Ms Lynda Diane Blades

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/09/2014 03/03/2011

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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 knows that children particularly enjoy playing outdoors and she uses the garden effectively to support their all round development.  The childminder successfully helps children learn how to behave considerately as she encourages them to share and be kind to others.  Children develop their communication and language as the childminder knows them well and talks about things that are important to them.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder does not complete the required progress checks for two-year-children and does not make fully effective use of observation and assessment to monitor children's progress and plan for their future learning.  The childminder does not fully adapt activities to extend children's learning.  Children are not easily able to select some resources independently indoors. This does not support them to thoroughly develop their play ideas and independence.

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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 during their play in the areas they use.  The inspector held discussions with the childminder.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed paperwork including children's records, samples of their work, policies, risk assessments and suitability checks.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 1992. She lives near the centre of Banbury, Oxfordshire, with her partner and two adult children. The ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outdoor play. Access to the house includes steps into the front door. The childminder offers care on a daily basis, before and after school, and during school holidays. She walks to the local school to collect children. There are currently five children in the early year's age range on roll.

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Information about the setting

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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must:

 improve the systems for observing and assessing children's progress, including the completion of the required progress check for two-year-old children.

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

 enhance children's learning by extending activities they enjoy to offer increasing challenge and to maintain their interest

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

 develop the opportunities for all children to make informed choices and decisions about toys and resources, for example, by organising resources so that children can select more items independently.

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who attend

The childminder has a suitable understanding of the seven areas of learning. She observes children to find out about their interests and knows which activities they enjoy. The childminder uses her experience, along with some information she collects from parents, to gauge children's abilities, including their starting points. She does not, however have a fully effective system for monitoring their development to check it is in line with expectations for their age. In addition, she does not complete the required progress checks for two-year-old children. This limits parent's involvement in monitoring their children's learning. The childminder speaks informally to parents about children's general progress and, on occasion, discusses how they can promote children's learning at home.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is satisfactory. The childminder encourages children to solve problems for themselves and discusses their ideas for possible solutions with them. This helps children to process ideas such as cause and effect. For example, children observed learning to blow bubbles experimented with how far to hold the wand from their mouth and how hard to blow. The positive interaction children receive generally supports them to concentrate for suitable periods of time for their age. However, occasionally, activities do not fully engage the interest of children. This is because the childminder does not always effectively adapt them to ensure that they continue to provide sufficient challenge.

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who attend

The childminder continually talks to the children about what they are doing. She effectively develops their communication and language skills by using correct terminology, repeating words that they say and asking them to name objects. For example, young children playing with water are introduced to the word 'spout' and older children name artefacts and countries they had visited with their family. The childminder encourages the children to talk about the things that capture their interests as she engages them in conversations. This supports them to make links in their learning and to consolidate new information. For example, the childminder encouraged children to talk about the fruit growing in the garden. Children confidently used their developing language to express their preferences and share their recent experience of shopping for beans. The childminder extended their understanding of the natural world by teaching them about the

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who attend

effect of sun and rain on growing plants.

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who attend

The childminder provides children with opportunities to use all their senses through play. For example, children enjoy listening to the sounds in the garden and the different bird calls. They explore a variety of messy play such as water, bubbles and painting with their hands and fingers. Children are developing suitable physical skills as the childminder encourages them to play outdoors in all weather. For example, younger children develop their balance as they negotiate the small slide and see-saw. Older children also learn control over their running as the childminder plays games with them. Children go for regular walks in the local community which helps them to learn about the environment around them. They visit parks where they experience additional physical challenge as they climb on the play equipment.

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who attend

Children engage in many activities which help them develop control and co-ordination. These include connecting bricks together during construction activities, using scissors to cut paper, painting and drawing. They benefit from the opportunities the childminder plans for them to develop their early literacy skills. She promotes children's interest in books well as she reads to them. She also encourages them to use books to retell stories as they interpret the pictures. The childminder supports older children to begin to identify written numbers and letters and teaches them the sounds of letters. The childminder also helps children to count as they play and to explore concepts such as addition. For example, as children enjoyed a game placing shells into water the childminder encouraged them to count the shells and to consider how many 'one more' would make. Other activities that support children's mathematical development include learning about shapes

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who attend

as they play with jigsaws. The childminder encourages the children to be independent in their self-care, for example, dressing and undressing themselves. She provides suitable opportunities for them to socialise with others at the park, and to play with children of different age after school. As a result of all this, children are beginning to learn the necessary skills to prepare them for the next stage in their learning, such as pre-school and school.

