Childminder in Nottinghamshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/07/2014 07/10/2009

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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

 Effective observations and assessments enable the childminder to monitor children's progress well. Consequently, she plans and provides a range of activities and experiences to support children's learning. As a result, all children make good progress.  Children are happy and settled. They develop secure emotional attachments because the childminder promotes their confidence and independence.  The childminder ensures that children are safe within her home and on outings through the use of effective risk assessments and a secure knowledge of how to safeguard children.  The childminder is a reflective person, who continually reviews her practice to identify ways to develop the already good practice, to benefit the children she cares for.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to strengthen the already good partnership with parents and carers, by consistently providing specific information about children's next steps for learning and how they might support these at home.  There is scope to strengthen partnership working with some other settings that children attend, so that it makes a stronger contribution to supporting their learning and 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 looked at children's developmental records, evidence of the childminders suitability and a range of other documentation, including the safeguarding procedure.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents and carers documented in recent questionnaires.  The inspector discussed the childminder's self-evaluation process.  The inspector observed activities in the childminder's house.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector and childminder jointly observed and discussed children's learning and development during child-led play.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2009 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and one child aged 10 in a house in Forest Town, near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. 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 and pre-schools. There are currently 19 children on roll, five of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She operates all year round, from 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She is a member of Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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

 strive towards establishing highly successful partnerships with parents and carers, by looking at ways to extend the information they receive about their child's next steps and how they can support these at home

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

 strengthen the partnership and information sharing with other settings that children attend, so that it makes a stronger contribution to supporting children's learning and development.

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who attend

Teaching is good. The childminder appreciates that children learn best through a mixture of adult-led experiences and child-initiated play. Children make good progress because the childminder takes account of what they can do, how they prefer to learn and what they are interested in. She completes observations of children when they are first settling-in with her and talks to parents to find out what their children can do. This results in the childminder identifying accurate starting points for all children, which she then builds on. The childminder begins her planning process by identifying significant events in the calendar year, such as the grand prix and the Chinese New Year. This ensures children are introduced to the wider world they live in. The weekly planning provides children with interesting and exciting activities that link to their next steps and current interests. The childminder regularly observes children as they play, assessing their progress on an

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who attend

ongoing basis. She identifies their levels of development and carefully considers their next steps in learning, using the learning outcomes document. The childminder tracks and monitors children's progress successfully. As a result, the childminder quickly identifies potential gaps in individual children's learning and development, which she then plans for. This enables all children to make good progress in the seven areas of learning.

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who attend

The childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of her responsibilities relating to the progress check for children aged between two and three years and for sharing the assessment with parents and carers in a timely fashion. Overall, the older children play well together with the younger children, as they are given gentle reminders around sharing the resources and waiting for their turn. Children help with the tidying up of the toys, indicating that they are aware of the routines. Children's speech and language skills are encouraged during everyday discussions because the childminder regularly talks to them about what they are doing. Children are learning the skills they will need to move on successfully in their education and on to school. The childminder interacts well with children during play, to sustain their interest and engagement. She is effective at letting children lead the play and supporting their learning in appropriate areas. For instance, as

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who attend

a child plays with building blocks, the childminder demonstrates how to add some blocks to make a swing. This effectively promotes children's imagination and physical development. The childminder regularly reads stories and has a daily singing and dancing activity to further promote children's learning in communication and language, while also sparking their literacy and expressive arts skills.

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who attend

Children take their lead from the childminder and older early years children read a book to toddlers. They point out numbers in the book and correctly recognise and name the numerals 1 to 10. This supports their mathematical knowledge. Children play with toys that develop their understanding of technology as they press buttons to make sounds and movement. The childminder makes good use of her local community to further extend children's understanding of the world. For instance, children are introduced to unusual craft activities, such as bark rubbing. The childminder strives to develop relationships with other providers that share the care of children. In the main this is successful, however, there are some settings that are more reluctant to share care and learning. Therefore, there is scope to enhance these relationships in order to complement children's learning and development further. Parents and carers can look at their child's learning records at

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who attend

any time, providing them with opportunities to become involved in their children's learning. The childminder also provides a daily record of what children have been doing. There is, however, scope to improve this information so that it consistently provides parents and carers with more detailed and specific information about children's current next steps and how to support these at home.

