Childminder in Rotherham

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/09/2014 24/03/2010

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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 a suitable knowledge and understanding of how children learn and develop; she carefully observes to assess their skills and interacts effectively to improve their learning.  Children form secure attachments with the childminder, which means they are confident, settled and keen to explore and learn.  Children have opportunities to develop their confidence, social and physical skills through visits to parks and play sessions at groups within the local community.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder has not completed all the forms necessary for Ofsted to ensure that every person aged 16 and over living on the premises is fully vetted. This is a breach of requirements.  The childminder has not fully met the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage with regard to completing the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years.  The system for self-evaluation is not fully developed, in order to show how strengths and weaknesses are identified and inform a clear improvement plan to support children's achievements over time.  The childminder does not maximise young children's curiosity about the natural world by providing a range of natural materials and interesting textures for them to explore.

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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 viewed the areas of the premises and garden used for childminding.  The inspector observed activities taking place in the lounge and dining kitchen.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's observation and assessment records, the register of attendance and sampled other documentation, including verification of suitability checks.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2004 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her three children aged 17, 15 and 13 years in the Swinton area of Rotherham. The ground floor is used for childminding, including access to bathroom facilities. There is an enclosed rear garden for outdoor play. The family has a dog as a pet. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities and she visits the shops and park on a regular basis. There are currently 12 children on roll; five of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round, from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Thursday, except for family holidays. The childminder is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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must:

 ensure that the arrangements for verifying the suitability of all people in the household aged over 16 years are robust with regard to successfully responding to Ofsted's requests for a Disclosure and Barring Service check

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must:

 improve knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage with regard to completing the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years, ensuring that parents and/or carers are provided with a short written summary of their children's strengths and areas where progress is less than expected.

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

 implement a more focused approach to evaluation of practice to monitor, analyse and assess strengths and weaknesses, in order to drive improvement to support children's achievements over time

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

 maximise opportunities for young children to be curious and make discoveries about the natural world and textures by, for example, providing them with a wider range of natural resources to explore, such as pine cones, sea shells, shiny objects and other textures.

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who attend

Initial assessments are carried out using information from parents about what their child already knows and can do. As a result, this helps the childminder to plan appropriate activities based on children's individual development needs. The childminder uses photographs of children engaged in activity alongside her observations and records these in development files. The childminder assesses children's progress and shares this with parents who are able to view these and add comments about what children have been learning at home. However, the childminder has not completed the written summary for parents in relation to children between the ages of two and three years. This means that the development levels and individual needs of these children are not clearly identified to enable additional support or intervention to be secured if and when necessary.

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who attend

The childminder uses effective teaching methods to develop children's learning, such as modelling language correctly. This means that she supports children's developing communication skills. The childminder is actively involved in children's play and listens to what they would like to do, providing a suitable balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities. As a result, children are engaged in purposeful play which covers the prime and specific areas of learning. For example, as children start to play with large floor puzzles, the childminder helps them to problem solve by asking them to find individual pieces. They look at the picture of the completed puzzle which helps them to find the missing pieces. The childminder asks open questions, to help children think critically and make connections in their learning. She encourages children to read by providing a variety of books which are accessible to children. This means that older children can read to

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who attend

themselves whenever they choose to do so. The childminder provides an environment where children are happy and explore their surroundings with confidence. They show good levels of independence when exploring toys and resources that are available for them to play with. For example, children delight in posting different coloured milk bottle tops in a sparkling box with a slot in the lid. The childminder understands how children learn and provides them with age-appropriate resources, which she rotates on a regular basis depending on their current interests and her planned activities. However, the range of resources available do not routinely include natural resources and everyday items which children can use, move and explore in a variety of ways. This means that for younger children, the opportunities to play and explore imaginatively are not fully promoted.

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who attend

The childminder has developed sound partnerships with parents. They frequently view their child's file which contains photographs and written observations of activities that they have taken part in. The childminder talks to the parents on a daily basis and gives updates about children's learning. This means that parents are able to extend and build on what their children know and can do at home. Children are prepared for school as the childminder provides a range of activities and experiences which cover the areas of learning. For example, children count as they play with bricks, name different colours and look for numbers on the toy trains. Consequently, they begin to show an interest in representing numbers as they play, which supports their mathematical development.

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

Children form close bonds and attachments with the childminder. She supports their emotional well-being by offering short settling-in sessions with parents which help to develop secure attachments. The childminder makes good use of praise, which effectively promotes their confidence and self-esteem. She is a good role model and encourages children to share, play cooperatively and to be polite. Children behave well because the childminder gives them consistent, clear and age-appropriate explanations. As a result, they are developing a clear understanding of the expectations for their behaviour and a good understanding of right and wrong. Parents comment positively about children's good manners and appreciate the childminder's flexible service. She knows children and their families well and gathers information from parents to ensure that routines and care needs are closely followed. This promotes smooth transitions and supports continuity of care

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

Children visit the local park and enjoy open spaces where they can run, climb and play active games. This means that they are developing physical skills and learning about exercise which supports their overall health. In addition, children learn about personal hygiene through good hand washing routines. The childminder promotes children's social skills effectively. They attend local groups where they play with their peers and build relationships away from the childminder's setting. This helps children to build relationships in bigger social groups, therefore, they are well prepared when they move onto the next stage in their learning, which is usually the local nursery school. The childminder talks to the children about healthy eating and provides healthy snacks, such as fresh fruit. This encourages children to make good food choices from an early age. As a result, they learn about positive practices that contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

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

Daily checks of the premises ensure children play in a safe and clean home. Through the childminder's good role modelling and gentle reminders children learn to act in a safe manner. For example, she reinforces messages about safety throughout the day, such as informing children why they need to sit properly on the chair to avoid falling off.

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provision

The childminder has an adequate understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, she is unable to verify the suitability of all persons in the household over 16 years. This is because she has not ensured that the application for her teenage son's Disclosure and Barring Service has been completed successfully in response to Ofsted's request. This is a breach of the requirements of the Early Years Register and the Childcare Register. However, the childminder ensures that any person who lives in the household and is not yet fully vetted, is currently never left unsupervised with children. Therefore, children are not at significant risk and are relatively safe and well protected. The childminder completes written risk assessments and knows what to do should she have any concerns about a child's care or welfare. In addition, children take part in fire evacuation procedures and this means that

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provision

they know what to do in the case of an emergency. The childminder holds a current paediatric first-aid certificate and also ensures that medication records are appropriately maintained.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates sound knowledge of each child's stage of development. She tracks children's learning to ensure that they are making progress and through her observations identifies next steps in learning. The childminder works in partnership with other early years providers that children attend, to gather and share information about children's learning and development. This shared approach to children's learning provides continuity in children's learning.

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provision

The childminder seeks feedback from parents through daily discussions, and she meets with other childminders to share good practice. In addition, she also receives support from the local authority childcare development team to evaluate her practice. The childminder has addressed the weaknesses from previous inspections. However, self-evaluation is not robust enough to identify and prioritise further weaknesses in practice. This means that improvement plans are not focused to target weaker areas and ensure that the provision improves to benefit the children who attend. Nevertheless, through discussion, the childminder can identify her own training needs and specific relevant courses to help her improve her knowledge and practice.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that any person having unsupervised contact with children is suitable to be in regular contact with children and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check has been obtained through Ofsted in respect of that person (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that any person having unsupervised contact with children is suitable to be in regular contact with children and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check has been obtained through Ofsted in respect of that person (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 EY291691 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 820090 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 12

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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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