Childminder in Cambridgeshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/11/2014 Not Applicable

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

p.1

This provision is outstanding

 The childminder uses highly effective teaching methods that focus on children's individual needs and interests. As a result, children are motivated to learn and make very good progress in all areas of their development.  Children benefit from a vast range of creative experiences that enable them to explore their senses and investigate media and materials.  Children thrive because the childminder is highly skilled and sensitive to their emotional needs. They feel very safe and quickly develop secure relationships in her care.  The childminder has extremely good two-way partnerships with parents to ensure all children's individual needs are thoroughly met.  The childminder's extensive knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures helps to ensure children are protected from harm.

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 looked at some areas of the premises used for childminding.  The inspector discussed an observed planned activity with the childminder.  The inspector observed the children at play in both the ground floor rooms.

p.2

Inspection activities

 A range of documentation was examined, including suitability checks for the adults in the home, some policies and procedures, children's records and the childminder's self-evaluation.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The views of parents were taken into account through written testimonials and comments in the children's records.

p.2

Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2011 and is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives in Little Downham, Cambridgeshire with her husband and two children. Minded children use the ground floor of the home, with first floor bedrooms available for sleeping. There is an enclosed garden for supervised play. Local shops, school and a park are in walking distance. The childminder is currently caring for five children, of whom three are in the early years age range. The childminder offers her childminding service term times only. She holds a relevant early years qualification at level 4 and is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

p.3

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

 enrich children's outdoor learning still further by exploring ways to make the garden more freely accessible.

p.3

who attend

The childminder is a skilled and experienced teacher. She uses her extensive knowledge extremely well to provide children with a superb range of activities that support their individual learning needs admirably. Although children have only been attending for a relatively short time, she has quickly developed a secure understanding of their interests and capabilities. Efficient and highly successful methods for observing and assessing children's achievements mean that learning experiences are skilfully tailored. Most activities and routines are led by the children. The childminder expertly supports them, guiding and questioning them to ensure each child makes exceptional progress in their learning. The childminder shows genuine interest in what children do and compliments them on their achievements. This motivates children extremely well and supports them to become active, enthusiastic learners.

p.3

who attend

Planned activities are laid out across both rooms to tempt children to play. Coloured rice is combined with toy farm buildings, farm animals and dinosaurs. Children spontaneously create their own scenarios, pretending to feed the animals and building houses for them. Through skilful interventions, the childminder enables them to think about where the animals might live, and what their preferred foods might be. In another room there is play dough, with a wealth of useful resources such as cutters and rollers, to promote children's physical development. Children learn to communicate very well in this word and language rich environment. Low-level posters and pictures offer points for discussion and exploration. There is a wide range of books, and these are eagerly accessed by children throughout their day. The childminder sings with the children and extends their enjoyment, by providing an abundant range of musical instruments.

p.3

who attend

Children's creativity is promoted especially well. The childminder is enthusiastic about media and materials. She ensures children have lots of choice to stimulate their imaginations. For example, they enjoy an enormous range of painting activities. Resources, such as, gloop, sand, and water, enable young children to make marks and explore texture and consistency. Young children develop their muscles for early writing very well, because they use a wide range of chalks, pencils and markers. As a result, they develop comprehensive skills that prepare them exceptionally well for school. The childminder communicates very effectively with parents so they are fully involved in their children's learning. She assesses children's achievements frequently and shares their learning records with parents. She completes a progress check on all children between the ages of two and three. This helps to ensure any gaps in learning are quickly identified and

p.4

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

The childminder works exceptionally well with parents to settle children into the setting. She offers flexible visits and arranges play dates so children familiarise themselves with her home at their own pace. Parents share detailed information about their children, such as routines, personal comforters, and their likes and dislikes. This helps children to quickly develop close, affectionate attachments and also supports their emotional well-being. Children are extremely happy in the childminder's care. They move around the home with much confidence, easily accessing the carefully chosen resources and developing their independence. Children enjoy the childminder's company. They invite her to join in their play, and seek her out for reassuring cuddles when they are tired. The childminder has a thorough understanding of the importance of helping children move onto pre-school or school. She teaches them practical skills, such as taking themselves to the bathroom and

p.4

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

putting on their own shoes and coats. Each child has a written assessment made of their achievements and capabilities, before they start at their new setting, to support continuity of care and learning. As a result, they are well-prepared for the next stage of their learning.

