Childminder in Leeds

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/06/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 The childminder has a good knowledge of how young children learn. She uses observations of children's learning to identify and plan for the next steps in their development. As a result, the teaching is focused and of high quality.  Good communication with parents enables information to be shared about children's welfare and learning needs. The childminder seeks parent's comments about the care provided, enabling her to take effective steps to enhance her provision.  Children behave well and form positive and caring relationships with the childminder and their friends. They play well together and share the resources fairly, which promotes a calm and caring atmosphere enabling children to feel confident and secure.  Children's all round good health is promoted well within the daily provision of food, fresh air and exercise. Meals are carefully planned and children have access to a stimulating outdoor area to undertake exercise.

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This provision is good

 Children are safe because the childminder has a very good system of assessing risks, including clear and appropriate policies regarding safeguarding children and child protection.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There are further opportunities to secure children's independence skills.  There is room to further enhance relationships with local schools to aid children's transition when the time comes.

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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 had a tour of the childminder's home, including the kitchen, garden and play areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder about her practice at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector observed the childminder caring for and playing with the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed children's learning and progress with the childminder, and viewed children's records, observations and assessment files.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked the childminder's suitability, qualifications and her policies and procedures, including safeguarding, accident and medication records.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and one child aged six years in a house in Horsforth. The whole of the ground floor, one bedroom on the first floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local children's centre. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools. There are currently three children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, term time only. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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

 strengthen already good opportunities for children to become independent, for example, by supporting them to pour their own drinks and serve their own food at meal and snack times

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

 enhance further the relationships with local schools to support children's smooth transitions onto the next stage of learning, in order to promote continuity of care and learning.

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who attend

The organisation and presentation of toys and resources enable children to make independent choices regarding what they would like to play with and how to spend their time. For example, the children freely access water and sand, using buckets, spades and containers to fill and pour. The childminder introduces mathematical concepts such as 'full' and 'empty', challenging the children to think of other ways to pour the water. The children suggest using a selection of shells and discuss how effectively these work. The childminder encourages children to count as they play, teaching them about number, order and value. This means that children are increasingly able to use their mathematical knowledge to independently count and problem solve in their play. Children have free access to a good range of fiction and non-fiction books, and the childminder skilfully supports children in developing their language skills. She discusses with the children the

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who attend

characters in books, relating them to their lives at home. She introduces props to support and extend the story further asking children to predict what might happen to promote their thinking skills. For example, children hold wands and characters from a popular book about a witch and are totally immersed in the actions within the story. Regular visits to the local library support children as they develop a love of books and reading. Children's early language development takes a high priority and is woven into their everyday experiences. The childminder interacts with the children in a positive manner and at a level that provides them with lots of eye contact and praise. This helps children to understand the importance of listening. She supports the children to extend their speech by introducing new words as she talks to them and gives praise when children repeat these words. For example, children learn to solve problems and make patterns as they work with coloured

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who attend

pom-poms, sorting and matching colours. The childminder introduces descriptive words, such as, 'spiky', 'soft' and 'rough', and children then use these to describe the pom-poms. As a result, children are engaged and motivated in the activities provided.

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who attend

Children are enthusiastic about playing outdoors in the warm weather. The childminder has set up a good variety of activities and children engage in a range of learning opportunities. For example, they explore the vegetable patch looking for any signs of the radishes that they have planted and children complete a nature hunt and find lots of colours in the environment. This supports their understanding of the world. Children learn about the wider world as they visit local shops, the library, parks and local community groups; they constantly discuss the weather and the changes in the environment. Children access a variety of wheeled resources and proudly demonstrate their skills on a scooter. They manoeuvre obstacles and have developed a good sense of balance. Consequently, children are making good progress in their physical development. The childminder takes the children to several community groups where they join in with music and gym sessions.

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who attend

As well as complementing the activities provided in her home, this gives children the opportunity to be part of a larger group, in preparation for when they start school.

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who attend

The childminder has a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and monitors the educational activities to help ensure children make good progress in their learning. The childminder gets to know children well and recognises their different learning styles and how children learn. Individual learning files are in place and these include photographs, observations and assessments. These are linked to all seven areas of development and are used to identify children's starting points and capabilities. As a result, teaching is high quality because the childminder is focused on individual children's interests and stages of development. The childminder has high expectations of herself and the children. She gathers information from parents to inform her initial assessment and constantly discusses with parents children's progress. This is done through 'All about me' books, daily communication books and development summaries. Parents comment about

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who attend

the childminder's dedication to work in partnership with them and their child. The childminder has a good understanding of her responsibility in completing the progress check for children aged between two and three years and shares these with parents.

