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Early years · Early years inspection (CIF)

Mawby Deborah

Inspected 7 Oct 2014 · published 1 Nov 2014 · URN 225918

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Summary

Inadequate

Alex Brouder

What we read, and from where

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  • Inspection datesingle source

    7 Oct 2014

  • Inspectors verified

    Alex Brouder

  • Overall effectiveness verified

    Inadequate

  • URN verified

    225918

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of the report with the evidence highlighted

Deep dive

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Grade profile

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  • OverallInadequate

Tone of the report

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−0Mixedmore positive than 89% of reports of this type graded Inadequate
OutstandingGoodMetRIInadequateNot met

Reads more warmly than most reports of this type graded Inadequate.

Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.

Praisepositivemake good progresscaringhappyconfidentskilledvery wellsafe
Criticisminadequatebreachnot robustconcernsrequires improvementat riskmissedgaps

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FindingsAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improve positive critical
  • Findings242w+2
  • What needs to improve2370w−1

Strengths

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Concerns

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Next steps

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Anatomy of the report

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Pages
11
Words of findings
2,559
longer than usual (typical 1050)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 49, typical 47
Average sentence
20 words
Next steps
8
typical 8
Hedged sentences
6%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 7%What needs to improve 67%About the inspection 26%

Full report text

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/10/2014 07/01/2009

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 4 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

p.1

This provision is inadequate

 Children are put at risk during some routine outings. For example, they are left out of sight or hearing, outside the shop or bank, with unvetted adults, while the childminder goes inside. This is a breach of the requirements and does not appropriately safeguard children.  The childminder's knowledge of the prime and specific areas of learning and the early learning goals is not robust enough. Consequently, children's progress is not maximised through observations and assessments that are precise enough to shape their future learning and to identify areas for development, so that they make good progress.  Systems to monitor the delivery of the educational programmes and track children's progress are not embedded. As a result, opportunities for learning across the seven areas are missed.  The exchange of information for parents regarding how they may support their child's learning at home is not sufficient.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 Children form secure attachments with the childminder. Relationships are warm and nurturing, which effectively supports their emotional security.  Children are happy to attend and have access to a suitable range of toys and equipment to support their play and ideas.

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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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder and interacted with children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's activities and routines in the lounge, kitchen and hallway.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the premises and viewed the equipment and resources available to the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation including children's records, learning and development information and a selection of policies and procedures.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1993 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband in a house in Ratby, Leicestershire. The whole of the ground floor, one bedroom and bathroom on the first floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has two cats as pets. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities in the local area. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local school and pre- schools. There are currently 23 children on roll, nine of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 7am 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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must:

 ensure that people whose suitability has not been checked, including through a criminal records check, do not have unsupervised contact with children being cared for

p.3

must:

 ensure safety and supervision arrangements meet the needs of all children, at all times, to ensure their safety and that children are always within sight or hearing, particularly on outings

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must:

 ensure the tracking of children's progress is focused on identifying children's levels of achievement, their interests and learning styles and any gaps in their learning and use these assessments to shape learning experiences for each child

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must:

 improve knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Year's Foundation Stage, including the prime and specific areas of learning and the early learning goals, so that observations and assessments are more precise, based on what children can already do and use this information to help them make good progress in their learning and development.

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

 extend the partnerships with parents by further developing strategies to share information that promotes children's learning at home.

p.3

who attend

The childminder has a basic understanding of the learning and development requirements. However, her understanding of the changes to the requirements, particularly in relation to the prime and specific areas of learning, is not strong. Consequently, children make satisfactory, rather than good, progress. Although the childminder makes some useful observations on children's learning, she does not monitor or track their development to enable her to plan challenging or appropriate next steps in learning. As a result, the experiences children receive are not always linked to what they need to do next or to enable them to extend or build on their existing skills and abilities. Toys and activities available to children are suitable and are organised appropriately to enable them to make choices as they play. When children begin at the setting, the childminder takes time to talk with parents about children's abilities. This allows her to offer children age and stage

p.4

who attend

appropriate activities and toys, aiding a smooth and stress free move from their home to the setting. The childminder talks with parents at the end of every day and offers opportunities to look at the learning journals she makes of children's progress. In addition, she shares a short summary of the progress children make between the ages of two to three years, which is a requirement of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This alerts parents to any need for early intervention should there be significant gaps in children's learning. However, she is not offering ideas to support and extend their child's learning at home, which limits parents opportunities to support their children's ongoing learning and development.

p.4

who attend

Overall, the quality of teaching supports children to generally develop the key skills needed for the next steps in their learning. The childminder knows them well and ensures that they have opportunities to independently access all available areas of the ground floor of the property. As a result, children become confident in their surroundings. This is demonstrated as children move freely and easily between the lounge and hall, taking toys from one area to the other to support their play and ideas. The childminder takes children to groups outside of the home, where they start to develop an awareness of how to get along with others. They learn to meet new people and try new things which are different from at home. This helps to prepare children suitably well for their future entry to school as they develop a willingness to learn. Children use language and communication appropriately to express their wants and needs which the childminder supports

p.4

who attend

appropriately through some questioning and commentary. For example, she asks an older early years child what they would like in their sandwich for lunch. She explores younger children's understanding as she asks 'can you pass me...' and 'shall we go in the kitchen to make your lunch?' Children begin to problem solve in a range of adult-led and child- initiated play. For example, the childminder provides a range of inset puzzles; she comes down to the children's level and watches as they fit each piece into the appropriate space. One of the older early years children is clearly skilled at completing the puzzles and does this quickly and easily. The childminder praises them in this skill and they are clearly proud of their achievement. In discussion, the childminder acknowledges that this is an area in which the child is very skilled but has not yet planned opportunities to extend and challenge them. As a result, there are times that opportunities are missed to build on

p.4

who attend

children's next steps in learning through effective planning.

