Childminder in Hertfordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 19/09/2014 14/07/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 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 understanding of child protection issues and makes sure that everything children may come into contact with is risk assessed. As a result, children are looked after in a safe environment.  The childminder establishes warm relationships with the children in his care. As a result, children come into the setting happily and confidently.  The childminder works appropriately in partnership with parents to support children's care routines. Consequently, children's care needs are well met.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder does not always use the identified next steps in children's learning to inform planning. As a result, some activities are not sufficiently challenging.  The childminder does not work with parents to gain information about children's learning and development or share details of their progress to support their learning at home. Consequently, the importance of home learning is not promoted.  Younger children do not have effective support to develop some aspects of their speech, as the childminder misses opportunities to extend these. As a result, children do not always make the best possible progress in their language development.  Systems for self-evaluation are not fully established. As a result, actions and improvement are not focused sufficiently on improving the quality of teaching and learning.

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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 engage in free choice play and discussed these observations with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder and children throughout the inspection as appropriate.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed a range of policies and procedures and looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked the suitability and qualifications of the childminder, his co- childminder and household members aged over 16. She also checked the childminder's self-evaluation.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2003 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. He lives with his wife and one adult child, in a house in Shenley, Hertfordshire. The childminder's wife is also registered as a childminder and both childminders have equal responsibility for the childminding practice. The ground floor of the childminder's home is mainly used for childminding. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play. The family has a dog, two cats and a fish. The childminder attends a range of toddler groups. He visits the shops and park on a regular basis. He collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently six children on roll, three of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. He operates all year round from 7am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays.

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must:

 ensure information from observations and assessment is used effectively, so that activities and resources are planned to provide purposeful and challenging opportunities to meet all children's individual needs

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must:

 ensure opportunities for supporting younger children in their speech and language development are maximised to allow the children to make the best possible progress

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must:

 obtain and share information about the children's learning and development with parents and carers to allow an effective two-way flow of information that informs planning, supports effective teaching and promotes learning at home.

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

 develop evaluation and monitoring processes to identify all areas of teaching and learning that require improvement, to support children's progress.

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who attend

The childminder has an adequate understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. He follows the children's interests and provides them with the toys they would like to play with. Activities and resources cover the seven areas of learning. For example, bikes and cars in the garden provide children with the opportunity to be active, and paper and coloured pencils allow opportunities for making marks, writing and drawing. As a result, children make appropriate progress in relation to their starting points and are acquiring the skills they need to be ready for school.

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who attend

In collaboration and discussion with his co-childminder, the childminder observes and assesses the children regularly. He uses relevant guidance documents to ensure that the children are developing within the expected bands of development appropriate for their age. As part of this process, the childminder and co-childminder highlight areas of strength and weakness and identify the children's next steps in learning. However, this is not sufficiently robust enough to ensure that the identified next steps are then catered for in planned, purposeful, challenging activities, which allow the children to develop and extend their learning. As a result, the children are not always given opportunities to develop their problem solving and critical thinking skills. The childminder gets down to the children's level and sits alongside them, but misses opportunities to extend their ideas and vocabulary and intervene and engage in their play. He is aware of different teaching

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who attend

methods, including repetition and modelling with the younger children and the use of a variety of questioning techniques with the older ones, to support the development of language and communication skills. However, the childminder does not place an appropriate emphasis on the development of communication and language for the youngest children, in practice. The childminder is mindful of the need to fulfil the needs of particular children or groups. For example, he takes into account the needs and interests of a group of boys and builds large-scale dens with them in the garden.

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who attend

The childminder has positive relationships with parents. In collaboration with his co- childminder, he gathers some information from them when the children first join the setting, such as what they like to play with and any special interests. The childminder shares the children's learning records with the parents, including examples of what they have produced in creative activities and photos. The childminder has not established effective ways for parents to share the children's learning at home, in order to ensure children's continuity of learning and development. The childminder and his co-childminder carry out the progress check for children between the ages of two and three and share this with parents.

