Childminder in Lincolnshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/08/2014 01/04/2009

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

p.1

This provision is outstanding

 The childminder fully understands her responsibilities with regard to the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result of this, she provides a first class service for all children and families.  Children make strong attachments with the childminder. This is because she is warm and welcoming, and provides very clear boundaries. Consequently, children feel secure, their behaviour is exemplary and they make excellent progress in their learning and development.  The childminder is astutely aware of potential risks, is highly skilled in helping children to manage their own risks, and has a clear understanding of safeguarding procedures. As a result, children are safeguarded extremely well.  The quality of teaching across all areas of learning for all children is consistently outstanding. This is because the childminder has high expectations of herself and children, and has a clear understanding of how children learn at each stage in their

p.1

This provision is outstanding

development.  The childminder provides rich, varied and imaginative play and exciting challenges that extend children's thought processes. Consequently, their learning is significantly enhanced, and they are highly motivated to learn.  Children are very well prepared for the next stage in their learning, including school. This is because the childminder gives a high priority to preparing them emotionally, and builds excellent relationships with parents, other providers, professionals and schools.

p.1

Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

p.2

Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.2

Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the inside and the outside learning environment.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the childminder.  The inspector held meetings with the childminder.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability of the childminder and all other adults living on the premises.  The inspector checked the childminder's qualifications and self-evaluation form.

p.2

Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2000 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and one adult child in a house in Lincoln. The whole of the ground floor, two bedrooms on the first floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has two dogs as pets. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local children's centre. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently seven children on roll, of whom three are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. She operates all year round from 7.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

p.3

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

 develop further children's already excellent independence by continuing to produce a catalogue of all resources, so that the children can browse through what is available, with particular regard to what may be out of their immediate sight.

p.3

who attend

Children engage in a wide range of highly stimulating activities with the childminder, who has an excellent ability to differentiate play taking place to suit the range of age and development levels of all children present. The childminder is able to give each child exciting and innovative challenges that keep them motivated, engaged and that encourages them to think. For example, as children sit at the table engaged in a mathematics activity sorting bears, she instinctively knows each child's next steps in their learning and provides for this with skill and expertise. For example, when children finish lining their bears up, she encourages them to figure out how to line them up in size order. As she works with another child matching colours, she continues to support the process of sorting bears into size with verbal cues, such as 'have you got all the big bears together?' Consequently, all children have their individual needs met and make excellent progress in

p.3

who attend

their learning and development, and the childminder's quality of teaching is outstanding. She is highly alert with regard to children's development levels and interests, which she initially establishes with parents. She plans purposeful play to stretch children's imagination and interests, and incorporates all areas of learning into planned activities, which she balances extremely well with children's self-chosen play. For example, as she enhances children's knowledge of the world during a bug hunt, she includes physical development as they need to stretch and bend to find the bugs, literacy development as she provides written cards with pictures and names and space for the children to write, and their social development as they work together in teams. While the children are learning she creates fun and happiness and consequently, all children make rapid progress in all seven areas of learning.

p.3

who attend

The childminder has excellent strategies in place to assess children's development. She successfully engages all parents in the process, beginning with an initial assessment, which gives her a clear starting point from which to plan for children's ongoing learning and development. The high expectations the childminder has of herself and the children contribute to the accurate planning of next steps in learning, which results in teaching being targeted, and children gaining the necessary skills and dispositions for the next stage in their learning. This includes being ready for school. The childminder ensures the progress check completed for children between the ages of two and three years is accurate, timely and a result of close consultation with parents. As a result of these rigorous assessments that take place, children make excellent progress in their learning and development and are ready for school.

p.4

who attend

A wealth of resources are available for all children. The childminder keeps these organised, clean and in excellent repair. Children can access these whenever they want to, as most are readily available and reachable. Some outdoor resources are stored in the shed and some indoor resources in the toy store cupboard. These are equally well organised, labelled for the promotion of literacy with pictoral prompts and words, and are relatively well accessible. To ensure children do not forget what is readily available for them, the childminder is in the process of producing a catalogue for the children to browse, to aid their memories regarding what is available, and to enhance their interests. Consequently, children can plan their play as they browse through the catalogue, which enhances their characteristics for effective learning through encouraging thinking and motivation followed by active learning.

