Childminder in Plymouth

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 03/11/2014 09/08/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 The childminder takes sensible precautions in the home and garden to provide a safe environment for children to explore.  Children choose from a good range of toys and resources that are easily accessible. This enables them to make their own choice of what they would like to play with.  The childminder promotes children's positive behaviour by giving consistent praise and encouragement. This helps to build their good self-esteem.  The children have a good rapport with the childminder. This helps them to feel happy and safe.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not successfully encourage parents to share their child's achievements from home to provide a shared approach to children's learning and development.  The childminder has not developed her partnership with all early years settings children attend to share the progress children are making in their learning.

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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 indoors.  The inspector engaged in conversations with the childminder at convenient times.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled relevant documentation, including some policies, procedures, and the risk assessment.  The inspector looked at children's records and daily diaries.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 1986. She lives with her husband in Plymouth, Devon. She is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Her husband is registered as her assistant. Childminding mainly takes place on the ground floor of the home and children have access to a garden. The childminder is currently caring for four children in the early years age group and for older children before and after school. The childminder takes children to the park and attends local groups. The family has two cats.

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

 encourage parents to share children's achievements from home to provide a more shared approach to their learning and development

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

 establish partnerships with all other early years settings children attend to promote more consistency in children's learning.

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who attend

The childminder has a good rapport with children. This makes them feel safe and secure, and keen to learn. Children are making secure progress in their learning and development. The childminder actively interacts with them as they play, helping them to learn their colours and numbers. For example, she encouraged children to name the colours of the cars they saw when out walking, and counting the steps leading to the home. This helps children to learn more naturally during daily routines. Children are keen to see how things work as they play with technology toys. The childminder lets children play educational games on her computerised tablet for limited times. This helps children learn skills and an understanding of technology in readiness for when they start school. Children learn problem solving by completing puzzles and by building train tracks, working out how things fit together.

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who attend

The childminder encourages children to make their own choices in play. She has a good range of toys and resources easily accessible for them to choose. This helps them to learn to be independent as they play. Children use their imaginations well. They enjoy role play by making up their own games. The childminder is skilful in letting them develop their own pretend play while being close by to interact by invitation of the children. For example, a child told her 'hold my bricks in case the giant gets them' and 'count for me as I hide'. The childminder takes the children to local toddler groups. This gives them the opportunity to make new friends and to have different activities to extend their learning. The childminder teaches children about diversity and the wider world by celebrating different festivals throughout the year. Children have a broad range of craft activities planned by the childminder, with a choice of a wide range of resources on offer. The childminder

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who attend

encourages children to use their own ideas and imaginations to develop their creative skills. They enjoy making celebration cards for family members.

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who attend

Children enjoy singing. They sung nursery rhymes on their own, showing they are confident and have good self-esteem. They listen to stories and have visits to the library where they choose books to support their early interest in reading. Children are keen to recall and tell about visits and local walks they have been on and what they have seen. They talk about the ladybirds they found and the sticks they put in the stream to see how far they can go. This helps them to learn about nature and wildlife. The childminder uses these opportunities to develop children's early understanding of mathematics by encouraging the children to estimate how far the sticks will go and how quickly. Children go on visits to the shops with the childminder to choose fruits for their snacks. This helps them to understand where food comes from and to learn about money as they help to pay for what they have bought. The childminder helps children to be well prepared for starting

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who attend

pre-school and school by teaching them to learn to sit still and listen to a story, by learning how to hold a pencil correctly and to be confident in their own self-care.

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who attend

Although the childminder plans well for individual children's learning, she does not work successfully with parents and other early years settings children attend, to promote a more consistent and shared approach to children's learning.

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

Children are very happy, settled and interact well with each other as they play. The childminder teaches children to share and takes turns. She reminds older children not to leave any toys lying around that may be unsafe for a younger child to play with. This helps children to learn to be responsible as they play and consider the needs of others. The childminder gives children consistent praise and encouragement. This helps them to feel special and valued, positively promoting their emotional well-being. The childminder teaches children her house rules from a young age. Consequently, children behave well and learn to be thoughtful and kind to each other as they play. The childminder liaises with parents to meet children's individual care routines and respects their wishes. This helps to promote consistency of care.

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

The childminder teaches children to be safe in the home and during outings. She teaches them about road safety when out walking and children call out 'come on green man' as they wait to cross the road. This shows they understand safe practice when on outings. Together with the childminder, children practise the fire drill. This helps children from a young age learn what to do in an emergency. Children enjoy fresh air each day as they walk to school and have visits to the park, which allows them to be physically active and have the space to run around. The childminder provides healthy snacks and meals and asks the children what they would like for their lunch. This helps children to make healthy choices. The childminder uses meal times well to promote children's good social skills and to teach them about healthy eating and lifestyles

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provision

The childminder works well to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She ensures she supervises children well at all times. She takes sensible precautions in her home to provide a safe environment for children to play, providing an environment free from hazards. The childminder keeps up-to-date with her safeguarding training. She is clear of the procedure to follow in the event of a child protection concern to protect children's welfare.

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provision

The childminder keeps parents well informed each day through discussions. She tells them about how their child has been and what they have been doing. She is very flexible with the care she provides to meet parents' requests. The childminder has a secure understanding of each child's stage of development. She plans well to support them in their next steps of learning. However, the childminder does not encourage parents to share their child's achievements from home, so they work more cohesively together to provide a shared approach to children's learning and development. The childminder does not work successfully with the early years settings children attend, to build on what children are learning when they are not in her care. The childminder has received very positive feedback from parents, valuing the care she provides and has had children placed with her based on recommendations from parents.

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provision

The childminder has addressed the recommendations from her last inspection and added to her resources that reflect diversity. This helps children to learn in meaningful ways about the wider world and differences they see in others as they play. The childminder has completed training to increase her knowledge of how to complete the required written progress check for two-year-old children to give to parents. This enables them to work together to identify and address and gaps in children's learning. The childminder has reviewed her policies and parents sign to say they have read them. This means they are aware of her responsibilities and procedures when caring for their children. The childminder completes contracts with parents so there is a clear agreement of the care she is providing.

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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 117352 Local authority Plymouth Inspection number 842721 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4

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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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