Childminder in Hampshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/09/2014 25/02/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 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 fully organised childcare environment which effectively enables children to independently take part in a wide variety of activities to meet their learning and development needs.  Children readily respond to the childminder's continual engagement and good teaching. This enables the childminder to include ample opportunities across all areas of learning throughout play and daily routines.  The childminder successfully updates her knowledge and understanding to ensure all prepared documentation is in place to meet all requirements, which contributes effectively to keeping children safe.  The childminder has clear systems to identify children's levels of learning, and detailed evidence to support the progress that children make towards their next steps in development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not have highly successful strategies to engage all parents in children's learning at home to share information following assessment.  The childminder has not established a programme for her professional development.

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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 discussed the childminder's practice with her.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed all areas used by children, and observed the activities and daily routines.  The inspector viewed a range of documentation.

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Information about the setting

The childminder started in 1991, and registered with Ofsted in 2001. She lives with her husband and one adult child in a house in Waterlooville, Hampshire. The home is close to local schools, shops and parks. Children remain on the ground floor and use a dedicated playroom, as well as the open-plan kitchen/dining area. There is an enclosed rear garden for outside play. The family has cat. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register, and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is currently caring for three children, of whom one is in the early years age group. The childminder delivers and collects children to and from the local school. She cares for children over the age of eight years at times.

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

 extend strategies to link with parents and carers highly successfully, to encourage them to contribute and share information about children's development, particularly following assessment of progress, to determine how the knowledge gained can be used to support learning at home.

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

 establish a programme of professional development that targets identified weaker areas of teaching, in order to raise teaching to a consistently very high quality.

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who attend

The childminder provides continual good opportunities for children to learn through their play and through everyday routines. The childminder has fully organised a child-centred environment that aids children's learning well. She shows high levels of engagement with children. She creates resources herself that meet children's needs by being well matched to their stages of development. For example, the childminder has used her initiative to make a game linked with a popular story. She has drawn pictures of food items from it on small plastic bottle tops and named these. Children eagerly took part in recognising and finding the correct item of food and putting this into a container, as the story progressed. This activity involved frequent counting and colour recognition, listening, understanding and physical actions. The childminder allowed children to follow their own ideas at times to match colours and sort items, so extending their learning. The childminder talked with

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who attend

children throughout the story. She encouraged clear pronunciation to help communication development, and extended children's vocabularies. This activity showed consistently good quality teaching. The childminder is adept at meeting children's learning and development needs effectively. She often follows their lead, promoting learning through exploration. She provides a wide variety of interesting activities and often seeks children's opinions and preferences. For example, children showed delight when they pretended to paint by using water on the patio, using brushes and rollers to make letters and shapes. The childminder extended this to include a further challenge by making footprints on paper, owing to the children's interest in using paints and creating marks. This experience increased children's concentration levels, and showed their clear determination to manage independently. Through experiences such as this the childminder helps children gain useful attitudes and

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who attend

skills for the next stage in their learning, and the eventual move to school.

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who attend

The childminder recognises the importance of children learning outdoors, and of planning some activities that she leads herself to promote particular areas of learning. For example, children helped the childminder to collect leaves and sticks from around the garden, and followed the childminder's idea to make a hedgehog house. This activity increased children's understanding of the world around them well and of the natural world in particular. Such effective planning means all areas of learning are covered thoroughly.

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who attend

The childminder very capably uses questioning and explanation to develop children's understanding. She is fully aware of individual children's levels of early learning in relation to the required areas of learning, and to their starting points on entry. She has very clear systems of assessment. These include a competent short written report for parents when children are between the age of two and three years. However, strategies to engage all parents in children's home learning, such as how they are engaged in helping their children after the progress check for two-year-olds, are less than highly successful. The childminder successfully assesses children's ongoing capabilities. She uses her detailed observations of children's play to help her plan for any gaps in children's learning.

