Childminder, Out-of school day care in Worcestershire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/09/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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

 Children make good progress in their learning and development. This is because the childminder provides fun learning activities and experiences that accurately reflect children's interests and play preferences.  Children are effectively protected because the childminder recognises health and safety as a high priority. Risk assessments are thorough and the childminder demonstrates a very good knowledge and understanding of appropriate safeguarding procedures.  Children benefit from the effective partnerships that exist between the childminder and their parents. She regularly seeks their views about her service and recognises and values their contributions, so they can work in unison to fully support children's well- being, learning and development.  The childminder is pro-active in developing her service. She acts on advice and attends training to enhance her knowledge. Her plans for improvement are well targeted to

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Text which is clearly written and easy to see is not displayed in the outdoor learning environment, so that children can see letters and simple words, which ignite their rapidly developing interests to link sounds and letters.  Some opportunities to further promote children's independence are occasionally missed as the childminder provides ready prepared fruit, which they cannot help to prepare.

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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 the childminder engage in a range of indoor and outside learning activities, play and daily care routines with the children.  The inspector conducted a safety check on the premises indoors and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder and interacted appropriately with children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, including planning information and children's development folders.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the childminder and discussed her self-evaluation and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of parents written references and comments from recent parents' questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2014 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and one child aged two years in a house in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. The whole of the downstairs and upstairs bathroom of the house are used for childminding. There is a secure outdoor play area available. The family has a pet dog and three cats. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local children's centre and visits the shops and park on a regular basis. There are currently six children on roll, of whom one is in the early years age group. The childminder operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except family holidays and bank holidays. The childminder receives support from the local authority.

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

 enhance the outdoor learning environment further by displaying text that is clearly written and easy to see, so that children can learn about letters and simple words

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

 develop ways to further encourage children's independence, for instance, by allowing them to cut up their own fruit and vegetables for snack.

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who attend

The childminder has a very good knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how children learn. She has only been minding for a short while and is using suitable guidance documents to observe and effectively plan for children's learning needs. Through initial discussions with parents and completing a detailed 'Pathway' profile, the childminder completes an initial assessment. She observes and assesses the children, makes notes and takes photographs to include in their learning journals. These are shared with parents, enabling next steps to be supported by the childminder and by parents at home. Parents are also encouraged to share any skills that they have identified and would like the childminder to support their children with. She actively encourages parents to add their comments about their children's learning at home. Parents comment favourably about the varied activities

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who attend

provided by the childminder. As a result, children are challenged and supported to become motivated learners that are making good progress in their learning and development.

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who attend

Generally, the learning environment contains resources that are stimulating and accessible to children, which promotes their learning and independence. However, the outdoor learning environment is not rich in print, so children can begin to learn new words, link sounds to letters and understand that text carries meaning. Children initiate their own play as they self-select resources from a variety, which are stimulating and accessible to them. Young children's confidence and communication skills are promoted as they are encouraged by the childminder to take an active part in singing action and number rhymes. For example, they copy her actions and join in playing musical instruments, moving their body to the rhythm of the music. Children also enjoy listening to favourite stories they are familiar with. They become engrossed in the story because the childminder is enthusiastic and engages their interest by asking them to peep through the

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who attend

holes the caterpillar has made in the fruits. Children are eager to turn pages and repeat words, helping to extend their vocabulary. The childminder joins children in their play. She promotes their language development well through conversations, questioning and following simple instructions to check their understanding. Children enjoy choosing crayons to make leaf rubbings, crunching up the dried leaves or using the larger ones as a fan, pretending it is the wind. During activities, children are encouraged to learn to share toys and play together to promote their social skills in preparation for their later move to nursery and school. As a result, children make good progress in their personal and social development skills.

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who attend

Children have good opportunities and are encouraged to learn about numbers, shapes and colour as they post shapes into the sorters or experiment with paint mixing it to produce some colourful pictures. These are displayed in the childminder's home or in their learning journeys, which are shared with parents to show children's creations are valued and appreciated. This actively contributes to children's self-esteem. Children have very good opportunities to spend time outdoors in the fresh air to promote their physical skills. The childminder encourages them to explore and investigate nature by planting and picking fruits and vegetables. Children talk about the smell, texture and different colours of them. They play outdoors in the water tray, emptying and filling a variety of different sized containers. Children also have opportunities to play on the larger equipment at the playgroup. The childminder has a sound knowledge of promoting equality of opportunity

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who attend

and ensures all children and their families are valued and respected. Multi-cultural resources are available that depict positive images of people with differing abilities. This helps to promote children's understanding of diversity and the wider world.

