Childminder in Cambridgeshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/09/2014 25/11/2010

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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

 Children are protected and secure in the childminder's care as she places a high priority on regularly updating her safeguarding and child protection training and shares the necessary details with parents.  The childminder understands the value of partnership working with parents and others involved in children's early learning. She has developed strong, mutually beneficial working relationships with them creating strong links in their care and learning between her setting and home.  The childminder makes good use of everyday occurrences and opportunities to offer children teaching across each area of learning. She provides individualised learning opportunities and promotes their good progress in readiness for the next stages in their learning.  The childminder undertakes a good range of training to ensure she consistently improves her practice and offers children a continually improving experience.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not always match the activities offered to the needs of all children attending, which means older children are sometimes less well occupied.  The childminder does not embrace opportunities for children to learn about how to lead a healthy lifestyle through activities which promote their understanding of where food comes from and what is healthy to eat.

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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 childminder's house and talked with the childminder.  The inspector viewed the areas of the premises and garden used for childminding.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of household members, and a range of other documentation, including the safeguarding procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents, as recorded in written reference letters.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed the childminder's self-evaluation form as provided at the inspection.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2010 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives in a house in March, Cambridgeshire, with her two children aged 11 years. The downstairs of the childminder's home is used for childminding, with a toilet available on the ground floor. There is an enclosed rear garden available for children's outdoor play. The family has a pet dog. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local children's centre. She visits the library, shops and park on a regular basis and collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently nine children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder

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Information about the setting

receives support from the local authority.

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

 extend opportunities for older children so they remain eager to join in and participate when younger children are present by supporting them to access the wide variety of resources available

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

 enhance children's understanding of how to keep themselves healthy further by offering them opportunities, for example, to plant and grow foods they can eat.

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who attend

Children take part in a wide range of interesting activities, both inside the childminder's home and on outings that promote their development across the seven areas of learning. They are achieving independent learning skills which will help them in the next stage of their development, including their readiness for school. The child-centred environment and skill of the childminder's teaching allow children to explore for themselves and their learning is extended through her timely support. Children enjoy these opportunities and demonstrate the characteristics of effective learners. For example, children's interest is sustained for a good length of time during a creative activity. They explore the use of different materials and experiment with how they can use them to suit their purpose. The childminder uses good, open questioning to extend children's learning well. For example, she shares books with the children and enables them to take the role of the storyteller.

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who attend

She answers their questions as together they search for red objects on a page, naming and counting them with the child. She builds on their existing knowledge as she asks what number one more makes, helping them develop their understanding, speech and language skills. Children's progress and learning is, therefore, effectively promoted.

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who attend

The childminder has a good selection of resources, which are well managed, wide ranging and are arranged to offer children independent access. She takes account of their interests and next steps in their learning grow out of her careful observations of their progress. For example, the childminder teaches children who will soon start school listening and speaking skills and prepares specific activities designed to close any gaps in their learning. However, at times, especially when other younger children are present, older children's needs are not as well considered. As a result, they are sometimes less well occupied. The childminder makes daily use of the outdoor environment to promote development across the areas of learning. Children have access to sand, water and various activities to promote physical development, such as scooters and bikes. The childminder helps children learn about important dates during the year as they celebrate

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who attend

their birthdays and study other festivals from around the world. She capably assesses children's learning to ensure they make good progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is partially due to the specific planning carried out in partnership with parents and other agencies to quickly identify their specific needs and support children's learning.

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who attend

The childminder communicates effectively with other early years providers and children learn to interact positively with their peers. This helps them form positive and enduring relationships and also enhances children's language acquisition. The childminder develops strong relationships with parents, taking into account their views. For example, she takes note of how they prefer to receive and offer information about their children's learning. Parents are involved in useful initial assessments, providing the childminder with additional information to make links within learning and care practices. The progress check for children between the ages of two and three years is securely embedded within practice, and parents contribute and share the results with their health visitor.

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

Children form secure attachments with this warm and caring childminder, as well as with their peers. This increases their self-confidence and helps support their personal, social and emotional well-being. The childminder is observant and interacts readily with children, who respond enthusiastically and become very attached to her. This gives children confidence to explore the environment and take risks, actively engaging in their learning. The childminder uses individually considered strategies to develop children's social skills. For example, as young children explore the play kitchen she chats to them about what they find, offering them first words and encouraging them to share. Children seek cuddles and reassurance when a visitor is present and relax visibly as the childminder talks quietly to them offering them comfort. She asks children questions which prompt them to speak as they read a story together. This modelling helps support children's learning as well as

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

allowing them to develop the confidence to be expressive within their communication.

