Childminder in Swindon

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/09/2014 09/06/2009

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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 has positive relationships with children that help them to form secure emotional attachments with her.  The childminder uses risk assessments to identify and minimise hazards and implements policies to promote children's safety and well-being.  Children have opportunities to develop their social skills as they regularly visit the local toddler group.

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It is not yet good because

 Children's progress is not as good as it could be because the childminder is not using effective systems to identify children's next steps in learning so that she can plan and provide challenging targeted activities to meet their individual learning and development needs.  The childminder does not provide regular opportunities for the youngest children to engage in activities that promote their physical development.  The childminder does not use all opportunities to promote children's mathematical development during 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 in the playroom, kitchen and garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed a selection of the childminder's documentation, including children's details and attendance records.  The inspector spoke with the childminder at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector checked the childminder's suitability and qualifications.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2008. She lives with her husband and two children in a three bedroom townhouse in the Oakhurst area of Swindon. The home is easily accessible at street level with a toilet available at this level. The downstairs of the property is mainly used for childminding and there is a bedroom available for sleeping children upstairs. There is also an enclosed garden for outdoor play. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder is currently caring for two children in the early years age range, who attend on a term-time only basis. She also cares for older aged children. The childminder lives within walking distance of local shops, library and parks. There is good access to bus routes.

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must:

 improve systems of observation, assessment and information sharing with parents in order to plan children's individual learning experiences to promote good future progress in all areas of learning

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must:

 provide opportunities for the youngest children to develop their physical and mobility skills, such as crawling, rolling, grasping and gripping.

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

 increase opportunities to promote children's interest in numbers, shape and size, for example, by using mathematical language during play and activities

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who attend

The childminder has a suitable understanding of the learning and development requirements for children. She provides an adequate amount of resources that are appropriate to children's age and interests and makes some observations of children during play. However, she does not use this information well to assess children and identify their individual next steps in learning. This means that she does not plan and create activities and experiences that reflect children's individual learning and development. Consequently, activities do not always provide challenge, which means children are not making as good a progress as possible across all areas of learning. Children explore their environment with confidence. They enjoy playing with small-world toys, such as cars and trains, and using their imagination by cooking on the toy kitchen. The children benefit from regular outdoor time. The childminder takes the children on

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who attend

regular outings to the woods and toddler groups; this supports children's understanding of the local community and the wider world. Trips to local parks and soft-play centres give children added challenge in their physical play. The childminder supports older children's cooperation skills as they play catch in the garden. Older children develop physical skills in catching and throwing while the childminder offers praise and encouragement. This shows the children that the childminder values their efforts, which raises their level of self- esteem. However, the childminder provides fewer opportunities for the youngest children to develop their early mobility skills such as rolling and crawling as they spend long periods lying in a basket. Children independently initiate activities, with the support of the childminder. For example, the older children chose an activity with play dough. They explored the texture, feel and smell of the dough and benefitted socially as they sat

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who attend

together at the table. However, the childminder did not include babies in this activity to promote the development of the small muscles in their hands and fingers, or to support their sitting skills.

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who attend

The childminder chatted with the children during play, using words such as, 'Push,' and 'Squeeze'. She encouraged them to repeat words after her to promote their vocabulary and understanding. However, the opportunity to promote children's mathematical development by incorporating discussions about objects such as shape and size were missed, which means children did not gain the most from the learning experience.

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who attend

The childminder keeps parents informed about their child's development with daily feedback, diaries, parents' meetings and learning journals. However, the childminder does not gather detailed information from parents about children's skills and abilities from the outset to inform her future planning. The childminder is aware of the requirement to complete the required progress check for two-year-old children and the need to share this with parents.

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

Children develop secure relationships with the childminder. She is warm and loving, and children have formed secure attachments to her. Children have immediate access to a suitable range of well-maintained toys. They make decisions about what they would like to play with and are confident in making their needs known. The childminder ensures she follows children's home routines such as sleeping and mealtimes and offers lots of praise and encouragement for achievements such as first words. She has suitable relationships with parents and keeps them informed about their child's day with the use of a diary. Consequently, children's personal, social and emotional development is supported well.

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

The childminder teaches children how to keep themselves safe. The childminder reminds them to be careful when running or getting down from the table. Children take part in regular fire drills with the childminder. This means they are learning how to leave the house safely in the event of an emergency. The childminder provides a balance of nutritious meals and snacks for the children, which supports healthy lifestyles. The childminder teaches children appropriate hygiene practices, such as washing their hands before meals and after using the toilet. Regular outdoor play helps children understand the benefits of fresh air and exercise.

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

Children's behaviour is age appropriate. For example, the childminder encourages children to take turns and share. She is gentle and calm in her approach to behaviour management and provides clear explanations to support their understanding. For example, the childminder reminds the children to ask one another before they take toys and not to snatch, as this is not kind. This supports children's awareness of their own feelings and the understanding that some actions can hurt others.

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provision

The childminder has a satisfactory knowledge of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. She has recently updated her safeguarding training and has a suitable understanding of the procedures to follow in the event of a concern about the welfare of a child. She has completed first-aid training, which will help to provide care in the event of an accident. The childminder promotes children's safety through detailed risk assessments. She has made lists of potential garden hazards such as poisonous plants and a checklist of areas that should be cleaned and monitored regularly. She takes action to minimise the risks to keep children safe. For example, hazardous cleaning materials are kept in a locked cupboard and any other dangerous kitchen items are out of children's reach. The childminder makes use of safety gates to keep children from harm and ensures the front door is locked at all times to promote children's welfare.

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provision

The childminder shares an appropriate amount of information with parents so that they are aware of the service that she offers. She keeps them informed about her registration details, which are displayed on a noticeboard in the hallway. She provides parents with folders containing details of her policies and procedures. The childminder keeps parents informed through daily discussion and diaries and they are asked to complete registration forms at the start of the child's care. However, this does not include information on what children can do before they first start to inform planning for their next steps in development. Written feedback from parents indicates their satisfaction with the care of their children. Parents report that they 'wouldn't know what to do without her'.

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provision

The childminder is reflective of her practice and she has completed a self-evaluation form. She is aware of the need to make continual improvement to her practice and the service she provides. The childminder plans to increase further her resources that reflect a variety of cultures and diversity. She talks of plans to further her understanding and implementation of planned and purposeful activities to maximise the outcomes for 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 EY383416 Local authority Swindon Inspection number 844548 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 3

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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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