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

Children and their families are warmly welcomed into this friendly setting. The settling-in process which is in place allows children and parents to build warm relationships with the childminder. As a result, children are happy and settled. They are self-motivated to choose activities and enjoy what they do. Children of all ages develop secure attachments with the childminder and, as a result, separate well from their parents. The childminder is caring towards the children and discusses their individual needs, for example, dietary and medical information, with parents. This allows the childminder to meet the individual care needs of the children well. The childminder demonstrates how he manages the children's move to other settings, particularly to school. For example, he talks to the children about what it will be like at school. This ensures that the children make the move with confidence. The childminder manages behaviour effectively, using gentle reminders and

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

explanations. The childminder encourages the children to take turns. As a result, they play cooperatively and understand the need to share. The children have the confidence to talk and play with adults and each other. As a result, children are being emotionally prepared for the next stage of their learning.

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

The childminder and his co-childminder have established a welcoming environment for children. Many age-appropriate and good quality resources are accessible to the children and those that are stored elsewhere are included in a picture book, from which the children can choose freely. However, there is a tendency on the childminder's part to use the provision of resources that the children choose as a substitute for planned, purposeful adult-led activities. This means that he is not always making the best use of the resources to provide good quality learning experiences for all children. Children are able to access a large, well-resourced garden at all times. In the fresh air, they are able to run and roll around on large mats, which contributes to their general good health and physical development. The childminder ensures that the children eat healthily. He and his co- childminder provide home-cooked, nutritious meals.

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

The childminder can demonstrate that he understands how to keep the children in his care safe and he follows procedures that support this. For example, he has fitted a chain on the front door to prevent the children opening it and he clears the immediate area around the cot, so that nothing is at arm's reach for a toddler. Children learn to keep themselves healthy through daily routines, such as washing their hands after they have used the toilet. The childminder discusses dietary needs and preferences with parents and adheres to these carefully. As a result, he promotes children's health and well-being. The childminder and his co-childminder keep a record of any accidents that have occurred and medicines that have been administered, and the childminder holds a current paediatric first-aid certificate so that he can give appropriate treatment in the event of a medical emergency.

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provision

The childminder has a satisfactory understanding of safeguarding and welfare requirements. He has attended safeguarding training and fully understands his responsibilities to protect children. He understands the signs of abuse and he and his co- childminder have a clear safeguarding procedure to follow. As a result, children's welfare is promoted and they are protected from harm. The childminder shares policies and procedures with parents when their children begin attending. The childminder is aware of the importance of risk management and conducts a daily risk assessment of all areas used by the children to eliminate or take action to minimise risk. For example, he checks the garden first thing in the morning and throughout the day if the dog has been out, and has a gate to stop the children accessing the stairs alone.

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provision

The childminder and his co-childminder lack a robust system to monitor and evaluate the educational programmes they provide, which means that children do not always have opportunities to participate in challenging activities across all areas of their learning and development. However, the childminder, in collaboration with his co-childminder, uses a system to track the progress of the children in his care and as a result, children are making appropriate progress. The childminder has yet to establish a system for robust reflective practice and self-evaluation to ensure that he consistently strives to improve his provision, highlighting his strengths and areas for improvement. He is committed to continuous professional development as he attends regular training sessions, although these are not always focussed on improving his practice.

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provision

The childminder has developed some effective ways to work in partnership with parents, exchanging relevant information to support the children's ongoing care. Information is shared with parents on entry to the setting, to ensure that they are fully aware of the childminder's policies and procedures. Parents are kept informed on a daily basis about their child's care. Parents comment positively about the care and learning provided. For example, they say that they appreciate the child-led approach to learning and development and the homely environment. The childminder works with other early years providers. For example, he verbally exchanges information regarding the children's well- being when he takes the older children to school. However, the childminder has not established a robust system to share information about the children's learning and development with parents and carers or other settings. Consequently, opportunities to

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provision

ensure continuity and progression in children's learning are not always fully optimised. The childminder understands the importance of developing relationships with external agencies to ensure all children receive appropriate interventions and support. However, at the time of the inspection, the childminder did not have any need to implement this in practice.

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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 EY268914 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 856081 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 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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