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

The childminder plans a wide range of interesting activities that challenge children and motivate them to learn. She makes good use of outdoor learning to provide children with additional opportunities to promote their physical development. For example, they visit parks, take trips on the bus and train to visit local places of interest and skip, bounce, hop and learn ball skills in the garden. The environment inside is well organised, imaginative and provides activities that promote development across the areas of learning. The childminder has developed a dedicated playroom with child accessible storage. She offers children a good level of supervision, allowing them to explore independently, but is at hand if they need her support. This enables children to learn according to their interests and they engage in a wide variety of activities and become confident, curious learners. The childminder also considers how to promote healthy lifestyles and provides children

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

with associated activities and well-balanced, nutritious snacks. However, they are offered fewer opportunities to explore nature and how things grow in the outdoor environment. Children are encouraged to maintain good hygiene practices.

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

Care practices are well established embedded in practice and meet the needs of children attending. The childminder works closely with parents to provide a good level of care for them. For example, she has detailed, relaxed conversations each day which support collaborative working on changing and adapting routines and care practices. Parents are kept well-informed about any accidents and the childminder liaises with them to ensure any medical or dietary needs are met. Children are kept safe by the childminder as she has a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and a detailed knowledge of how to keep them safe without affecting their learning experiences. Fire drills are completed frequently enough to ensure all children are familiar with what to do should they need to leave the home swiftly. Children are reminded that when they have lots of toys out it is wise to tidy some away to prevent trips or falls. Older children learn to consider others as

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

they put away resources containing small parts when younger children awake from their sleep. The childminder has developed effective behaviour management strategies and prioritises the use of good manners. For example, children learn to share, take turns and are taught to say 'please' and 'thank you'.

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provision

Safeguarding is given a high priority by the childminder. For example, she routinely updates her paediatric first-aid and child protection training to ensure she is aware of current best practice. The childminder has developed a strong suite of policies and procedures which are shared with parents as children begin attending. These are updated regularly and are kept in the comprehensive information folder the childminder shares with parents. This explains to parents how she operates her service and they also receive a welcome pack when they register their child to attend. All those living within the home are checked and the childminder ensures that children are never left alone with those who have not been vetted. Risk assessments are undertaken daily to ensure that the home and garden are safe for children's use and the childminder is vigilant about their safety. At the time of the inspection, the childminder's garden was being remodelled and for this reason

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provision

was not in use by the children. The childminder has therefore planned trips out in the local area each day to ensure children continue to benefit from time spent in the fresh air and exercise. The childminder's thorough knowledge of safeguarding helps to ensure that children are kept safe when in her care. The childminder has a clear understanding of the learning and development requirements. She carefully monitors her practice and seeks support from other childminders, her local authority and online forums. As a result, she has identified additional training needs and is now aware of how to accurately observe and assess children's learning. She has developed her knowledge and understanding to ensure she has a good overview of the educational programme. Furthermore, she regularly reviews her own practice to ensure she offers children good quality teaching. This ensures that children experience a wide

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provision

range of activities across the seven areas of learning and make good progress during their time with her. Her robust approach ensures that children learn through a wide range of enjoyable experiences, enabling them all to make effective progress. The childminder accurately identifies each child's stage of development, and devises individualised learning programmes, through the careful assessments she completes. Partnerships with parents which benefit all concerned have been developed. Parents comment very positively about the quality of the service offered by the childminder saying she is 'professional and nurturing'. Their comments are summarised by one parent who says the childminder 'seems to go above and beyond in ensuring that children get a variety of stimulation and activities'.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a genuine affection for children in her care and is committed to improving the service she offers. She is increasingly reflective about her practice and seeks to improve the quality by accurately identifying her own strengths and weaknesses. This allows her to make continuous improvements. For example, the childminder has worked hard since the last inspection to implement a detailed method of observation and assessment. This allows her to accurately identify children's next steps in their learning and help them make good progress towards the early learning goals. The childminder understands the value of working in partnership with others involved in children's care and learning and liaises effectively with the local school and pre-school. Children are, therefore, offered a consistent and meaningful early years experience and are supported as they make the transition to the next stages in their learning. The

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provision

childminder has also worked collaboratively with the local authority to identify areas for development and is continuing to work towards further improving aspects of her provision.

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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 EY405905 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 879532 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 9

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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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