p.4

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

Children receive excellent support from the childminder to learn about right and wrong. Consistent rules and positive rewards, such as colourful stickers, help children to develop exceptionally good behaviour. Resources are extremely well-organised, enabling children to be completely independent in their play and learning. The childminder provides a broad range of activities and resources that help children to learn about diversity and the wider world. They learn about each other through conversation and by looking at their family photographs. The childminder finds out about home cultures and integrates individual special events into the routines of the setting. As a result, all children feel valued and welcome. Children's artwork and early writings are cheerfully displayed to promote children's self-esteem and sense of belonging exceedingly well.

p.4

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

Children's health is promoted superbly through daily active exercise. They have ample opportunities for walks to the park and woodland areas. The garden is very well equipped with challenging climbing equipment and wild areas for exploration. The childminder aspires to use her garden continuously. However, due to recent home renovations, children have planned, supervised access to the garden, rather than being able to freely use it. The childminder takes children to indoor play centres and music groups, where they learn to use their bodies in varying ways. Children enjoy nutritious snacks that include generous selections of fresh fruit and vegetables. Older children take an active part in preparing their snacks, enabling them to explore the different textures, colours and tastes. The childminder works closely with parents to ensure the meals that they provide are healthy and safe with regard to dietary needs and any allergies. Children are encouraged

p.4

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

to learn about their own safety through daily activities, such as learning road safety, or practising their fire drill. The childminder provides children with clear explanations of any potentially unsafe activities, such as climbing on chairs. As a result, they quickly learn to manage their own safety.

p.5

provision

The childminder meets all of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage to a very high standard. She gives all aspects of children's safety an extremely high priority. She has an extensive understanding of the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures. She attends training regularly to ensure her knowledge is current. Clear, written policies and procedures guide her practice and inform parents of her responsibility to protect children from abuse and neglect. The childminder keeps her home safe and secure. She makes rigorous daily checks of the home and garden to ensure children play safely. Visitors to the home are monitored so there is no safeguarding risk to the children. The childminder has clear policies about the use of mobile telephones and social network sites, to further guarantee children's safety. Meticulous documentation is well-organised, easily accessible and regularly reviewed to provide complete guidance on

p.5

provision

all aspects of the childminding service.

p.5

provision

The childminder uses her extensive skills and experience to skilfully manage and monitor the educational programme. She makes ongoing assessments of children's progress and evaluates the activities to ensure all children make the best progress possible. Effective self-evaluation has enabled the childminder to provide high quality learning experiences for all children. She has a positive approach to professional development and regularly attends training. All mandatory training is completed, such as child protection and first aid, which helps to ensure children's health and safety. Supportive relationships with other childminders in the local area enable the childminder to share new ideas. Additionally, she helps to promote community initiatives, such as a messy playgroup, that benefit parents, carers and children.

p.5

provision

The childminder has a superlative relationship with parents. They leave many positive messages of support, and typically comment that communication is fantastic. They say they are highly impressed and could not be happier. The childminder provides parents with a wealth of information about their children, through discussions, regular meetings and emails. This helps to ensure all parents are thoroughly involved in their children's routines and activities. The childminder has been successful in forming strong links with the school. She finds out about the classroom themes and topics so she can provide continuity of learning for older children. She has not had to develop links with other early years providers for the children currently attending. However, she has an excellent understanding of the importance of promoting a shared approach to children's learning so they have the support they need.

p.5

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 EY419828 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 797452 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 5

p.8

Name of provider

Date of previous inspection not applicable

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