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

Children develop very warm and caring relationships with the childminder, which promotes their emotional well-being. Her home is very welcoming and children are clearly comfortable and at ease, which further supports them to feel safe and secure. The childminder is clear about supporting smooth transitions from home. The childminder talks to parents about children's routines, interests and individual needs to ensure continuity of care. The children play well together and share the resources fairly, which promotes a calm and caring atmosphere enabling children to feel confident and secure. They are extremely familiar with routines and behaviour is good.

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

Children's all round good health is promoted very well within the daily provision of food, fresh air and exercise. Meals are carefully planned, offering a variety of homemade food and lots of fruit and vegetables. Children have access to a stimulating outdoor area that provides children with space to enjoy the fresh air and to undertake exercise. For example, children run and jump on a grassed area and also climb a slide. The childminder encourages and supports children to eat independently. However, opportunities for children to pour their own drinks and to help prepare snack and meals are not fully utilised to increase children's independence. Drinks are available at all times, so children do not become thirsty. Children learn about the need for good hygiene practices as they use hand sanitiser before touching food and after playing outside. The childminder records important information about the children's medical needs or special dietary requirements

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

to ensure they remain healthy. The childminder has attended a paediatric first-aid course. This means that she can deal with minor injuries and accidents.

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

Children are helped to develop a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe through discussions and consistent messages about safe practices through everyday routines. For example, children are reminded not to throw sand because it might hurt someone's eyes and not to run inside because they might trip or fall. Children are also reminded about road safety as they go out and the importance of wearing seatbelts in the car. The childminder carries out regular risk assessments, helping to ensure that the environment is safe and hazards are kept to a minimum. All visitors' sign in and out of the visitors' book and children's hours of attendance is diligently recorded.

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provision

The childminder has a very good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements and meets them well. She is very organised and has a good selection of written policies and procedures, which she shares with parents. This means that parents are clear about her responsibilities and how the provision operates. The childminder has a detailed safeguarding policy and a good knowledge of the procedures to follow should she have a concern about a child in her care. The childminder undertakes thorough risk assessments of her home and of any outings and puts effective systems in place to minimise any potential hazards.

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provision

The childminder has effective procedure in place to ensure her provision runs smoothly. She makes good use of the Ofsted self-evaluation form to monitor and evaluate her practice. It includes a detailed account of her current practice and has clear aims, such as attending further training and enhancing further her selection of resources to reflect diversity and encourage open-ended play. The childminder meets with other childminders in her area and attends different events at her local children's centre. She discusses how she finds this really useful to meet regularly with them to share and exchange ideas. The childminder has a good understanding of the learning and development requirements, which includes routinely observing children and being aware of their stage of development. She completes a summary of each child's development and shares this with parents, which informs them of the next stage of development. In addition, children's

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provision

progress is closely tracked to ensure there are no gaps in their learning and development. This supports the childminder to identify the areas of learning in which children need additional help. For example, she provides activities to promote children's communication and language skills. Children are encouraged to join in with songs and rhymes, she reads to them and encourages them to repeat words and talk about what they see, hear and do during the day. Planning is in place and the childminder regularly reviews this to ensure the activities and experiences are exciting, challenging and linked to the children's interests.

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provision

Good communication with parents enables information to be shared about children's welfare and learning needs. The childminder shares information through a 'daily diary' which contains lots of information about their care routines and the activities that they have enjoyed. Parents are invited to make comments and suggestions on the care provided by completing questionnaires and through daily discussion with the childminder. Parents speak highly of the childminder with comments like, 'our child is very happy and cannot wait to get here on a morning' and 'the children have access to a great range of toys and the childminder takes my child to lots of groups which have helped him to socialise'. Through discussion, it is clear the childminder knows who and when to contact outside agencies to support children's development. The childminder has made contact with the local school to prepare children their future learning. However, there is scope to

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provision

plan more fully to ensure children's transitions into school are smooth and that their progress and development is shared with the school.

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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 EY450030 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 902940 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 3

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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.

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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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