Childminder in Cheshire East

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/08/2014 03/12/2009

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early years provision

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

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This provision requires improvement

 Children are happy and well settled in the childminder’s company. She is familiar to them and they have formed positive bonds with her.  The childminder is a positive role model with some routine and structure to the day's activities. Children conform well to the boundaries in place that results in good manners and respect.  The childminder gives good support to children in helping them see the importance of physical exercise, eating healthily and managing their own hygiene and personal care needs. Children benefit from regular trips out to places of interest.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder does not consistently plan or monitor the range of activities she provides. Resources are not always best used to support children's physical development in particular.  Activities occasionally lack focus and clear learning objectives that affects children’s motivation to remain on task over a sustained period of time.  The range of questioning at times does not challenge or stretch children’s thinking to the full extent which in turn hinders the rate of progress children make.

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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 and resources available  The inspector checked the safety of the premises indoors and out.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder at suitable points throughout the inspection, made observations and spoke to the children present.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined children's assessment records and a range of other records, policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the childminder's training and qualifications, suitability of household members and the childminder’s self-evaluation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the childminder and discussed children's learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with a parent and took into account written comments from other parents.

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Inspector

Michael, David Charnley / Stephanie Nixon

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1990. She lives with her husband and three adult children. The family lives in the Nantwich area of Cheshire, close to schools, pre-schools, local facilities and transport links. The whole of the ground floor and the bathroom on the first floor are used for childminding purposes. There is a secure garden available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight at any one time, no more than three of which may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding one child aged two years, on a part-time basis. The childminder attends local childminder's groups regularly and makes full use of local facilities.

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must:

 ensure there is a balance of planned and child-initiated activities which cover every area of learning, improving the use of resources and questions to help children think more critically and improving the modelling of vocabulary to help children express themselves.

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must:

 work in partnership with parents to use observations and assessments of what children can and cannot do to identify their next steps, and to plan appropriate and challenging activities that meet children’s individual learning needs and styles

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

 complete a self-evaluation of the setting's strengths and weaknesses, use this information to identify areas for development and to monitor the educational programme more rigorously to ensure all aspects of learning are fully covered

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

 develop the practice, in partnership with parents, of sharing information about children's progress and achievements with settings in order to enhance continuity in the children's learning and development as they make the transition to school.

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who attend

The children being cared for by the childminder are confident and independent. They choose from a good range of resources that are freely available. The childminder has a basic knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements that help her meet children’s needs.

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who attend

She plans a varied programme of activities that involves indoor and outdoor play opportunities. Children mark make using different media, for example, when sponge painting and using potato shapes to spell their own names. They experiment and observe changes in the environment linked to themes such as 'ice'. They plant seeds and observe flowers grow. As part of the daily routine children talk about the weather, month and day of the week using the weather chart, thus promoting a good sense of time and place. In addition, children learn to use simple mathematical language when measuring their heights. Children engage in activities linked to special events throughout the year including Easter, Halloween and St Georges day. Opportunities however to learn about similarities and differences between themselves and other families, communities and traditions are limited.

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who attend

Children enthusiastically select resources available that include role play, construction and song bags. They communicate their ideas well by fulfilling their interests during drawing, painting and sticking activities. Children are becoming independent learners who confidently make choices and use their own initiative. The childminder actively joins in and encourages children’s play. However, the quality of the teaching requires improvement because at times does not effectively support children’s learning, for example the childminder does not always offer ideas to extend children’s play and thinking. During a table top activity relating to a previous ‘bug hunt’, children enjoyed creating a collage, cutting out pictures of different bugs and gluing them to paper. The activity however lacked focus because the childminder did not capitalise on opportunities to extend the children’s learning. She does not consistently use questions well to help children think or

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who attend

recall their real life experiences, which is important for their communication skills and to help them make links in their learning.

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who attend

The childminder works with parents to establish children's starting points, individual interests and needs. This helps children settle happily in her care. The range of activities provided is tailored to children's individual interests.

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who attend

Children are assessed periodically against the early years outcome guidance with written observations completed by the childminder that helps determine where children are in their development. The childminder carries out the required checks on the progress of two year olds which helps identify gaps in their learning. Although appropriate next steps in development have begun to be identified, learning opportunities for children to fulfil these next steps are not consistently being applied. The childminder, for example does not give sufficient opportunities for children to practise writing their own name. The childminder does not plan effectively to introduce children to new skills such as moving in different ways as part of their physical development or to extend existing skills.

