Hillier, Nicola

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/10/2014 23/02/2011

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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

 Children demonstrate they feel secure and settled in the setting, and have a positive relationship with the childminder and her assistant.  The childminder, and her assistant, have a good knowledge of their responsibilities in terms of recognising signs of child abuse. They clearly demonstrate how to report concerns to safeguard children's welfare and well-being.  Partnerships with parents are good. Parents say how happy their children are at the setting and that their children make good progress in their learning and development.  Children receive good support to prepare them for their future learning and their eventual move to school.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Although the childminder and her assistant talk and interact well with the children, they do not always make the best use of careful questioning to extend and challenge children's learning further.

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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 in the downstairs rooms.  The inspector spoke to the childminder and her assistant at appropriate times.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including children's development records, evidence of the childminder's and her assistant's qualifications, and the self-evaluation form.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents through letters, questionnaires and discussions.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1992. She lives with her partner and three children, two of whom are of adult age in Banbury, Oxfordshire. The child minder employs her daughter as an assistant. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's home is available for childminding, with two bedrooms upstairs used for the babies and children to sleep. There is an enclosed garden available for outdoor play, which includes a paved and grassed area. She is currently minding seven children under five during the day at variable times and six children over five before and after school. The childminder also provides care for two children over eight years of age before and after school, and in school holidays. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She walks to local schools to collect children and attends a range of local childminder support and drop-in groups. The childminder provides a service

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Information about the setting

for families from the local surrounding areas. The childminder and her assistant both have an early years qualification at level 3. The family has a pet dog, and also snails in an aquarium. The childminder is in receipt of funding for the provision of free early education to children aged three and four.

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

 develop the use of assessment information to support children's progress towards early learning goals

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

 develop the use of self-evaluation to ensure that outcomes for children are enhanced

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

 arrange advance consent from parents to be able to seek emergency medical advice/treatment

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

 provide resources to show children positive images of disability

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

 further develop the use of questioning techniques, to consistently extend and challenge children's learning.

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who attend

Children make good progress in the care of the childminder, as she successfully draws on her experience to support their learning. The weekly pattern of activities takes into account the children's interests and needs. The childminder and her assistant are aware of when children need support to develop their confidence in new situations. Children enjoy a good range of outings with the childminder as they learn about the world around them. Over the year, they enjoy playing in the well-resourced garden and planting strawberries, lettuces and sunflowers.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good. The childminder and her assistant both deploy themselves effectively to help and encourage children to learn. They observe and consider the children's intentions. They interact well to help children manage what they set out to do, and to extend their learning. The childminder and assistant work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure a consistent approach, in order to meet children's needs and to help them make good progress. They provide a good range of resources, activities and equipment; they organise and present the environment well to engage children's interests. Consequently, children make good progress in their learning and development, and are acquiring the skills they will need in readiness for school.

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who attend

Staff build up children's vocabularies as they play, introducing new words that reflect their experiences. Children enjoy listening to stories and taking part in group activities, which build their speaking and listening skills well. Teaching helps children talk about their familiar world, for example the seasons. During a group activity, the children were painting using apples as it was National Apple Day. The childminder chose autumn colours for the children to paint with. She generally engages them well in good quality discussions so that they hear lots of new vocabulary and learn about sentence structure. However, on occasion, the childminder and assistant are not consistently making the best use of questions to extend and challenge children's learning even further. Therefore, although children are, overall, making good progress in their communication and language skills those children with known language delays are, on occasion, not always sufficiently

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who attend

challenged. The childminder and her assistant act as good role models to the children in the clear way they speak. They echo children's words so they can repeat the correct pronunciation. The childminder incorporates mathematical language into activities, such as 'big and small'. This helps children develop their mathematical development well.

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who attend

The childminder works effectively with parents to collect information about children's development when she begins caring for them. She uses this as a starting point to monitor their progress across each area of learning. The childminder uses observations of the children as they play to identify how she can support their next steps in learning. If children have specific learning requirements she liaises with parents so that she is fully aware of their needs. The childminder is working jointly with parents and other professionals in the assessment of children who are between the ages of two and three.

