Childminder in Shropshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/09/2014 12/12/2008

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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 good knowledge and understanding of how to effectively safeguard children in her care. Her home is safe and secure and she is aware of how to identify indicators of abuse and knows how to protect children. Consequently, children's safety and well-being are promoted.  Children's communication and language is promoted well. The childminder values children's conversations and listens attentively to what they have to say. This encourages the children to voice their opinions and discuss family life and forthcoming events. As a result, children are confident talkers.  Children are very happy and content to be in the childminder's home. There are very good settling-in procedures and the childminder is attentive to individual children's needs, so that they feel safe and secure. As a result, children's emotional well-being is promoted well.  Partnerships with parents and other providers are good. There is a constant sharing of

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This provision is good

information to support children with their learning and development.  Indoor and outdoor resources are of a very good standard and provide children with challenge and interest.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not always exploit opportunities to develop children's mathematical learning, such as encouraging them to count everyday objects.

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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 as they played indoors and at snack time. She engaged in the children's discussions, imaginative play and walked with them and the childminder, to the local school.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of children's assessment records and discussed these with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder at appropriate times and looked at and discussed a range of policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents from written comments.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1999 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives in a house with her husband and three adult children, in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding. Children have access to an enclosed garden. The childminder collects children from local schools and nurseries. There are currently 10 children on roll; four of whom are in the early years age range. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The childminding provision operates all year round, from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family holidays.

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

 make the most of everyday opportunities to build upon children's mathematical development, so that they continue to be fully supported in this aspect of their learning and development.

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who attend

The childminder has a secure knowledge and understanding of the learning requirements in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children's communication and language are promoted well by the childminder as she listens attentively to what children have to say and responds with open-ended questions. This encourages children to become critical thinkers and develop their language skills as they consider solutions to problems and openly discuss their ideas. Children are confident communicators and engage with visitors during their play. For example, children pretend to put dinosaurs to sleep and discuss with visitors that, 'the dinosaurs need plenty of straw to keep them warm'. The childminder plans a good range of child-initiated and adult-led activities to meet the seven areas of learning. She also uses the outdoor environment very well and teaches children about how to grow fruit and vegetables. The childminder collects children from local schools. During

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who attend

the walk back to the childminder's home, she teaches them about being safe and how to cross the road safely. They hold informal conversations and discuss what they have both been doing during the morning. The childminder uses this time to explain to children about the community and the different roles of people. This supports children's understanding of the world and wider communities. However, the childminder does not always exploit opportunities to develop children's mathematical learning. For example, she notices several large insects on a wall and points this out to the children but does not encourage the children to count them or discuss how many they can see. The childminder talks to the children about taking care of their school uniform and encourages them to undress themselves and to master fastenings on their clothes. This fosters their self-care skills and means they are beginning to acquire the necessary skills

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who attend

and attributes that are required for their next stage of learning, such as the move to school. Observation and assessment is carried out regularly to monitor children's learning and development. Children's next steps in their learning are clearly identified and children make good progress towards the early learning goals. The progress check for children between the ages of two and three years is completed in a timely manner and shared with parents. The childminder ensures that a good flow of information exists from the moment children begin and this is used to plan interesting activities that children will enjoy.

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who attend

Younger children, who have just started attending, are given the opportunity to explore the environment and develop their physical skills by crawling and pulling themselves up on the furniture. The childminder provides them with different toys that are age-appropriate so they can safely explore using their senses. Children's communication and language is supported well as the childminder constantly talks to them about what is going to happen next and encourages younger children to babble and make sounds. Consequently, children make good progress in their development.

