Childminder 104816

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/08/2014 16/03/2011

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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

 The childminder and her assistants establish warm relationships with children, which helps them to settle in and feel secure.  The childminder frequently uses mathematical language in everyday tasks to familiarise children with the value of number.  Children's health and safety benefits from hygienic practices and appropriate procedures the childminder follows to assess the suitability of the environment.  Children receive good support in outdoor activities to develop their physical skills.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not successfully organise her role-play resources and play areas to capture and stimulate children's imagination and creativity, particularly during outdoor play.  The childminder does not routinely invite parents to share their views regarding the setting, to contribute towards self-evaluation.

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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 held discussions with the childminder and an assistant.  The inspector observed children's play both indoors and outdoors.  The inspector sampled a range of documents.  The inspector took in to account the views of parents.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2003 and lives with husband in a chalet bungalow on the outskirts of Barnstaple. Downstairs is available for childminding and includes toilet facilities, with access to an enclosed rear garden. Sleeping facilities are upstairs. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She works with up to two assistants at any one time and provides care all year round. There are currently 13 children in the early years age group and 18 in the older age group on roll. She is in receipt of the government funding for free early education to children aged two, three and four-years.

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

 develop role play resources and play areas further to enhance children's imagination, particularly during outdoor play

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

 obtain parents' feedback more regularly to take their views in to account when considering the setting's strengths and areas for improvement, to further enhance outcomes for children.

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who attend

The childminder has a good understanding of how children develop and learn. For example, she knows that babies learn well through physical contact and so supports a baby to crawl around the garden and explore as they develop their physical skills. This knowledge and effective support helps children to make good progress in their learning, especially their physical development. The childminder gains an overview of children's starting points through discussion with their parents and initial observations of their play during settling-in visits. She uses this information and regular observations of children's achievements to plan activities across all areas of learning that challenge children. This helps them move on through appropriate developmental milestones. The childminder records children's experiences and achievements in learning journals, and writes twice- yearly reports for parents that summarises children's progress. She also provides parents

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who attend

with written suggestions as to how they can support children's learning at home. Additionally, the childminder records information regarding children's care routines in daily diaries, which promotes children's wellbeing. This all helps to keep parents involved in children's care and learning experiences. The childminder understands the importance of forming relationships with external agencies to provide individual care and development plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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who attend

Children enjoy the range of activities and learning opportunities the childminder provides. They explored the texture of gloop when making marks using their fingers. The childminder supported older children's writing skills by encouraging them to write their name on a whiteboard. This develops their coordination skills, helping them to develop control of their movements. It also helps them learn that marks have a meaning. The childminder supplements the range of activities on offer with regular outings to places, such as the library and beach. Additionally, she encourages children to explore peas and they discussed how they grow, which develops children's understanding of the natural world. This enables the children to learn about the world around them. The childminder and her assistants constantly talk to younger children and repeat the sounds and noises they are making. This encourages their early communication and language skills. They

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who attend

often ask the older early years children open questions, such as those beginning with 'why do you think', which helps to develop their thinking skills.

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who attend

Children enjoy playing in the garden where they develop physical skills, such as running, using scooters and handling balls. Additionally, they are encouraged to crawl to develop their gross motor skills, and open pea pods to enhance fine motor dexterity. The childminder uses children's play and daily routines to introduce concepts of early mathematics. She supports children's understanding of number, for example, as they count grapes in their bowl at snack time. However, she does not successfully support children's imaginative play, as the role-play resources are not set up to appeal to all children to stimulate their interest in dressing up and pretend play with the kitchen equipment for example, especially when outdoors.

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

Children settle quickly and are happy because the childminder offers warm and supportive care. She greets them with welcoming smiles and enthusiasm, which helps children to settle in quickly and confidently. Children held out their arms to the childminder and assistants, because they feel safe and secure in their care. They enjoy the closeness of their relationships with the familiar adults and the cuddles of reassurance that they provide. For example, when young children started to feel tired, the childminder and assistant gave cuddles and sat them on their laps so that they could rest. The childminder is a positive role model and encourages children to say please and thank you, and repeats this back to children during interactions. This strongly encourages children to develop positive social skills. The childminder routinely praises children, for example, saying well done when they achieve something, which promotes their self-esteem. Children enjoy

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

these celebrations of their achievements and respond with smiles. The childminder has a consistent approach to behaviour management, which helps children to develop a good awareness of how to interact positively with their friends. For example, older children regularly share toys with younger children, and switch on electronic toys for them.

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

The childminder has a good focus on children's safety. She checks all areas of the setting each day before children use them and ensures that children cannot access the stairs unsupervised. The childminder and assistant ensure they supervise children well through carefully considered deployment. For example, the childminder cares for children outdoors whilst the assistant supervises sleeping children inside. Older children are encouraged to play in the top garden to ensure their more physically active play does not present a risk to younger children. Children participate in regular fire drills to teach them how to evacuate the setting quickly and safely in the event of an emergency. The childminder and assistants have a good knowledge of appropriate procedures to follow in the event of any concerns relating to child protection, which promotes children's welfare. She develops children's awareness of safety and good hygiene by explaining the need to wash their

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

hands before eating. The childminder positively encourages children to become independent in their personal care through small everyday tasks, such as pouring water when mixing gloop. The childminder prepares a good range of nutritious snacks and home-cooked meals each day. For example, children had a snack of chopped apple, grapes, fresh pea pods, dried apricots and breadsticks. They have easy access to fresh drinking water when they need it. Children spend time each day outside, including on visits to the local park, where they can exercise and breathe fresh air.

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

Overall, children benefit from the good variety of resources, which the childminder stores at low-level and labels them with words to support children to make choices for themselves. Children's physical skills develop very well through the excellent range of outdoor resources, such as scooters, balls, a trampoline and hoops.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements. She carries out daily risk assessments to ensure the suitability of the premises to promote children's welfare. The childminder and her assistants hold current first-aid qualifications and they have attended safeguarding training. Consequently, they have a good knowledge of how to help keep children safe and protected from harm. The childminder effectively implements a good range of written policies and procedures, which she provides for parents. This ensures they all receive consistent information and know how she manages her provision. The childminder organises her documentation well to protect and promote children's welfare. For example, she holds an accurate record of the times of children's attendance, which enables her to plan appropriate staffing.

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provision

The childminder is aware of her responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements. She has good systems to monitor children's progress and identify any gaps in their learning. This includes the required progress check for two-year-old children and enables her to take appropriate action to support children's development and seek additional help. The childminder works well in partnership with parents to share information to ensure consistent care and learning. She uses a daily diary to exchange information regarding younger children. She has established partnerships with other settings that children attend to provide complementary learning opportunities. Parents' feedback is positive, saying their children are very happy with the care and service provided.

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provision

The childminder supports her assistants well through informal supervision, meetings and appraisals. She carries out good self-evaluation and identifies effective ways to continue to improve her practice to benefit the children. For example, she is keen to revise her planning system further to ensure that she meets all children's learning needs. Although the childminder has previously obtained parents' feedback through questionnaires, she does not seek this regularly to encourage them to share their comments and views to further enhance her practices. In addition to the required training, the childminder attends other training courses to enhance her professional development, which shows a strong commitment to drive improvement.

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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 104816 Local authority Devon Inspection number 816879 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 18 Number of children on roll 31

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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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