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

The childminder has established strong attachments and close relationships with the children. She actively supports the move of new children into her home through a gradual settling-in procedure. This is individual to each child's emotional needs, ensuring that children settle quickly, are happy and emotionally secure. The childminder receives comprehensive information from parents about the children. For example, initial details about care routines, likes and dislikes are shared through completion of child-information records. This helps parents feel comfortable when leaving their children. The childminder has a calm, caring and patient manner and she gives children her individual attention. This helps to ensure that each child feels valued and special. Children move freely around the childminder's home and enjoy playing with the resources available, which promotes their confidence and independence. The childminder is a good role model, treating children with

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

kindness and respect. They enjoy each other's company, seeking out friendships and forming relationships. Gentle reminders during play, help children to understand about being kind to each other and taking turns. As a result, children behave well and good social skills develop in preparation for later moves to nursery and school.

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

All required documentation is in place and the childminder completes this correctly and thoroughly to promote children's safety and well-being. Healthy lifestyles are promoted as the childminder encourages children to eat a healthy diet. She ensures that a range of fruit and raw vegetables are available daily and discusses healthy options for packed lunches with parents and children. However, some opportunities to further promote children's independence are occasionally missed as the childminder provides ready prepared fruit, which children cannot help to prepare. Good hygiene routines help children to understand the importance of keeping themselves clean. Children are supported well to develop an awareness of their own toileting needs and they are learning to wash their hands at appropriate times during the day. Children are developing independent self-care skills. For example, younger children are encouraged and supported by the childminder to

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

tidy away their toys and put on their own shoes before going out to play in the garden.

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

Children enjoy fresh air and exercise, developing physical skills and confidence as they play on the outdoor equipment at the childminder's home or use the large equipment at local parks and toddler groups. The childminder uses these opportunities to reinforce how to use equipment safely, enabling children to take safe risks under close supervision, learning how to protect themselves from harm. Children are supported in developing an understanding of how to keep themselves safe in a number of ways. During outings, the childminder discusses road safety, supporting children's understanding of safe places to cross and the hazards they need to be aware of. The childminder is vigilant about children's safety and she supervises them well at all times. Children of all ages learn the importance of tidying away toys before getting others out to play with, as too many toys on the floor may be dangerous and cause them to fall.

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provision

The childminder is professional and well organised. The childminder is pro-active in ensuring her policies and procedures are implemented effectively and she continually revises these to reflect current legislation. The premises are safe and secure. Written risk assessments are in place, which show how the childminder has identified and minimised potential hazards to ensure children's safety. The childminder has a good understanding of the procedures to follow should she have any concerns regarding a child in her care. A safeguarding policy, which is shared with parents, includes the action to be taken and telephone numbers of who to contact to seek advice and support. The childminder has considered the appropriate use of mobile telephones and cameras in the setting, in order to fully protect children. This is also included in her safeguarding policy. All of this, demonstrates that children's safety and well-being is given a high priority by the

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provision

childminder. The childminder has a clear commitment to improving the service she provides and has completed a focused improvement plan. This clearly identifies improvements she has made, such as developing an outdoor growing area for children to promote their understanding of the natural world. She has also set realistic targets for further improvements, in both her provision and her professional development. For example, she has booked on a number of training courses and workshops to secure her skills and knowledge. All of this clearly demonstrates how she is intending to maintain continuous improvement, in order to ensure continued good learning opportunities for children. The childminder has a good level of awareness of how children learn. She monitors her provision for the learning and development requirements to ensure children are motivated and interested in their activities by providing a broad range of experiences, tailored to help

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provision

Communication is a prime focus for the childminder with regard to children's well-being and achievements. Parents and carers appreciate her warm welcome for their children and themselves, highlighting the home-from-home atmosphere as a positive comment in questionnaires and references. The childminder has a secure knowledge and understanding of liaising with parents to build positive relationships. She has a clear understanding and knowledge of the importance of working in partnership with external agencies to ensure appropriate interventions for children, who may need additional support. The childminder is aware of developing appropriate links with the local school and nursery. She has been pro-active in improving the partnership working for children attending other settings. The childminder shares information to ensure children's welfare and learning are fully complemented to support their future move to nursery and school.

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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 EY474182 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 960184 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 6

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection not applicable

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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

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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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