Childminder in North Yorkshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/11/2014 06/07/2012

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The childminder has only a basic knowledge of child protection procedures. She lacks an understanding of the correct procedures to follow should concerns arise, including any allegations made against herself or a family member.  The childminder has a limited understanding of the learning and development requirements, including the completion of the progress check for children aged between two and three years. This has a negative impact on her ability to promote children's development across the areas of learning or to carry out effective assessments and planning of activities to meet children's individual needs.  The childminder does not invite parents to be part of the assessment process by contributing to initial assessments. Additionally, she does not provide parents with information about how they can support children's learning at home. As a result, effective information is not shared to support children to make good progress.

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This provision is inadequate

 The childminder does not monitor the educational programmes she provides or the quality of her teaching in order to support children's learning. Furthermore, she does not reflect on her practice in order to drive continual improvements in her service and the outcomes for children.

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It has the following strengths

 The children appear settled and content in the care of the childminder and they are happy to involve her in their play.

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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 the childminder and children playing in the living room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to the childminder and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector had a tour of the areas of the home used for childcare purposes.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at the available documentation used by the childminder including evidence of her suitability and qualifications.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1999 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her mother in a house in Tadcaster on the outskirts of Leeds. The whole of the ground floor, the bathroom on the first floor and the rear garden are used for childminding purposes. The family has a dog, a cockatiel and a cat as pets. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local children's centre. She visits the shops and parks on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently 12 children on roll, two of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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must:

 improve safeguarding knowledge and ensure this is in line with current requirements, with particular regard to allegations raised against the childminder and her family and the recording and reporting of any child protection concerns

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must:

 improve knowledge of how to observe and assess children's progress in order to better understand children's individual levels of achievement, identify their interests and learning styles and use this information to accurately plan for the next steps in their learning and development, so children make consistently good progress

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must:

 obtain knowledge of how to implement the progress check for children aged between two and three years to enable early identification of development needs, and provide parents with a written summary of their child's development

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must:

 improve partnerships with parents and the information that is gathered and shared; to include information about children's starting points, how parents can share children's learning at home and then further contribute to the ongoing assessment of children's progress.

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who attend

Teaching and learning is inadequate. The childminder has a limited understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, current practice does not reflect requirements. The childminder observes children as they play but does not identify which developmental stage they are at. Consequently, children's next steps in learning are not identified or planned for and procedures for assessment are very weak. This means that children's progress is not monitored due to the childminder's lack of knowledge and because there is no effective tracking of children's progress. Additionally, the childminder has no knowledge of the progress check completed for children aged between two and three years. As a result, any gaps in learning or areas where children may need extra support are not known. The childminder does not plan activities for children. This means that activities do not promote children's developmental

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who attend

needs and teaching is not always targeted to meet children's individual needs. Consequently, activities do not maximise potential learning.

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who attend

The childminder talks with children as they play and poses them with some questions. For example, children enjoy constructing a train track before spending extended periods of time playing with the trains. The childminder asks children to name colours and to count in their play, which they confidently do. The childminder also introduces shape names to the children as they build a bridge with the wooden bricks. However, because the childminder does not plan activities, children initiate their own play most of the time. Although this supports children's independent choice, it results in them playing with the trains, cars and other vehicles most of the time. For instance, one of the few observations recorded by the childminder describes children playing with the same resources as those used throughout the inspection. Some interaction between the childminder and the children is positive. Children are eager to involve her in their play, showing they have a

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who attend

close bond with her. The childminder encourages children to develop their independence. For example, they use the bathroom and identify when they want a drink or a snack. However, children's learning and developmental needs are not well supported by the childminder, as interactions are predominantly based on care needs. Therefore, learning and teaching does not fully match children's needs. As a consequence, children's next steps in learning and preparation for school are not fully supported. They are not helped to equip themselves with the necessary key skills needed to support their future learning.