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who attend

There are effective systems to gain information from parents about children's starting points in development when they first start with her. The childminder clearly uses this information to plan and organise appropriate activities right from the start. This approach helps children settle in quickly and means no time is lost. The childminder talks with parents regularly. She provides useful daily diaries for parents about their children's day. These communications keep parents well informed of their children's experiences. The childminder promotes children's personal, social and emotional development well. She encourages children to socialise, and attends community groups to develop their confidence. She provides good opportunities for children to increase their independence in learning, which is a useful skill for when they move on to the next stage in their learning, and for school.

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

The childminder has developed a strong knowledge of children's individual characteristics. She continually extends this understanding through the close relationship she has with children. This relationship enables her to develops children's sense of belonging when in her home, so children feel secure and ready to explore their environment. This sense of belonging helps their personal development well. Children showed they were happy and involved in activities. They clearly thrived on the level of attention the childminder provided. This attention continually supports children's close attachments and positively promotes their personal, social and emotional development.

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

The childminder manages children's behaviour well. She is a good role model. She clearly explains what will happen next to prepare children for changes during the day, which again helps their feelings of security. She encouraged polite behaviour and praised children frequently for managing capably or responding well. This approach fully develops children's self-esteem and raises their confidence, so they are emotionally well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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

The childminder promotes healthy lifestyles well. The childminder strongly promotes regular physical play and often links this with a purpose to increase children's knowledge or to enable children to learn about managing their own safety. Children take part in ample physical play. For example, the childminder provided a tunnel for children to crawl through. She encouraged children to balance on wooden logs, to extend their physical skills. She explained clearly how they could hold out their arms to help them balance. This effective teaching helps children learn how to keep themselves safe. Children eagerly showed the childminder how they have learned to do handstands and cartwheels. As children grow, the childminder uses daily routines to help children become responsible, such as when feeding themselves, or independently using play apparatus. The childminder teaches children how to cross roads safely through practising regularly with her.

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

The childminder promotes and maintains children's good health. She provides a varied and healthy diet, to help them understand what food is good for them. She includes effective hygienic routines, such as hand washing before snacks, lunch and after toileting. The childminder talked to younger children about the importance of cleanliness when they carried out these routines themselves to increase their understanding.

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

The childminder provides a very wide selection of resources, which she uses well. She gives ample freedom for children to choose activities. This approach encourages independent choice, so children enjoy what they do. This helps them feel happy in her home.

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

The childminder uses her daily visits to local schools to encourage children to see and become familiar with the next stage in their education. In this way, she helps prepare children well emotionally for their future learning.

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provision

The childminder has successfully increased her knowledge and understanding of early years education, since her previous inspection. She now has a competent awareness of her role in promoting and encouraging children's learning through play and she provides a positive, warm and caring environment. She meets the learning and development requirements well. The childminder has developed clear systems to monitor and assess children's progress. She undertakes effective observation of children's achievements. She links these successfully with areas of learning. She uses the knowledge gained to plan for children's ongoing progress. In this way, she is effectively closes any gaps in children's learning levels.

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provision

The childminder has a strong understanding of her duty to safeguard children. She is confident in her ability to recognise any signs and symptoms that would give concern about children's welfare. She is fully aware of how to refer these concerns to outside agencies. She regularly attends child- protection training and keeps up-to-date with any changes in the regulations. The childminder has a full policy and procedure for safeguarding and she shares this information with parents to ensure that they know her duty to respond to any concerns. The childminder is also fully aware of her duty to inform Ofsted of any significant events or changes to protect children and maintain her registration. The childminder is clearly meeting all safeguarding and welfare regulations. She has acted effectively on a recommendation set at the previous inspection, so the garden gate is safe.

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provision

She has a full range of documentation available to support her provision. The childminder evaluates her provision effectively, to drive improvement. She has established basic questionnaires for parents to gauge their opinions. She has attended a wide variety of workshop training to help her evaluate her provision. However the systems for evaluation do not provide a clear plan targeted on her professional development in order to raise the quality of teaching to a consistently very high level, such as through gaining qualifications.

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provision

The childminder develop and maintains effective partnerships with parents, who are well informed of children's progress She has ample information displayed to encourage parents to understand her provision, and to show how she promotes children's learning.. She fully understands the need to maintain continuity with other carers to promote children's ongoing learning. .

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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 112503 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 817012 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 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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