Childminder in Hartlepool

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/08/2014 18/06/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children are extremely motivated and consistently demonstrate the characteristics of effective learning in this extremely high quality, child-centred setting. The childminder works very closely with her co-childminder to maximise learning opportunities for children. As a result, children make excellent progress in their learning and development.  The childminder clearly enjoys the children's company; she is fun and treats them with great warmth and affection. As a result, children form extremely close emotional attachments and feel very secure within the setting. This provides an exceptionally strong foundation to enable them to develop their independence and motivates them to explore and learn.  Highly effective partnerships with parents and external professionals make an excellent contribution to meeting all children's individual needs.  The childminder demonstrates an excellent knowledge of safeguarding issues and

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This provision is outstanding

regularly attends training to ensure her knowledge is up to date. Therefore, children's safety and well-being are exceptionally well promoted.  The childminder works extremely closely with her co-childminder to ensure the ongoing development of the service they provide and to enhance her own professional development. She demonstrates a genuine commitment to developing her excellent practice through attending training and in-depth reflection of her practice. This fully enhances the experiences children have while in her care.

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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 had a tour of the premises and observed children playing.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder, her co-childminder and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection and involved the childminder and her co-childminder in a joint observation of an activity.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the information provided in the childminder's self- evaluation document and through written parental comments provided for the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the childminder's qualifications and suitability of adult household members.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2004 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She works alongside a co-childminder and two assistants at the co-childminder's home in Hartlepool. The co-childminder's husband and their son, aged 15 years, also live in the property. The whole of the ground floor and the bathroom of the co-childminder's home are used for childminding. There is a garden for outdoor play. The co-childminder has two pet dogs. The childminder collects children from the local schools. There are currently 13 children on roll, 10 of whom are in the early years age range and they attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder provides funded education for two-, three- and four-year old children. The childminding provision operates all year round, from 7am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder holds an early years qualification at level 3. The

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Information about the setting

childminder is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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

 enhance opportunities for children to further develop their literacy skills by further extending the use of labels and name cards both inside and outside.

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who attend

Children are very happy and settled, and thrive in the warm, welcoming and stimulating environment provided by the childminder, the co-childminder and their assistants. The childminder works very closely with her co-childminder and together they have an extremely secure understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This knowledge, combined with an excellent understanding of how children learn, means that they provide a rich and varied educational programme for children of all ages. The childminder knows children extremely well and this includes their preferred activities and their learning styles. Partnerships with parents are excellent. Initial meetings with parents, including home visits, mean that the childminder is able to precisely establish children starting points, interests and routines. An online system is used to accurately record observations of children's learning and the progress they are making.

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who attend

This information is used to plan activities, which are unique and based on children's individual interests and stages of development. In addition, each day children are encouraged to use a planning board to make independent choices about what they would like to do that day. As a result, children are extremely active in their learning and make excellent progress towards the early learning goals in preparation for starting school. Children are highly motivated in their learning and benefit from the positive techniques the childminder uses to question, extend and challenge their thinking and learning. Children's communication skills are highly supported by the childminder. Older children use varied vocabulary, complete sentences and are confident to ask questions and extend their vocabulary through ongoing conversations with the childminder. For example, as the children explore pebbles, the childminder encourages them to talk about how they feel

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who attend

and what shape they are. The children talk with confidence, explaining what they look like and using words, such as smooth and rough, to describe the pebbles. They recall days at the beach as they find a shell and put it to their ear to hear the sea. The childminder introduces new words to younger children, for example, as they play with hammers and screwdrivers, she explains their actions to them and gives them praise when they repeat these back to her. This supports their self-esteem and results in children who are confident in her care. The childminder supports children's literacy skills very well. For example, she randomly changes children's coat pegs round, so that children have to search for their own name. However, the use of such labelling is not maximised around the setting to further enhance opportunities for children to see and use labels and name cards to further their strong literacy development. Children learn about the world around

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who attend

them through planned activities and everyday play. For example, as children find an insect in the sand, the childminder encourages them to describe what it looks like and how it feels when it crawls on them. She provides them with resources, such as magnifying glasses and gloves, so that they can look more closely at the spider and search for other mini-beasts safely. The children are extremely happy and settled in her care and have lots of fun with her, for example, they laugh and giggle as they pull faces through the magnifying glasses. A wide range of resources, such as dressing up clothes, books written in different languages and displays, show that children's cultural and religious backgrounds are fully incorporated into the setting.

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who attend

Children are highly independent throughout most parts of the day. They make confident choices about what activities they would like to do and are clear about when they need help from the childminder. The childminder encourages them to think critically about tasks. For example, she helps children to decide on how they might make a ramp and talks to them about what size cars they might need. This helps children to develop their problem solving skills. Children have excellent opportunities to develop their physical skills through every day activities, for example, the childminder models how to wind up a tape measure, which the children successfully copy. She reinforces the action and their learning as she talks about turning it round and round as they wind it. Children have free flow access to the outdoor area where they learn to negotiate space and be physical. The childminder completes the progress check for children between the ages of two and three

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who attend

years and uses this to share with parents children's next steps and identify any gaps in their learning. The childminder has excellent strategies for engaging parents in their child's learning. She provides regular information through the online service, photographs, conversations and texts. Parents are also provided with informative packs to support their child's learning, such as 'Chatter Matters' guidance and resources, for example, story sacks, which parents can use at home. As a result, parents are fully involved in their child's learning and children make excellent progress towards the early learning goals, and are well prepared for the next stage of learning.