p.4

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

The childminder provides a warm and welcoming environment. She is kind and sensitive, which promotes the superb attachments children make with her. This enables children to feel safe and secure. She gives all children excellent emotional support. For example, as they read a story, she allows children to snuggle in as they enjoy helping her turn the pages of the book. At the same time she supports the other children's needs by ensuring they can see and take active part in the story, and praising them as they try to pronounce difficult words. She also creates an excellent environment by continually talking with the children, in particular about events in their lives, such as a recent trip out where they encountered pirates spraying water, and had a fantastic, exciting time. As a result, children's emotional needs are fully met, and they can learn and develop in an excellent atmosphere where they are safe and secure.

p.4

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

Children's behaviour is exemplary. This is because the childminder has very clear boundaries in place, is consistent, and offers children challenges that keep them busy and engaged. Children respond extremely well to rare reminders of behaviour expectations, as the childminder skilfully questions them. This helps them to understand the consequences of their actions, and to consider for themselves whether they can change what they are doing. As a result, children learn to think about how their actions can have consequences for others, learn negotiation skills, and the ability to accept when they need to change their behaviour and why.

p.4

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

Children develop the understanding of adopting a healthy lifestyle because they have regular opportunities for physical exercise, such as trips to parks and plenty of outdoor play. This is further supported by the childminder as she helps children to develop an understanding of keeping themselves safe. For example, she helps them to make choices about whether they should put their coat on to go outside and play or not, based on their supported assessment of the weather conditions. She helps them to understand risks associated with their activity, such as not climbing on the wall, and through superb questioning to assess their understanding, and she talks about healthy food choices as she serves snack and lunch. Children know the hand washing routine, and are proud when they tell the childminder that they also washed their hands after going to the toilet. This shows that health and hygiene routines are embedded into practice, and consequently

p.5

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

children have excellent opportunities to begin to manage their own personal health and hygiene needs. Children are supported to a consistently high standard with their independence. The youngest children learn to put on and take off their own shoes, choose their own food and drink, and all children use exemplary table manners, and automatically say 'please' and 'thank you'. As a result, all children are developing with excellent personal, social and emotional skills that they need for the next stages in their learning and into adulthood.

p.5

provision

The childminder gives safeguarding children the utmost priority. This is because she understands the need to be vigilant with regard to child protection, knows signs of abuse and neglect, and what to do if she has any concerns about any child or family, including how to contact the relevant agencies. She understands that all adults living in her household must have the necessary checks in place to ensure they are suitable to be around children. She safeguards children against accident and illness by having a range of policies and procedures in place, including illness exclusion and risk assessment. As a result, the childminder has done everything she can to ensure children remain safe and well while in her care. For example, the childminder has a daily list of checks she makes to ensure there are no hazards in the environment that may cause harm to a child. She ensures parents are aware of the need to keep their children at home if they are ill, and to

p.5

provision

inform her of any communicable diseases, such as chicken pox, so she can let other parents know.

p.5

provision

The childminder has an excellent understanding of her responsibilities with regard to the Early Years Foundation Stage safeguarding and welfare requirements, and learning and development requirements. She is highly competent in her delivery of these, and takes her responsibilities very seriously. She has systems in place to monitor her teaching and the children's learning. This is by regularly assessing the children's development to ensure they are making excellent progress in the seven areas of learning, and by planning activities to enhance their learning further, especially in areas of need. This ensures she recognises any development delay swiftly and arranges for timely interventions through effective teaching strategies, in partnership with parents and with the expertise of other professionals. As a result of this, children's development needs are met to an outstanding level, and they make excellent progress in their learning and development, given their

p.5

provision

Parent's knowledge of their children is central to the childminder's planning and understanding of the children. They work in close partnership, building trusting relationships that ensure a regular two-way flow of information about children is exchanged with all families. Consequently children's development is supported in all areas of their life, and they make excellent progress in their learning and development. When required, the childminder seeks the help of other professionals to enable her to meet the needs of children, such as health services, or speech and language therapists. She knows that their expert knowledge will help her to deliver targeted and appropriate strategies to ensure children develop to their full potential, or to meet any health needs of a child. The childminder also builds excellent relationships with other providers of early education, including schools. This is to enable smooth transitions from one provider to another and to

p.6

provision

ensure that all relevant information is shared about a child. Consequently, children's needs are met to the highest standards because the childminder provides a first class service.

p.6

The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

p.6

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or

p.7

Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

p.7

Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number 208739 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 865567 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 7

p.8

Telephone number

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

p.8

Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

p.8

Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.9

Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

p.9

Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.10

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10