Childminder in Swindon

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/08/2014 25/09/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 4 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

 The quality of teaching is good. The children are engaged and happy because the childminder knows them well. She uses play and planned activities that engage children and build on their individual interests. This supports them to develop positive attitudes to learning. Learning at home is valued and promoted.  The childminder has a good understanding of how to promote the health and safety of children in her care. Safeguarding and risk assessment procedures are secure. As a result, children are well-cared for and protected.  Children enjoy warm, caring relationships with their childminder. They behave well and are settled and show that they feel secure in her care.  Partnership working with parents is effective and promotes a good two-way flow of information, which benefits children's ongoing care and learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children do not have access to a varied range of mark making activities to support their understanding of writing for a purpose.

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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 majority of inspection time was spent with the childminder, observing her practice with the minded children.  The inspector looked at children's information and developmental records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector engaged in ongoing discussion with the childminder, and checked samples of policies and other records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed the process of self-evaluation with the childminder to find out how she obtains the views of all users.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2012. She lives with her husband and young daughter in the Haydon Wick area of Swindon, Wiltshire. The whole of the property is available for childminding purposes, though children generally play downstairs. Toilet facilities are available upstairs. There is an enclosed garden for outside play. There are shops and local amenities within walking distance. The childminder takes and collects children from local schools. The family has a pet dog and rabbit. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is currently caring for four children in the early years range. She also offers care to older children.

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

 enrich the opportunities for children to further develop their mark making skills by providing more open-ended activities to support writing for a purpose during routine play.

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who attend

The childminder has a very good knowledge of how children learn through play. She is secure in her understanding of how to promote children's learning and development through play and planned activities. The childminder gains valuable information, about the children and their starting points, through meetings with their parents and during settling- in sessions. She gathers baseline assessments and records a wealth of information about children's likes, dislikes and routines. The childminder makes sure that activities are developmentally appropriate through the effective use of observation and accurate assessments. She uses this information well, to plan appropriate next steps for children and also promote their future learning. The childminder tracks children's development over time, so she is able to monitor their progress across all areas of learning. The childminder guides parents on how best to support children's learning at home and they share daily

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who attend

information about children's achievements. As a result, children's learning is enhanced and they are supported by their families as well as the childminder.

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who attend

The childminder's quality of teaching is good. The childminder interacts skilfully with children and successfully supports them to progress in all areas of learning as she does so. For example, she plays with children down at their level, and supports their communication and language skills well. During a game with small world people she asks them lots of open-ended questions, such as 'What do you think he needs to do next?' and allows time for children to think and communicate their thoughts. This successfully extends both the children's vocabulary and understanding. She supports them as they choose to dress up as film characters by fetching a large mirror and guides them in their self-care skills as they dress themselves. She carefully plans activities to meet children's individual learning needs and interests, and her enthusiastic approach inspires children to take part. For example, children enjoy a craft activity where they are able to self-select a

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who attend

wide range of open ended craft resources such as wobbly eyes and colourful paper to create rockets and faces. Children express themselves freely through their unique artwork while the childminder provides good support as children explore texture, number and shape. A strength of her practice is her ability to stand back when children are engaged and enjoying their play. This allows them to discover and experiment through first hand experiences without the interruption of adult support. As a result, older children help younger children and there is a good sense of teamwork and cooperation.

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who attend

The childminder provides a bright and welcoming environment for children to play. Toys and resources are readily available, and this supports children to make choices in their play. The childminder encourages children to write and make meaningful marks. For example, she uses work sheets to help children to write letters of their name or they write outside with chalk. However, these activities are not always focused on children's individual learning styles to engage their interest. Therefore, on some occasions children are less motivated to have a go. Nevertheless there is good evidence of labelling and posters indoors to show children that print has meaning. Children are also set suitably challenging experiences in order to prepare them for their moves to other settings. For example, children that are moving on to nursery are encouraged to dress themselves, find their own name and help when tidying up resources. This all helps to lay a secure

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who attend

foundation to support children's ongoing learning in nursery and school.

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who attend

The childminder has strong partnerships with parents. Information is shared and the two- way flow of communication has a positive impact on meeting children's needs. The childminder keeps parents fully informed of their child's developmental progress in the setting by sharing their child's learning record with them, which contains photographs and informative comments about children's achievements. She takes on board any information about children's learning at home that parents share with her, and uses this to further shape activities to meet children's individual needs. For example, she sends home Bella the bear for weekend visits and children and parents write about their experiences in her diary. This allows the childminder to discuss special events in children's lives and to use interests and activities from home in her planning.

