Childminder in Shropshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/09/2014 17/03/2014

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 4 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 quality of teaching is consistently good. The childminder uses skilful questioning techniques to encourage children to think critically and develop their own ideas. As a result, children are enthusiastic, creative learners.  The childminder provides a secure environment, so that children feel safe in her care and build strong attachments.  Children's emotional well-being is given a high priority from the outset. As a result, they are happy, settled and confident to explore their environment, preparing them well for the next stages in their learning.  Partnerships with parents are highly valued by the childminder. As a result, opportunities for parents to share information about their children's learning are promoted continuously.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to further promote children's use of numbers and mark making in the outdoor environment, in order for children to express themselves and enhance their use and understanding of early numeracy and writing skills in their play.

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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 play activities and the childminder's interaction with children.  The inspector held discussions with the childminder during the inspection  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a representative sample of children's records, policies and procedures, and suitability documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents recorded in children's profiles, diaries and references.

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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 husband and four children aged one, seven, 11 and 13 years in West Felton, Shropshire. The whole of the ground floor and rear garden are used for childminding. The family has a pet dog, cats and chickens. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local library. There are currently two children on roll, both of whom are in the early years age range and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round, from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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

 strengthen opportunities to promote children's use of numbers and mark making in the outdoor environment, to allow children to express themselves and acquire the formation of early numeracy and literacy skills as part of their outside play.

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who attend

Children are enthusiastic explorers of this exciting, stimulating environment. They are confident learners who are able to solve problems and make decisions to develop their own ideas, try new things and take risks to succeed. The quality of teaching is consistently good because the childminder uses skilful questioning techniques effectively to extend children's learning and reshape tasks to accommodate their ideas. Children are supported by the childminder to develop their own play. This leads to exciting, challenging and interesting learning experiences for children. Knowledge and understanding of the world are enriched by their participation in a wealth of activities. For example, children enjoy opportunities to plant and grow their own sunflowers and vegetables and to collect fruit from the orchard. Children's ideas are listened to and supported by the childminder as they instantly become engaged and motivated, choosing resources and leading their own

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who attend

learning. Children enjoy making marks on the whiteboard, choosing colours and contrasts to decorate their pictures. They are inspired by the introduction of new words as they discuss shapes and size with the childminder. An absorbing activity ensues as children create patterns in a variety of colours. Educational programmes have depth and breadth across all areas of learning, enhanced by a good range of resources, which the childminder has developed since the last inspection, to create a stimulating environment for children. The childminder provides challenging learning experiences which meet the needs of children, based on an accurate knowledge and understanding of how to promote their learning and development. A recently refurbished playroom is bright and colourful, and children are fully involved in initiating their own play experiences and organising resources.

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who attend

The childminder praises children's efforts and extends their learning during routines, encouraging them find numbers in daily activities and matching these into shapes and colours. This promotes confidence and self-esteem as children smile when praised and show enjoyment in their achievements. Once engaged, the children soon extend their play outdoors, where they a provided with a range of experiences developed as a result of the childminder's recent training on how to support children's outdoor learning. For example, they cook in the playhouse, plant seeds, sunflowers and vegetables in the garden and find excitement in watching them grow. Children participate in feeding the chickens, learning the discipline of caring for family pets. They watch the antics of a playful kitten. This creates laughter as children enjoy pretending they are farmers. They chatter happily amongst themselves as they are encouraged to clear away their resources. In this way,

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who attend

children develop key skills and independence needed for their future learning in school. Although there are already excellent resources in the outdoor environment to promote physical skills, there is scope to enhance opportunities to promote children's recognition and use of numbers, and to encourage them to make marks when playing outdoors.

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who attend

Since the last inspection, the childminder has developed her understanding of the requirements of monitoring children's progress while in her care and now carries out regular spontaneous and planned assessments of children's progress to plan next steps. This allows her to tailor activities to meet individual children's needs. This ensures all children are progressing well towards the early learning goals. Children work within or above the typical range of development for their age. Communication and language development is effectively supported when children sing songs and listen to stories. Parents are actively involved in their children's learning through strong partnerships. Children's profiles are shared regularly with parents and they frequently talk to the childminder about their children's learning.

