Childminder in Knowsley

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/07/2014 09/03/2009

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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

 Established partnerships with parents and other early years settings ensure that children's individual needs are known and catered for. Children's overall development is discussed in detail to ensure that their individual care needs and emotional well-being are promoted.  The childminder teaches children effectively while providing a wide range of interesting and enjoyable activities which support children's individual progress and development across all areas of learning.  Children's health and safety are well promoted and a clear knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures helps to protect children from harm. Detailed written policies are in place which are shared with parents to ensure they are aware of how the setting is organised.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Although children's individual routines are respected, there is scope to improve the arrangements for children's sleep times to ensure children are provided with equipment appropriate for their age and stage of development.

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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 carried out a joint observation with the childminder of children's independent play and exploration.  The inspector undertook a tour of the premises.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documentation and discussed the childminder's evaluation process and children's learning with the childminder.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2002 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband, who is also a registered childminder, and their adult daughter in a house in Halewood, Liverpool. The whole of the ground floor, the first floor bathroom and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has a pet dog. The childminder attends occasional toddler groups and regularly visits places in the local area, such as, the farm, parks, library and woodland. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. As both childminders work together, there are currently 11 children on roll, nine of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. 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:

 reconsider the sleeping arrangements for young children's rest times during the day in order to ensure their age and stage of development are fully considered, promoting their comfort and well-being at all times.

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who attend

The childminder works alongside her husband, who is also a registered childminder. They work as a team at all times in order to provide a safe, welcoming and enjoyable experience for minded children. Children have access to a wide range of resources, toys and activities which promote their learning across all areas. The home is arranged to allow children the freedom to move between rooms in safety and make choices in their play. This supports them to become independent and they take part in a mixture of adult-led and child-initiated play. This provides a good foundation for children's future learning and prepares them for the eventual move on to pre-school and later, school.

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who attend

The childminder spends time with children as they play with the dolls house and small world toys. Children develop their imagination and recreate familiar experiences. The childminder talks to them about what they are doing and encourages children to develop their language and communication skills. The childminder is aware of children's individual preferences and explains how each child will spend time engaged in different activities of their own choosing throughout the day, in addition to joining in with adult guided activities. Young children enjoy sitting in the cosy reading area. They independently select books from the shelf and enjoy looking at the pictures, turning the pages and chattering to themselves about the familiar events in a story they know well. Later, children enjoy snuggling in next to the childminder for a shared story as they rest quietly on the sofa. This supports children to develop a keen interest in reading which will increase as they get

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who attend

older. It also helps children to understand that print carries meaning and is used in many different contexts. The playroom provides an extensive selection of resources for children of all ages and they are encouraged to make choices about what to play with next. Opportunities to build with construction equipment, dress-up in costumes and explore electronic toys that make noises and have flashing lights are freely available. The rear garden has been developed into a well planned outdoor area which allows children extensive opportunities to explore the natural environment and learn through sensory play. A miniature woodland area with logs, soil and plants has been created to allow children to explore the wildlife they may find living there. Children use magnifying glasses to examine the creatures they find under stones and tree bark and discuss what they have found. This supports children to learn about the environment and the childminder uses

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who attend

these experiences to support children's progress in other areas. For example, talking about what they can see, counting the number of legs and drawing pictures of the bugs support children's development in communication, counting and early drawing and writing.

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who attend

Children show a real enjoyment in creative, messy play, therefore the childminders provide an extensive range of experiences for children in which they learn through their play. Children of all ages make marks with paint and chalks on the walls, floors and chalk board. They delight in spraying water with large water shooters which develops their large physical skills and they observe how different coloured paints combine to create a new colour. The childminder follows children's interests and spends time observing the children, as well as becoming involved in their play at different times in order to provide further challenge and extend children's learning. Children enjoy a creative activity where they use tools to dig and make marks in the sand tray which promotes their physical development in preparation for early writing. After observing the children playing independently for a while, the childminder takes the opportunity to engage them and

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who attend

provide a focus for their learning. She builds a mountain of sand and encourages the children to count out loud with her before one of them knocks it down. The children giggle as they try to knock down the sand while the childminder protects it. Children develop their number skills in a fun and interactive way as they play alongside each other and develop close bonds with the other children.

