Early years · Early years inspection (CIF)
Chilvers-Tidey, Emma
Summary
What we read, and from where
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- Inspection datesingle source
11 Aug 2014
- Inspectors verified
Julia Matthew
- Overall effectiveness verified
Good
- URN verified
311702
Deep dive
What this report says
In plain English
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Grade profile
Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.
- OverallGood
Tone of the report
How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.
In line with other reports of this type graded Good.
Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.
How the report reads, start to finish
Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.
Strengths
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- Children's emotional well-being is extremely well met and their behaviour is excellent. p.1
- Children are very happy and content as they have formed positive relationships and very secure attachments with the childminder. p.1
- The childminder has positive relationships with parents, who work with her in partnership to ensure that their children's care, learning and development needs are consistently met. p.1
Concerns
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No strong criticism found.
Next steps
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
- The childminder has a very good understanding of how children learn through play. p.3
- She successfully builds on their interests and plans for their learning and progression by providing a wide variety of activities and experiences, which engage, challenge and motivate them. p.3
- The childminder interacts well with the children and encourages them to be actively involved in their play, taking the lead and making choices. p.3
- As a result, they are enthused, excited to learn and remain focused for long periods of time. p.3
- The childminder skilfully uses children's interests to encourage them to explore and learn across all areas of learning. p.3
- Consequently, they expand their horizons and begin to develop widening interests, skills and knowledge. p.3
- The childminder takes every opportunity to extend children's knowledge and understanding as she chats with them while they play. p.3
- Children interact very well with her, taking an interest in what she says, and older children often engage in long conversations on a wide variety of topics. p.3
What the report dwells on
Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.
Wellbeing & mental health4
“Children's emotional well-being is extremely well met and their behaviour is excellent.” p.1Records & policies4
“Highly effective settling-in procedures are in place.” p.5
Anatomy of the report
How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.
- Pages
- 10
- Words of findings
- 2,043
- longer than usual (typical 703)
- Reading level
- Hard
- Flesch 46, typical 50
- Average sentence
- 20 words
- Next steps
- 8
- typical 2
- Hedged sentences
- 0%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
Inspection date
Previous inspection date 11/08/2014 20/11/2008
p.1
early years provision
This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2
p.1
This provision is good
Children are very happy and content as they have formed positive relationships and very secure attachments with the childminder. Children's emotional well-being is extremely well met and their behaviour is excellent. The quality of teaching is good because the childminder provides a range of challenging experiences and activities which interest and engage the children. As a result, they all make at least good progress in the learning and development. Children are safeguarded very effectively and looked after in a safe environment. The childminder promotes safety in the setting, helping children to learn about and assess risks. The childminder has positive relationships with parents, who work with her in partnership to ensure that their children's care, learning and development needs are consistently met.
p.1
It is not yet outstanding because
There is scope to further enhance the already good language acquisition of the youngest children.
p.1
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
p.2
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.
p.2
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.
p.2
Inspection activities
The inspector had a tour of the parts of the premises used for childminding.
p.2
Inspection activities
The inspector spoke to the childminder and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.
p.2
Inspection activities
The inspector viewed a sample of documentation, including policies, risk assessments and children's records. The inspector observed children playing in the living room and kitchen.
p.2
Information about the setting
The childminder was registered in 1997 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and daughter in Ryton, Gateshead. The whole of the downstairs is used for childminding. There is an attached, enclosed garden for outdoor play. The family has a dog, a cat and a rabbit. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local library. She visits the local shops, cafes and parks on a regular basis. There are currently four children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age range, and they attend for a variety of sessions. The childminding provision operates all year round, from 6.45am to 5.30pm, Monday to Thursday, except bank holidays and family holidays.
p.3
To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:
expand on opportunities for the youngest children to further develop their language acquisition by narrating as they undertake activities.
p.3
who attend
The childminder has a very good understanding of how children learn through play. She successfully builds on their interests and plans for their learning and progression by providing a wide variety of activities and experiences, which engage, challenge and motivate them. The childminder interacts well with the children and encourages them to be actively involved in their play, taking the lead and making choices. As a result, they are enthused, excited to learn and remain focused for long periods of time. The childminder skilfully uses children's interests to encourage them to explore and learn across all areas of learning. Consequently, they expand their horizons and begin to develop widening interests, skills and knowledge.
p.3
who attend
Teaching is good. The childminder takes every opportunity to extend children's knowledge and understanding as she chats with them while they play. Children interact very well with her, taking an interest in what she says, and older children often engage in long conversations on a wide variety of topics. The childminder really values children's utterances and encourages the younger children to verbally share their needs and choices; she gives them time to speak and responds positively by making eye contact and smiling. They love interacting with the childminder as she draws them into conversations and talks to them about their play. However, the childminder does not exploit opportunities to support younger children's language acquisition even further, by using repetitive language and narration more often as they undertake tasks together. Overall, children are very well supported in language and communication and, as a result, all children make good
p.3
who attend
progress. The childminder effectively supports children with early mathematical development. For example, she uses masking tape to create parking spaces on the floor and numbers them, referring to them as they use them in their play. There are a number of interesting fiction and non-fiction books in the setting, and children enjoy looking at them with the childminder and independently. The childminder looks beyond her provision to access services in the community to support children's development. She attends groups which provide a wide range of activities and help children to develop social skills through interaction with other children and adults. The childminder is very aware of the importance of preparing children for school and supports them effectively to develop the skills they need to make the transition with confidence.