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

Children are very happy and content to be in the childminder's home. They are kind and considerate to each other and older children are learning about how to show younger children what is expected of them. For example, during lunchtime, older children independently open their lunch boxes, unpack sandwiches and take lids off tubs of fruit and sit and eat at the table. Younger children are safely secured in highchairs as they eat their lunch. They observe older children using cutlery and begin to emulate this. As a result, children are becoming emotionally prepared for their next individual stages of learning. Children are confident to talk with visitors and are keen to involve them in their play. Younger children are happy and comfortable around new people and appear content as they giggle and smile. The childminder has good settling-in procedures in place which helps to foster children's emotional well-being as they become confident in the

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

childminder's care. The childminder builds close attachments with the children and knows them well. She uses the information obtained from parents on entry to provide children with routines that they are familiar with. Parents are very pleased with how their children are quickly settled and praise the childminder for her dedication and care offered to their children.

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

Children benefit from a stimulating and interesting indoor and outside environment. The dedicated playroom is colourful and has carpeted areas that enable young children to crawl around with ease. Older children access toys that have been clearly labelled with pictures and words to support their early literacy skills. There is a lovely family atmosphere in the childminder's home that is welcoming and relaxing. Children play very well together and are polite and courteous. Their manners are excellent and they are often heard saying, 'pardon' and 'excuse me'. The childminder rewards children's good manners with lots of affectionate praise. This helps to promote children's self-esteem and confidence. Children are patient and wait for the childminder to attend to other children's needs, such as heating up food. Older children are beginning to assess and manage risk in the childminder's home. For example, they tell younger children not to put too much food

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

in their mouth as they could choke and ensure that they cannot access smaller pieces of equipment that may be dangerous. As a result, children are learning how to keep themselves and others safe.

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

The garden is full of animated animals, such as sheep, lambs and chickens. Children are interested in these and talk to the childminder about how different animals live and what foods they eat. The childminder teaches children about eating healthily as she encourages them to grow their own fruit and vegetables. Younger children try new foods, such as strawberries and the childminder is astute in recording this in daily diaries so parents are aware of this. The childminder talks to children about eating healthily during mealtimes and provides children with fresh drinking water so they can manage their own thirst. Children are encouraged to wash their hands before eating and after toileting so they are aware of good personal hygiene routines. Children have daily access to activities outside and regularly walk from local schools to the childminder's home. As a result, they benefit from regular physical exercise, which promotes their well-being.

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provision

Leadership and management are good. The childminder has a secure knowledge and understanding of how to effectively safeguard children in her care. She ensures that visitor identification is recorded so she has an accurate record of all adults visiting her home. Risk assessments are carried out to ensure that her home and any planned outings promote children's safety and well-being. Her home is secured with locked gates and there are fire guards and stair gates to further protect children. The childminder restricts the inappropriate use of mobile phones and cameras in her home and is vigilant in reminding visitors of this. She has a good understanding of how to identify symptoms of abuse and is confident of how to protect children in her care. As a result, children's safety and well- being are given high priority.

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provision

The childminder is very experienced and uses her vast knowledge to provide children with quality teaching experiences. She uses her good understanding of the welfare and learning requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage to monitor children's development and improve her provision. She evaluates the quality of this through seeking parents' views on questionnaires and by evaluating the layout of the learning environment. The childminder makes changes to her provision to improve the quality of learning opportunities for children. For example, she has implemented a sheltered outdoor area where children can play during inclement weather and has purchased an outdoor playhouse so children can engage in more meaningful role play. Consequently, the childminder has good self-evaluation procedures in place which are used to improve children's learning experiences. The childminder has successfully addressed the

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provision

recommendation from the previous report and now undertakes regular and detailed observations of children's learning. This shows her commitment to continually improving her provision. Partnerships with parents and other professionals are good. The childminder liaises with local nurseries and schools to ensure that information is shared regarding children's progress. This means that children are well supported in their learning and development. Parents' views are sought and the childminder ensures she communicates with parents using preferred methods. For example, some parents like her to use a daily diary but others are quite happy to receive verbal feedback. Parents are kept well informed of any planned outings and the childminder shares the children's files with parents so they are aware of children's next steps in learning and ongoing development.

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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 223639 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 866099 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 10

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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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