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

Children are cared for in a fully inclusive, welcoming environment where their individuality and sense of belonging is promoted exceptionally well. Children's individual religious and cultural backgrounds are fully incorporated into the setting and all children are supported to develop an excellent understanding of diversity. For example, they learn about and acknowledge key phrases that children use in their home languages, prior to eating a meal. The relationship between the childminder and the children is excellent. The childminder is fun loving, warm and caring and this is evident as children constantly laugh and giggle as she joins in their play. The well-established key-person approach means that children form secure attachments with the childminder and her co-childminder, promoting their emotional well-being and independence extremely well.

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

Adults in the setting provide positive role models for children and are effectively deployed, providing them with support and encouragement. As a result, children behave very well; they are encouraged to share toys and to think about other children's feelings. It is clear they care about one another as they give each other cuddles and play very well together. The childminder manages children's move from home into the setting exceptionally well. Partnership with parents are given the utmost priority and settling in sessions and home visits are used to maximum effect to help children to get to know the childminder and the setting. This genuine commitment to working with others includes accompanying children on visits to the local schools and nurseries to help to familiarise them with new settings. This means that children are very well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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

Children's safety and well-being is giving high priority by the childminder. She is committed to the Forest School ethos and the setting is arranged exceptionally well to allow children the independence to move around freely and safely between the indoor and outdoor environment. This also enables them to have direct access to an extensive variety of toys and resources in the stimulating outdoor play area. The childminder encourages children to tackle new challenges with confidence and enthusiasm, providing opportunities for children to take risks appropriate to their age and stage of development. For example, the childminder provides support, so that young children can use bouncy toys safely. Through planned activities, such as practising fire drills and visits from the local road safety officer, children have excellent opportunities to learn about how to keep themselves safe. The childminder has a thorough understanding of children's dietary needs and

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

preferences, which are catered for very well. Children are encouraged to eat a wide range of healthy and nutritious home cooked meals and snacks, and to try foods from different countries. For example, they try Malaysian food and food prepared for a banquet to celebrate Eid. Children have independent access to water throughout the day, learning to take drinks as and when they need them. The childminder ensures children are given every opportunity to develop their independence and self-care skills. For example, children are taught to be self-sufficient as they manage their own personal care needs in the bathroom. She also encourages them to help to prepare food and set out cups for snack time. As a result, children gain the skills, abilities and attitudes that prepare them exceptionally well in readiness for school.

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provision

The highly effective partnership working, involving the childminder, her co-childminder and their assistants, ensures high standards are achieved. The childminder, and other adults in the setting, clearly recognise their responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder has attended safeguarding training and demonstrates a very secure and confident understanding of the signs of abuse and the procedures for reporting concerns. The process for the recruitment of assistants is thorough to ensure their suitability. Comprehensive risk assessments, along with the use of safety equipment, ensure that any hazards to children are effectively minimised. The childminder takes overall responsibility for ensuring that all documentation is in place and up to date. This is reflected in a highly comprehensive range of policies and procedures, which effectively underpin the

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provision

childminder's excellent practice. These are updated regularly and shared with parents.

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provision

The childminder places a high emphasis on extending her knowledge and skills in order to improve her childminding practice and fully meet children's care and learning needs. The childminder, her co-childminder and assistants keep detailed records of training they have attended and the impact this has had on the provision. For example, the childminder's personal development record shows how training in autism has enabled her to have a better insight into the condition and make improvements to her practice to support individual children, if required. Regular appraisals and peer supervision further support the childminder and her co-workers to build on the excellent service they provide. Self- evaluation is well documented and highlights the strong emphasis on maintaining high levels of achievement for all children. Strengths and areas for development are clearly identified and targeted plans are in place to secure continuous improvement. Children and

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provision

parents are involved in the self-evaluation process through questionnaires and discussions. In addition, the childminder has fully addressed the recommendation raised at the previous inspection, which has resulted in the development of excellent systems to support children's move from home to the setting.

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provision

Responsibility for monitoring the educational programme is completed by the childminder's co-childminder. However, they work together very closely to ensure that activities are based on children's interests and the accurately planned next steps in learning. Together, they are highly successful in implementing robust systems for planning and assessment, so that children receive a rich and varied learning experience based on their individual development needs. As a result, children make excellent progress in their learning and development and no child is disadvantaged. This also means that the childminder and her co-workers can implement early interventions to support children's learning, including the involvement of other agencies and professionals if necessary. The childminder and her co- childminder have established excellent relationships with parents, other providers and external agencies. Consistent communication sharing and strong links with other

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provision

professionals and local nurseries help to ensure that children have their individual needs exceedingly well met and promotes consistency for children who attend more than one setting. Parents are provided with a comprehensive range of information about the service. For example, they receive an informative induction pack and a copy of all policies and procedures prior to their child starting. In addition, extremely useful information, such as resources from a recognised communication charity, are provided to parents to enable them to further support their child's communication and language skills at home. Parents are highly complimentary about the childminder and the service she and her co- childminder provide. They state that their children love the time they spend in their care and that they are delighted with their children's progress.

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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 EY296545 Local authority Hartlepool Inspection number 848831 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 18 Number of children on roll 13

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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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