Childminder, Out-of school day care in Rotherham

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/11/2014 17/02/2011

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

p.1

This provision is good

 There is a warm, welcoming and stimulating learning environment in which children are secure, happy and confident to express themselves. This is complimented with a good range of activities, toys and resources, to engage children in purposeful play.  The childminder is sensitive to the children's thinking and learning, deciding when to interact and when to value the child's independent play.  The childminder installs a sense of well-being as children are safe and feel safe with her. This is enhanced as she maintains all required and many additional records and documents.  The childminder promotes children's self-esteem and confidence through her consistent use of praise and encouragement.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to enhance the already good partnerships with parents and school to share information more effectively so that children's individual ongoing learning and development is fully supported.  The childminder does not always ensure children wash their hands when they come home from school before snack time. As a result, good hygiene routines are not always reinforced.

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 toured the premises used for childminding.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed practice and interaction between the childminder and children during play and at snack time and teatime.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of documentation including parent's written comments, planning documentation, policies and procedures and attendance register.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector was accompanied throughout the inspection by another inspector as part of the quality assurance process.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector checked details of the childminder's qualifications and training. She also checked evidence of the suitability for all household members.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder, parents and children during the inspection to gain their views.

p.2

Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2001 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two children in a house in South Anston, a large residential area in the borough of Rotherham. The whole of the ground floor, plus toilet facilities and one bedroom on the first floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The childminder walks to take and collect children from the local school. The childminder holds a relevant qualification at level 3. There are presently 13 children on roll, two of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She operates Monday to Friday from 7am to 9am and 3pm to 5.15pm, term time and occasional days during the school holidays, except bank holidays and family holidays.

p.3

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

 strengthen the already good partnerships with parents and school by promoting the sharing of regular two-way observations of learning and use this shared knowledge and understanding to plan together so that children make the very best progress

p.3

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

 embed good hygiene routines with regards to hand washing before snack time, to help prevent infection and cross-contamination.

p.3

who attend

Children are happy and content to be in the childminder's home and they benefit from an organised and stimulating learning environment, which they happily explore. The spacious home provides plenty of opportunities for children to engage in a wealth of different activities simultaneously, according to their interests. Children are encouraged to be active learners as they access resources and engage in interesting and challenging child-initiated and adult-led activities. There is a strong emphasis on child-initiated play to develop children's imagination and independence. This is well supported through positive interaction from the childminder. The childminder has a secure knowledge of how children learn. Useful information is gained about children's care and learning when children first start with the childminder, to enable her to plan for their individual needs. The childminder obtains copies of the schools yearly planning and follows their themes, building on and

p.3

who attend

extending children's learning and providing children with a consistent approach. However, there is scope to make even better links, especially for younger early years children to promote the sharing of observations of children's learning with teachers and parents, to enhance their learning further still. The childminder's teaching is good. She is skilful at interacting with children and uses open-ended questions to extend their knowledge. For example, when playing with the battery operated train set they have a two-way conversation about intercity trains, where they come from and are going to. Children also talk about 'coupling the carriages' as they fit them together to make a long train. The childminder encourages children to express their thoughts and share their views. Children are keenly focused on using their imagination and creative skills. This is evident as they enthusiastically draw Pudsey bear

p.3

who attend

pictures, create patterns and show the inspector pictures of themselves and ask her to guess who is who. Children's work is displayed in the conservatory and dining room, giving them a sense of belonging and boosting their self-esteem. On light nights they play outside where they learn to be physically active and enjoy playing hopscotch, skipping or jumping on the trampoline.

p.4

who attend

Resources are plentiful and well maintained, they provide children with a range of play opportunities, which cover all the areas of learning. Children enjoy a variety of battery operated or electronic resources, for example, as they search the internet for ideas for a Christmas cake to make at school, play with a battery operated train or demonstrate a magnetic battery operated sounds and letters game. The childminder promotes mathematical development as children talk about how fast the cars will go and which car will win. Children develop their imaginations as they play together, feeding the doll or playing with the cars and garage. The childminder willingly joins in their play, supporting them and extending their knowledge. The childminder's husband provides a good role model when he comes from work as children ask him to play a boxed game with them. He patiently demonstrates how to carefully manoeuvre the levers to move the ball round the

p.4

who attend

course. As a result, all children are supported to develop their skills for future learning.

