Childminder in Newcastle upon TyneOfsted inspection, 17 Oct 2014

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/10/2014 20/04/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 3 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

 Children build secure attachments with the childminder. This ensures that they are settled and happy in her care.  The childminder demonstrates a sound understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures, and understands how to report any concerns about children in her care. She conducts daily checks to help minimise potential hazards and keep children safe from harm.  The childminder has established positive relationships with parents. Through regular conversations she keeps them up to date about their child's progress and development.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder's knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage learning and development requirements is not robust so that children make good progress.  The childminder does not always make the best use of questions, modelling and reaffirming language to fully support all children's early communication skills.  The childminder does not hold a current first-aid qualification to effectively support children's health.

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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 made observations of the children while they were engaged in activities in the lounge and conservatory, and discussed these with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records, a selection of policies and other relevant documentation.  The inspector spoke to the childminder and children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the childminder's qualification and the suitability of all adults living in the home.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in July 2004 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives in a residential area in Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne, with her husband and adult daughter. The ground floor of the home, which includes a bathroom is used for childminding. There is an enclosed rear garden for outdoor play. The family has two dogs as pets. The childminder collects children from the local school. There are currently six children on roll, of these four are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year from 7.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, except for family holidays and bank holidays. The childminder supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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must:

 improve knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, so that observations and assessments are more precise and used effectively to provide the support that help all children make good progress in their learning and development

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must:

 improve opportunities for children who speak English as an additional language to experience a rich language environment, for example, by ensuring the best use of questioning, modelling and reaffirming of language are consistently used during all activities, so that they are better supported to make good progress

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must:

 complete and maintain a current paediatric first-aid qualification.

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who attend

The childminder has a suitable knowledge and understanding of how young children learn. However, she does not have a good understanding of all the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Despite this, she uses her experience as a childminder reasonably well to support children in most aspects of their learning and development. The children have only been attending the setting for a very short period of time. During this time the childminder has made some initial assessments of children's learning, however, this information is not always used well to shape learning experiences for each child. As a result, the quality of teaching is variable as the childminder does not take full account of all children's individual levels of achievement and learning styles when supporting their play. For example, when supporting young children who speak English as an additional language she gives plenty of reassuring smiles, changes her facial

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who attend

expressions and nods during her interactions. However, teaching is not yet good enough during all activities to fully develop the skills they need to become confident talkers. This is because the childminder does not always model language and reaffirm their early attempts at communication. This results in some missed opportunities to extend children's vocabulary and support their developing understanding.

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who attend

Overall, the childminder provides a varied range of activities and a wide selection of play materials. She recognises that younger children enjoy exploring and need time to do this independently. As a result, children engage well and try new experiences, showing curiosity about objects and resources presented to them. The childminder sits alongside the children offering suitable support and encouragement as they play. For instance, building on older children's interest in early writing she writes their name and sounds out each of the letters. This fosters children's growing interest and develops literacy skills well. Children's personal, social and emotional development is suitably supported due to the positive praise they receive from the childminder. In addition, they are beginning to develop skills, such as listening, responding to simple requests and developing familiarity with the daily routine. These skills help prepare children for the next stage of their

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who attend

learning, such as the move to nursery or school.

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who attend

During child-initiated activities the childminder introduces number, shape and colour into their play. For example, she counts the trains as the children push them around the track and she praises older children's efforts as they name the different coloured chalks. The childminder uses spontaneous opportunities to help children learn about their environment and the natural world during daily walks to local parks. In the childminder's garden, children can access a variety of physical play equipment that includes wheeled toys, balls and climbing equipment. These resources are used by the children on a regular basis. Consequently, children's balance, coordination and all-round physical skills are developing well. The childminder recognises the value of working in partnership with parents. She ensures that they know about their children's activities and achievements, and their views about children's interests and starting points help her to settle children and plan activities