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

Settling-in procedures for new children are well embedded and effective. There are now regular discussions with parents in order to share information, which enables the childminder to meet individual family needs. Parents are very complimentary about the warm, friendly home environment and the strong relationships their children are making right from the start. Children demonstrate that they feel a strong sense of belonging and security. Children are actively encouraged to develop independence and to care for their environment. For example, they participate in clearing away their own plates, cups and cutlery at snack time, learning skills in preparation for starting school. Snack time has been improved so that children now enjoy a healthy favourite snack with fresh fruit, waffles and milk to drink. They sit at a table socialising with the childminder, and afterwards they participate in a quiet drawing activity, before relaxing during rest time.

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

This again helps children to become familiar with the routines they will encounter in school.

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

Children are supported in keeping themselves and others healthy by learning to address their own personal needs. They are supervised in the safe use of toilets and are encouraged to wash their hands. This promotes well-being and limits cross-infection, instilling a healthy lifestyle for children. As a result, children develop self-help skills, independence and confidence in caring for themselves, appropriate to their age and level of understanding. The childminder models and consistently gives clear guidance on expected behaviour, providing secure boundaries for children. As a result, minor conflicts are minimised and children learn to resolve situations for themselves, strengthening relationships amongst adults and children.

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

Children learn to manage risk through activities outdoors and enjoy vigorous play in the fresh air. In this way, the childminder actively promotes a healthy lifestyle. For example, she has ensured that children have regular access to the enclosed garden and use of extensive facilities in the community. As a result, they are able to participate in outdoor physical play on a daily basis. Children run, balance and test their coordination using a range of equipment. They work cooperatively together by learning to control whole-body movement successfully. Children are busy in their play, laughing and learning together, moving excitedly from one activity to another. Children's safety and safeguarding are central to everything the childminder does. She effectively supports children's growing understanding of how to keep themselves safe and healthy. For example, they are learning that they must stop, look and listen before crossing a road in order to stay safe.

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provision

The safeguarding and security of children is now a clear priority for the childminder, who ensures rigorous risk assessments, carried out both indoors and on outings, are in place and visually checked daily to ensure children are safe and secure at all times. She is able to demonstrate a good awareness and understanding of potential harm to children and shows confidence in dealing with any potential safeguarding issues or causes for concern. For example, the childminder has updated her safeguarding policy, devised a new procedure regarding the use of mobiles phones and cameras and has updated her safeguarding training. Children's behaviour shows they feel safe in the childminder's care, as they share concerns with her most naturally. Unknown visitors to the home are and their identity is checked. Security arrangements and effective procedures are in place to ensure children's safety. For example, the childminder maintains close supervision of

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provision

children in the wider outdoor environment and ensures children leaving the premises are collected by parents or authorised adults.

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provision

The childminder has recently attended training so that she has a good understanding of her responsibility to ensure that her provision meets the safeguarding and welfare and the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has a clear view of how to drive forward improvements for the benefit of the children entrusted to her care. For example, close links have been developed with the local children's centre and she works with other childminders in the community to develop joint activities for children. A programme of professional development is in place, to ensure the childminder is constantly improving her understanding of current changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage and how to enhance her practice. This results in children making good steady progress because of the improved quality of teaching and learning experiences they receive from the childminder, who now has a good overview of the educational

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provision

Children's needs are quickly identified and met through effective partnerships between the childminder, parents and other providers, so that children are fully supported in their learning now and during their move into schools in the future. Assessment of children's progress ensures planning offers a broad range of challenging and interesting learning experiences for all children. The childminder works hard to develop strong and beneficial partnerships with parents. She now provides greater clarity in the information about the provision and ensures that parents are kept up to date with their children's progress and interests. This supports parents to be involved in their children's learning. As a result, they speak highly of the provision and say that their children are always pleased to attend.

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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 EY277941 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 967263 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 2

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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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