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

The childminder provides a welcoming family home. There are warm and caring relationships evident between the childminder and children, ensuring that they feel valued and emotionally secure. The childminder gathers information from parents when children start attending, which provides her with a base for establishing what children can do and their individual routines. This helps with settling children into the setting and ensures the transition between home and the childminder's setting is a happy and positive experience. Children's behaviour is managed consistently. They learn to take turns and share and to be considerate to each other, particularly towards children younger than themselves. Children are treated respectfully by the childminder and thrive on the encouragement and praise they receive. When minor issues arise, such as when a child starts to aggravate other children, the childminder talks with parents and they agree a strategy to solve the

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

problem. This provides consistency for the child.

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

Children are aware of personal hygiene practices to protect their own health, such as hand washing prior to eating. They are also gently reminded to wash their hands after using the bathroom facilities. Meals and snacks provided are healthy and offer children the chance to make an informed choice each day. On the day of the inspection, children brought peas in a pod from home to share for snack. The childminder encourages children to pop the pods and she washes the peas before children eat them. Despite clearly not liking the peas, younger children are praised for trying them. The childminder's garden is currently undergoing work. However, children are encouraged to be physically active during daily trips to the local parks and on the school run. The childminder maintains a current paediatric first-aid certificate, so that she is able to deal with any minor accidents children may have. Outings into the local community provide routine opportunities for children to

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

learn about keeping themselves safe when, for example, crossing the roads.

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

Children are given a good range of resources in the dedicated playroom that provide them with a choice of activities. As a result, children are motivated to learn. For example, toys are presented at child level. This means that they can explore what is available and request further resources to enhance their play and learning. Children have opportunities to learn about other cultures and beliefs as the childminder provides a range of resources and activities to reflect today's diverse society. This was a recommendation from the previous inspection, which the childminder has improved. This shows how she is committed to the continued development of her setting. Children become familiar with the wider community as the childminder collects children from the local school, visits the museum and toddler groups. These trips help to boost children's confidence and emotionally prepare them for their move to other settings and to school.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of her roles and responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder's knowledge of how to keep children safe from harm and abuse is good and she is aware of the signs and symptoms to look out for. Daily checks of the premises mean that children play in a safe and particularly clean home. Risk assessments are detailed and show how the childminder has considered potential risks to children and minimised these. As a result, children are kept safe from harm. Policies and procedures are thorough and cover all requirements. Policies are shared with parents providing clear information about her practice. Accident and medication forms are detailed and signed by parents. The childminder ensures that all adults living on the premises complete relevant suitability checks to help ensure that they are suitable to have contact with children.

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provision

The childminder has completed mandatory and some additional training, which has enabled her to develop a good understanding of her responsibilities to meet the care and learning needs of children. Self-evaluation is used effectively to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the service the childminder offers. This enables the childminder to make continuous improvements to children's care and learning. For instance, she has identified, while boys are consistently actively engaged in play, they would benefit from further resources to support their deeper involvement in activities. The childminder encourages parents to be part of the service she provides by sending out questionnaires on a regular basis. Recent questionnaires demonstrate that all parents are completely satisfied with the service they receive. The childminder has successfully addressed the actions raised at the last inspection. For instance, she has effectively researched and implemented a more

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provision

efficient observation, assessment and tracking system to complement children's learning and development. The childminder demonstrates how she is always evolving her practice and is open to any suggestions that may improve the way she plans for children. This results in children continually benefitting from good standards of care and learning.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of the areas of learning. She makes sure that the educational programmes reflect children's learning needs and interests. Children enjoy a broad programme of activities, including craft activities and trips into the community, which support them in making good progress in all areas. The childminder shares some detailed and useful verbal and written information with parents during daily feedback, which is provided on an ongoing basis. This keeps parents and carers up to date with their child's routine during the day. The good level of detail, especially around children's care needs, ensures that if parents and carers are in a rush, they receive the same level of information as those who can stay and chat. However, there is scope to improve this information with specific regard to learning and development. The childminder demonstrates a good understanding of the importance of working with other

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provision

professionals, if needs be, in order to ensure that children receive appropriate support tailored to their individual needs. There is scope to enhance relationships further with the early years settings children attend to support their learning and development even further. For example, by obtaining more in depth information about what children are learning at nursery or pre-school and what stage of development they are at.

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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 EY391112 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 879104 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 19

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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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