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

Children form positive relationships with the childminder as she is warm and caring, which means their emotional well-being is supported. She provides flexible settling-in procedures and this helps children to adjust at a pace that successfully reflects their needs and parental requirements. The childminder makes every effort to find out about children's home routines and works with parents to ensure children make a smooth transition into her care. Children demonstrate that they have close bonds with the childminder and that they feel comfortable. For example, they look to the childminder for reassurance and enjoy sitting on her knee for cuddles. The childminder provides activities and toys that she knows the children enjoy. Children have plenty of space to play and rest, and the good selection of toys and resources is stored within their easy reach. Consequently, children are comfortable and starting to make some independent choices about their play.

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

The childminder supports children to become independent in self-care routines. For example, she gives them the time to eat food by themselves and supports them to manage their personal needs, such as washing their hands. Children behave well and respond positively to the childminder's calm and approachable manner. They receive praise and encouragement for their efforts and respond positively to the attention and affection they receive. This fosters their confidence and self-esteem. Children learn about taking turns and sharing toys with other children. These skills help children to interact positively with others and begin to develop appropriate social skills and relationships.

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

Children's healthy lifestyles are developed through regular exercise, for example, playing in the garden or going for local walks. The childminder liaises with parents to ensure that food given to their children is healthy and accurately reflects their preferences and dietary needs. Effective hygiene routines are modelled by the childminder and children develop personal care skills that are appropriate for their age and stage of development. The childminder fosters children's growing independence through praise and encouragement. She remains close at hand to guide and support children's play and she closely monitors safety. As a result, children gain a suitable understanding of how to keep themselves safe as they follow sensible rules for playing safely outdoors and learn how to cross the road safely.

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provision

The childminder has an adequate knowledge of the safeguarding requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder has recently resumed her childminding after a period of absence and has allowed her first-aid qualification to lapse. Therefore she has breached the legal requirements relating to the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Childcare Register. Having said that, the impact on children's welfare is minimum because the childminder has a secure understanding of how to treat children in the event of a minor accident and she is now booked on a forthcoming course. The childminder understands the signs of abuse that would concern her and the procedures she would follow if concerns regarding children's welfare arise or an allegation is made relating to her. All adults on the premises have been vetted and visitors are asked to sign in and out. This helps to further safeguard children. The childminder uses a range of written policies

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provision

including safeguarding, medication, and health and safety, to ensure that there is a clear professional agreement with parents. She undertakes frequent visual checks of the premises and effectively minimises any risks and hazards, to ensure that children can play safely both indoors and outdoors.

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provision

The childminder has forged suitable relationships with parents. She takes the time to speak to them when they drop off and collect their children. They talk about children's welfare, home experiences and general parenting topics. Furthermore, parents are given some suggestions about how they can support their children's learning at home. Consequently, parents are reassured and regular opportunities for important information to be shared are created. Overall, the childminder provides an appropriate and often enjoyable educational programme for children. However, she does not currently link her observations to children's age ranges and stages of development well enough, to help plan activities and support individual children's progress. This is because she does not have an in-depth knowledge of all the assessment requirements and some aspect of the areas of learning. The childminder is clear about the importance of working with other

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provision

professionals, for example, she has formed appropriate partnerships with schools. This helps to ensure consistency and continuity for those children who attend more than one setting.

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provision

The childminder has started to evaluate the quality of the service she provides for children and their families, however, this is currently not robust enough to identify all areas which require improvement. She thinks about her provision and decides what she would like to improve. For example, the childminder has identified the training courses that she must attend, such as first-aid and the courses she would like to attend to help develop her professional skills. The childminder talks to parents and has uses parental questionnaires to gain their feedback. This shows that she values parent's views, which helps her to establish what she is doing well and where improvements may be needed.

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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 an appropriate first-aid qualification is held (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that an appropriate first-aid qualification is held (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 EY286644 Local authority Newcastle Inspection number 877731 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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