Childminder in Bristol

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/09/2014 14/10/2013

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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 has a strong focus on developing children's communication skills ready for their next steps in learning. There is effective modelling of language, clear explanations and questioning to develop children's language skills successfully.  There is a robust cycle of observation, planning and assessment to enable children to make continuously good progress.  The childminder provides a well-organised, safe learning environment for children to explore independently making choices about their play from a wide selection of toys and resources.  There is good partnership working with parents and other early years settings the children attend to provide continuity in children's care, learning and development.  The childminder provides strong leadership to her assistants.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not always give children the opportunity to explore the materials they will be using in their activities to help develop their sensory skills.  Although there is a wide variety of toys and resources, the childminder does not label them to help children with their early reading skills.

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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 children playing inside and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the childminder's interactions with children and her assistant.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had regular discussions with the childminder and her assistant regarding children's learning and development, safeguarding practices and self- evaluation.  The inspector offered a joint observation with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation including the written views of parents, learning diaries, policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2008. She lives with her husband and three school age children in Knowle, Bristol. All areas of the property are available for childminding with children's sleep accommodated on the first floor. There is an enclosed area at the front and side of the property for outside play. The childminder has two cats. The childminder works with a co-childminder on a Monday and Tuesday and employs two assistants who she works with when required. The childminder works Monday to Thursday throughout the year from 8:30am until 6pm. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Currently there are 16 children on roll, of these; eight are in the early years age range. The childminder is in receipt of funding to provide free early education to children aged three and four-years. The childminder supports children learning English as an additional language. The

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Information about the setting

childminder has obtained Early Years Professional Status.

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

 provide children with more time to explore the resources before they use them to help develop their sensory awareness

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

 make more use of signs and labels to show children that print carries meaning and to help them make more independent choices in their play.

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who attend

The childminder involves parents in their children's learning from the onset. For example, parents complete an all about me form to provide the childminder with key information so that she can plan initial activities to help children settle. The childminder uses information from parents about children's achievements at home successfully to influence her future planning. She also provides parents with ideas of how they can support children's learning at home, such as helping children identify numbers in the environment. The childminder provides a good balance of experiences across the areas of learning. She makes detailed observations of children's engagement in activities and accurately identifies their next steps in learning. She monitors children's progress well, identifying any gaps in their learning and making appropriate referrals, such as to speech and language therapy, when required.

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who attend

There is a strong focus to encourage children's communication skills. The childminder and her assistant consistently talk to the children providing a narrative to their play so that they can link words to their actions. For example, the childminder stated 'you're lifting the trolley high above your head' and 'you're climbing the tree stump' as children developed their physical skills. They question children effectively to help them to think through the process and solve problems for themselves. For example, children enjoyed rolling small balls down the guttering chutes. When the ball became stuck, the assistant questioned children effectively to encourage them to think about why it was stuck and what they can do to release it. Children experimented with their ideas well and the assistant praised them for their attempts and achievements.

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who attend

Children enjoyed playing outside and confidently moved onto new activities as the childminder has taken time to organise the garden with a broad range of experiences. For example, children enjoyed transferring the sand using a range of tools, such as scoops, to build and create. They referred to a familiar story and recreated the stomping action of the dinosaurs as they made footprints and flattened the sand. Children developed good hand-eye coordination as they made patterns, lines and shapes using brushes with water on the shed. Children gave meaning to their marks, such as 'I made a one'.

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who attend

Children have good opportunities to be creative. The childminder provided a broad range of resources for children to choose independently to create a shaker, such as fennel seeds and pasta. However, the childminder did not always give children the opportunity to explore these resources using their senses before they used them to extend the learning further. Children demonstrated good fine motor skills as they picked up their chosen material to fill their bottles. Some children decided to sort the materials by colour and others counted how many they were adding to their bottle. Children used mathematical language well to describe what they were doing, such as 'I'm adding more pasta in here'. Children made observations and were excited about their discoveries. They responded well to questions about why their filling was coming out of their bottle, stating 'it's because we're shaking it so hard'. Children listened well to instructions and took photographs of

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who attend

their creations, showing a pride in their achievements.

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who attend

The childminder organises daily routines well. For example, while children washed their hands ready for snack, she engaged those children who are waiting, in activities such as chasing the balloons. She provided children with clear explanations as they questioned her about the different size of the balloons so that they understood that the air they blew into them was escaping and making the balloons smaller. Children commented 'we're throwing balloons up' as they happily reached and stretched for the balloons to keep them up in the air. Children learnt number names as they counted how many times they hit the balloon before it landed on the floor. The childminder included all children in activities. For example, even the youngest children enjoyed exploring the balloons, copying the childminder's actions and exploring sound.

