Childminder in Coventry

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/04/2014 02/10/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 1 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 challenges children effectively to reach the next stage in their learning. Initially, she obtains information from parents on what their child already knows and can do, and she then uses her own assessment and information from parents to ensure that children make good progress.  Children's personal, social and emotional development is promoted well by the childminder. Consequently, children are happy, settled and secure and the relationship between the childminder and the children is good.  Children's language development is promoted well by the childminder. She asks children open-ended questions and then gives children time to think about what they want to say.  The childminder successfully identifies and minimises risks in her home and garden. Children are safeguarded because she is aware of her responsibilities to supervise them and protect them from abuse and neglect.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to gain an awareness of cultural, religious and community events and experiences are not maximised to extend their awareness of the wider world.  Children's independence is not maximised fully because they are not able to freely access the outdoor play area.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities as children played in the ground floor play areas and outside.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's records, policies and procedures and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistant and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector took account of the views of parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the childminder's suitability and qualifications, as well as her self-evaluation and improvement plan.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2004. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder lives in Coventry with her mother and three children aged 10, seven and four years. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding. An enclosed garden is used for outdoor play. The family has a cat. There are currently nine children on roll, of these two are aged over eight years and six are in the early years age group. Most children attend on a part- time basis. She sometimes works with an assistant. The childminder walks with and/or transports children to and from the local school. She cares for children all year round except for bank and family holidays, Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm. The childminder holds an early years qualification at level 4 and is accredited to provide funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. She is a qualified English and

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

 enhance opportunities for children to learn about their similarities and differences, for example, by extending their awareness of cultural, religious and community events and experiences

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

 extend children's opportunities to make decisions for themselves by arranging flexible use of the indoor and outdoor play areas.

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who attend

Children make good progress because the childminder observes and assesses them well and plans for learning that is tailored to individual needs. Information obtained initially from parents during their child's induction is used effectively by the childminder to ensure that children are challenged effectively. A good partnership with parents continues because information on achievements at home and while the child is with the childminder is regularly shared. The childminder supports children well so that they develop skills in readiness for nursery class and school. She is aware of the requirement to provide parents with a summary for the progress check at age two and completes this where necessary. The childminder promotes children's communication and language development effectively. When she talks with children she asks open-ended questions and children are given time to think about what they want to say and then respond. Older children speak

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who attend

clearly and confidently. Younger children express themselves well using short sentences and the childminder encourages them to extend their vocabulary. She supports the language development of babies well by repeating the words that they say back to them and adding a word.

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who attend

Children make good progress physically. Their manipulative skills are developing well and older children demonstrate good pencil control as they learn to write their own names. The childminder encourages children to practise manipulative skills in a variety of ways. For example, as part of their learning of different traditions, children learn to use chop sticks. Young children enjoy making marks with a range of writing materials and the childminder encourages them to improve their control over pencil crayons by using a thumb and two finger grip. Young children select interactive musical toys and say that they are going to dance. They laugh as they slide a button on the toy and say, 'it's on' and then 'it's off'. Children enjoy baking activities and the childminder identifies that they gain manipulative skills while they mould dough, use tools for mixing ingredients and use rolling pins and cutters. She also identifies that this activity promotes different areas of

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who attend

learning. For example, children learn that instructions are written in the recipe, they explore their senses and notice change as the ingredients are mixed and they are creative while decorating cakes. Children's mathematical knowledge is supported well because they count spoons full of ingredients and use scales. Older children are learning to recognise and name numerals, and so they practise this while weighing. The activity is used to introduce new words to children and turn taking is promoted effectively.

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who attend

Children are showing an interest in animals and the childminder is currently planning activities linked to farm animals, Easter and Spring. She inspires children by providing story sacks and, following a trip to the park, children are happy to listen to a linked story using one of these. Inside the sack, there is some fabric and the childminder asks the children if they can tell her the colour and the shape of the fabric. It is a blue circle and children realise that this represents a pond. They then delve into the sack and find ducks. The childminder asks, 'do we know a song about ducks?' and the children begin to sing, '5 little ducks went swimming one day'. The childminder promotes children's mathematical development well because she asks the children to count the ducks, and asks why they think there are six. Children decide that one is, 'mummy duck'. She teaches children how to represent an equal number on their own fingers. While singing the song, children gain

