Childminder in Sheffield

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 30/06/2014 16/12/2008

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Children relate well to the childminder's warm, patient manner. As a result, they are happy and settled in her care.  The childminder provides activities with the children's interests in mind, therefore ensuring that they are engaged in their learning.  The childminder ensures children are safeguarded by undertaking daily checks of the premises and through a suitable knowledge and understanding of child protection procedures. Consequently, the children remain safe.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder has not fully developed an assessment system in order to ensure that the children's next steps in learning are well planned for.  The childminder does not fully involve all parents in their child's learning or encourage them to share what their child can do at home.  Opportunities are missed to develop partnerships with nurseries and pre-schools where children attend. Therefore, the childminder is unable to complement the children's learning while they are in her care.  Children do not always have regular access to a variety of toys and resources that reflect diversity, so they gain awareness about each other's differences.

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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 taking part in the lounge.  The inspector toured the premises.  The inspector looked at the children's journals and other documentation.  The inspector viewed the parent questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2000 and is on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her son, aged 19, in a house in Hackenthorpe in Sheffield. The whole of the ground floor and bathroom on the first floor are used for childminding. The family has a dog and a hamster as pets. The childminder attends a toddler group in the local area. She visits shops and parks on a regular basis. She collects children from the local nurseries and schools. There are currently nine children on roll, four of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays.

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must:

 devise better methods to assess the progress of children fully in order to identify the children's next steps in their learning and use this information to plan challenging activities to ensure that children make good progress

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must:

 provide more opportunities for the parents to contribute what they know about their child's learning and what they can do at home so the information can be used to plan for children's individual learning needs.

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

 develop the range of resources that reflect positive images of different cultures and disability to raise children's awareness of diversity

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

 focus more precisely on building relationships with local nurseries and pre-schools that the children attend so they benefit from continuity in their learning.

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who attend

The childminder has an understanding of the seven areas of learning and provides activities in accordance with this and are based around the children's interests. For example, the childminder became aware that children in her care were interested in water and pouring. As a result of this, she ensures that appropriate resources are available for children to access in order for them explore and fulfil their curiosity. The childminder uses some information gained from observations to find out about children's interests. However, the system for assessment is not thorough enough to ensure the next steps in children's learning are effectively planned for so that they make good progress. Generally, the childminder has the appropriate teaching strategies in place in order to allow the children to make sufficient progress in their learning. Through the use of effective questions during activities, the children are able to become active learners and to think

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who attend

critically. As a result, their learning and development is extended. The childminder promotes early communication and language skills by the use of resources, such as books and telephones and encourages the children to sing along to nursery rhymes. Consequently, the children are able to acquire the skills required for early language development.

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who attend

The childminder has built a number of strong relationships with the schools in the area. She gathers information from these settings in order to complement their curriculum and enhance the learning for those children who attend that particular establishment. For example, at school, children were learning about trees in the local environment. In order to contribute towards this, the childminder organised an outing to the local park so they could carry out an investigation on the trees in that area. However, there are children in her care who attend additional settings, such as nurseries and pre-schools, for which a connection has not yet been established. As a result, a full picture of some of the children's learning cannot be determined and the childminder is not able to complement their learning in the same way. The childminder attends local toddler groups to ensure that the children are able to socialise with others of a similar age and live in the area. This

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who attend

provides the children with continuity and familiarity so that they are adequately prepared for their next stage in learning.

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who attend

The childminder talks to the parents on a daily basis about routines and the activities, which have taken place that day. This is also communicated through a journal that the children take home. However, the childminder does not provide enough opportunities to involve the parents in sharing what they know their child can do at home. This means she does not have a full picture of the children's achievements on which to base her future planning. Furthermore, strategies are not in place to involve parents in their child's learning so that children consolidate what they have learned. Therefore, children do not make the best possible progress.

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

The childminder has formed caring relationships with the children, which allows them to feel safe and secure while in her care. She has a sound knowledge of the children's care routines and this creates a comfortable and relaxed environment for the children to grow in confidence. Parents comment positively about the childminder and stated that she 'does everything to make my child feel happy' and they are 'very happy' with the service she provides. The childminder operates a gradual admission process and children are offered settling-in sessions. This time is spent developing an understanding of the children's needs and requirements and building relationships with both the children and parents. This is sometimes altered to meet individual preferences of parents and the child's requirements. For example, on occasions the childminder visits the children's homes in order to observe them in their own environment. Therefore, transition is well planned for and children's

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

individual needs are suitably met during this period.

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

Children are encouraged to behave in the appropriate manner and the childminder understands the importance of using positive praise as a method of raising their self- esteem. As a result, this has a positive impact on the children's overall well-being. The children have free access to a range of toys and resources, which are suitable for all ages and levels of development. This supports the children in becoming independent learners and allows them to take their learning in their own direction. Children have regular access to the outdoor environment and benefit from daily access to fresh air either by playing outdoors or by taking children on regular outings within the local community. The childminder uses this opportunity to support their physical development and to gain an understanding of their own health and safety through positive everyday practices. For example, children are provided with visual prompts in order to recognise their way around

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

the local environment. The childminder has an understanding of the importance of treating all children with equal concern. However, there are fewer opportunities and resources for children to appreciate different cultures and religions. Consequently, children are not fully supported to respect each other's differences.

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

Children enjoy healthy snacks while at the setting and the childminder understands the importance of teaching the children about a healthy balanced diet. She encourages the children to contribute towards snack time by involving them in preparing and serving the food, which strengthens their independence skills and adequately prepares them for their next stage in learning. The childminder supports self-care and hygiene by encouraging them to wash their hands and putting routines in place to ensure that the children tidy away their own belongings.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates an understanding of her role and responsibility to safeguard the children in her care. She is aware of how to proceed should she have a concern about a child's welfare. The childminder takes steps towards ensuring that the environment is safe at all times and potential risks are minimised. For example, locks are present on cupboard doors containing hazardous cleaning equipment. Adequate risk assessments are in place and daily checks to ensure that the there is a safe environment both indoors and outdoors for the children to explore. Procedures are in place for dealing with and recording accidents and medication. The childminder holds a first aid qualification to ensure that she deals with accidents quickly and effectively. These instances are reported to parents on a daily basis. Therefore, the children's well-being is being supported.

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provision

The childminder ensures that the educational programmes cover the seven areas of learning and has an array of resources and activities to promote this. As a result, the children are able to make some progress in each aspect of their learning and they have a broad range of experiences. However, the childminder does not yet have a sufficient system in place to effectively and accurately assess the children's learning and development. Therefore, she is unable to plan appropriately for the next steps in their learning. As a result of this, the children do not make good progress. Currently, the childminder has not had the need to complete the progress check for children between the ages of two and three in accordance with the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, she is fully prepared for this and is aware of the relevant outside agencies that need to be contacted should any concerns arise.

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provision

The childminder accesses training courses to enable her to develop her skills and knowledge when working with children. She has recently completed an online safeguarding training course, which has a positive impact on children's safety. The childminder has a suitable system for self-evaluation and recognises some of the strengths and areas for improvement. Additionally, she collects and takes in to account the views and opinions of both the parents and the children in order to develop her practice. For example, questionnaires are distributed to the parents which aim to highlight any issues they may have and systems are put in place to alleviate this should the need arise. This demonstrates that she has formed strong relationships with the parents and uses this as a method to continually improve how she operates.

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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 300664 Local authority Sheffield Inspection number 876638 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 9

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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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