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who attend

Links with parents are adequate and the childminder has some measures in place to involve them in their child's care and daily activity. For example, she communicates through daily, verbal feedback to exchange information about children's care needs and to talk about what children have enjoyed that day. However, parents have not been invited to contribute to children's development files through initial discussions, to identify children's starting points. Furthermore, they have not had the chance to contribute to summary checks or any assessment of learning. In addition, information is not shared with parents about how learning can be further supported at home. This means that meaningful information about children's starting points, next steps in learning and a summary of development is not effectively shared between the childminder and parents. This does not enable the childminder to tailor purposeful learning to meet each child's

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who attend

needs and help them to make the best progress they can. Additionally, it does not establish a shared and consistent approach to their learning and development and enable parents to consolidate or extend the learning that takes place.

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

The childminder fails to fully protect children from harm due to her safeguarding knowledge being weak. However, some positive attachments are in place and children are content and settled in the childminder's care. Children initiate their own play and access the available resources with confidence. The childminder joins in with the children's play and she is aware of their individual care needs and routines. The childminder is a suitable role model, who ensures positive behaviour is encouraged by using age-appropriate strategies for children and a consistent approach. Additionally, the childminder supports children to share, take turns and routinely use good manners. As a result, in general, children are emotionally supported for their future move to school.

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

The childminder gathers some information from the parents about the children's likes, dislikes and routines, although this links to their welfare and not their learning. The childminder works with parents and offers settling-in visits for children to enable her to provide a suitable move for children from the care of their parents. Children are familiar with the routine and are able to make some of their own choices for play. This is because they can select from the accessible resources put out by the childminder. Also when children ask for some additional play equipment the childminder retrieves this for them from upstairs. Their self-care skills are supported as they access the bathroom and see to their own personal needs. Children also make decisions about what they want to eat for their snack and when they want a drink.

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

The childminder provides snacks and drinks for the children before and after school. She explains that these include fresh fruit, biscuits and slices of pizza. The childminder ensures children have access to cartons of juice to ensure they remain hydrated while in her care. The childminder is aware of children's individual dietary needs and meets these, by working with the parents. Children benefit from opportunities to develop physically. The childminder provides time each day for children to play outside to support their health, through fresh air and exercise. Children form close relationships with the childminder and the other children in her care, ensuring that they are happy and settled. The childminder has boundaries for children to adhere to and develops their understanding of how to keep safe through her conversations and reminders. She gives thought to children's safety in particular when away from the setting. For example, she reminds children of the

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

precautions they need to take on the short walk to and from school.

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provision

The childminder has failed to meet a number of the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has recently completed a child protection training course enabling her to identify some of the signs and symptoms of child abuse. However, the childminder still has a very limited knowledge and awareness of the safeguarding and welfare requirements, in particular how to record and report child protection concerns. Furthermore, she does not have a clear understanding of the procedures to follow if an allegation was made against her or a member of her family. Consequently, she is unable to fully protect children. Visual checks of the home, supported by some written risk assessments, are carried out to ensure hazards within the setting are minimised. Additionally, the childminder maintains a written record of children's arrival and departure times.

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provision

The childminder has a limited understanding of the learning and development requirements, resulting in the poor monitoring of children's progress. This does not ensure that gaps in children's learning are identified and does not support planning based on children's next steps in learning. Furthermore, the childminder does not effectively monitor and review her practice. She has not given any thought to reflecting on the care and learning opportunities she offers children. As a result, strengths and weaknesses have not been identified. In addition, the childminder has not fully addressed the recommendations raised at the previous inspection. This includes, developing strategies to get parents more involved in their children's learning. This does not demonstrate a drive for improvement that will raise the childminder's practice and children's achievements over time.

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provision

The childminder provides some basic information for parents about her provision and offers daily verbal feedback to inform them about their children's welfare and care. A few descriptive observations have been recorded and shown to the parents. These enable parents to be aware of some of the activities their children engage in. However, they do not facilitate meaningful, developmental information being shared about their children. Furthermore, parents are not encouraged to contribute their knowledge and observations of their children's capabilities, skills and understanding. Consequently, there is no collaboration between the childminder and the parents in order to promote consistency in any assessment of children's progress. The childminder does offer some support to children who attend the local school nursery. She talks to the teacher to gather information to pass on to the parents and to discuss anything she has noticed about the

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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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 knowledge of child protection issues is secure in order to protect children from harm (compulsory part of the Childcare Register).  ensure knowledge of child protection issues is secure in order to protect children from harm (voluntary part of the Childcare 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 400864 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 819243 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 12

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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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