Childminder in Sandwell

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/10/2014 09/12/2009

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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 quality of teaching is good because the childminder has a secure knowledge and understanding of how to promote the learning and development of children. Younger children's physical development is particularly well-supported, as a result, they make very good progress in this area.  The childminder has embedded robust safeguarding policies and procedures, which ensures that all necessary steps are taken to safeguard children.  The childminder develops effective partnerships with parents, which significantly contribute to identifying and supporting children's well-being and learning.  The childminder demonstrates a strong drive for continually improving the quality of her practice and the service provided. She develops her own skills and knowledge and uses this to improve the experiences provided for children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not capture all opportunities to promote children's mathematical development. She does not always make sure that younger children are fully engaged and supported to listen and join in with songs and rhymes. Consequently, learning is not always maximised.

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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 childminder's lounge.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder about the daily care routines, children's individual learning.  The inspector interacted with the children present.  The inspector took into account the views of parents and carers.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked documentation and evidence of suitability, qualifications and self-evaluation.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2009 on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two children in Rowley Regis, West Midlands. The whole of the ground of the childminder's house is used for childminding. There is a small enclosed garden and the childminder also uses local parks for outside play. There are currently three children on roll who are within the early years age group. The childminder operates all year round from 6.30m to 7pm, Monday to Friday, except for family holidays. The childminder collects children from their home, local schools and pre-schools. She holds an early years qualification at level 3 and she is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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

 maximise children's progress by weaving more mathematical concepts into activities that capture children's interest and by making sure that younger children are fully engaged and supported to join in with songs and rhymes.

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who attend

Children are well prepared for school and their next steps in learning because the childminder has a secure knowledge and understanding of how to promote the learning and development of young children. The childminder gets to knows children very well and is able to talk about and record information about their skills and abilities confidently. She gathers information from parents about children's achievements, interests and routines when they first attend her home, and on an ongoing basis. As a result, she has an accurate and complete picture of children's needs. She uses this information alongside her own observations to track children's development, and plan interesting and challenging activities which are aimed at progressing children's learning. She has implemented the progress check for children aged between two-and-three years, which successfully identifies the achievements and learning priorities for this group of children. Parents have

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who attend

opportunities to be fully involved in this process and are encouraged to make comments in their child's development folder with regards to learning observed in the setting and at home. This helps to support children's learning at home.

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who attend

Younger children's physical development is particularly well supported, as a result, they make very good progress in this area. For example, the childminder sets out her resources so that younger children's natural drive to stand and walk is fully stimulated and supported. Children are challenged to learn to move and control their bodies in a variety ways. They bounce on rockers, climb up slides, learn to make sounds with musical instruments and enjoy lots of sensory experiences, such as making marks in foam, play dough and gloop. They learn to push, pull and press, and watch with enjoyment the effect of their action on flashing lights and sounds on the activity table. This type of activity also supports children's interest in simple technology and their drive to explore and experiment. Children's motivation to move and become active is further stimulated when the childminder takes them to local activity groups. This also increases children's

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who attend

experiences and social interaction with their peers. During these activities, communication and language skills are effectively taught. The childminder uses and repeats single words to describe what children are doing and copies the sounds they are making. This helps children to learn the meaning of words and encourages them to listen and become more vocal. The childminder sings songs and action rhythms to younger children throughout the day, which also helps to support children's communication and language skills. In some instances she uses musical instruments and familiar songs to engage children's participation. However, children's participation and learning in some singing sessions is not developed to the full. For example, in some instances the songs chosen by the childminder do not have lots of repetitive phrases and they are not sang slowly enough so that children become familiar with them and able to join in.