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

The childminder works well with families to support children when they first start with her. She collects information about their routines and she organises a series of settling in visits based around each child's needs. As a result, children develop a secure relationship with the childminder. For example, they readily invite her into their play as they ask her to pop the bubbles with them. The childminder appropriately supports children to understand acceptable behaviour and teaches them to take turns, share and be kind to each other. For example, when they play a board game together, they take turns to roll the dice. Consequently, children are beginning to know what is expected of them and are developing positive social skills. The childminder offers the children praise and encouragement, which supports their self-esteem and promotes their sense of security. She follows children's individual routines and ensures they have an appropriate balance of

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

rest and play. The childminder supports children's social and emotional development well. As a result they are emotionally well prepared for their move to the next stage of their care and learning.

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

The childminder teaches children about safety as they play. For example, she reminds them to pick up their toys so other children don't trip. On outings, she reminds them to hold the pushchair and standing sensibly at the kerb when near roads. The childminder ensures when the weather is hot that children have sun protection applied before playing outdoors. She also provides them with constant access to drinks. The childminder promotes children's health further through regular exercise and fresh air. She teaches them to wash their hands before eating and supervises them appropriately. This helps children learn about suitable hygiene practices. The childminder works closely with parents to sensitively attend to children's toileting needs and help them become independent. Parents provide packed lunches and snacks, which the childminder supplements with fruit. All this means that children develop a good understanding how to keep safe and lead

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

The childminder provides a variety of toys and equipment for the children to explore. She sets out different resources according to the interests of the children attending. However, the organisation of resources does not always make it easy for children to see what is available to them as boxes do not all have labels. In addition, some boxes are stored out of reach and so children cannot select toys for themselves. This restricts their ability to make independent choices about their play.

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provision

The childminder fulfils her responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements and effectively promotes children's safety and well-being. She demonstrates an appropriate knowledge of safeguarding issues and her responsibilities to protect the children in her care, and has a policy in place to support her. She knows who to contact with any child protection concerns. Children are safe and secure within the setting as the childminder identifies and takes action to assess risks and remove potential hazards. For example, she completes a safety check each morning and supervises children closely at all times.. The childminder holds a current first-aid qualification to help her to provide appropriate care for an injured child.

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provision

The childminder provides a variety of learning experiences that help children to make adequate progress overall. She plans some next learning steps for children based on their identified interests and needs. However, the lack of an effective system for precisely monitoring their progress means that she does not always take prompt action to identify or address gaps in their learning. In addition, the childminder is in breach of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage as she does not complete the required progress checks for two-year-old children. This means that she is not fully monitoring the progress children make to help her thoroughly identify strengths and weaknesses in her educational provision.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates an appropriate commitment to continued improvement to develop her practice. She completes regular on-line training related to caring for children in the early years age range and she obtains support from the local authority to develop her practice. This has some positive impact on the quality of her service. For example, as a result of recent training on communication and language, the childminder ensures that children learn to listen to each other. She also knows to build waiting time into her listening so that children can take time to gather their thoughts. Since her last inspection the childminder has developed her outdoor play provision so that she can promote all areas of learning outside to cater for children's individual learning preferences.

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provision

The childminder has established links to exchange information with the school that some children attend to further promote learning in all areas. She also has suitable arrangements to share information about children who may attend another early years setting. This supports good continuity of care. The childminder makes a number of policies and procedures available to parents in a pack of information before their children start. She also speaks to them about the care their children will receive. The childminder takes into account written and verbal feedback from parents to make sure that she continues to support children's individual progress. She also welcomes more general feedback about her service to help her identify areas for improvement.

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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 133563 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 842922 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 6

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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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