Garthwaite, Clare

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/10/2014 18/05/2009

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

p.1

This provision requires improvement

 Children make good progress in their learning and development because the quality of teaching is good.  The childminder has very good relationships with the children, and close bonds and attachments are evident.  There is a good level of mutual respect between the childminder and parents, and successful partnerships are in place. This results in effective joint working to promote children's welfare and learning.  The childminder has good knowledge of safeguarding procedures. She is clear about the steps she needs to take should she have a concern about a child in her care.

p.1

It is not yet good because

 On occasions, the childminder has failed to maintain the required adult-to-child ratio to ensure the continued safety and welfare of children.  The childminder does not take full advantage of the possibility to enable children to move freely between the indoor and outdoor environment, so they have even more choice about where they wish to play and so their sense of well-being is promoted further.  There is room to strengthen the links with early years teachers so more information about what children are learning at nursery is shared, to extend children's good learning even further.

p.1

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

p.2

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 the children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector viewed the premises, toys and equipment.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the childminder and household members.  The inspector took account of the views of parents provided in written form.

p.2

Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2002 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband, her 14 year old child and adult child in a house in Thirsk. The whole of the ground floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The childminder attends activities at local community groups. She visits the shops, parks and nature areas on a regular basis. She collects children from the local pre-schools. There are currently nine children on roll, all are in the early years age group. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round, except bank holidays and family holidays.

p.3

must:

 ensure that the ratio requirements set out in the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage are met at all times, so the needs of children are met and their safety ensured.

p.3

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

 extend the opportunities for children to play in the fresh air and make choices about where they wish to play, for example, enable them to move freely between the indoor and outdoor environment

p.3

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

 strengthen the partnerships with early years providers so that information about what children have been doing at nursery is exchanged, and use this shared knowledge to plan together and think through ideas about how to move children even further forward in their learning.

p.3

who attend

The quality of teaching is good. The childminder has a good understanding of how children learn. She has high expectations of them and provides a challenging range of activities that promote children's learning and development well. She demonstrates the characteristics of effective teaching and clearly enjoys this aspect of her work. Activities are both adult-led and child-initiated. Children's interests and their identified next steps of learning are fully considered when planning activities. For example, the childminder skilfully adapts a planned activity with coloured rice to meet all children's needs. The younger children enjoy scooping and pouring, while the older children have fun finding the letters of their name hidden in the rice. This results in highly motivated children who make good, and often very good, progress in their learning and development, gaining the necessary skills for future learning, for example in school. Regular and precise

p.3

who attend

assessments of children's development are made and the outcomes from these influence activity planning. Arrangements are in place to complete the progress check for children aged between two and three years to plan for the next steps in children's learning, when this is appropriate.

p.4

who attend

Children's communication and language skills are promoted very well. The childminder listens carefully to young children's attempts to use language and understands and responds to them. She joins in with the older children's conversations and appreciates their efforts when they show their understanding of new words and phrases. Consequently, children are skilful communicators who use language as a powerful means of widening contacts, and sharing feelings, experiences and thoughts. Children's development in literacy is well supported as good quality books are readily available to them. They are a pleasure to watch as they confidently choose books to read themselves or take them to the childminder, who shares their pleasure and excitement in the stories. The childminder makes excellent use of the local and surrounding areas to widen children's understanding of the world. This provides many opportunities for children to

p.4

who attend

become aware of, and interested in, the natural world and find out about their local area. The indoor environment is warm, welcoming and contains a wide range of resources. These are accessible for all children to encourage them to make their own choices, and are selected with consideration to supporting their learning in all areas. The garden offers a place for children to explore and be physically active and exuberant. However, the childminder does not always take full advantage of this by linking the indoor and outdoor environment, so that children can move freely between them and make the choice of where they wish to play.

p.4

who attend

The childminder makes every effort to ensure there is a two-way flow of information, knowledge and expertise between herself and parents. Parents record details of their child's achievements at home and share these with the childminder. This has a positive impact on children's learning and development as both parties work together to ensure learning is consolidated and extended. Parents speak very positively of the progress their children have made since being cared for by the childminder.

p.4

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

The childminder is very warm and caring. She responds sensitively to children's feelings, ideas and behaviour. Genuine bonds between the childminder and the children are evident, and they flourish in these settled, close relationships. Settling-in procedures are very flexible and individualised for each child, and much time is spent talking to parents to make sure that children are being cared for appropriately. However, the childminder's failure to meet the legal requirement regarding adult-to-child ratios, means that overall children's well-being is compromised on these occasions. The childminder has a positive approach to managing children's behaviour, which impacts well on children's emotional development. She has a calm disposition and is a positive role model for children. This builds children's confidence as they know what is and is not acceptable. The children have lovely manners, remembering to say 'please' and 'thank

p.4

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

you' and are accepting and considerate of each other. For example, they play happily together at one activity, sharing resources and respecting each other's space. The childminder often plans joint activities with a childminding colleague so that the children can play in larger groups. This helps to prepares them for their move to nursery and school. The childminder teaches children about how to keep themselves safe through talking to them about road safety and the importance of staying close to her when out walking. Children also join in with organised safety events, which reinforces their learning of the road safety basics through fun activities.

p.5

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

The childminder promotes children's health well. She teaches them that exercise can be fun and they are developing a good understanding of how physical exercise fits into a healthy lifestyle. As they mostly walk to and from places, they benefit greatly from the daily exercise, fresh air and the opportunity to learn about the world in which they live. Children are encouraged to try healthy options for snacks, such as fruit, which supports good health. The childminder plans activities for planting and growing vegetables, which further promotes children's understanding of healthy eating. The childminder discusses with parents any specific requirements to ensure she fully understands any allergies or health needs and is able to care for each child appropriately. High standards of hygiene are maintained throughout all childminding areas to help prevent the spread of infection.

p.5

provision

The childminder does not have a secure understanding of the legal requirement relating to adult to child ratios. On several occasions she has exceeded the number of children that she can care for in line with the legal requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage. This means she cannot wholly ensure the continued safety and welfare of children and it also compromises the public liability insurance she has in place. It has not had a detrimental effect at all on their learning, because of the good quality teaching. The childminder fully understands the procedures to follow should she have any child protection concerns. She is aware of the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk, and has guidelines to follow should she have any concerns. Adults living in the home have been checked to ensure that they are suitable to be in contact with children. Procedures for administering medicines are secure and written records of accidents,

p.5

provision

injuries and first-aid treatment include signatures to confirm that parents are fully informed. The childminder has very effective systems in place to monitor the educational programme and children's progress. This ensures that she covers all areas of learning effectively and can quickly identify any gaps in children's learning.

p.5

provision

The childminder is motivated and dedicated to improving and developing her childminding service. She works closely with a childminding colleague, sharing ideas to bring about continuous improvement. Recommendations made at the last inspection are met and have a positive impact on the quality of the childminding provision. For example, parents now contribute to the observation and assessment cycle, to help promote children's learning fully.

p.5

provision

The childminder very much values parents and children's feedback and seeks this on an ongoing basis. Partnerships with parents are very good and they are provided with a wide range of information about their children's care, learning and development. The childminder shares general information about their care and welfare with other early years providers. However, there is capacity to extend these partnerships further so that additional information is shared between both parties about children's learning to maximise their progress towards the early learning goals.

p.6

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

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number EY218503 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 855731 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 9

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.

p.8

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.8

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

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’.

p.10

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10