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who attend

The childminder effectively supports and extends older children's learning through supporting their particular interests, such as their enjoyment of books. For example, children learn about their local community as they go to the library to choose books. They engage in imaginative play using toys from story sacks to represent characters and storylines. They develop their expressive and design skills when they use a range of resources, such as paint and play dough to make models, glue and paint pictures to represent tigers, bears and caves from stories. Children develop their listening skills while they listen to stories and watch short animated films based on the storylines of the book. Children's thinking and critical thinking skills are supported by the childminder who encourages them to predict, recall and express their thoughts and ideas about the story. Trips to local soft play areas and park provide challenging opportunities for children to

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who attend

experiment with different ways of moving. Children's interest in numbers are supported well through the use of number lines, which help them to learn to count and recognise numerals. Children are introduced to concepts such as more and less, and heavy and light during some activities. However, in some instances the childminder is less effective in weaving in mathematical concepts into activities that have captured children's interests. Therefore, children's progress in this area is not developed to the full.

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

Parents report that the childminder 'goes that extra mile' in working in partnership with them to meet their children's needs and to secure their child's emotional well-being. For example, in some instances the childminder collects and returns children to their homes. This helps the childminder to become more aware of children's home experiences. It also means she comes into contact and exchanges information with children's extended families, who also care for children. This helps to support continuity and cohesion in children's care and learning. When children first attend, the childminder works well with parents to make sure children have become familiar with her and their new surroundings. As a result, children settle quickly into the childminder's care. They demonstrate they feel safe, secure and content enough to following their familiar sleep patterns. As a result, they wake up refreshed and eager to explore, learn and develop independence skills as

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

they make choices and move around their environment independently.

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

Children benefit from the very positive relationships they develop with the childminder, her family and other children in the setting. This supports children's sense of belonging, security and well-being. Throughout the day children are included in routines, such as tidy away time, which helps to prepare them for the changes in the day. This also helps to promote children's independence and provides the opportunity for children to learn to take care of their environment. The childminder understands the importance of working in partnership with other providers, such as nurseries and schools to make sure children are well-prepared for their move to this type of provision.

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

Children have daily opportunities to become active outdoors. They become active as they kick, throw and roll balls in the childminder's garden and use larger equipment at local parks and soft play areas. Children develop good self-care skills. They learn to feed themselves, wash and dry their hands, brush their teeth and put on their own shoes and coat. The childminder works effectively with parents to meet children's specific individual dietary needs and to encourage healthy eating. Policies and procedures are implemented well to ensure children's welfare and safety. For example, good hygiene practice in relation to nappy changing prevents any cross-infection.

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

Children are developing their understanding of their own safety because the childminder gives simple and clear explanations about safety during their play and routines. The childminder encourages appropriate behaviour through clear and consistent boundaries which children respond well to. She uses praise and encouragement to recognise children's achievements which supports their self-esteem. Children take part in activities that help them to take turns and share. This also helps them to consider the needs of others. They take part in activities and experiences that help them to value similarities and differences in themselves and others, such as taking part in activities that celebrate Diwali.

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provision

The childminder has a secure understanding of the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Since the last inspection she has attended training events, which has helped her to keep up-to-date and improve her knowledge. For example, she has attended a number of safeguarding training events, which has helped her to develop a clear understanding of her roles and responsibilities with regard to child protection issues. She understands the possible signs of abuse and she knows what to do if she was to have a concern about a child in her care. The childminder has also updated her paediatric first-aid certificate. This helps to ensure she is well-prepared to act swiftly in the event of a child becoming ill or injured. The childminder is vigilant about safety issues and provides good levels of supervision of children. She conducts effective risk assessments in and out of the home, which ensures potential

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provision

hazards are identified and minimised, and children are kept safe and secure. The childminder develops very positive relationships with parents, which contribute to identifying and meeting children's needs. She is extremely flexible and eager to support parents in any way she can. She creates a welcoming environment for parents, which includes a parent's notice board and she provides them with lots of opportunities to become involved in their children's learning. Written comments from parents demonstrate their high levels of satisfaction. They report their children are progressing in 'leaps and bounds' in the childminder's care.

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provision

Since the last inspection the childminder has obtained a childcare qualification at level 3 and attended training events in relation to meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, she has become a reflective practitioner who is eager to continually improve her service to children and their families. She has improved her understanding of the importance of working in partnership with parents and other professionals, which has contributed to improving children's care and learning. The childminder has also improved her understanding of how to plan for and monitor children's progress and this has helped her to support children to make good progress in their development.

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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 EY387770 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 952675 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 3

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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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