Maslen, Laura

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 30/06/2014 03/06/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 1 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

 The childminder uses effective teaching methods to support and extend children's learning to a good level. She plans and provides a range of imaginative activities for all the children she cares for, enabling them to make choices about their play.  The childminder promotes children's understanding of keeping safe as she fully supports them in taking some risks, such as when they climb trees.  The monitoring of observation and assessment is good, enabling the childminder to track children's progress and support her in developing individual learning plans for each child. Strong links with parents support the childminder to engage and encourage them to contribute to their child's learning record.  The childminder has a generally secure understanding of safeguarding issues and how to keep children safe. Effective routines and risk assessments enable her to monitor and promote children's safety and well-being.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder does not consistently practise robust hygiene procedures to ensure that the spread of infection is prevented.  The children's hours of arrival and departure are not recorded accurately to ensure that they show exactly when the children attend the setting.

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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 childminder's house and talked with the childminder.  The inspector viewed the areas of the premises and garden used for childminding.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of household members, and a range of other documentation, including the safeguarding procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents, as recorded in written questionnaires and reference letters.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed the childminder's self-evaluation form as provided at inspection.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1995 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives in a house in Baldock, Hertfordshire. The whole of the ground floor, two bedrooms on the first floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family have a dog. 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 five children on roll, two of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She operates all year round from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays.

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must:

 ensure that a daily record is kept of the names of the children being cared for on the premises and their hours of attendance.

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

 promote further hygiene procedures to prevent the spread of infection by ensuring that the hand towel is changed more regularly

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who attend

The childminder knows the children in her care well. She has a good understanding of how children learn, which means she is able to provide them with a balanced range of activities and experiences that cover all areas of learning and complements their learning at school. The flexible planning enables the childminder to follow children's individual interests, incorporate the next steps in their learning, resulting in providing exciting activities that children enjoy and that sustain their attention. The childminder uses modelling language to describe what the children are doing and open-ended questions to encourage children to think for themselves. For example, during a craft activity, children were encouraged to think of ways to balance the pipe cleaner on the spoon, deciding to wrap another pipe cleaner around to secure it. Children are learning new vocabulary as she describes children's actions,' threading, linking, making a loop'. Children are keen to

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who attend

talk to the childminder about what they have been doing at home and during the day at nursery and school. This open discussion is encouraged and not only helps children to become confident in expressing themselves, but also provides an insight and reassurance for the younger children who are moving onto school.

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who attend

Children's personal, social and emotional development is promoted well. Children are able to take turns, initiate their own games and make choices over their play. They clearly enjoy craft activities and are able to choose from a wide selection of materials available, for example, they collect lots of natural materials, such as bark and leaves, to create their own dinosaur picture on the ground in the park. They skilfully use different tools and experiment with using them in different ways. For example, children used the glue spreader to make patterns in the glue and paint and then used the pipe cleaner to mix it around. They attempt to cut the wooden stick with scissors, before the childminder explains that the scissors are not strong enough and they try snapping it in half instead. Children are encouraged to develop the early stages of mathematics as they count out the number of cards for each player and estimate and measure the length of the pipe cleaner

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who attend

before cutting to ensure it fits. They learn about number and money, when playing board games and when they visit the shops, as the childminder encourages them to pay and count their coins. Children go to the book club at the library and regularly borrow books to share at the childminder's and at home. Children are able to spell and write their names and understand that print has meaning as they look at the instructions before making a decision on which puppet they want to make. These simple activities help children develop the skills they need to be ready for school.

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who attend

Planned activities have identified learning objectives and clear observations are recorded in their learning journals, including parents' comments and children's feedback about the activity. The childminder uses these observations to assess and identify the next steps in their learning and then inform their individual learning plans. This ensures that she is able to meet the needs of each child effectively. The childminder is fully aware of the requirement to complete a progress check at age two for the relevant children in her care, when the need arises. Parents are asked to share information about their children's starting points along with their likes and interests, when their child first attends. The childminder uses this information to complete an 'all about me' sheet which she uses as a basis for the child's learning journal, helping her to fully plot their progress and development. Parents regularly share the learning journals and verbally discuss their

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who attend

children's achievements with the childminder. Parents make comments on activities children have taken part in and the childminder discusses the next steps in their learning. This ensures that children receive relevant support and continuity in their learning and development.

