Childminder in Worcestershire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/07/2014 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

 Children are confident and thrive in the fun and welcoming atmosphere. They have positive relationships with each other and with the childminder who uses her sound knowledge of each child's characteristics, interests and abilities to plan and organise activities which complement their learning at pre-school and school.  Children are enthusiastic and resourceful learners. In particular, they show high levels of creativity and ingenuity during enjoyable art, craft and modelling activities and when taking part in fun card and board games. These activities also provide them with opportunities to demonstrate their excellent early writing and problem solving skills.  The childminder's positive relationships with parents, carers and the school ensure she fully understands children's needs and successfully works in partnership with them to effectively promote children's welfare, health, safety and good progress.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to enhance children's learning outdoors by offering them a wider range of experiences and resources to extend their exploration, discovery and understanding of the natural world.  Sometimes the childminder does not make the best use of the interesting toys and resources she has to enhance children's ideas and their understanding of real-life experiences during their imaginative and creative play.

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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 lounge, dining room and rear garden.  The inspector spoke to the childminder and children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and the planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and training of the childminder and the suitability of her daughter.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed the childminder's procedures for monitoring and evaluating her childminding provision and her plans for improvement.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of records and policies relating to children's welfare, health and safety.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.  The inspector was accompanied by another inspector.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2014 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her adult daughter in a house in Bishampton, near Pershore. The childminder uses the whole of the ground floor, a first floor bathroom and an enclosed rear garden for childminding. The family has three cats and a goldfish. There are currently eight children on roll, of whom six are in the early years age group who attend for a variety of sessions and two are school-age children who attend before and after school. The childminder also runs a local pre-school so during school term times. She operates Monday to Friday after pre-school and after school. Sessions during term time are from 3pm to 6pm, except on a Tuesday when sessions are from 1.15pm to 6pm. The childminder also operates during school holidays, closing for two weeks during the summer. Holiday sessions are from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday.

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Information about the setting

The childminder is able to collect children from the local school. She has an appropriate early years qualification at level 3.

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

 enrich the outdoor learning environment to give children additional opportunities to be curious, investigate further, explore and discover the natural world

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

 extend children's ideas and their understanding of real-life experiences, for example, by offering them a wider range of props and resources during their imaginative and creative play.

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who attend

The childminder creates a fun and relaxed atmosphere for children's learning. She knows the children well as most of them attend the pre-school she runs and she effectively plans and organises enjoyable activities which complement their learning at this setting or at school. The childminder knows how well children are developing as a result of her observations and accurate assessments of their skills and understanding in all areas of learning. She also regularly talks to parents, pre-school colleagues who work with some of the children and the teacher of the Reception class where other children attend. As a result, the childminder understands which aspects of children's learning and development she needs to focus on next when planning activities, as well as reflecting their current interests. She currently coordinates her planning for children attending her childminding service with her planning for the pre-school. This means the childminder offers continuity

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who attend

for the children who attend both settings. However, she makes sure she incorporates the needs of school-age children and adapts her planning to take account of the needs of younger children who have recently started and do not go to pre-school. The childminder also plans fun activities and outings for the holidays to take account of children's interests, abilities and their longer hours of attendance. Parents and carers appreciate having copies of the childminder's activity plans so they can discuss these with their children and follow up ideas at home.

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who attend

Currently, the childminder is looking after several children who are going to school in September and she successfully fosters their effective learning. For example, children choose what they want to do and confidently select resources and materials for their free- choice art and craft work. They concentrate and persevere, enjoying learning with other children and the childminder, but also play purposefully on their own. The childminder has a good range of toys, resources and games which, generally, stimulate children's exploration, imagination and creativity. For instance, a selection of children's spectacle frames encourages children to pretend to be opticians and they briefly use the outdoor playhouse as their base. Children enjoy wearing the different glasses during other activities and return to their roles at other times during the session. However, the childminder misses the opportunity to further develop children's understanding of a real-

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who attend

life situations. There is scope for her to extend their understanding and imagination by providing additional resources to create a more realistic scenario of what happens at an opticians and to make the most of children's abilities, for instance, in their early writing skills and in beginning to recognise print.

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who attend

In other respects, the childminder offers children many stimulating resources which they use creatively in their paintings, drawings, collages and modelling. Children show their skills in making recognisable marks when they label their work, for example, with their name. The childminder also annotates children's artwork with the comments they make while drawing and painting. Children are keen to find out how to make things. For example, they talk about and decide which scissors to use and what type of glue will work best when decorating their cards and making an 'envelope' from two pieces of paper. Children are also adept at recognising and using numbers for counting, matching and simple problem solving. The childminder has a selection of games, which promote both their cooperative play and problem solving. A card game aimed at slightly older children is particularly popular with four- and five-year-old children. The childminder explains the

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who attend

rules and strategies of the game, which all children quickly understand. They show high levels of skill and understanding as they immediately work out the number and colour matching and sequencing problems as the game progresses. Parents comment how much children enjoy this game, which they are also very keen to play at home.

