Childminder in Kent

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26/06/2014 11/11/2010

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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

 The childminder has strong bonds with the children in her care which helps them feel emotionally secure and safe in the setting.  The childminder provides a range of good quality toys for children to choose their own activities from.  The childminder proficiently teaches children about healthy eating and the benefits of physical activities on their bodies.  The childminder provides good opportunities for children to talk about their experiences and increase their communication skills.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not always use effective methods with which to engage some parents in their children's learning.  The childminder needs to consider different strategies to teach children about sharing toys and taking turns.

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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 sampled a range of documentation including children's records, the safeguarding procedures and the accident and medication records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to the childminder and the children and observed them as they played.  The inspector took into account the written views of parents.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2005. She lives with her three children in a house in Murston, Sittingbourne, Kent. The ground floor of the premises are used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. There are currently five children on roll of whom four fall within the early years age range. This provision is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register.

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Information about the setting

The childminder is in receipt of funding to provide early education for children aged three and four years. The childminder is available to walk or drive to local schools and preschools to take and collect children. The childminder lives within easy reach of local schools, park and shops.

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

 consider different methods to help children to understand about time in order for them to learn to take turns and share toys.

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

 strengthen the methods used to try to engage all parents further in their children's learning.

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who attend

Children choose to use the good variety of role play equipment to re-enact their home lives. For example, when putting their dolls to bed they use refrains from home and ask other children to be quiet. The childminder spends time with each child using number and matching word cards. She adapts the activity for the different ages of children. The children learn to recognise rhyming words as they choose the cards that go together. For example, they match duck and truck and shoe and two. This means that children gain a good understanding of letter and number sounds and are developing well in their communication skills.

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who attend

Children have good opportunities for lots of physical play, both in the garden and at local parks and other outdoor venues. They learn to use the large physical equipment safely therefore developing their physical skills. They happily play with sand in the garden and talk about the differences in texture between wet and dry sand with the childminder. This means they can be creative with the different types of sand. They use a wide variety of craft activities. Their learning journeys include lots of examples of drawing and sticking with different mediums such as tissue, gummed paper and stickers. They have access to play dough too. Children take home the majority of their creations for their parents. The childminder tries to involve all parents in their children's learning but some parents are reluctant to participate in regular discussions about their children's progress. Children independently select from the wide range of resources that are accessible to them. In

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who attend

addition they use a toy catalogue to indicate their wish to use other resources that are not on display.

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who attend

The children have favourite books which they clamour for the childminder to read. They talk about what is going on in the pictures and think about what can happen next. While they listen to stories the children sit on the childminder's 'feelings' rug. They regularly talk about how they are feeling as they identify with the different faces, happy, sad, angry, amazed, and such like. This activity helps children's emotional development and being able to recognise the needs of others.

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who attend

The children happily play with push button toys such as, tills and play computers which provide children with a good understanding of how things work. They learn about different people from around the world as the childminder teaches them about various types of food from different countries. They learn to look at each other's differences by comparing ages, hair colour and family backgrounds. The children's progress records clearly show that all children are making good progress towards the early learning goals and that the childminder has had a good impact on their learning.

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

The parents report that children are eager to attend the setting each day. They greet the childminder like an old friend. This demonstrates that children have a strong bond with the childminder and feel emotionally secure in her home.

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

The childminder uses good strategies to teach children about hygiene as they become proficient in self-care routines such as taking themselves to the toilet. Children move freely around the setting selecting their own activities. This gives children confidence in their choices. They also demonstrate confidence in conversing with visitors as they talk about germs and hand washing. The childminder proficiently teaches children about healthy eating and the benefits of physical exercise on their bodies. Children learn to think about using sun cream on their faces and arms during sunny weather and drinking lots of water when they play outdoors. They also learn about the benefits of good food as they talk about growing big and strong. The childminder provides lots of positive images of fruit and vegetables for children to relate to. Children engage in healthy lifestyles with the childminder.

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

The childminder teaches children to behave well in accordance with her good, simple house rules. For example, children learn to be kind to each other and think about how others are feeling. They generally play well together but there are occasions when children find it hard to share toys due to their ages. The childminder does not always help children understand about time and how long they have to wait for toys. This would help them develop their personal social and emotional skills and gain a greater understanding of the world. Overall, the older children learn to manage their own behaviour well. The childminder uses good strategies to help children prepare for their transitions to school. She talks to them about school life and what they can expect. She helps them become proficient in dressing themselves and putting on their shoes. The children learn to recognise their names and are confident in counting and letter sounds. The childminder

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

has numerous photographs showing children socialising with others at different venues which means that they will be able to co-operate with others at school. Children are emotionally ready for the changes in their lives.

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provision

The childminder uses a good range of written policies and procedures to effectively maintain and monitor her setting. She shares all policies with parents. The childminder has a good understanding of how to safeguard children. For example, she records children's attendances and maintains good accident and medication records. She ensures that all residents on the premises over the age of 16 years have an enhanced check issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service. This means that she promotes children's well-being to protect them.

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provision

The childminder is proficient in providing a good, varied educational programme to meet the needs of all the children attending. She regularly monitors each child's activities to ensure they are making good progress in all the areas of learning. The childminder's procedures enable her to assess when children are not progressing in their learning and development as expected. She is aware of her responsibility to complete a progress check for two-year-old children and has procedures in place to ensure this happens, using her obseravtions to support this. The children's records clearly show that the childminder assesses children's starting points and accurately identifies their next steps through consistent observations. The children do not attend any other settings as the childminder is in receipt of funding to provide nursery education for the children attending. This means that the childminder does not currently work in partnership with any other provision.

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provision

However, she demonstrates a good understanding of how to liaise with other health and educational professionals should the need arise. Children receive good support. prog

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provision

The childminder has good relationships with parents. She provides verbal feedback each day about their children's activities and demeanours. Parents report that they are very happy with the service. They consider the childminder to be flexible and approachable and report that they have noticed different aspects of their children's progress since they started at her setting. For example, how children have improved with their levels of communication.

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provision

Since her last inspection the childminder has improved her understanding of child development by attaining a childcare qualification at National Vocation Qualification level 3. She has improved the safety at the setting by completing regular risk assessments of the premises, toys and activities. She has also reviewed her written policies to ensure they meet the needs of the children attending. The childminder uses parent questionnaires to obtain comments from parents to complete her evaluations. She also uses children's comments about the activities they enjoy using. This shows that the childminder able to maintain the continuous improvement of her setting.

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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 EY331280 Local authority Kent Inspection number 815102 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 5

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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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