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who attend

The childminder and her assistant plan a good range of creative activities teaching children to discover through exploration, and use of their imaginations to express themselves freely. Children are learning to use a range of tools for making marks with. These skills help children to learn how to hold implements, such as chalk, effectively. Teaching helps them to use it with good control and, as a result, children are developing skills for early handwriting.

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

Children are happy and secure in the care of the childminder and her assistant, who provide a welcoming and safe environment for them all. The childminder and her assistant know the children and their individual routines extremely well and are very kind, caring and supportive. This helps children to form secure attachments. The childminder and her assistant help children to develop good manners and appropriate behaviour. For example, one child was reminded not to climb on chairs as they may fall and hurt themselves. This reinforces children's safety and useful social skills that prepare them for school. As a result, children respond well to the childminder and her assistant's calm guidance and they learn how to keep themselves safe. The children all enjoy playing alongside each other, or in small groups. Children clearly demonstrate that they feel safe and comfortable with the childminder and her assistant, and parents comment how much their children enjoy

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

attending. Children demonstrate they are developing in their confidence and self-esteem, and that they are settled in the childminder's care.

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

The childminder does not tire in her enthusiastic interactions with the children. As a result, they are developing a positive attitude to learning that prepares them for their move on to other settings, such as school. For example, children can recognise their names, and independently dress themselves. Children have their own pegs, which foster a sense of belonging, and they have somewhere to store their personal belongings. The childminder provides a comfortable homely environment for the children. She adapts the daily routine for the different ages of children attending. For example, she provides travel cots upstairs in the quieter bedrooms, for the younger ones requiring a daytime nap. Her range of resources covers most areas of learning well, enabling her to extend the children's learning further. The childminder stores many resources in the room where the children spend most time, so many items are within easy reach and resources are swapped around

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

The childminder promotes children's awareness of healthy lifestyles, although she does not prepare all food on the premises for them, as some children bring their own food. Children's cups are labelled with their names, and milk and water is always available. The childminder and her assistant follow good hygiene procedures when they change children's nappies. For example, they use gloves when changing children's nappies and safely dispose these, and disinfect the changing mat and wash their hands afterwards. They talk to children about good hygiene practices throughout daily routines and this helps increase children's awareness of what to do and why. Children develop good independence through being encouraged to have a go at doing things for themselves. At lunch time they are encouraged to feed themselves and to pour their own drinks, and this encourages their development of self-confidence. Older children are able to attend to their

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

own toileting needs, and use the bathroom when they need to use it. Children are encouraged to dress independently when changing to play in the outside area.

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provision

The childminder is well qualified and has many years of experience of caring for children in her professional life. She is maintaining her positive attitude to development by attending training courses, for example, she has attended training to increase her knowledge of 'Working with Vulnerable Families'. The childminder recognises the importance of safeguarding children. She attends training in order to keep her knowledge of the area of child protection relevant. The childminder maintains a safe home for children. She keeps a good range of written risk assessments, which includes outings. The childminder is attentive to protecting children's health. She follows good hygiene routines to keep her home clean. She follows well-established procedures to inform parents of any accidents children have in her care. The childminder demonstrates a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements.

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provision

The childminder has strong partnerships with parents. They write many positive comments about her using words like 'loving' and 'supportive in development'. The childminder shares helpful conversations with parents as they collect their children and she is reassuring about issues around child development. Parents have the option to complete daily communication books and children's records are accessible to parents at any time. This keeps parents fully informed about their children's development. The childminder explains to parents how she completes these records and she displays information for them about the weekly activity plans. The childminder is creating good partnerships with other settings children attend. One parent particularly praises her for the good communication that she develops between home and school. This can be especially important for parents when children have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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provision

The childminder makes good use of her local childminding group to exchange ideas and good 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 133565 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 840989 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 15

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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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