Childminder in Essex

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/06/2014 19/10/2009

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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 effectively protected from harm as the childminder demonstrates secure knowledge of safeguarding issues and the action she would take if she had concerns about any of the children in her care.  Children make good progress in their learning as the childminder has effective methods for teaching. She provides children with a varied programme of activities, which enables them to make good progress across all seven areas of learning.  The childminder promotes an effective partnership between herself and parents, which enables parents to play an active role in their children's learning and development. The childminder has good links with the local school and liaises effectively to complement the learning that takes place in other settings.  Children form close and caring relationships with the childminder and other children. They enter her provision confidently and quickly settle into purposeful and exciting

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to further enhance the outdoor provision, to more effectively cover all seven areas of learning and to maximise children's learning potential outdoors.

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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 in the childminder's dining room, lounge and garden and viewed all areas of her home, which are used for childminding purposes.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the childminder and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of records and documentation, including children's details, information about children's learning and development, accident and medication records, written policies, written risk assessments, the daily attendance register, the visitors book and a selection of other relevant documents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to at the time of the inspection and through written comments contained within children's development records and written references.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2000 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her two children aged 10 years and one year in a house in Basildon, Essex. The whole of the childminder's house and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has two cats as pets. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools. There is currently one child on roll, who is in the early years age group and attends five days per week after school. She operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays.

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

 enhance learning opportunities and resources outdoors to ensure children's learning and development is fully optimised.

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who attend

The childminder's knowledge of how children learn enables her to provide the children in her care with a varied and challenging educational programme. She encourages children to participate in both planned and freely-chosen play experiences and follows children's interests well. The range of learning opportunities children participate in enables them to make secure progress across all seven areas of learning. The childminder frequently observes the children in her care, using her observations effectively to track their progress and to plan for their next stages of learning. She presents her observations along with photographic evidence in scrapbooks, which become children's individual learning journals. The childminder provides parents with regular opportunities to view their children's development records and to comment on the learning that takes place with her and at home. This fosters an effective two-way flow of information and ensures that both the

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who attend

childminder and parents work together to help children to make best progress.

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who attend

The quality of the childminder's teaching is good. This means that children make swift progress. The childminder speaks to children confidently and clearly, extending their language skills and vocabulary through the use of new words and well-considered questions. For example, when playing with playdough, the childminder encourages children to use language to explain how the dough feels and smells. The childminder works closely with other local childminders, which provides her with a forum for sharing ideas and new activities. This has proven very successful for both the childminder and the children. When caring for younger children, the childminder makes good use of the progress check completed for children aged between two and three years to plan for their next steps in learning. Children are developing the skills they require to prepare them for their next stages of development as the childminder successfully assesses their progress

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who attend

and plans well for their future learning.

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who attend

Children effectively guide their own learning and enthusiastically do this with a range of dressing-up clothes. They enter into a world of imagination, as pirates and princesses take over the childminder's garden. Children develop their knowledge of the world as they help to plant seeds and care for their produce. They observe the life cycle of a caterpillar, recording the different stages of the caterpillar's transformation into a butterfly in their learning journals. Children's literacy is promoted as the childminder provides them with interesting resources to encourage their handwriting and reading skills. For example, older children write their own names and are beginning to form clear letters and numerals. They proficiently read their school reading books to the childminder, sounding out the phonics to help them spell the words. Some of the children's learning takes place outdoors when they visit local attractions or play in the childminder's garden. While the childminder's

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who attend

garden is equipped with a range of different resources, these mainly focus on enhancing children's physical skills. For example, the outdoor environment is limited in print, numbers, labelling and imaginative play resources. Therefore, there is scope to further enhance opportunities outdoors to ensure that children's learning potential is fully maximised.

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

Children are settled, content and at ease in the childminder's home. Older children returning from school, enter the childminder's environment confidently and are knowledgeable about where to place their belongings. Children politely ask the childminder for a drink and express their needs proficiently. The childminder responds to their requests efficiently ensuring that they feel settled and comfortable in her care. Children behave well and understand the childminder's simple rules. They know to take their shoes off when sitting on furniture in the lounge and to place their bags and belongings in the same place each day, so that they are easily accessible when parents arrive to collect them. The childminder gently reminds children about her house rules, to ensure that they are aware of her expectations of them.

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

The childminder has an effective settling-in procedure, which involves parents and children visiting her a number of times during the week, prior to the childminding arrangement starting. During this time, she discusses the children's home situation, siblings, pets, likes and dislikes. This provides the childminder with an accurate assessment of their needs and enables her to tailor her provision to accommodate their individual requirements. As a consequence, children begin their care with her feeling safe, secure and comfortable. The childminder is mindful that children need to be emotionally secure in order to grow and develop and plans effectively for their emotional well-being. The childminder's home is well-equipped with a wide and exciting range of resources. The resources are stored in a number of places around the childminder's home and children are encouraged to make choices and decisions over their play and learning.

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

Children enjoy a range of snacks and meals during their time with the childminder. She actively encourages children to taste and choose healthy alternatives, such as fresh fruit and raw vegetables with their meals. The childminder follows parents' wishes with regards to any cultural or dietary needs and seeks further advice in order to care for children with allergies. This ensures that she effectively meets children's dietary and medical requirements. Children remain fit and healthy as they regularly play outdoors in the childminder's garden and visit local parks and playgrounds. If children are tired, they rest in the childminder's lounge, looking at books or listening to quiet music.

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provision

Children are effectively protected from harm, as the childminder demonstrates secure knowledge of her responsibilities with regards to protecting children. She regularly updates her safeguarding knowledge through appropriate training and discusses current guidance with other registered childminders. The childminder has a clear written policy detailing her safeguarding procedures, which are shared with parents. All adults living on the premises are vetted through Ofsted's suitability procedures and the childminder monitors visitors to her home by asking them to sign in and out of a visitors book. Children remain safe and secure within the childminder's home, as she conducts effective risk assessments and daily safety checks of her home. The childminder demonstrates a good understanding of her responsibility to meet the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She recognises children's differing

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provision

learning styles and provides activities and resources, which she knows will help individual children to make progress. The childminder uses her frequent observations of children's play and learning to assess their progress and to identify their next stages of learning.

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provision

The childminder shows a firm commitment to improving her knowledge through training and has attended a range of courses to achieve this. The childminder's recent year out from childminding for maternity leave, enabled her to review her provision fully. She has returned to her role with renewed vigour, updating and improving all of her record keeping, documentation and general understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder knows her provision well and effectively self-evaluates to ensure that she continuously improves and moves forward. All recommendations made at the time of the last inspection have been addressed, thus demonstrating the childminder's firm commitment to continuous improvement. The childminder has plans to undertake further training and to work towards a level 3 qualification in childcare in the future, to enhance her already sound knowledge.

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provision

Parents play an active role in their children's care and development. The childminder works effectively with parents to ensure that they remain constantly updated about their children's day both with the childminder and while at school. Parents are encouraged to view their children's development records and comment on their progress in their individual learning journals. Comments from parents are very complimentary of the childminder's work and state how well she enhances children's learning. Parents spoken to at the time of the inspection state that the childminder's home is always clean and well- organised and that she has helped their children to make good progress in their learning. The childminder liaises well with the local school and shares relevant information about children's learning and development with reception class teachers. She complements the learning that takes place in other aspects of children's lives through effective

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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 128091 Local authority Essex Inspection number 961076 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 1

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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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