual needs. Children show they are confident in her care as they make independent choices about what they want to play with and access resources independently. The resources are in good condition and are appropriate for the ages and stages of development of the children. They are organised effectively in labelled baskets for children to access easily and also to help them when tidying up. Children behave well in the childminder's care because she has a good understanding of

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

the importance of using age-appropriate techniques to manage children's behaviour. For example, she responds to children in a calm manner and takes time to talk to children about what is acceptable behaviour. House rules are clearly displayed to further reinforce children's understanding of appropriate behaviour, and the childminder provides children with regular praise and encouragement. The effective support that the children receive in building close attachments and confidence gives them skills to develop their learning. In addition, acquiring these skills prepares them for their transitions from the setting to nursery and school when the appropriate time comes. The childminder has a clear understanding of the importance of talking to children about their experiences outside the setting, to support their confidence and emotional security. She works effectively alongside parents to support a range of transitions. This includes when children first

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

attend the setting and when preparing for changes to family routine. For example, the childminder works alongside parents to prepare a child for the birth of a sibling. She reads books about babies and ensures children have access to dolls and baby equipment in their play.

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

Healthy lifestyles are successfully promoted because the childminder ensures that the children receive regular outdoor activities that promote exercise, such as going to parks, playing in the garden and exploring the local area on different outings. They are developing a good understanding of the importance of eating healthy foods. This is because the childminder gives them healthy food choices, such as crackers and fruit. A balanced menu for meals is implemented and shared with parents. She also supports the wishes of parents who choose to provide their own meals for children. The childminder is proactive and enthusiastic in all her interactions, which includes talking to children about the importance of trying healthy foods. She encourages them to wash their hands and talks to them about why keeping their hands clean is important. Each child has their own peg and towel in the bathroom. Consequently, they learn about hygiene. Children are

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

cared for in a home which is hygienically maintained and is risk assessed excellently. This ensures that the children can safely explore the environment and resources. They learn about risks and how to manage them. For example, the childminder teaches them to help tidy up and she follows through fire evacuation practices effectively.

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provision

The childminder has a secure understanding of her responsibilities for meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has a good knowledge of child protection issues and keeps her practice up to date with regular training. This ensures that she can effectively protect children from harm. Written risk assessments for her home and outings, along with daily checks and constant supervision of children, ensure that risks to children in her care are minimised. Documentation is organised well, regularly reviewed and is used effectively by the childminder to safeguard children and support their welfare. This includes children's details and records of attendance. The childminder keeps a list of visitors to her home, and all adults have had appropriate checks to ensure their suitability. This further safeguards children. The childminder demonstrates a positive approach to self-evaluation. She works closely

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provision

with her early years advisers and has effectively monitored and evaluated her own practice. As a result, she has a good understanding of her areas for improvement. In addition, she has addressed the recommendations raised at her last inspection, resulting in improved risk assessments and safety checks. The childminder is committed to attending regular training to improve her practice. This demonstrates a positive attitude towards continuous improvement. She has a good understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She receives updates from the local authority advisers and attends training that supports her planning, assessment and observations of children's learning.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are good. The childminder provides them with copies of her policies and procedures at the start, along with important information, such as how she will manage outings and visits in the locality. She demonstrates a positive attitude towards working with other childminders in order to plan activities at the local children's centre. Partnerships with the advisory team are good. However, there is scope for the childminder to further enhance the already good communication links with other professionals in order to plan how she can support the communication and language development of all children. The childminder is building links with other early years provisions, such as pre-school and school. She has a good understanding of the importance of liaising with these provisions to support children's care and learning.

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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 EY262929 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 860576 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4

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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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