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Early years · Early years inspection (CIF)

Childminder in Barnet

Inspected 17 Jun 2014 · published 11 Jul 2014 · URN EY466704

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Summary

Inadequate

Samantha Smith

What we read, and from where

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  • Inspection datesingle source

    17 Jun 2014

  • Inspectors verified

    Samantha Smith

  • Overall effectiveness verified

    Inadequate

  • URN verified

    EY466704

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of the report

Deep dive

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In plain English

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Grade profile

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  • OverallInadequate

Tone of the report

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−11Mixedmore positive than 81% of reports of this type graded Inadequate
OutstandingGoodMetRINot metInadequate

In line with other reports of this type graded Inadequate.

Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.

Praisepositiveenjoymake good progresscaringstrengthswarmvery wellsafe
Criticisminadequateweaknesseslackconcernslimitednot metnot robustrequires improvement

How the report reads, start to finish

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FindingsAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improve positive critical
  • Findings239w+20
  • What needs to improve1559w−17

Strengths

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Concerns

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Next steps

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Anatomy of the report

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Pages
11
Words of findings
1,744
longer than usual (typical 907)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 42, typical 48
Average sentence
19 words
Next steps
8
typical 7
Hedged sentences
5%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 9%What needs to improve 59%About the inspection 31%

Full report text

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/06/2014 Not Applicable

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 4 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

p.1

This provision is inadequate

 The childminder does not provide enough toys, resources and challenging learning experiences to meet the needs of the children, or assess and plan for their early learning needs. Therefore, she does not help children to make sufficient progress.  The childminder does not take appropriate steps to minimise potential risks to children, including those relating to hygiene. This compromises children's health and safety.  The childminder does not have a clear emergency evacuation procedure in place, or suitable fire detection and control equipment. Therefore, she does not promote children's safety sufficiently, or teach them about keeping safe in an emergency.  The childminder does not maintain an accurate record of children's attendance.  The childminder does not evaluate her practice and is, therefore, unaware of how significant weaknesses affect the quality of her provision, and outcomes for children.

p.1

This provision is inadequate

 The childminder does not fully develop partnerships with other providers caring for the children. This reduces opportunities to provide consistency for the children.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 The childminder demonstrates a kind and caring attitude towards the children, and children enjoy the positive interactions that they share.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the main play area in the lounge.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documentation relating to children and the childminder's practice.

p.2

Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2013. She lives with her young child, in a second-floor flat in West Finchley, in the London Borough of Barnet. The whole of the home is used for childminding and children have access to an outdoor play area. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register, and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently four children on roll in the early years age group, all attending various sessions throughout the week.

p.3

must:

 ensure risk assessments are reviewed regularly and identify all areas of the environment that need checking regularly, and take reasonable steps to eliminate all risks to children's safety, including adopting clear hygiene procedures to help prevent cross infection

p.4

must:

 take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children on the premises in case of fire or other emergency by devising a clear emergency evacuation procedure and obtaining and fitting appropriate fire detection and control equipment

p.4

must:

 provide challenging and enjoyable play and learning experiences for all children, across all areas of learning, taking into account their individual needs and interests, to help them make good progress towards the early learning goals

p.4

must:

 improve the assessment arrangements by using information gathered from parents about children's existing knowledge and skills on entry to assess children's learning needs and plan meaningful activities

p.4

must:

 ensure that children's hours of attendance are recorded accurately, to demonstrate children's arrival and departure times

p.4

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

 develop the use of self-evaluation to identify the setting's strengths and areas for development, in order to drive improvement and promote positive outcomes for children

p.4

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

 teach children how to help keep themselves and others safe in an emergency

p.4

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

 develop further the partnerships with other early years providers in order to promote consistency of care and learning for children.

