Childminder, Out-of school day care in Worcestershire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/10/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 are progressing well in all areas of learning. This is because the childminder provides interesting and challenging experiences and provides good quality teaching.  Children are happy in the childminder's care. They form secure attachments because the childminder works in partnerships with parents to ensure she knows children's routines and needs.  The childminder has a clear knowledge of child protection issues and takes her responsibilities seriously. She is prepared to act in the best interests of children at all times, and therefore children are protected from harm and are safeguarded appropriately.  Children enjoy regular fresh air and exercise because the childminder takes them on regular trips into their community to visit places of interest and they have the opportunity to play in a well-resourced outdoor area.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Partnerships with other settings children attend are not yet embedded to fully share information about, and promote a complementary approach to children's learning and development.  The childminder does not gather a wide enough range of information about children's existing skills and knowledge from parents on entry, to help her sharply focus initial assessments and to plan precisely for their immediate learning needs.

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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 all areas of the house and garden used for childminding and assessed their suitability and safety.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the childminder engage in a range of play activities both indoors and outdoors and daily care routines with the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled documents, including children's personal and developmental records, risk assessments, some policies and accident and medication records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector read feedback from parents and discussed with the childminder how she evaluates her practice and her development plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability of those living at the childminder's home.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and daughter aged two years in a village location close to Evesham, Worcestershire. The ground floor and a first floor bedroom are used for childminding. There is an enclosed garden available for outdoor play. The childminder attends childminding and toddler groups as well as activities at the local school. She visits places of interest, the shops and the park on a regular basis. The childminder operates all year round from 7.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, except for family holidays. There are currently five children on roll, four of whom are in the early years age group and they attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years. She receives support from the local authority.

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

 strengthen partnerships with other settings children attend by sharing information about individual children's learning and development, to further improve consistency of care and meet individual needs

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

 enhance communication with parents so that information about children's prior knowledge and skills, is gathered and used effectively to sharply focus initial assessments and planning for their future learning.

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who attend

Children make good progress in their learning and development. This is because the childminder is attentive and supportive to children's individual needs and has a secure understanding of how children learn. She plans a broad and balanced range of experiences which capture children's interests. The childminder gets to know the children and families well. She meets with parents before children start and gathers appropriate information about their child's interests, care needs and routines. However, she does not gather a wide enough range of information about children's existing skills and knowledge from parents on entry, to help her sharply focus initial assessments and to plan precisely for their immediate learning needs. The childminder routinely observes children and notes developmental milestones. She bases her planning firmly around children's interests and what they need to learn next. The childminder and parents exchange highly useful

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who attend

information on a daily basis. She spends time at the beginning and end of each day discussing their child's care needs and progression. Children have daily diaries and learning records which are shared with parents. In addition, parents and the childminder use emails and text alerts to keep each other well informed. The childminder offers ideas to parents on how they can continue their child's learning at home. For example, the childminder suggests songs to sing and books to read. As a result, parents are successfully included in their child's learning and the childminder has a complete picture of the children's overall development. The childminder has a good understanding of her responsibility to carry out progress checks for children aged between two and three years. This means that young children's assessments are monitored effectively so that early intervention can be sought if necessary.

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who attend

The childminder supports the development of young children well and provides a broad and interesting range of activities for the children in her care. Children are motivated and interested in the activities available to them, showing they are developing their concentration levels. Young children use their senses and express their creativity as they make icing to decorate cakes. They mix and stir before tasting the icing and explore the texture with their fingers. The childminder supports children's speech and language development well. She speaks slowly and clearly, introduces new vocabulary, and gives children time to think and respond. For example, she suggests that they drizzle the icing on their cake. Children express their own ideas and use their imagination as they engage in role play, pretending to feed and change the dollies. Children develop a good range of skills which help prepare them in readiness for school. They think carefully as they

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who attend

correctly complete age appropriate puzzles and listen and follow instructions when it's time to put on their coats and wellies for outdoor play. They enjoy making marks as they use a selection of chunky chalks and crayons. They think carefully as they colour pictures of elephants and make patterns on the fence outdoors. Children have independent access to a good selection of books which they handle correctly. They climb on the childminder's lap and listen attentively as she reads to them. Children are beginning to learn about letters and their associated sounds because the childminder models how letters are formed, sitting alongside them when they make marks.

