Childminder in Liverpool

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/06/2014 19/11/2008

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3

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This provision requires improvement

 The childminder has a welcoming approach and the children enjoy their time in her care. As a result, children are emotionally secure with the childminder.  The childminder strives to establish effective partnerships with parents and has developed a range of strategies. Therefore, parents are involved in their children's learning.  The childminder takes children to a variety of places of interest, including regular walks in the local country park. Consequently, children learn about their local community and are developing an understanding of the natural world.

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It is not yet good because

 The quality of teaching is weak, particularly in promoting communication and language skills. Therefore, children only make satisfactory progress.  Children do not always have access to a wide range of resources while playing indoors.  The childminder has not evaluated her practice in relation to the progress children make. Therefore, she has not identified or addressed any weaknesses though professional development.

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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 and interactions between the childminder and the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the childminder at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined documentation regarding the suitability of all the adults in the home, safeguarding policy and a sample of other policies.  The inspector viewed children's records, assessment and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents from the childminders own survey and comments written in children's learning journals.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2004 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two adult children in a house in the West Derby area of Liverpool. The whole of the ground floor, bathroom on the first floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The childminder works with a co-childminder who is her daughter. The childminder attends toddler groups and visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently four children on roll, three of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She operates all year round, from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except on bank holidays and family holidays.

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must:

 improve the quality of teaching, especially in communication and language, so that all children make good or better progress in relation to their starting points.

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

 enhance access to resources while playing indoors, so that children can more easily make independent choices about what they play with

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

 develop systems to effectively evaluate practice, so that weaknesses can be addressed through a programme of professional development.

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who attend

The childminder engages with children as they play and talks to them about what they are doing. However, quality of teaching is weak because the childminder does not consistently use effective strategies to promote children's learning and development. For example, she does not routinely repeat words and phrases back to children using correct pronunciation or extending their sentence. Furthermore, the childminder sometimes does not respond to their comments. As a result, children's communication and language skills are not being developed to a good standard. While the childminder occasionally uses some open-ended questions, she mainly questions children to test what they already know and what they can remember. Some opportunities to help children learn about numbers are used as she encourages the children to count the legs on the plastic spider, so children are learning to count in sequence. Children learn to recognise colours as they play a game of sorting the

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who attend

coloured keys onto various rings. These are then positioned around the room to create a game. The children enjoy calling out the colours for the childminder to run to. Therefore, children are developing adequate skills for their next steps in learning. The childminder regularly takes children to various places of interest. they particularly enjoy nature walks in the local country park. They look for insects and climb on fallen tree trunks. As a result, children are developing their physical skills while finding out about the natural world. Consequently, children make satisfactory progress in relation to their starting points.

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who attend

The childminder has useful systems in place, to observe and assess children's abilities and achievements. She records observations as a learning story and makes appropriate links to the stages of development. From this, suitable activities are planned to support children's next steps. The childminder produces regular summaries of the child's achievements, based on what she has observed, and these are shared with parents.

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who attend

Partnerships with parents are developing well. The childminder uses a wide range of strategies to keep parents informed about activities the children have been involved in, and tries hard to find out about what they do at home. She verbally feeds back to parents when time permits. The childminder also uses a secure social media site to post photographs and comments. Occasionally, she encourages parents to continue the learning at home, for example, by asking them to find five red items or orange items around their home.

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

Children clearly enjoy the time they spend with the childminder. She knows the children well and has a warm and welcoming approach. As a result, children are emotionally secure with the childminder. She gathers good information from parents about their child to ensure all children's care needs are met, this helping them to settle easily. There is a wide range of resources, stored in low-level units, so that children can reach them. The garden is very well designed with various areas for play, including a summer house, stocked with further resources. However, when children play indoors, they do not have ready access to many of the resources and as a result, they cannot always make independent choices about what they play with.

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

The childminder has a clear set of house rules, which she communicates positively to children through gentle reminders and reinforcement. Children learn to be independent and manage their self-care, as the childminder appropriately supports them to visit the bathroom or brush their teeth. The childminder takes younger children to collect older children from local schools and talks to them about how exciting it will be when they move up to school. Therefore, children are suitably prepared for their transition on to school.

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

The childminder promotes healthy lifestyles with the children in her care. She provides a menu of healthy, nutritious snacks and meals. Children are reminded to wash their hands before eating and they also brush their teeth while at the childminders home. As a result, children are developing healthy habits. The childminder frequently takes children out on visits to various places. Children wear high visibility jackets. The childminder reminds them about holding hands and staying close by. She talks to them about road safety; consequently, children are learning how to keep themselves safe.

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provision

The childminder has a suitable understanding of how to safeguard children in her care. She has attended safeguarding training and knows where to go if she has any concerns about a child. There is a safeguarding policy, and other procedures, which she shares with parents to help keep children safe. For example, she carries out risk assessments of her home, garden and the various places that they visit. She discourages visitors to her home and supervises children closely at all times. Accidents are appropriately recorded and shared with parents. There are suitable procedures for administering medication. Therefore, children are appropriately safeguarded.

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provision

The childminder has not evaluated her practice, so does not have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in her practice. While she attends statutory training, further opportunities to extend or develop her skills and knowledge have not been accessed. As a result, the quality of her teaching is weak and children make satisfactory rather than good progress. There are systems in place to collect views from parents and from children who are old enough to express their views.

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provision

The childminder has links with the local authority and staff at local schools. She works hard to establish partnerships with parents and carers. The childminder understands the importance of working together with other professionals and knows where she can access appropriate advice or support. She knows where she can refer children to, or sign post their parents to ensure children's needs are met.

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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 EY297287 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 910566 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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