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

The childminder has secure settling-in procedures which help children settle quickly. She makes sure she collects all the relevant information from parents, such as, children's likes, dislikes and their care routines before they start. The childminder takes time to get to know all the children well. As a result, children feel special and valued. They develop strong bonds with the childminder and feel secure in her care, which successfully supports their emotional well-being. The childminder gives high priority to supporting and guiding children to behave well. She encourages them to discuss their emotions by asking them how they are feeling when they arrive each day and noting this on the feelings board. The childminder provides consistent boundaries and has a firm but fair approach, so children know what is expected of them. For example, she makes sure they are listening when she asks them to help with

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

tasks, such as helping to tidy away the toys. The childminder encourages children to share and be kind to one another, and recognises their efforts and achievements with praise and the newly implemented 'star of the week'. Children are calm and relaxed within the home and are fully at ease. She talks to children about keeping safe and reminds them about the dangers and how to keep safe. As a result, they develop high levels of confidence and self-esteem, learn to manage their own safety and are polite and considerate towards others. This ensures that children are well prepared for their next stage in learning and for their future learning.

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

The childminder provides a range of good quality, age-appropriate toys and resources, and overall, organises her home to enable children to make independent choices about their play. The welcoming, well-resourced, dedicated learning environment provides a good range of easily accessible toys and play equipment. Children access outdoors and have a good variety of physical activities to choose from, such as, the slide, swings and ride-on toys. Additionally, children learn about the natural world as they help the childminder with gardening tasks and cultivate plants in the childminder's greenhouse. Visits to local amenities, such as the park and the local woods, provide children with opportunities to develop their physical skills, socialise with others and broaden their awareness of the community. They enjoy puddle jumping and welly walks when it rains.

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

Children develop their understanding of being healthy because the childminder talks to children about washing their hands before a meal and after playing with the dog. Her home is maintained to a good standard of cleanliness in all areas and she makes sure children follow effective hygiene routines in their self-care. Children are provided with nutritious snacks such as fresh fruit, and enjoy baking or making fruit smoothies in the blender. This further promotes their good health and well-being and helps them to learn how to make healthy choices. Children have access to fresh air throughout the day and have free access to the enclosed garden.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Ongoing assessments successfully identify any hazards to children's safety, and effective action is taken to minimise any risks. As part of her evaluation on safety the childminder has sought the advice of the local fire service and has now improved on her fire safety equipment and evacuation procedures. This means children have access to a safe home. The childminder is confident in recognising the possible indicators of abuse or neglect. She also understands the importance of considering any concerns in context, such as how changes in family situations can affect both children and parents. The childminder knows where she can seek advice if she has a concern about a child's welfare and the process to follow, should she need to make a referral to the relevant authorities. She supports children's understanding by teaching them about the safeguarding campaigns such as

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provision

those promoted by children's charities. This further protects children from harm.

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provision

The childminder engages in effective self-evaluation and focuses on specific areas in order to identify ways to improve children's learning experiences and progress. She includes the views of children and parents in this process so that they are involved and their needs are fully met. Since her last inspection she has sought the advice of the local authority and undertaken an audit of her play spaces and resources. As a result she has implemented a number of new and exciting ideas in her setting and made significant improvements to her practice. Children now enjoy time in a cosy book corner where they can access books or rest on soft cushions. They have access to small table which they are able to use in their play. The childminder has also made a full safety review of all equipment used in her garden including the trampoline and climbing frame. All her documentation is well maintained to a very high standard and regularly updated when changes occur. Parents

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provision

are very well informed about the childminder's policies and procedures. She attends regular training courses to further her knowledge and skills and keeps up to date with current practice and legislation. For example, she has used information from a recent course about building children's brains to enhance her teaching strategies. She has enrolled on a first aid course in order that it is obtained well in advance of the expiry of her current qualification to meet their well-being needs.

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provision

The childminder has effective arrangements for reviewing the effectiveness of the educational programmes she provides. This includes evaluating the success of planned activities. She has a secure understanding of the learning and development requirements and has a good oversight of specific children's needs and emerging skills. This allows her to match the planning to the children's learning priorities. The childminder tracks children's progress effectively and provides parents with summary reports and the required progress check for two-year-old children. As a result of these observations she adapts her practice which this means children continue to be involved in activities and play opportunities that meet their needs. The childminder has a clear understanding of her responsibility to work in partnership with other childcare providers and professionals to enhance learning opportunities. She has established links with local agencies and schools to support all

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provision

children to ensure continuity of care and learning for all children.

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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 EY446241 Local authority Swindon Inspection number 963489 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 0 Total number of places 3 Number of children on roll 9

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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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