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who attend

Children are developing a good range of physical skills and enjoy spending lots of time outdoors in the fresh air. This is because the childminder places a strong focus on play and learning in the outdoor environment and provides a secure and interesting outdoor area. Children explore different materials and textures and learn about shape, space and measurement as they dig, fill and empty containers with mud and sand. Children play alongside each other as they manoeuvre the ride on toys and wheelbarrow. The childminder regularly takes the children for walks into the community. They visit toddler and childminding groups, nearby parks and shops. In addition, they visit the local play centre where children delight in climbing and jumping on soft play equipment and have the opportunity to enjoy nature walks, where they can look for wildlife and feed the ducks. These experiences help children to learn to be sociable with others and to begin to

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who attend

understand about their community. Overall, children are gaining the necessary skills to support their future learning.

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

Children are happy, confident and show pleasure in their play. This is because they are cared for in a warm and welcoming family home. Their emotional well-being is well promoted because the childminder develops strong relationships with children and their parents. Children demonstrate this by climbing on the childminder's lap for a cuddle and involving her in their imaginary play. The childminder has effective settling in procedures. Parents are invited to stay and play, as well as meeting and getting to know her family. The childminder takes account of parents' wishes and home routines to minimise any anxiety. Consequently, children soon settle and enjoy their time with her.

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

The childminder keeps her home safe and well-resourced, warm and welcoming. Toys and resources are of a good quality, age appropriate and easily accessible to the children. Therefore, they are able to make free choices about their play. The childminder supervises children well. Children are beginning to understand expectations and are familiar with routines. For example, the childminder helps children understand the importance of sitting at the table to eat their snack and lunch. This helps to maintain their well-being and to prepare them for their move to pre-school and school. Children behave well because the childminder models good manners and appropriate behaviour. She treats children with kindness and respect and makes boundaries clear. As a result, children understand what is expected of them and behave well.

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

The childminder supports children in developing an understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles. There are a good range of resources in the garden, such as ride on toys which help children to develop their physical skills. Children also regularly play at the local park and attend soft play sessions. Daily walks to the shops and toddler groups ensure that children have lots of fresh air and exercise. Children routinely wash their hands after nappy changing and when returning from the outdoors. Children's intimate care needs are sensitively met as they are kept clean and dry and are actively encouraged to manage their own self-care. For example, young children wipe their nose and dispose of the tissue. Drinks are readily accessible so that children can help themselves, fostering their growing independence. The childminder works with parents in order to agree arrangements for providing meals and to discuss any individual dietary requirements. Young children are

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

able to use their hands to feed themselves with ease which means that their self-help skills are appropriately promoted. Children are beginning to learn about how to keep themselves safe because the childminder talks to them about dangers. For example, she explains why they must sit carefully on the chair at snack time. Children are beginning to develop an understanding of the world because they learn about different festivals. They recently explored Diwali and made elephants to take home. The children learn about nature, wildlife and how things grow and change over time. Of late, the children observed how butterflies emerge from their cocoons.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding about her responsibility in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements. She recently updated her first-aid and safeguarding training and has a secure understanding of child protection procedures. She is confident in what to do should she have concerns about a child in her care and how to deal with accidents. These measures help to protect children. All necessary checks have been completed to confirm that all adults living in the home are suitable to be in regular contact with children. The childminder maintains the security of the premises and she monitors visitors to the setting during operational hours. Safety within the home and garden are effective as the childminder carries out daily checks and maintains risk assessments. Documentation and record keeping are accurate and completed to a high standard, which helps to ensure that children's well-being is maintained.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of the learning and development requirements. She plans play and activities around the children's interests which are purposeful and challenging. The childminder understands the importance of monitoring the educational programme and does so effectively. She reviews her planning weekly to ensure that each area of learning is being covered and that children are progressing in accordance with their developmental milestones. As a result, children make good progress. The childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to her role and to provide a good service to children and their parents. She demonstrates a good awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of her provision. For example, she is keen to further improve the already good quality resources so that children have even more choice and are excited by their play. She is keen to continue with her professional development and attends training when possible.

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provision

As a result, the childminder shows a firm capacity for improvement and continues to move forwards on her journey towards excellence.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are good. The childminder spends time at the beginning and end of each day discussing their child's achievement and care needs. In addition, each child has a daily diary. This two-way flow of communication ensures that parents are kept well informed about their child's progress, along with having opportunities to continue their children's learning at home. Parents are encouraged to contribute their thoughts and comments through daily chats and emails. The childminder is developing partnerships with other professionals because she meets regularly with other childminders to share good practice. She is developing ways to share children's development and learning records with practitioners from other settings that children attend. However, this could be further enhanced so that a highly consistent and complementary approach to the children's learning and development is fully obtained. The childminder receives support from the

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provision

local authority adviser and implements changes that are suggested to enhance her practice. Overall, children are happy, settled and enjoy the time they spend with the childminder. The skills they learn help to prepare them to be ready for school and lay firm foundations for the future.

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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 EY442743 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 899874 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 5

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection not applicable

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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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