Childminder in Staffordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/10/2014 21/09/2011

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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 creates a warm welcoming environment where children feel safe and secure to investigate the environment. This reinforces children's self-confidence and emotional well-being and prepares them well for the next stage in their learning.  The childminder has a secure knowledge and understanding of how children learn. As a result, teaching is purposeful and children are encouraged to learn through developmentally appropriate play. They make good progress based on their capabilities and starting points.  Children benefit from the effective partnerships that exist between the childminder, their parents and other settings children attend. Regular communication ensures information is shared to provide children with consistency and continuity in their care, learning and development.  The childminder ensures she attends all regulatory training. As a result, she is confident in her responsibilities, with regard to child protection and children's welfare is

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder has not fully considered how she can help children to always make independent choices from the broad range of resources available.

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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 activities, speaking to children at appropriate times while they played.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability of the childminder and family members.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder about the daily routines, children's individual learning and conducted a joint observation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at policies, children's development records and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at methods used by the childminder to monitor her practice, including the views of parents from contributions made in documentation.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1985 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband in Tamworth, Staffordshire. A dedicated playroom, kitchen, toilet facilities on the ground floor and garden are used for childminding. The childminder attends a childminding group and visits the local library, shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from Dosthill School and Dosthill Park Pre-school. There are currently 11 children on roll, of whom three are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She operates all year round, from 7am until 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:

 enrich opportunities for all children to make independent choices from resources and activities, for example, by using a photographic toy inventory.

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who attend

The childminder uses her secure knowledge and understanding of how children learn to provide a wide range of experiences for children. As a result, teaching is purposeful and children are well supported to make good progress, taking into account their starting points and capabilities. The childminder provides a well-organised range of adult-led and child-initiated activities, using themes as a focus to encourage children to learn through play. For example, the current focus is linked to the local pre-school theme of favourite rhymes and stories. As a result, there is very good continuity for children who attend more than one setting. The childminder ensures that all seven areas of learning and development are covered, as she regularly reviews the observations and assessments she makes of children's achievements. This means that children have access to a broad range of activities and resources that encourages them to learn through developmentally

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who attend

appropriate play. For example, the childminder supports children's critical thinking skills very well as they complete an alphabet jigsaw together. She skilfully helps children to remain interested and motivated as they find solutions to solving their own problems. As they play, children recognise and make links to their previous learning and the childminder varies her teaching methods to support them. For example, children who are beginning to develop an interest in print are able to recognise the initial letter of their name. The childminder skilfully pronounces the initial sounds, supporting children's early reading skills. The childminder imaginatively encourages them to use different strategies to fit the pieces together using the familiarity of pictures and colours. As a result, children gain an understanding of shape, space and measure and are encouraged to keep trying. The childminder instinctively responds to children's individual learning and development, by

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who attend

following their lead, to support their interests and needs. For example, children identify a star in the jigsaw. She quickly acknowledges that this is their favourite song and they begin to sing a familiar rhyme about a star. These purposeful interactions as children play, promotes their communication and language skills and reinforces their self-confidence and self-awareness.

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who attend

During the settling-in period, the childminder collects useful information from parents. She uses this, along with her own observations, as a starting point to plan for their interests and individual developmental needs. The childminder has established sound systems for assessing children's development and collects this information in individual development records. This important information guides her in how she can help them to learn more. This results in her gaining a clear understanding of individual children's learning needs. The childminder shares her findings with the child's parents, through daily chats and regularly engaging them in looking at their child's development records. The childminder shares children's individual progress with their parents, so they too have opportunities to extend their child's learning when they return home. For example, she helps prepare children for their attendance at pre-school by working closely with their parents in

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who attend

promoting children's independence skills.

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who attend

There are many good and meaningful interactions and opportunities for children to engage in conversation, supporting their speaking and listening skills. For example, the childminder uses a high level of understanding of effective communication to model language very well throughout the day. As their language skills are effectively supported, children feel confident and are encouraged to engage in conversation, strengthening their personal, social and emotional development. The childminder ensures that she provides good levels of challenge, appropriate to their age and stage of development. For example, as children explore with coloured felt pens, they begin to give meaning to the marks they make. The childminder supports their understanding of size and mathematical language as she draws a large star for them. They are then able to compare this with the little stars they describe they have drawn. The childminder has established effective relationships

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who attend

with other settings so that important information about children's achievements, that complements and enhances their learning, is shared. As a result, children benefit from the effective partnerships, which promote continuity in their learning.