p.4
who attend
Detailed observations and assessments are completed, and these show that children are making at least good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas. Assessments are accurate. They are used to identify gaps in learning and plan for next steps. The childminder has a good understanding of the requirements of the progress check completed between the ages of two-and-three years. She recognises the importance of focusing on promoting development in the three prime areas of learning with the youngest children. She discusses children's progress with parents on a daily basis, and they are encouraged to access and add to their children's learning journals. Parents appreciate the regular updates they get and the level of detail in the journals, which include photographs, pieces of work, assessments and observations. These comprehensive records provide insight into the children's time in the setting, and their contents are valued and enjoyed by
p.4
The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children
The childminder meets the children's emotional and physical needs exceptionally well. They clearly love being with her and this is evident as they smile, chatter and laugh their way through their time in the setting. She is warm, caring and attentive and quickly responds when they need her. However, she has an excellent understanding of the need to support children to be independent, which she does extremely well and, as a result, they are not over reliant on her. All children develop very strong bonds with the childminder and, consequently, they feel safe and secure in the setting. Children's individual needs are consistently met by the childminder, as she plays alongside them to help develop skills with the right balance of encouragement and praise. As a result, they feel happy to try new things and are persistent when they meet challenges in their learning. Children have access to a wide range of developmentally appropriate resources,
p.4
The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children
which support all seven areas of learning inside and outside. Children are encouraged to access the resources independently and to help tidy them away when they are not being used. Children have daily access to an enclosed garden, which the childminder uses very effectively to support their understanding of the natural world. Children benefit from using natural, open-ended resources to extend their learning. The childminder promotes children's physical well-being very well and helps them to develop a very good understanding of healthy lifestyles, by talking to them about healthy choices and providing them with healthy snacks and drinks. She takes every opportunity through play to help children understand and learn about their bodies and health. For instance, as children play with the stethoscope, she talks to them about the beating of their heart and their breathing.
p.4
The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children
Highly effective settling-in procedures are in place. The childminder gathers a wide variety of information from parents about their children's care, learning and development needs prior to them starting in the setting. She uses this information as a starting point to plan experiences, which the children enjoy and are interested in, which gives her time to get to know them and settle them in. This helps children to make a very smooth transition into the setting. The childminder also works extremely closely with parents to ensure that they feel confident when leaving their children with her. The childminder has excellent links with the local nursery and is kept up to date with what children are learning there. She uses this information to offer experiences which complement and reinforce children's learning at school and support their progression. The childminder is very flexible. She works very effectively with parents and the school staff to ensure that children's transition
p.5
The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children
to school is as smooth as possible when the time comes. Parents comment on how delighted they are with the support they receive when their children move on from the setting.
p.5
The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children
The childminder consistently gives the highest priority to the safety of the children, and provides a very safe environment for children to explore and investigate. She supervises them closely and gently reminds them how to stay safe as they move around the setting and use equipment and tools. Furthermore, she always provides an explanation of the reasoning behind her requests, for example, when children excitedly run across the living room, she reminds them not to do so because they might slip on the floor. As a result, children are developing a very good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. All children behave exceptionally well. They are considerate, respectful and polite to one another. There is a real family feel in the setting. This is because the childminder acts as an excellent role model, is consistent in her approach and has very high expectations of children's behaviour.
p.5
provision
The childminder has a good understanding of how to safeguard children and the correct procedures to follow if she has a concern about a child. The childminder's policies, procedures, risk assessments and records are up to date and comprehensive, and they reflect her practice and are shared with parents. The childminder has worked hard since the last inspection to develop more robust self-evaluation. She now regularly seeks and values the views of parents and children, and uses these as part of her ongoing reflective practice. For example, recently, all parents completed questionnaires and the childminder is using them as part of her development planning. This demonstrates the childminder's commitment to continually improving her practice in order to best meet the needs of the children in her care.
p.5
provision
The childminder has a good understanding of the learning and development requirements, how children learn and what she can do to support their learning. At present, the childminder does not care for any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, she is committed to developing her knowledge in all areas and recently attended a course, which focused on how to provide the best possible environment for children who need extra support. Furthermore, she talks enthusiastically about her future plans to attend Makaton sign-language training in order to improve her provision for communication and language. Regular observations and accurate assessments inform planning, however, the childminder recognises the need to be flexible and plans are adapted in response to children's interests and events. She identifies gaps in children's learning, and plans activities and experiences to meet their needs. As a result,
p.5
provision
children make at least good progress in their learning and development.
p.6
provision
The childminder works very effectively with parents, who she encourages to be fully involved in their children's learning. They receive written information about their children's development at regular intervals, and are verbally updated as they drop off and pick up their children. As a result, partnerships with parents are very good and, subsequently, children's learning and development is well supported. Parents are very happy with the information they receive from the childminder. They comment that they really like being able to regularly access their children's learning journals. They describe the childminder as a 'second mum', that their children love being with her and how confident they feel knowing that their children 'are having the best possible care while they are at work'. The childminder has a very good understanding of the importance of working closely with parents, other providers and professionals in order to best meet the needs of the children
p.6
provision
in her care. She looks beyond her setting to access services within the community, which support children's learning and development, and has forged strong links with local schools and is an active member of a local childminder group. As a result, she is able to keep up with good practice and this sharing of knowledge helps her to continually review and improve her provision.
p.6
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
p.6
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
p.7
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.
p.7
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.
p.8
Setting details
Unique reference number 311702 Local authority Gateshead Inspection number 871910 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4
p.8
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.
p.8
Type of provision
For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:
p.8
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.
p.8
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.
p.8
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.
p.9
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,
p.9
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’.
p.10
Type of provision
T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk
p.10
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