Alexina Jane Perrett

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/07/2014 23/08/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 The childminder understands the importance of promoting the safety of the children in her care. Children are supervised at all times. The childminder visually assesses the setting to minimises risks to children, enabling them to use the setting safely.  Positive and trusting partnerships are established with parents and regular communication is encouraged, which supports children's welfare and continuity of care.  The childminder understands her role and responsibility with regard to safeguarding children, to protect them from harm.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder does not consistently demonstrate good teaching skills. As a result, children make steady, rather than good progress towards the early learning goals.  Children's ongoing learning and development are not consistently evaluated. As a result, the childminder does not always plan activities, which provide sufficient challenge for all children, so that they make good progress.  The childminder does not use self-evaluation effectively to identify clear future targets for development.

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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 living room, kitchen and the garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a variety of documentation, including records of children's learning and a selection of policies and records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the childminder and staff working with children and the childminder's self-evaluation form.

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Inspection activities

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

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2009 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and their adult daughter in a house in Lowestoft, Suffolk. She works with her daughter, who is also a registered childminder and her husband, who is registered as an assistant. Both childminders share equal responsibility for running the childminding business. The whole house, with the exception of one bedroom, is used for childminding. There is an enclosed garden available for outdoor play. The family has pet cats, guinea pigs and gerbils. The childminder visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local school. The childminder operates all year round from 6.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, except family holidays. She supports children, who speak English as an additional language. There are currently 32 children on roll, 19 of whom are in the early years age

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Information about the setting

group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder receives funding for the provision of free early education for three- and four-year-old children. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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must:

 review and assess the planning of activities, so that the activities provided are focussed on providing more challenging experiences to help children to further progress in their learning

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must:

 develop the quality of teaching to ensure that children develop the characteristics of effective learning by supporting their play and critical thinking, for example, by making the most of opportunities to role-model play.

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

 improve monitoring and self-evaluation to effectively identify future targets for development.

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who attend

The childminder provides a, generally, good range of toys and resources for children to make choices in their play. Children enjoy their time at the childminder's home and they are sufficiently occupied. Outdoors, the childminder is on-hand to monitor safety and provide guidance and encouragement when children use a range of toys and equipment. This promotes children's physical development and encourages them to get better at things through effort and practise. Mathematical language is integrated into daily routines. For example, the childminder counts the stairs with the children as they come downstairs after using the toilet. The childminder observes children as they play and keeps a record of these using photographs and written evidence. These give a record of what they are doing and the childminder uses this information to monitor children's progress in all areas of learning. Planning is carried out by daily discussion between the childminder and her

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who attend

co-childminder. However, this is not always precisely matched to children's individual needs, in order to fully support their learning. This means that activities do not always offer a good level of challenge, so that children make the best possible progress. Consequently, children gain a satisfactory range of skills in readiness for the next stage in their learning and their move to school.

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who attend

The childminder has a, generally, sound understanding of how children learn. She offers a range of activities at home and on outings in the local environment, which cover all of the areas of learning. For example, children enjoy trips to the park and library, which supports their understanding of the world. Children mostly play freely and independently, selecting from the readily available resources in the home. Occasional activities are initiated by the childminder. For example, children enjoy dancing to music and eagerly sing songs and action rhymes with the childminder, developing their favourites. However, the childminder's teaching practice is variable as some interaction with children does not sufficiently encourage them to effectively promote their thinking skills. This is because the childminder does not actively engage with all children when supervising activities. Despite this, at other times, interaction with children is of good quality. For example, children

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who attend

confidently ask the childminder to read stories to them. She talks with the children and is responsive to their conversations. She engages children in conversation and their vocabulary is developing appropriately. The childminder provides appropriate support for children, who speak English as an additional language. For example, she uses hand gestures to aid their understanding and to encourage the promotion of English. As a result, most children are making steady progress and becoming confident communicators.

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who attend

Parents provide information about their children when they begin, which enables an appropriate understanding of their abilities. The childminder works well with parents and they chat daily, sharing information about the children and what they have taken part in each day. Parents can view their children's record of progress and development at anytime. The childminder also offers parents' sessions each term, to provide a more structured opportunity for parents to discuss and share their children's achievements and progress. The required progress check for children between the ages of two and three years is completed. They are discussed with parents and offer an accurate summary of children's development in each area of learning. This approach successfully engages parents in their children's education.