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who attend

The childminders work together in order to care for and teach the children throughout each day. They have developed a key person system where each childminder takes responsibility for recording the observations and assessments of different children's progress. The children each have a development folder which contains photographs and observational comments to illustrate the experiences they enjoy and the progress they make. These are shared with parents in order to keep them informed of their children's development, and parents are encouraged to share information from home about their children's progress. The childminder demonstrates a clear knowledge of children's general progress and uses the information gathered in order to plan future activities to challenge and extend children's individual learning.

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

Children's emotional well-being is effectively promoted as they are supported to build secure attachments with both childminders, which enables them to feel safe and secure. Children attend for visits in advance of starting full-time which enables them to become familiar with the new environment. Parents are welcomed into the childminder's home and children's individual needs, routines and preferences are discussed in detail during the admissions procedure. The childminder discusses sleep routines with parents before children start to attend. However, the arrangements for children's sleep times do not fully promote children's individual requirements. For example, as children get older the childminder has not adapted the equipment used for younger children's sleep times to fully support their age and stage of development.

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

Children learn about the importance of hygiene routines, such as washing hands before they eat and having regular drinks of water from their individual beakers. During warm weather children are reminded of the need to wear sun hats and sun cream is applied to protect children's health. Older children are encouraged to develop independence as they learn to use the toilet upstairs by themselves and wash their hands. Healthy eating is promoted and discussed with the children so that they develop a positive attitude towards fruit and vegetables as part of their daily diet. Sandwiches, fruit, home cooked cottage pie and pasta with sauce are some of the nutritious meals and snacks provided to children. Dietary needs and allergies are known and catered for ensuring that children's individual requirements are met. An emergency evacuation procedure is in place and is practised with children which enables them to develop an understanding of keeping themselves safe

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

in an emergency. Children are encouraged to protect themselves and others when they are out and about, for example, by being aware of bikes and dogs when they are walking in the woodland area nearby. Children's behaviour is managed effectively in order to protect them from harm. They are aware of boundaries, such as, not running in the house, not standing on toys and staying close to the childminders when they go out and about.

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

The childminders have a pet dog who is often at the home during minded hours. However, the dog stays mainly in the kitchen when minded children are present and does not freely wander around the children's play areas. Food and water bowls are not accessible to children, protecting them from cross infection. Children enjoy walks in the local area when the dog accompanies them. This helps children to learn about the importance of treating animals with care and how to look after them effectively. Children begin to learn about diversity through discussions, activities and resources. They learn about various cultural festivals and themes, such as the World Cup, which are used to support children's understanding of the wider world.

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provision

Written safeguarding policies and procedures are in place and are shared with parents. All areas of the home are checked for safety before children arrive and appropriate equipment, such as a fire blanket and a fire guard, are in place. Safety gates prevent young children having free access to the kitchen and upstairs, which helps to protect them from harm. The childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of the procedures to follow should she have any concerns regarding a child's welfare and she has attended recent training in order to keep her own knowledge up-to-date.

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provision

The childminder has a very good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and uses this knowledge to plan stimulating and enjoyable experiences and activities for the children which promote their learning and development. The childminder monitors the progress children make through detailed assessment records and is able to discuss children's individual development. Effective partnerships with parents ensure that children's individual needs are catered for and their learning and development is shared well. A secure social media page has been created in order for parents to remain informed of their child's experiences throughout the day. This has proved particularly useful for sharing information regarding children's individual achievements, as parents do not always have time to chat when collecting children at the end of the day.

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provision

The childminder has completed a detailed written self-evaluation document which reflects the improvements made to the provision for children over time. The childminder spends time researching the ideas and thoughts of various childcare experts in order to update her own knowledge. She puts this research into practice and together both childminders identify areas in which they can continue to improve the provision for children. Since the last inspection the childminder has taken steps to meet the recommendations raised. For example, rooms have been rearranged to enable younger children to have more free access to resources and equipment, which promotes their independence and self - confidence. Effective partnerships with other early years settings have been implemented so that children's learning can be extended. Information regarding children's progress is shared and activities which build on what children have been doing at pre-school are

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provision

planned in order to provide consistency to further support children's development.

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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 EY136367 Local authority Knowsley Inspection number 877328 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 11

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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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