Childminder in Lancashire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/07/2014 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 make good progress because the childminder plays and talks with them effectively throughout the day. They enjoy their time with her because she provides interesting activities and resources.  Children are kept safe from harm because the childminder supervises them closely and is aware of potential risks.  Children's development and emotional well-being is supported well because the childminder works closely and effectively with parents.  The childminder is keen to continue to develop her practice and has made good progress in establishing her service.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The links with local specialist advice could be strengthened in order to help the childminder draw on a wide range of expertise, to help her meet children's needs to an even higher level.  The childminder's professional development is not yet highly focused on improving her knowledge and understanding of children's learning, to support children to make rapid rather than good progress.

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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 rooms and outside area used for childminding.  The inspector spoke to the childminder and children at appropriate opportunities.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the childminder.  The inspector looked at documents used to support and monitor children's learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed documents, including evidence of suitability checks of adults in the household.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents from information included in the childminder's own parent survey.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2012 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two children aged one and five years, in a house in the Lostock area of Preston. The whole of the ground floor and the bathroom and one bedroom on the first floor are used for childminding. The rear garden is available for outdoor play. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local children's centre and local library. She visits the shops and parks on a regular basis. The childminder collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There is currently one child on roll who is in the early years age range and attends for a variety of sessions. The childminding provision operates all year round from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years

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Information about the setting

and she can receive funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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

 build on local partnership working in order to strengthen the links with local specialist advice, for example, speech and language services, to further enhance provision for children

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

 strengthen professional development to further develop knowledge and understanding of children's learning, in order to enhance practice to support children in making rapid progress.

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who attend

Teaching is good because the childminder plays and talks with children effectively throughout the day. She uses conversations naturally to promote children's learning in all areas and to develop their vocabulary and thinking. For example, children feel the buckets get heavier as they fill them from the tap and the childminder talks to them about the weight of the water and how full the bucket is. This helps children to understand the meaning of words by linking them to their own experiences. They develop their physical control as they carry the bucket and carefully pour the water out into other containers. The childminder encourages children to speak by asking appropriate questions and praising their responses. She counts naturally with children as they collect objects. Children have plenty of opportunities to make choices and they have time to explore and experiment because the childminder respects their choices. She knows how to join in

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who attend

sensitively with their play and investigations, by making suggestions and not directing what they do. Consequently, children are keen leaners who are engaged in their activities. They are developing all of the skills they will need for their eventual move to school.

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who attend

The childminder provides interesting resources and activities to support all areas of learning. She makes links to children's interests and experiences, for example, providing beach and summer holiday items to play with following a child's recent holiday. This promotes children's self-esteem and enthusiasm for learning because it is particularly relevant to them. The childminder works closely with families to encourage information sharing so that she can provide this individual focus. She keeps parents well informed of children's learning and experiences at her setting, which supports their learning at home. The childminder assesses what children can do and makes plans to support the next steps in their learning. She targets her observations to monitor any gaps in children's development. As a result, children make good overall progress towards all of the early learning goals.

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

Children form good relationships with the childminder. They play happily with her and her children and enjoy themselves because their emotional needs are met well. She provides a range of interesting resources for children to choose how to spend their time. She varies what is available to give children a mixture of familiar and new choices and, as a result, children are settled and engaged in their play. Children behave well because the childminder supports them with gentle reminders, fair expectations and lots of attention as they learn to take turns and share. She also helps them to learn to socialise by taking them to regular toddler groups, where they develop their confidence with other people and experience group activities, such as song time.

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

The childminder encourages children to try things for themselves. She has good expectations and gives them lots of praise for their efforts. Consequently, they manage tasks well for their age. For example, they tidy up after play and clear the table after meals, they help with dressing themselves to go outdoors and wash their hands well before meals. Children's self-esteem develops well as they achieve each new appropriate challenge. The childminder helps children to learn to stay safe. She supervises closely and teaches children how to move safely outdoors and, as a result, children confidently manage areas of uneven ground and small steps in the garden. Children are being prepared for their eventual move to school because their confidence and independence skills are being developed well.

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

Children enjoy lots of fresh air and exercise to help their bodies grow. Trips to the park and soft play centres give them opportunities to climb and exercise in larger spaces. The childminder provides good child-sized meals and snacks with a variety of fruit, which children enjoy. Children have opportunities to sleep without interruption, which rests their bodies and supports their development. They are developing healthy habits for life and their needs are met well.

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provision

The childminder understands her responsibilities to promote children's learning, development and well-being. She monitors children's progress and ensures they develop in all areas of learning. Children are kept safe from harm because the childminder supervises them closely and is aware of potential hazards. She uses risk assessments effectively to help her to identify and manage risks. The childminder undertakes training, such as in safeguarding, and she has thorough polices to follow if she has any concerns about the welfare of a child in her care.

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provision

The childminder has made good progress in establishing her setting. She receives support from local authority development workers, which has helped her to improve the organisation and evaluation of her provision. The childminder uses professional membership services and internet research to develop her knowledge and understanding. This has a positive impact on children's experience. For example, the childminder is developing a mud kitchen in her garden to support children's explorations, as a result of articles she has read. She is keen to continue to improve her practice and plans to complete a level 3 childcare qualification in the future. The training she has undertaken to date has been largely focused on safeguarding and welfare aspects. Consequently, there is scope to improve her professional development, by extending her knowledge and understanding of how children learn in order to strengthen her already good practice and

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provision

support children to make higher levels of progress.

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provision

The childminder encourages parents to share information on children's lives, which she uses to plan activities and enhance conversations with children. She takes time to talk to parents each day, as well as sharing information and photographs regularly with secure social media and text messages. As a result, children's learning and well-being is supported because the adults in their lives are well-informed of their current interests, abilities and concerns. Parents make very positive comments in the childminder's own survey, saying that they are completely confident leaving their child in her care and that their children have come on in leaps and bounds. The childminder is developing her partnership working with other professionals. She has completed training to understand formal referral processes for children who need support and she uses some services provided by the local children's centre. However, the childminder does not yet access local

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provision

specialist advice to meet children's needs exceptionally well, for example, by making stronger links with local speech and language services to strengthen her ability to access this services for minded children when necessary.

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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 EY442412 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 884937 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 1

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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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