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

Children are beginning to develop appropriate skills that emotionally prepare them for the next stage in their learning. Toys and resources are stored suitably, to enable children to choose what they want to play with. This supports their sense of belonging and independence. Children display good levels of confidence and self-esteem as they learn to form positive relationships with other children. They generally share and take turns with popular resources and the childminder appropriately supports them to play together. As a result, children mainly behave well and house rules are in place to help children know what is expected of them. Older children are rewarded for good behaviour and for trying hard, through the use of a sticker system. Discussions about children's behaviour are shared openly with parents. As a result, the childminder and her co-childminder offer effective continuity of care. Young children become familiar with other settings, when they

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

walk to and from the local school to collect other children. This means that children are becoming emotionally prepared for future transitions as they become familiar with the environment.

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

The childminder and her co-childminder provide a welcoming environment, in which children are secure and content. They separate from their main carer and come into the childminder's home happily and quickly go to activities of their choice. The childminder and her co-childminder share the care of all children equally. She is committed to getting to know children well and regularly asks them what they have been doing at home. As a result, the environment that the childminder provides, is relaxing and children form warm and secure attachments. This promotes children's well-being and ensures that they feel happy and safe, enjoying their time in the setting.

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

The childminder adequately supports children's emerging understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle that involves physical exercise and a healthy diet. Children benefit from regular fresh air and exercise when they walk with the childminder to and from school and during outdoor play. They are developing a, generally, good awareness of how to manage risks through their daily routine and while out and about. For example, young children are fastened securely into booster seats for their meals and the childminder supports older children to learn about road safety rules when outside. The childminder and her co-childminder are both attentive to children's needs. For example, they change children's nappies promptly whenever needed. Older children are encouraged to manage their personal needs and can use the toilet with minimal support. The childminder and her co-childminder promote healthy eating and provide healthy meal choices for the children.

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

Children's dietary preferences are obtained from parents during the settling-in process. As a result, individual needs are well met. Children's individual cups are kept readily available to ensure that they do not become thirsty or dehydrated.

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provision

This inspection was prioritised following a concern that the childminder and her co- childminder were over ratios. The childminder confirms that this incident happened for a short period of time, on one occasion, due to unforeseen circumstances. This inspection found documentation is organised and readily available for inspection. In the main, ratios are always maintained and the childminder has a secure level of knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder takes equal responsibility for all aspects of practice with her co-childminder. They have carried out written risk assessments for areas of the home, along with all trips and outings. The childminder carries out daily safety checks, to identify any hazards in the setting. This ensures that potential hazards are identified and removed or minimised. For example, the childminder places a cushion behind a child sleeping on the sofa and together with her co-

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provision

childminder, ensures that all children are supervised at all times. As a result, the areas used by children are safe and suitable. The childminder has a sound knowledge and understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures and she is aware of her responsibilities in this respect. She knows how to report and record concerns. Both the childminder and her co-childminder attend appropriate training, including first aid and safeguarding. This helps them to protect children and keep them safe.

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provision

The childminder has a sufficient understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. There is some monitoring of planning and assessment, however, this is not rigorous enough to ensure activities are sufficiently challenging, to enable children to make more rapid progress. The childminder has met most of the actions and recommendations raised in her last inspection, such as developing relationships with other settings. Parental questionnaires are issued to ensure that parents have a formal opportunity to put forward their views. Their responses indicate that they are very satisfied with the care their children receive. The childminder and co-childminder have begun to record their self-evaluation. However, monitoring is not fully effective as it does not accurately identify all weaknesses or provide clear targets for improvement, to enhance the provision for children. The childminder and her co-childminder occasionally

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provision

work with an assistant. They monitor his practice through occasional, informal discussions, to ensure that all policies and procedures are consistently implemented.

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provision

The childminder and her co-childminder have clear policies to support their practice. These are made available to parents when they first start, to ensure that they have a shared understanding of the way in which they work with children. The childminder develops positive and trusting partnerships with parents and shares information with them about their children in different ways. For example, she talks to them on a daily basis and sends text messages to let parents know about their children's well-being. This supports children's welfare and continuity of care. The childminder also provides regular newsletters to give parents information about forthcoming events. As a result, parents are kept well informed. Parents spoken to on the day of the inspection clearly value the childminder's reliability and flexibility and state that they would recommend the childminding service to others. The childminder and her co-childminder are aware of the importance of working in

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provision

partnership with other professionals. They have developed effective links with the staff at the local school, which ensures that the move to school is successful. The childminder and her co-childminder are fully aware of how to access help should they have any concerns about a child's development.

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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 EY398930 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 981248 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 32

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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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