Childminder in Oxfordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/06/2014 05/07/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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. The childminder promotes children's confidence and supports them to behave well through building strong relationships with them.  The quality of teaching is good and the childminder plans effectively to meet the needs of individual children.  The childminder demonstrates a good understanding of safeguarding to help protect children and promote their welfare.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children have less opportunities to extend their understanding of mathematical concepts outdoors than they do indoors, as there are fewer resources available.  The childminder often asks questions which children can answer with single word answers, which do not fully extend their language 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 children at play, indoors and outside and the childminder's interactions with them.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documents, including policies, registers, and children's records of their learning.  The inspector held discussions with the childminder.  The inspector had a tour of the premises and looked at resources and toys.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2011. She works with her mother, who is also a registered childminder, in her mother's home in Oxford. A large wooden cabin in the garden is used for childminding. The garden is fully enclosed and is available for outdoor play. Access to the provision is through the main house, which includes a small step into the house and out into the garden. The childminder offers care on a daily basis, before and after school and during school holidays. She walks to a local school to collect children. She is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder currently has one child on roll in the early years age range. She supports children who speak English as an additional language. The childminder holds a Certificate in Childcare and Education.

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

 encourage children's mathematical development further, for example by providing opportunities for children to recognise numbers, shapes and quantities in the outdoor environment

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

 extend children's language development more effectively, for example by using a variety of questioning techniques to support them to use sentences in their responses.

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who attend

Children are happy and enjoy their time spent with the childminder. They participate in a range of activities, which enable them to explore all seven areas of learning. Good teaching techniques, such as clear explanations and well-prepared activities, allow children to make good progress in their learning. For example, children learning about the World Cup used the colours of Brazil to make ball prints with paints. This activity prompted discussion with the children about watching football and the colours of different football kits. This encourages children to think about the wider world and the activity reflected the children's interests at the time.

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who attend

Adult-led activities allow the childminder to focus on individual children's needs. For example, an older child who is soon moving on to school traces over numbers written by the childminder. She sits with the child, providing gentle encouragement and positive praise. As a result, the child enjoys the activity and participates well, showing good levels of concentration and motivation. However, there are less opportunities for children to practise recognising and writing numbers outside as resources to promote children's understanding of mathematical concepts are not always freely available. For example, there are fewer outdoor experiences to build their concepts of number, quantity and shape recognition. This means opportunities for children to reinforce their mathematical understanding in their free play is not always fully maximised.

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who attend

Regular outings to the local area, such as the park and the river to feed the ducks, allow children to learn about nature and living creatures. Children enjoy spending time with the childminder, who interacts with them well. This close relationship helps to promote children's well-being effectively.

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who attend

The childminder regularly observes children in their play and uses her knowledge of children's progress to plan activities. Children's individual needs are met through clearly identified next steps in learning, which the childminder records in learning diaries and shares with parents. The robust process of observation, assessment and planning allows the childminder to identify when children need additional support. Close relationships with parents allow for information about a child's progress to be shared effectively, which helps to ensure children's emotional, learning and developmental needs are met.

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who attend

Children's literacy and language skills are developing well overall. Children have story time every day, where they share stories in age appropriate groups. The childminder sits on comfortable sofas with children, who cuddle into her as she reads them stories and they make comments about what they can see in the pictures. Overall, the childminder supports children's language development through singing action songs and nursery rhymes, and by modelling well-structured sentences as she speaks. Although, at times the childminder does not use good questioning techniques to fully extend children's language and encourage them to use sentences rather than one word answers in their responses.

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who attend

Children display good independence as they freely select toys stored at child height. The childminder constantly encourages children to do things for themselves, such as blowing their own noses, and offers praise and encouragement when they do so. This helps to support their development of positive self-esteem.

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

Children have secure attachments with the childminder who is warm and gentle with them. They demonstrate their warm relationship with her by snuggling up for cuddles and approaching her for reassurance when they are feeling unwell or upset. New children are effectively supported in settling in, as the childminder works closely with new parents to follow the child's existing sleep routines. New children start with the childminder with introductory visits, which allows the child to feel secure when their parents eventually leave them with the childminder.

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

Children's behaviour is good because of clear and consistent boundaries provided by the childminder. Children receive regular praise for their achievements and often correct each other, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the need for rules. For example, an older child reminds a toddler, 'No, we don't throw sand.' As a result, children quickly learn right from wrong and the childminder and older children provide positive role models for younger children.

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

Children of mixed ages play well in the calm environment that supports their needs. The childminder has a large amount of resources and equipment that suit the physical development of the different age groups indoors and out. For example, she provides small ladders and slides for the youngest children, and a full height climbing frame for older children. This helps to ensure all children have opportunities to extend their physical skills to meet their individual developmental needs.

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

The atmosphere is calm and focused, and children clearly know the rules and routines. Children interact well together and the childminder encourages children to say please and thank you and share toys. Children of mixed ages get on well together, with older children showing concern and interest in younger children. For example, and older child takes the time to build a train track for a younger child, supporting them to put the trains carefully onto the track, which helps build the child's smaller physical skills.

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

The childminder helps children to understand the importance of healthy eating by sharing mixed fruit during snack times. Parents are encouraged to provide healthy lunches from home and water is available to the children throughout the day to prevent them from feeling thirsty. Children remind each other to wash their hands after messy activities and before snack to 'get the dirt off', demonstrating embedded hygiene routines. Children enjoy activities to promote their good health. For example, they use large play equipment like climbing walls in the garden and have regular visits to the park. This allows children to develop an understanding of the importance of exercise as a part of a healthy lifestyle.

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provision

The childminder has a secure understanding of her legal responsibilities to implement the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This ensures children are safe and secure in her care. The childminder has attended safeguarding training and understands the indicators that would cause concern and the reporting procedures should a concern arise. The childminder carries our regular risk assessments of the premises and equipment the children use, as well as for the various outings. This means children are able to play and learn safely in a suitable environment.

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provision

All recommendations raised in the last inspection have been fully addressed. For example the childminder has improved her understanding of writing and implementing written risk assessments, which she regularly reviews and updates. In addition, she now demonstrates a good level of self-evaluation. The childminder has identified her own training needs and wishes to pursue a level 3 qualification to enhance the outcomes for children and improve her provision. This demonstrates the childminder has a good capacity for continued improvement. The childminder is aware of the importance of developing partnerships with other provisions where children attend. She has developed links with the local toddler groups and a drop in family centre. When children are preparing to move on to school, the childminder shares the children's learning diaries with teachers to help ensure there is a continuity of care and learning for the child. Parents have a close relationship with the

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provision

childminder and clear communication between home and the childminder helps to ensure children's needs are met. The childminder has developed partnerships with other early years professionals and this enables her to ensure children with additional needs are quickly identified and appropriately supported.

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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 EY416587 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 816466 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 16 Number of children on roll 13

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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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