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

Children form strong, emotional bonds with the childminder and the other children being cared for. Detailed information is gathered from parents to help the childminder get to know the children and meet their individual needs. Routines are followed and children bring comfort toys from home, which helps them to settle and feel secure in the setting. All children are developing very good social skills because the childminder is a good role model. For example, she regularly reinforces the phrase 'sharing is caring' that children follow. The childminder agrees behaviour management methods with parents when the child starts. She gives clear warnings and explanations to support young children in understanding and managing their behaviour effectively. The childminder's sensitive approach and the setting's clear boundaries help children to learn about good behaviour and she uses praise and stickers to reward positive behaviour. For example, children are

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

involved in devising and take ownership of their house rules. Consequently, children are learning to take turns, share and understand the feelings of others. Children develop a strong awareness of keeping safe as the childminder encourages them to assess and take some smaller risks. For example, children are encouraged to think about where they need to place their feet each time they move up as they climb a tree. Children are thrilled when they successfully manage to climb up and sit on the branch. The childminder discusses road safety with the children, asking them when they think it is safe to cross the road.

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

Children are given lots of choices about the resources they play with and can access some of these independently. They enjoy helping the childminder with 'jobs', such as tidying away or weeding in the garden and this provides children with a sense of responsibility and being independent. The childminder ensures that children eat healthily, although she only provides snacks, these tend to be a variety of fruit. She acknowledges and caters for the dietary needs of individual children. For example, children eat their strawberries at the childminder's house as they are not allowed to eat them at nursery due to other children's allergy. The childminder ensures that children go outdoors on a daily basis, walking to school, visiting the park or playing in the garden. This enables children to benefit from fresh air and regular physical exercise, such as running and climbing. The childminder generally practises good hygiene procedures, however, the hand towel, children use for

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

drying their hands is not changed regularly enough to ensure that the risk of cross infection is prevented effectively.

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

Children have lots of opportunities to practise their social skills as they mix with others at the childminding setting and at groups, they attend with the childminder. She encourages parents to have play dates, particularly with those children that find it difficult to make friends. The childminder prepares children emotionally for their move to other settings by talking to them about what to expect and who their teacher will be, reassuring them that she will come back to collect them. She also arranges to visit school with children to have a school lunch in preparation for when children start. Children's independence is promoted as they are supported in exploring the resources and initiating their own play. They are encouraged to take care of their personal needs, for example, putting on their coat and shoes. These simple activities help them to develop the skills required for future learning and prepares them for the move to school.

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provision

Children are protected from abuse and neglect as the childminder has a good understanding of the Local Safeguarding Children Board policies and procedures, which she uses as the basis for her safeguarding policy. The childminder implements a safe procedure for the use of mobile phones and cameras in the setting. She uses appropriate conduct when using social media sites to ensure both confidentiality and children's safety are maintained. All adults in the household have been vetted and the childminder ensures that children are never left alone with anyone unvetted. The childminder supervises children effectively, for example, she ensures that she stands by the car, waits and checks that the older children go into school safely. Effective risk assessments and routines are in place to help ensure children's safety is promoted in the home and out in the community. The childminder is aware of the importance of reviewing and updating the documents she

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provision

uses to support her in managing the safety and welfare of the children in her care. However, the attendance record is inaccurate. Although children's times of arrival and departure to the setting are recorded, it does not include times when the children are at school and therefore are not being cared for by the childminder during this time. This is a breach of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements as the provider cannot demonstrate the periods of care.

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provision

The childminder monitors and evaluates the activities she provides for children to ensure they are challenged and their learning and development is promoted effectively. The childminder continues to seek feedback from parents and regular discussions with children about their likes and dislikes, assist the childminder in reviewing and evaluating her practice effectively. She has plans in place such as accessing further training, which supports her in her continuous improvement. She is aware of the training and support services available at the local children's centre. The childminder failed to notify Ofsted of a significant event and consequently was issued with a warning letter. She is now fully aware of all the changes that she is required to notify Ofsted about.

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provision

The childminder has established good working relationships with parents. She has a robust settling-in process and shares information on a daily basis, verbally and through the activity diaries and learning journeys. This ensures parents are fully informed about their children's progress and activities they have enjoyed. Parents' comments are also sought regarding specific observations that the childminder makes. This ensures that parents are fully involved in their child's learning and development. The childminder understands the importance of liaising with other early years settings which children attend, to support their continued learning.

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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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 149452 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 978978 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 5

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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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