Childminder in Gloucestershire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 06/11/2014 29/01/2009

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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

 The childminder has developed a good close bond with the children in her care and has a calm, caring approach towards them.  The childminder meets the safeguarding requirements satisfactorily and she supports children's well-being appropriately.  The childminder shares information with parents regularly by using verbal communication and daily diaries, which helps to keep parents involved in their children's progress.  The childminder has worked hard since her last inspection and completes a regular evaluation of her practice to help her develop her further.

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It is not yet good because

 Children's language skills are not always promoted well by the childminder, which means that children's learning is variable.  The childminder misses opportunities to make good use of the outside play space to promote children's independence and child-led activities well.  At times, the childminder does not always help children understand the consequences of their actions to help them learn how to keep themselves safe.

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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 home and looked at the outdoor area.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder and the children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector offered the opportunity of a joint observation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation including children's records and the records of children's hours of attendance, and discussed safeguarding procedures, risk assessments and some policies and procedures with the childminder.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2008. She is registered on the Early Years Register, and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder lives with her husband and three children. The family shares a home in Berkeley, near Gloucester. Childminding takes place in the lounge. There is an upstairs bathroom and bedrooms are used for children to rest. An enclosed garden is available for outside play. The home is in walking distance of local schools, shops, and pre-school and toddler groups. The family has a dog, two guinea pigs, two rabbits and a hamster as pets. The childminder currently has three children on roll; two are in the early years age range.

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must:

 raise the level of teaching to a consistently good quality through providing a rich language environment, and teaching that concentrates on developing children's communication and language skills so they speak confidently in a range of situations.

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

 improve children's access to the outside play space so they are able use this area when they choose to do so, when suitable and as long as the weather conditions allow

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

 strengthen children's understanding of how to keep themselves safe as they play, with particular reference to giving clear explanations about the consequences of their actions.

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who attend

The childminder completes suitable observations and assessments on the children. However, she does not clearly focus on how to help children progress well. For example, the childminder knows that some children need extra support in their language skills from her own observations of them and from her discussions with their parents. However, she does not interact with such children consistently well to help their communication and language skills develop more quickly so that gaps in development close. Nevertheless, all children develop their language skills adequately.

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who attend

While the childminder uses some suitable strategies to help promote basic language development, she sometimes allows some children to dominate activities. This means that the childminder does not always include all children well in the experiences she provides. For example, when she tries to include quieter children by asking them a question, she does not always allow time for them to respond or ask another question that the child may be able to respond to more easily. This means that some children spend a long time not speaking. The childminder misses chances to repeat words to children to help their understanding and pronunciation. As a result teaching is not of a consistently high quality in this important area of learning.

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who attend

Children have easy access to books and enjoy looking at them either alone or with the childminder. This promotes some aspects of literacy. The childminder has taken steps to help children start to understand the value of the written word, for example, through labelling toy boxes with words and pictures of what they contain. This helps children understand that words have meaning in preparation for the next stage in learning.

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who attend

Children gain in their personal, social and emotional development through appropriate guidance from the childminder. She uses suitable strategies to manage children's behaviour, encouraging them to share and take turns as they play. She explains to children that they must not take toys off another child as they play. Children are taught good social skills through guidance from the childminder as they are encouraged to sit at the table during mealtimes and when they have a drink.

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who attend

Children are developing their physical skills adequately. They are encouraged to build train tracks for themselves and build towers with building blocks. This develops their coordination. Children have fresh air and exercise through regular outings. However, the childminder restricts children's access to the outside play space. For example, after lunch the childminder brings the dog in the house and leaves the back door open. Children go outside and start to get excited about being there. The childminder brings them back in immediately telling them they cannot play outside because it is time they rested. As they are brought in the children object and become upset for a short while. This strict adherence to routine lessens children's ability to make choices. Nevertheless, children are acquiring the basic skills, attitudes and dispositions they require to prepare them for their eventual move to pre-school or school.

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

The children are comfortable in the childminder's company. They settle quickly into play when their parents leave. New children have settled well and made friends with others at the home. The childminder offers children reassurance when needed. For example, when children start to ask where their parents are she reassures them that they are at work and will return soon. Children are prepared emotionally for their next stages in their learning. Children are well behaved, and respond to praise and encouragement from the childminder. However, at times the childminder does not explain to children why they need to do something, such as tidy up the toys because they could trip over and hurt themselves, or not to climb on chairs. This means that children are not always learning the consequences of their actions.

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

Children learn about healthy lifestyles. The childminder encourages them to wash their hands before meals and to use separate paper towels, which helps to prevent the spread of infection. Children see the childminder washing her hands and wiping the table before they sit to eat. This helps to teach children good personal hygiene procedures. The childminder provides meals for the children and caters for their individual dietary needs well. The children understand they need to sit and eat at the table, and are well behaved when they do. The childminder is careful to ensure the dog is not present in the room when children eat. This ensures the children's safety as they eat. Children enjoy regular walks around the local area so they can have fresh air and exercise. However, children have limited access to the enclosed garden.

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

The childminder provides a well-balanced range of resources indoors, which children are able to access freely. During the inspection children selected from these resources and enjoyed making some choices for themselves, such as choosing books. However, the childminder does not always use her resources well, such as her outdoor area.

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provision

The childminder has a suitable awareness of her responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements, and she meets these appropriately. The childminder has a suitable understanding of the procedures to follow should she have any concerns about children in her care. To help with this the childminder updates her knowledge by attending safeguarding courses regularly. She maintains confidentiality at all times. The childminder ensures children are safe when in her home. She carries out thorough risk assessments to help her maintain safety in the home and when she takes children on outings. The childminder has clear policies and procedures, which she shares with parents so they know her responsibilities and methods . The childminder meets the learning and development requirements adequately. She carries out written observations and assessments on each child in her care, which contribute to helping her recognise that some children require extra support in their

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provision

language development. However, she does not support their speaking skills sufficiently well to enrich their language development. Nevertheless, children still acquire the skills they need to enable them to move to their next stages of learning.

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provision

There are positive relationships with the parents. Regular information is shared verbally when the children arrive at the setting. The childminder uses a two-way daily diary to inform parents of the activities their child has taken part in during the day. All necessary written parental permissions have been obtained. Parents have regular access to their children's learning journals so they know their progress and are able to discuss any concerns with the childminder. The childminder has worked hard since her last inspection to improve her practices. She has ensured she has maintained a current first-aid certificate and ensures gates are fitted to prevent children gaining unsupervised access to areas in the home. These actions help her maintain children's safety. Although the childminder has improved the way she observes and assesses children's progress, at times she does not always promote children's thinking and language skills as they interact. The childminder completes a basic

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provision

evaluation of her practice and drives improvement through her work with an advisor from the local authority. She has attended a number of training courses since her last inspection, including one on how to work with parents. She exchanges information with parents well, such as the progress check for two-year-old children and is knowledgeable of how outside professionals assess children.

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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 EY375667 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 906302 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 4 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

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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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