Childminder in West Northamptonshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 01/09/2014 12/03/2014

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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 childminder plans and prepares a range of stimulating and challenging activities in response to her observations of children's capabilities and interests.  The childminder has an enthusiastic approach to supporting children's learning and well-being, which helps them to make good progress in their learning and development.  The childminder manages behavioural issues effectively, staying calm and helping children learn to resolve disputes in a positive way.  Overall, the childminder provides an inviting play environment where resources are easily accessible and attractively set out to engage them in their learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder is sometimes too quick to provide a new activity before children have had time to fully explore existing activities.  The childminder does not maximise the potential of the garden by providing a range of larger scale natural and recycled materials to enhance opportunities for physical and imaginative play.

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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 indoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to the childminder at appropriate points throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents through parent questionnaires and the views of children through observations and discussions with them.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of a range of documentation, including planning records, children's progress records, the childminder's self-evaluation form and evidence of training.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2012. She lives with her partner and young child in Didcot, Oxfordshire. The ground floor of the home is available for childminding, together with a first floor bathroom. An enclosed back garden is available for outdoor play. Access to the home includes a small step. The childminder has a pet rabbit and fish. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are six children on roll, of whom two are in the early years age range. She offers care on weekdays, including out of school care. She walks to the local school to take and collect children.

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

 provide children with the time to explore activities fully and refrain from moving on too quickly to the next planned activity

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

 develop a range of larger scale natural and recycled materials into the garden to further enhance opportunities for physical and imaginative play.

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who attend

The childminder prepares activities well for the day ahead, gathering a stimulating range of resources and considering learning intentions to support children's progress. She maintains comprehensive planning documentation to ensure she is covering the seven areas of learning in depth. She is currently helping children to learn about colour, focusing during the inspection on the colour red. She provides children with a biscuit icing activity, including red icing and a good variety of toppings. Children become engrossed scooping the icing onto their biscuits and choosing different decorations. The childminder talks to children during their activities and routines, asking questions, making suggestions and praising their efforts, which supports their language development and social skills. She routinely introduces early counting and reference to shapes, to support mathematical development. The childminder responds well to children's interests, such as enabling them

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who attend

to extend the icing activity by providing additional biscuits or reading stories when their attention turns to a selection of favourite books. She provides children with plenty of choice, routinely asking them what they would like to do next from several options. Children choose to do a sensory activity and the childminder provides two prepared trays filled with red coloured rice and pasta, red rose petals, red plastics scoops and small tins. The childminder's focus for the activity is to encourage children to fill and empty, therefore promoting their physical skills and hand-to-eye coordination. Children quickly become completely engrossed exploring the interesting textures, using the scoops to fill the tins with rice or pasta. However, the childminder introduces another planned activity too quickly, which although valuable in itself, distracts the children from their involvement in the sensory activity. Nevertheless, children are able to make choices to come back to the

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who attend

sensory activity, to engage in a stimulating art activity or to choose from an interesting range of accessible resources. The childminder plans the indoor environment so that children can experience a good range of play activities, such as, small world play, role- play, books, musical instruments and construction toys. The childminder provides children with routine opportunities to play outdoors in the garden and has a range of suitable resources to promote different areas of learning. However, she does not make the very best use of the garden. For example, there is a minimal range of larger scale natural and recycled materials, such as, crates, tyres, logs and planks to further enhance children's opportunities for physical and imaginative play. The childminder knows children well and comments confidently on their achievements. She provides a wealth of documentation to show children's progress over time, including the required progress checks for two-year-

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who attend

old children, which she shares with parents to keep them well informed. She routinely assesses children's development by using relevant published guidance, using this information to identify children's next steps in learning. She takes good account of children's capabilities and interests when planning further activities so that children enjoy stimulating and challenging experiences. As a result, children are making good progress and enjoy their learning. The childminder encourages parents to support their children's learning at home by making suggestions for activities or outings. She keeps parents informed of their children's time with her on a daily basis through daily discussions, diary sheets and by sending photographs online to reassure parents that their children are happy and enjoying themselves.

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

The childminder has an enthusiastic and friendly approach, which encourages children to engage well in activities and to develop positive social skills. Children show that they feel comfortable with the childminder and have good relationships with her. Children are at an age where they are testing behavioural boundaries and have a growing sense of will and determination. They sometimes become frustrated and angry, particularly over disputes about sharing toys. The childminder remains calm and jovial to help maintain a positive atmosphere. She explains to children how to share toys with others and to think about how others may feel. As a result, children learn to cooperate, and disputes although commonplace, are short lived. The childminder makes good use of opportunities for children to develop skills for independence. She provides them with a toy broom, mop and vacuum cleaner to help her tidy away the rice and pasta from the sensory activity, which

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

inevitably ends up all over the conservatory floor. She praises them warmly for their efforts as they help to tidy up. Since the last inspection, the childminder has improved procedures when caring for older and younger children together. She now talks to older children about behavioural expectations during outings and encourages them to help look after younger children. This approach helps children to play safely. The childminder ensures that children are within sight and/or hearing at all times to help reduce the risk of accidents. As well as making good preparations for activities, the childminder also thinks carefully about welfare routines as learning opportunities. On the day of the inspection, she provided children with snacks focusing on the colour red, such as, strawberries, tomatoes, red peppers and red melon. This approach encourages children to engage well in snack time and to enjoy healthy foods while also further extending their learning.

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

Children further develop a good awareness of healthy lifestyles as they take part in a variety of local outings so that they enjoy fresh air and exercise. They visit local farm parks or go raspberry picking, which helps them to learn about the world around them. They have access to wheeled toys, a sandpit, paddling pool and footballs in the garden so that they can practise their physical skills and coordination.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of her responsibilities to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Since the last inspection, she has significantly improved her practice regarding learning and development, behaviour management, safety and maintaining documentation. As a result, outcomes for children are much more positive. In addition, the childminder is enthused to continue improving her service. She is currently studying for a level 3 childcare qualification and is putting many ideas from her course into practice, thereby enhancing experiences for children. She is considering further training and qualifications to extend her knowledge and understanding even further. She has responded well to actions set by Ofsted, a monitoring visit by Ofsted and advice from the local authority, and her course tutor. She seeks the views of parents through questionnaires and discussion, and she routinely takes account

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provision

of children's views and interests to enhance her practice. The childminder has a clear understanding of safeguarding children procedures, such as the possible symptoms of children at risk and how to respond to concerns. She ensures that she uses photographs of children appropriately and only shares these with parents to help keep children safe. She now implements a comprehensive risk assessment, which she reviews routinely, to help promote children's safety in the home and on outings. She ensures that all required documentation is in place and easily accessible for inspection. The childminder has a thorough and consistent approach to planning educational activities for children to cover all areas of learning. Her assessment procedures are consistent and robust so that she can identify any gaps in learning for individual children and, therefore, plan strategies and next steps in learning to help them make continual progress. She maintains positive

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provision

partnerships with parents who demonstrate through completed questionnaires that they are happy with the childminder's care of their 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 EY450387 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 972648 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 6

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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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