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

The childminder provides a homely and welcoming environment that enables children to select resources from a sufficient range of play materials which support different aspects of their learning. They settle in very quickly due to the childminder’s friendly and relaxed approach. The childminder works closely with parents to make sure the children's individual routines and care needs are well known and adhered to. This supports children's emotional well-being and helps them feel comfortable and secure. Children express their needs and wishes confidently to the childminder who is sensitive to their needs.

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

Children learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles as they enjoy regular fresh air and exercise. They benefit from a range of outings that include trips to the beach and local parks. They also enjoy planned outings that include a teddy bears picnic. Such activities help to promote children’s understanding of the world and sense of community. Children have access to the outdoor play area equipped with resources such as sand and water trays enabling them to explore and experiment using a range of different implements to support their play. Other play equipment to extend children’s physical development such as a trampoline are not readily available hence they have limited opportunities to experiment with different ways of moving and balancing.

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

The childminder helps children understand the importance of healthy eating by providing a good selection of nutritious snacks and meals including generous portions of fruit and vegetables. They also have regular access to water. The childminder exercises vigilance in ensuring that any specific dietary needs are met and respected in line with parents’ wishes.

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

The childminder teaches children good self-care skills by reminding them to wash their hands before lunch and after using the toilet. Children show familiarity with this routine as they access provisions such as soap dispensers and individual towels. Children learn about the importance of dental hygiene during an outing to the dentist at a local children’s centre.

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

Children learn to keep themselves safe, for example, when handling cutlery and cutting up fruit. They learn about road safety and stranger danger. The childminder has suitable procedures in place for keeping children safe when on outings that includes applying appropriate harnesses, talking to children about keeping close by.

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

The childminder is a positive role model and gives good support in helping children learn about acceptable behaviour, including the importance of showing kindness and respect, sharing and tidying up. Such strategies help children develop good social skills and positive relationships that prepares them well for school. Children are well behaved and consistently show good manners. They have a good sense of belonging at the setting and are valued because they are regularly given praise and allowed to display their work as an illustration of their achievements. This fosters their growing confidence and self-esteem.

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provision

The childminder keeps all required records up to date and maintains the organisation of her provision suitably. She implements a range of written policies, including accidents, medication, health exclusions and safety that help support parents' understanding about the operational procedures followed. Through recent training the childminder has a sound awareness of child protection issues. For example, she is aware of the signs and symptoms that would alert her to any concerns. She also has up-to-date information to enable her to report any concerns to the relevant authorities.

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provision

The childminder has developed her knowledge of practice by completing a variety of training courses including ‘Working with two year olds’ and ‘Developing high quality Early Years Foundation Stage practice. This has resulted in a better understanding of the learning and development requirements. Although she provides a variety of activities based on individual interests the childminder has not developed a systematic approach of assessing children’s starting points or track children’s learning effectively. Although many aspects of the educational programme are covered not all areas are planned for due to a lack of monitoring of activities provided. She does not consistently make best use of resources available to support children’s play particularly in terms of their physical development.

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provision

Relationships with parents are very positive. They speak highly of the childminder and report that their children are making good progress. Information about the children's care and learning is regularly shared verbally and in writing. Parents have access to their children's learning journey folders containing photographic evidence of activities undertaken with recorded observations of their achievements. However, there is a lack of emphasis to encourage parents to become more actively involved in their children’s learning. The childminder does not actively share or obtain information about children’s development with the nursery to support their transition to school. This lack of continuity does not support children’s overall learning and progress.

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provision

In implementing recommendations from her last inspection, the childminder has shown a good commitment to develop the procedure for linking observations and assessments made to the early years outcomes in order to track children’s progress. However, there are inconsistencies, in that the children’s next steps in learning are not always identified or followed through. This hinders children’s overall development.

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provision

Although the childminder has partly assessed her practice in the past, this has not been completed for some time, therefore a lack of rigour within this process means that she does not identify any areas of weakness and drive effective improvement, including where she is not meeting legal requirements.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Not Met

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that Ofsted is informed of changes of circumstance as soon as they can (no later than 14 days after the change occurs) (Child Care Register)  ensure that Ofsted is informed of changes of circumstance as soon as they can (no later than 14 days after the change occurs) (Voluntary Child Care Register)

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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 304108 Local authority Cheshire East Inspection number 987214 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 0 Total number of places 0 Number of children on roll 0

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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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