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

The childminder provides a well-organised, homely environment for children to explore. There is a good range of age appropriate resources, which are of high quality, clean and well maintained. These include resources to help children's understanding of diversity in our society. Generally, these are easily accessible in low-level storage units. However, there is little labelling in the environment to help children in their independent choices and to show them that print carries meaning to help children with their early reading skills.

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

Children behave well. All adults use consistent strategies to support children in their understanding of rules and expectations. The childminder helps children to resolve conflicts independently, which provides guidance for their next steps in learning especially as they move on to pre-school school. For example, children are encouraged to wait for their turn by counting to a set number or singing the song, which provides children with an appropriate time limit. Adults are respectful of children's play giving them a minutes warning so that they can finish playing before their snack. Children have a good sense of belonging, as they are familiar with routines. For example, when coming in from playing outside, children are aware they need to take their shoes off. They find their box and remove their shoes. Through positive interactions from the childminder, such as effective questioning, children are able to solve problems independently when their shoes do not fit

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

in the box to find a solution. Children form close attachments with the childminder and enjoy a cuddle as they wake from their sleep. The childminder sings familiar songs from home to reassure them.

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

Children are aware of hygienic practices to maintain their well-being. For example, they routinely wash their hands independently before they eat. The childminder has provided appropriate equipment to support this process, such as a step, so that children can reach the washbasin. Children choose their own towel to dry their hands, which is colour-coded and hung on a photograph labelled peg to prevent cross contamination of germs. The childminder is respectful when she helps the youngest children learn hygienic practices. For example, she consistently asks permission before she touches children to wipe their noses and explains why she is doing it. Children learn about keeping themselves safe. They regularly complete fire drills with the childminder so that they become familiar with the evacuation process.

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

The childminder has good knowledge of children's special dietary requirements and adapts her menu to ensure she meets these. The childminder provides parents with good information about the healthy and nutritious snacks and meals she provides and what children have eaten each day. Parents comment on how there is 'plenty of healthy and tasty food'. Meals are prepared in a scrupulously clean kitchen. For snack, children enjoy a selection of prepared fruits, such as grapes, kiwi and nectarine, and rice cakes. Adults are good role models at lunchtime as they sit with the children to eat, which encourages children's social interactions and language development.

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provision

The childminder provides a safe and secure environment for children to move freely and independently. She has completed rigorous risk assessments of all areas used by the children and implemented effective safety measures. For example, the childminder has installed a self-closing gate with two locks and a safety chain to the front door to prevent children leaving unattended. All required documentation is in place to fulfil the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. These are stored securely and confidentially. The childminder has a good knowledge of child protection issues so that she can take appropriate action if a concern arises about a child in her care. She ensures that assistants have appropriate knowledge of the possible signs/symptoms of abuse and that they implement the safeguarding policy and procedure effectively.

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provision

The childminder is a good role model providing assistants with strong leadership. She uses observations and staff meetings productively to share good practice so that there is consistency in teaching strategies, for example. The childminder has made positive progress since her last inspection, ensuring that all assistants are suitably qualified and vetted for their role. There are robust induction arrangements to enable the childminder to monitor the effective delivery of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder has a positive attitude to training, for both herself and her assistants, and has good processes to identify training needs for example, first aid, through regular supervision meetings.

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provision

The childminder and her assistants know their children well. Therefore, they plan an exciting range of activities to help them progress and evaluate these effectively. For example, through the consistent use of detailed observations and assessment arrangements, they know that some children give up on tasks easily, especially with regard to their physical development. Adults focus strongly on children's interests to develop these skills. They provide encouragement and consistently praise children's achievements. This enables children to make good progress in their learning and development.

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provision

The childminder has developed strong partnership working with parents and other early years settings the children attend. The childminder has a good knowledge of the children in her care and therefore, knowing that some children lack confidence in new social situations, she has visited their new pre-school with them. The childminder has completed transfer documents, which provides the new key person with essential information on children's care, learning and development to support a smooth transition from her setting to the pre-school. In addition, the childminder maintains a regular flow of information through a daily diary and communication sheets for all adults to provide contributions. The childminder provides parents with a wealth of information about the setting and their children's progress, such as through regular newsletters and sharing of learning diaries. There is good partnership with parents to support children learning English as an

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provision

additional language, such as sharing key words to help children in their communication skills and ensuring knowledge of children's culture and traditions.

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provision

The childminder uses self-evaluation well to drive improvement. She has successfully addressed all concerns arising at her previous inspection. She has regular communication with her co-childminder, assistants and early years adviser to improve the service she provides. She has a good understanding of the strengths of her provision. She has developed a clear action plan for improvement through the completion of a quality assurance scheme, Bristol Standard. The childminder is currently creating a resource catalogue to improve children's independent choices and introducing Forest School skills to foster children's curiosity of nature and to develop their understanding of safety.

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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 EY374138 Local authority Bristol City Inspection number 963318 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 8

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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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