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who attend

an early awareness of calculation because when one duck is taken away the childminder asks them to count the number that remains. The group session ends with children singing, 'Old Macdonald had a farm' and they happily take turns to name the animals that they want to sing about. The childminder suggests that they create pictures of ducks and children are keen to do so using paint and collage that includes feathers. Children are encouraged to label their pictures with their names and the childminder supports the older children in using their phonetic knowledge as they do so. Children's creativity is supported effectively by the childminder and she provides a good variety of imaginative play resources. These include toys that represent diversity in a positive way. However, the childminder's practice is not fully maximised with regard to raising children's awareness of their similarities and their differences to help them understand their own needs and those

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

Children are settled, happy and emotionally secure. Relationships are good and their personal, social and emotional development is addressed well by the childminder. A settling-in period is discussed and agreed with parents in accordance with children's different emotional needs. Children are prepared well for their transition to other early years settings and/or the Reception class in school. This is because they make good progress and because they socialise with other adults and children when they attend groups and when they enjoy activities at soft play centres. Children behave well and the childminder identifies the importance of positive reinforcement as a strategy for managing behaviour, in order to boost children's confidence and self-esteem.

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

Resources are safe and meet children's learning and development needs well. The childminder promotes children's independence effectively by ensuring that toys are easily accessible and by encouraging children to choose and select for themselves. Children's good health is addressed well and they enjoy outdoor play in the garden throughout the year. However, their independence with regard to flexible use of the garden is not maximised. The garden is accessed via the kitchen and a safety gate is fixed on the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room, which is one of two ground floor playrooms. Children are asked to choose indoor or outdoor play and the childminder supervises one area and the assistant the other area. Consequently, children are not able to move freely between indoor and outdoor play space and make further choices about play.

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

The childminder creates a warm and welcoming environment for children and their parents. Clear information is obtained from parents at the start to ensure that individual care needs are well met. Information on the childminder's good practice with regard to safety, illness and accidents is shared with parents. Children's good health is protected because the childminder encourages them to be physically active. Children gain confidence and skills when they use suitable physical play equipment at the childminder's home and challenging large equipment at the park and at soft play centres. Children's welfare is addressed effectively because the childminder ensures that the environment is healthy and safe. She teaches children how to keep themselves safe. For example, they practise the fire drill, learn how to cross the road safely and gain an awareness of stranger danger. Children's good health and well-being is promoted well by the childminder. They eat

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

healthy food and the childminder uses her food hygiene knowledge effectively to ensure good practice.

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provision

The childminder's home is safe and secure. She ensures her knowledge of safeguarding and the Coventry Safeguarding Children Board procedures are up to date. Consequently, the childminder is aware of the signs of abuse and neglect, and her responsibility to protect children. Necessary checks for all members of her family aged 16 years and over and adults working on the premises have been completed. Required ratios are consistently maintained and children are continually supervised. The childminder ensures that children are never left unsupervised with a person who has not been vetted. The childminder shares her safeguarding policy with parents so they know what her responsibilities are. Assistants undergo necessary suitability checks and the childminder monitors the quality of practice across the setting, ensuring that information from training is cascaded and implemented in practice.

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provision

The childminder successfully monitors the educational programmes to ensure that children make good progress. She is aware of the requirements within the Early Years Foundation Stage and ensures that children's care and learning needs are well met. The childminder continually reviews her provision in order to maintain good standards. In order to improve her practice, the childminder attends training courses and welcomes support from local authority development workers. The childminder has completed the Ofsted self-evaluation form and identifies that a current priority to enhance her provision is to extend children's learning in the outdoor area. Resources meet children's different learning needs effectively and are maintained in a good state of repair. Required documentation is kept up to date and in good order.

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provision

Good communication between the childminder and parents means that children's care and learning needs are met well. The childminder requests feedback from parents on the service she provides, both verbally and through the implementation of a questionnaire. Parents share very positive views with the inspector on the childminder's provision. A range of written policies successfully reflect the childminder's practice with regard to meeting children's needs. The childminder is fully aware of the importance of obtaining as much information as possible about each child's individual needs from parents and agreeing with them how they can work together to meet these needs. The childminder has experience of linking with other early years providers in order to ensure continuity of care and learning are maintained.

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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 EY284637 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 961990 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 10 Number of children on roll 9

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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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