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

The childminder places a high priority on establishing strong relationships with parents before their children start in her setting. She ensures that information she shares with parents, in her policies and procedures, covers all required aspects of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. This helps parents to feel welcome in her home and confident in her abilities. The childminder engages very well with parents, to gain all necessary care and educational information, to ensure children's routines, interests, likes and dislikes are considered when preparing for the move to the childminder's care. This results in children who feel safe, secure, settled and ready to learn. The childminder uses close, purposeful interactions to form appropriate attachments with children that effectively promote their emotional development. For example, she sets out resources and plans activities that she knows interest the children and that they will enjoy taking part in. This reinforces their

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

sense of belonging, resulting in children being confident to explore and investigate their surroundings. However, the childminder has not fully considered how she can help children to always make independent choices from the broad range of resources available.

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

The childminder is a good role model and provides clear and consistent boundaries. She shares her expectations with parents and older children during the settling-in period and they are reinforced through her home rules. The childminder guarantees children's safety through risk assessments for regular outings. Areas of her home and garden, used for childminding, have been carefully assessed and appropriate steps taken to minimise potential risk. For example, the childminder's garden is currently not accessible to children and the childminder has made alternative arrangements for physical play. Children learn about keeping safe, as they regularly take part in fire evacuations so they are familiar with what they have to do in an emergency. Children are skilfully encouraged to take developmentally appropriate risks. For example, the childminder recognises that as children's physical skills develop, they become more confident in their abilities and are

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

more likely to want to take risks. The childminder makes parents aware of their children's abilities and seeks additional permissions, to ensure they are in agreement with their children using the larger play equipment at the park. She uses her high level of awareness of how children learn to set individual developmentally appropriate boundaries, which they respect. As a result, children benefit from being aware of the boundaries, continuous praise and encouragement and their self-confidence and physical development is enthusiastically supported.

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

The childminder regularly walks to and from school and plans opportunities to visit the local library and parks. This ensures children get fresh air and exercise while developing their physical skills. Children are encouraged to eat a healthy diet. The childminder promotes the importance of eating a balanced diet with parents during the settling-in period. She ensures children's dietary needs are met, following discussions with their parents, as they provide snacks and packed lunches for their children. As a result, children gain an understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles. The childminder supports children to attend to their own personal care routines. For example, children let the childminder know that they need the toilet and are encouraged to attend to their own needs, including appropriate hand-washing routines. As a result, children gain self- confidence, self-awareness and an understanding of their own needs. These developing

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

skills go some way towards preparing children for the next stage in their learning.

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provision

The childminder has a secure knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She is confident in the procedures to follow if she has any concerns about a child in her care, with regards to child protection. This includes what she would do if an allegation were made towards her or her family. All required documentation and records are clear and well written, including risk assessments. The childminder understands about informing Ofsted of any significant events and all adults within the home have completed suitability checks, ensuring they are safe to be in the proximity of children. The identity of visitors is checked and there are very clear boundaries around the use of the internet, cameras and mobile phones. As a result, the childminder's practice is effective in underpinning children's safety and welfare.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of her responsibilities, with regards to the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She regularly reflects on children's achievements, in order to monitor the breadth of areas of learning. The childminder is aware of the requirement to provide parents with a written summary of the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years. This includes the importance of identifying any required intervention and accessing additional support when necessary. As a result, she has developed systems to track children's progress and uses this information to identify any gaps in their development. There are clear procedures in place and permissions gained from parents to promote individual children's health and safety needs. All information is safely recorded and shared with parents, encouraging effective communication. As a result, partnerships with parents are

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provision

strong, which contributes significantly to children meeting their full potential. Written feedback from parents is particularly positive. They claim they are extremely happy and comforted with the care their child receives. They comment that the level of educational activities has exceeded their expectations. The childminder has strong relationships with other local settings. Parent's express the value of the excellent communication between the childminder, themselves and their child's teachers. This demonstrates how important highly successful partnerships with children's other providers are for helping them to meet their full potential.

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provision

The childminder uses various methods to monitor and evaluate her practice. For example, risk assessments include her reflections on broken equipment and she identifies that any new resources required are considered. The childminder maintains good records to ensure that all regulatory training is up to date and has identified training opportunities to further her professional development that impacts well on children. There is good evidence of reflective practice with regards to how she currently uses her observations of children's learning and highlights this as an ongoing area for improvement. To ensure high standards of care and learning for all children continues to be effective, there is further scope to develop the highly successful system for self-evaluation that clearly demonstrates her passionate and continual drive 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 209689 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 871208 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 11

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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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