p.5

who attend

Children have fun with the childminder. They show good levels of confidence as they approach visitors to show them their toys and offer them a cup of tea, as they play with the tea set. They particularly enjoy construction activities and the childminder provides enough bricks, enabling children to create their own designs. As they build she encourages them to name the colours and count each time they add a brick on, praising them as when they are successful in this. Children explore the programmable toys, pressing buttons and understanding that when they do this the music plays, moving from side to side each time they hear the sounds. They repeat this task showing enjoyment by smiling and by continually having a go. They show appropriate levels of development in their physical skills and manoeuvre themselves carefully around the furniture.

p.5

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

Children learn about keeping safe because the childminder talks to them about possible dangers around them. For example, she reminds them not to climb onto the bottom step of the stairs as they may fall off and to pick up toys and resources they have played with to avoid tripping over them. Further to this, risk assessments are devised to ensure that during outings, such as the school run or trips to the park, consideration is given to all aspects of risk and steps are taken to limit these. In addition, the childminder uses appropriate safety equipment during outings, such as a triple buggy and reins, as well as teaching children about how to cross the road in safety. However, weaknesses with regards to safeguarding, result in children's safety not being ensured. Therefore, although children may feel safe in some areas, their safety is actually not ensured. This provides children with a false sense of security. Areas that children access are suitably organised to

p.5

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

support their play. A variety of resources are accessible to children within the lounge and hallway where they play. Children are able to self-select most toys and this supports spontaneous play.

p.5

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

Children are happy, confident and demonstrate a secure attachment to the childminder. They settle well as the childminder provides a gradual settling in process, allowing parents to bring their children for a number of visits before leaving them for the first time. As a result, trusting relationships are established, relevant information is sought on children's care and learning and the environment can be planned to reflect children's individual needs. Children's personal, social and emotional development is adequately supported and this is helping them to be emotionally ready for when they start school. The childminder ensures that when caring for mixed age groups, that the care of the younger children is not affected by the older children. As a result, children build positive relationships with one another and older children learn how to care for younger ones. The childminder is a positive role model and approaches behaviour management in a calm and consistent way.

p.5

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

For example, children wishing to play with the same toy are quickly distracted through the childminder coming down to their level, finding similar resources and using these to divert their attention successfully. She praises them highly for all their achievements, which leads to children developing positive self-esteem. Everyday routines and play opportunities help children learn to share and take turns, for example, as children are taken one by one to wash their hands for lunch. As a result, children are well behaved.

p.5

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

Children health is appropriately supported through the provision of foods and snacks as well as everyday routines within the home. For example, the childminder has two cats. She ensures they do not get up on surfaces within the kitchen but also uses an anti- bacterial spray on food preparation areas, tables and high chairs, to limit the risk of cross- infection. Further to this, children wash their hands before all meals and snacks, talking to them about why they do this to enable them to develop a positive attitude to their own personal care. Children have daily opportunities to use the outdoor area to develop their physical skills and have access to fresh air and exercise. Children have access to drinks throughout the day. The childminder reminds them these are there and encourages them to drink from these on a regular basis, to support their independence and to ensure they remain hydrated.

p.6

provision

Leadership and management of the provision is inadequate. The inspection was prioritised following concerns being raised about the provider's ability to safeguard the children on outings. The childminder admits there are occasions when children are left outside premises, such as the bank or post office, not within sight or hearing, in the care of persons known to her, but not to Ofsted. Therefore, there are times that children are not appropriately supervised by suitable people or being cared for by the childminder. This is a breach of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and both parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder has a suitable knowledge and understanding of the steps to take should she be concerned regarding a child's welfare. She has a sound knowledge of the signs and symptoms, which might cause her concern about children's welfare. The childminder knows to whom she must report such concerns

p.6

provision

and maintains an up-to-date list of sources for advice and support, which she also displays for parents. Risk assessments have been devised and reflect the steps the childminder takes to reduce hazards to children both in the home and garden, such as locking external doors and the use of stair gates. These factors help to support children's safety in the home. Further to this, the childminder has a good range of policies in place to ensure that parents are appropriately informed of her service. In addition, she maintains a register of attendance to ensure that the numbers of children she cares for does not exceed the requirements within the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, she is able to meet the individual needs of every child in her care appropriately.

p.6

provision

The childminder has generally reflected well on the service she provides, using a self- evaluation tool provided by Ofsted. However, the methods used to increase her knowledge and understanding of the prime and specific areas of learning are not secure. This impacts on the progress children make as her planning and assessment is not robust. Since the last inspection, she has taken some steps to develop and improve on the recommendations raised. For example, she seeks consent from parents to allow her to take children out in the locality and has developed the range of activities to support children's learning. She has a sound understanding of working with other professionals, should the need arise, to seek intervention and support for children with identified needs. Overall, the partnerships with parents are generally positive and it is clear from the range of positive statements and thank you cards she receives that parents think highly of her

p.6

provision

and value the service she offers. The childminder has developed appropriate working relationships with parents and they regularly share information so children's individual care needs are consistently met. Parents share verbal feedback and complete questionnaires about the quality of the provision, which the childminder uses to inform any required changes. The childminder has developed links with the local school to help her meet children's care and educational needs.

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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 children receiving childcare are kept safe from harm, with particular regard to the supervision of children during routine outings (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that any person caring for, or in regular contact with children, is suitable to work with children which must include obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring check (compulsory part of the Childcare Register).  ensure that children receiving childcare are kept safe from harm, with particular regard to the supervision of children during routine outings(voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that any person caring for, or in regular contact with children, is suitable to work with children which must include obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring check (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 225918 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 992038 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 23

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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.

p.9

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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