p.4

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

This busy and welcoming childminder provides before and after school care for a number of children who attend the local school. There is a relaxed and happy atmosphere within the setting. Children forge trusting and caring relationships with the childminder, which promote a sense of emotional security. Children feel secure and are confident in their communications with the inspector. The childminder is a good role model, who puts children's needs and interests first and is approachable and friendly. Children's behavioural is good and their actions show they are aware of the setting's rules and behavioural boundaries. For example, children take their shoes off when they come into the childminder's home and hang their coats on the low-level coat pegs. They are clear about the expectation to take turns, share and take care of the toys and resources. For example, when children send the train around the kitchen floor they are reminded to be careful and

p.4

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

to play with it on the track. They are encouraged to put toys away after use and to help tidy away before tea. The childminder respects children, helping them to carry out tasks and learn for themselves. Children play in small and large groups and the younger reception year children enjoy the company of older children throughout the session.

p.4

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

Children are developing a good understanding of the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. They eat healthy snacks, such as fruit, vegetables and bread sticks and a choice of drinks are readily available at all times. Children are offered choices, they are able to develop the skills and abilities necessary for effective learning, autonomy and positive self- esteem. For example, at snack time the children choose their own snack from the selection available. Their independence is fostered as they carefully pour their own drinks into beakers. Children are developing a good understanding of health and safety through their daily routines. For example, they hold hands and walk in pairs on the way home from school and know to wait for the childminder before they cross the road. Children are helped to learn about their own safety because the childminder reminds them why they must be careful, for example, when climbing onto high bar stools at snack time. The

p.4

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

premises are clean and safe and the childminder takes good steps to minimise the risk of cross-infection when preparing food. However, children do not always wash their hands before snack time when they come in from school, which does not underpin the children's understanding about the importance of the otherwise good hygiene routines.

p.5

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

Children are competent at managing their personal needs, such as hand washing and toileting, according to their age or stage of development. The childminder deals with any accidents sensitively and children are comforted with a cuddle and kind words. Children develop an understanding of keeping themselves safe in an emergency, as they practise fire evacuation drills. They demonstrate knowledge of how to act and where to stand in an emergency situation. Children look at various cultural festivals, which help them to learn about diversity. Children's individual needs are respected and all children have equal opportunities to use the resources and activities provided. They learn about the wider world through discussion, activities and resources. For example, they made poppies to mark Remembrance Day and discussed the poppies around the Tower of London to commemorate 100 years since the First World War. As children become more aware of

p.5

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

safety, make friends and learn self-care skills, they gain essential skills and attitudes to support their future move to other settings. As a result, children are well prepared for their future learning.

p.5

provision

The childminder has a thorough understanding of her responsibilities to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements. The childminder is aware of the procedure she must follow if she has any concerns about a child. For example, through attendance at training she is confident in her ability to recognise the possible indicators of abuse or neglect and knows the correct procedure to follow to keep children safe. The childminder holds a current paediatric first-aid certificate. This provides her with the knowledge and skills required to effectively administer first aid, as well as meet the requirements of registration. The childminder has a good awareness of how to promote children's safety and carries out both visual and written risk assessments to ensure children can play and explore confidently in a safe and suitable environment. For example, the main entrance doors are kept locked. As a result, children are kept safe. A good range of policies,

p.5

provision

procedures and records, which underpin the children's care are in place. Policies are informative and are shared with parents on admission.

p.5

provision

The childminder demonstrates a well-organised approach to her role. The childminder holds a qualification at level 3 and puts this training and knowledge to good use. She clearly understands how to successfully support children's learning and development. The childminder uses an efficient self-evaluation process. This includes verbal feedback from parents and children. The childminder also demonstrates commitment to continually improving her provision and ensuring that it meets the needs of the children and their families. She clearly identifies her strengths and areas to improve. The childminder demonstrates a clear awareness about this process being an ongoing and the need to ensure that her knowledge of childcare is kept up-to-date. She strives to improve her practice by considering her training needs. For example, she has recently updated her knowledge on safeguarding children and obtained a food hygiene qualification. The

p.5

provision

childminder talks to parents at the end of each day, she passes on messages from school and shares information about their activities while in her care.

p.6

provision

The recommendations raised at the last inspection have been addressed. For example, risk assessments have been reviewed and cover all areas of the home and outings, including the walk to and from school. Positive feedback from parents and children demonstrate their high regard for the childminder and the service she offers, with comments, such as 'Very happy, she gets to see her friends, does lots of different things and always brings something home', 'brilliant', 'absolutely fantastic, she has settled in brilliantly' and 'They made her a birthday card and had a party for her last week, we were so touched by this'. Children and their families clearly benefit from the friendly relationships that exist between the childminder and parents. The childminder has a good relationship with the local school, attended by all the children she minds. This means children benefit from some continuity and consistency in their learning.

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 303100 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 867433 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 13

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