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who attend

The childminder interacts well with the children. She effectively promotes their listening and attention and their expressive language as they discuss a wide range of topics and recall events. The childminder explains things well and she encourages children to use language for thinking as they ask and answer questions and work out problems. Children are really articulate and confident speakers and often engage in lively and quite detailed discussions. Children play outside daily where they learn to be physically active and enjoy being imaginative, for instance building a den and acting out different roles. However, there is scope for the childminder to further develop the outdoor area to include more open-ended resources to extend children's exploration and discovery and to create more opportunities for them to learn about the natural world, for instance, through gardening and growing plants. The childminder and children have started to plan a sensory garden which they

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

Children are happy and settled. They know the childminder well from attending her pre- school or attending the school where this setting is based. They all benefit from being looked after in a family-orientated setting. The childminder and parents recognise how children have grown in confidence and formed close friendships since being with her. The childminder also supports new children in settling well. She is kind and approachable and makes sure she reflects their interests in the activities and resources that she organises so that children soon develop a sense of belonging.

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

The childminder recognises the importance of preparing children emotionally and socially for their future learning, including starting school. She and the children often talk about aspects of school life based on their own experiences of attending the pre-school or finding out about school age children's activities. The childminder also focuses on helping children to be confident about expressing their views. This includes encouraging them to make choices and decisions, for instance, about what they want to play with or eat at snack time. The childminder is receptive to their differing characters and readily reassures and encourages children so they feel confident to ask for her help and also become more self-reliant. For example, parents appreciate how she has encouraged children to increasingly manage aspects of their self-care unaided, such as, going to the toilet, washing their hands and putting on their coats and shoes. Children behave well because

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

the childminder ensures they know what is expected of them and what is happening next. She provides many opportunities for them to share and take turns, for instance, when they take part in board and card games. Children are becoming increasingly confident about resolving minor disagreements as they talk about whose turn is next but they also ask the childminder to intervene if necessary.

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

Children are well cared for. The childminder asks parents about their children's care, health and dietary needs and agrees arrangements for managing any specific conditions. She promotes children's understanding of how to be healthy as they talk about foods that are good for them and they make healthy choices about what to eat and drink when helping with snack time preparations. Children relish being outdoors, enjoying being physically active in the childminder's garden and during visits to parks. They manage their self-care, toileting and hand washing independently with the childminder discreetly checking that they are alright. Children also understand about different aspects of safety. The childminder ensures they behave safely and sensibly when using scissors, utensils or physical play apparatus. They talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency and why they must wear a seat belt when travelling in the childminder's car. The childminder

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

ensures children are looked after in comfortable and safe surroundings. She has devised comprehensive risk assessments and checks to help her monitor and maintain safety.

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provision

Children are effectively safeguarded. The childminder understands how to protect them from harm and knows what action to take if she has concerns about a child's safety and welfare. She has devised appropriate procedures which reflect Local Safeguarding Children Board guidance and procedures and meet regulations. The childminder ensures parents and carers are aware of her safeguarding procedures including those relating to the use of mobile phones and cameras in her setting. Her comprehensive record keeping contains all required information about children and families, including clear agreements with parents about their children's care. The childminder makes sure she knows who can have access to children including obtaining details of who will be collecting them. She provides parents with information about how she operates, including explaining how she is registered and how her and her daughter's suitability has been checked by Ofsted.

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provision

The childminder has made a good start to her childminding. She effectively draws on her expertise and experience as a well-established pre-school provider to offer children and families a good-quality childminding service. The childminder's positive links with parents, carers and the school ensure she fully understands each child's needs, offers them continuity and tailors her provision to complement their care and learning elsewhere. Her links with the school enable her to prepare children well for moving on to full-time education and to ensure she passes on information to the Reception class teacher about these children's progress.

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provision

The childminder uses effective practical methods to monitor and evaluate the quality of her childminding provision. She welcomes and acts on the advice of the local authority early years improvement adviser. The childminder uses her regular assessments and tracking of children's progress to monitor the quality and impact of her teaching and of activities on their learning and development. As a result, the childminder has identified improvements she wants to make to her outdoor provision, such as involving children in making a garden for herbs and plants. She monitors safety through her comprehensive risk assessments and regular checks and she audits her records, policies and procedures to ensure that they are up to date and meet regulation. Children's views and interests are central to the childminder's planning and organisation of activities while parents' and carers' views are sought informally. They appreciate her warm welcome and the regular

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provision

opportunities to discuss their children's care, learning and development. Parents and carers highlight how the childminder has given them practical advice and good support in managing different aspects of their children's behaviour, health and development. The childminder invests in her own professional development, including attending training, such as a recent course for practitioners with lead responsibility for safeguarding. Overall, she demonstrates a very good capacity for continuous improvement.

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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 EY470426 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 950654 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 8

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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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