p.4

who attend

The quality of teaching and learning is inadequate because the childminder does not support children in making suitable progress in their learning and development. She does not use information obtained from parents at the beginning of their child's placement to make initial assessments of children and plan relevant experiences for them. Although she is beginning to observe children at play, this is in the very early stages and does not yet show any progress that the children have made. In addition, the childminder does not plan the learning environment to meet the differing needs of the children. There are limited resources to support the needs of babies and younger children. The educational programmes do not adequately cover the seven areas of learning or provide suitable challenge for the older children. Children use the few resources available, such as an abacus, bricks, play dough and buggies, to entertain themselves. The childminder does

p.4

who attend

not use the resources well enough to teach children well, overall. For example, while playing with the abacus shape sorter with the older children, she makes some attempt to support them in developing their understanding of mathematical concepts. She encourages children to name the colours and shapes; however, she does not extend this opportunity to encourage them to think about sorting and matching the shapes. Therefore, activities lack challenge and children do not make sufficient progress.

p.5

who attend

The childminder provides some positive interaction with the children, such as talking to them as she engages in some of their play. This is particularly evident when the children sit to enjoy listening to stories that the childminder reads to them. However, she does not instinctively promote or extend children's learning as they play.

p.5

who attend

In discussion, the childminder demonstrates some awareness of the required progress check for two-year-old children and the areas that this should cover. She advises that she will liaise with other settings that children attend to ensure that this is completed. Overall, the childminder does not help children to develop skills for future learning or prepare them well for moving on to the next stages of their development.

p.5

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

The childminder does not promote children's well-being sufficiently because of weaknesses in her safety arrangements and how she promotes children's learning. She provides a warm and friendly environment, where children are settled and suitably cared for. They enjoy warm and positive interactions with her as she spends her time on their level engaging with them as they play. Older children are well behaved and are learning to play cooperatively. The younger children are beginning to show an awareness of others as they respond appropriately to the childminder.

p.5

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

The home provides children with sufficient space to move around and engage in play activities. Resources, although basic, are set out so that children can reach them easily, and children engage with these appropriately. However, the resources are not conducive to the needs of the younger children and activities offer limited challenge for the older children. Therefore, the childminder does not use resources to help children learn or to prepare them for the next stages in their learning.

p.5

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

The childminder meets babies' physical care needs appropriately as they rest and sleep, and as she changes their nappies according to their needs. In addition, children are encouraged to follow suitable hand-washing practices through the daily routines in place. However, the childminder's own hygiene practices, when changing nappies, do not protect children from the spread of infection. Children have some opportunities to engage in outdoor play when they access the communal garden and through visits to the local park, where they use the larger equipment available. This supports their physical development satisfactorily. Children are provided with sufficient meals and snacks throughout the day and drinks are made readily available. The lack of an emergency evacuation plan means that the childminder is unable to teach children about how to keep safe in an emergency, for example, by practising the procedure. This means she does not help the children learn

p.5

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

what to do in the event of a fire or other emergency in the home.

p.6

provision

The childminder is failing to fulfill her role and responsibility in supporting children's learning, and promoting and safeguarding their welfare. Therefore, she is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Register and associated requirements of the Childcare Register. She does not plan and provide a range of purposeful activities to help children make good progress towards the early learning goals, and her assessment arrangements are not robust. As a result, she does not promote children's learning and development sufficiently well. The childminder is able to recognise possible signs and symptoms that may cause concerns about the welfare of children and she is clear about procedures should she need to report any concerns. However, she shows little understanding of safety issues in the home and she has not taken suitable steps to minimize potential hazards for children. For example, she does not record children's actual hours of attendance and does

p.6

provision

not have appropriate fire detection and control equipment, such as smoke detectors, in her home. There is no clear emergency evacuation procedure in place and risk assessments for the home do not take into account all potential hazards; this compromises children's safety.

p.6

provision

The childminder has not taken any further steps to update her knowledge and skills since registration. In addition, she does not evaluate the quality of her provision. Therefore, she is unable to identify particular strengths or weaknesses in her practice in order to improve outcomes for children. The childminder has yet to establish effective channels of communication with the local authority or any professionals to support her in improving her practice. This limits the childminder's ability to secure any future improvements and improve the quality of provision for children. Relationships with parents are generally sound, and relevant contracts and written agreements are in place. The childminder shares some information with other early years providers for children attending other early years settings. For example, she shares children's likes and dislikes, although information is quite basic and, therefore, does not provide clear consistency of care and learning for

p.6

The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

p.7

actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

p.7

To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  keep a daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks(voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  keep a daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

Setting details

Unique reference number EY466704 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 945322 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4

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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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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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