Skip to content

Help us get it right

Sign in (free) to send feedback, so we can tell you when it's fixed.

Early years · Early years inspection (CIF)

Childminder, Out-of school day care in West Berkshire

Inspected 18 Nov 2014 · published 6 Dec 2014 · URN EY224961

Help us get it right

Sign in (free) to send feedback, so we can tell you when it's fixed.

Original PDF ↗

Summary

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

  • Inspection datesingle source

    18 Nov 2014

  • Inspectors verified

    Tracy Bartholomew

  • Overall effectiveness verified

    Good

  • URN verified

    EY224961

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of the report

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

Join free to get a short, plain-English summary of any report.

Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

  • OverallGood

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+51Positivemore positive than 11% of reports of this type graded Good
OutstandingGoodMetRINot metInadequate

Reads more critically than most reports of this type graded Good.

Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.

Praisevery wellenjoyeffectivelysecurepositivehappyconfidentlymake good progress
Criticisminadequaterequires improvementnot metconcerns

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improve positive critical
  • Findings177w+72
  • What needs to improve1249w+46

Strengths

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

No standout praise found.

Concerns

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

No strong criticism found.

Next steps

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages
9
Words of findings
1,359
longer than usual (typical 703)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 44, typical 50
Average sentence
17 words
Next steps
8
typical 2
Hedged sentences
3%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 8%What needs to improve 54%About the inspection 38%

Full report text

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/11/2014 15/10/2008

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

 Children enjoy their time in the childminder's care, as they are well cared for in a homely and child-friendly learning environment.  Children have developed secure relationships with the childminder and their friends. This helps them to feel protected while they fully engage in learning through play.  The childminder effectively protects children's well-being through a range of secure policies and procedures.  The childminder has secure working relationships with parents and their positive feedback reflects how much they value her service highly.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder provides fewer opportunities for children to explore toys and resources that reflect diversity and other cultures, to increase their awareness of the wider world.  Children have fewer opportunities to develop their self-help skills at snack time.

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 observed activities in the sitting room, kitchen and the garden.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder, co-minder and the children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at planning documentation, children's learning journeys, letters from parents and a range of policies and children's records.  The inspector observed care routines.

p.2

Information about the setting

The childminder has been registered since 2002. She lives with her husband and two school-aged children near the centre of Newbury, in Berkshire. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The whole of the home is used for childcare and there is an enclosed rear garden available for outside play. The childminder makes use of local facilities, such as shops, parks, library and toddler groups. The childminder is able to take children to, and collect them from, local schools and pre-schools. The childminder is caring for 17 children; of these two are within the early years age range. The family has a dog as a pet.

p.3

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

 continue to build children's understanding of the wider world by increasing the number of toys and resources that reflect diversity

p.3

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

 increase opportunities for all children to help with the preparation of snack to develop further their independence.

p.3

who attend

Children are happy and make good progress in the care of the childminder. Children are at ease in the childminder's care and enter the home with confidence and assertiveness as they know the routine well. Children are interested, motivated and eager to participate as they confidently explore the inside and outside environment. Children independently make choices and decisions as they access toys and resources from low-level boxes. However, they have fewer opportunities to develop their self-help skills at snack times because the childminder does the preparation for them most of the time. Despite this, children's individual needs are met well as the childminder provides choices at snack time and throughout activities.

p.3

who attend

Children enjoy the range of toys and resources available to them which support their learning and development. However, children have fewer toys and resources which help them learn about people and communities. Regardless of this, the children are developing some understanding of celebrations from around the world, as the childminder plans creative activities which support this. The childminder welcomes the children warmly and communicates consistently to them about their day, which puts them at their ease. She supports their listening and memory skills very well, as she talks about previous events and topics which the children are involved in. This successfully supports their communication and language development.

p.3

who attend

Children enjoy the outside area which allows them to benefit from fresh air while being physically active outdoors. They have a good amount of resources and equipment outside which enhances and supports their coordination, muscle control and movements. For example, they play ball and racket games, bounce on the trampoline and enjoy the swings. During play, the childminder encourages the children to talk and play with each other to enhance their social development. This good social development also helps children of all ages to play board games together well and join in with each other's imaginary play; for example, as they explore with the dolls and dolls' house. Children's creativity is very well promoted and supported by the childminder as she assists children to create items from dough. This also encourages children to use their small physical skills in preparation for early writing.

p.4

who attend

The childminder has a clear understanding of children's progress through accurate observations, assessments and tracking documents. She has put in place learning and development records which she shares with parents, identifying their child's interests and next steps in their learning. The childminder understands her responsibilities to undertake assessments for children age between two and three years and has documentation in place to refer to when the time arises.

p.4

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

Children are relaxed and happy within the care of the childminder. They arrive confidently and settle to a healthy well-balanced snack. The childminder gives clear messages to children about why it is important to have a healthy diet and the need for physical exercise. Children develop a good understanding of fresh air and exercise contributing to a healthy lifestyle. They walk to and from school and nursery, play in the garden and visit local parks.

p.4

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

Children are able to play and choose independently from the well-equipped range of toys and resources. They benefit highly from the close liaison between the childminder and her co-childminder. Together they provide a homely and caring environment, which in turn supports the children in their learning. The childminder promotes children's self-esteem well, through regular praise and encouragement. This aids the children's confidence as the childminder celebrates children's achievements and efforts; for example, when they have completed puzzles. As a result, these activities effectively increase children's skills for future learning and aid the children's readiness for pre-school and school.

p.4

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

Children are cared for in a safe and healthy environment. The childminder carries out regular safety checks to ensure children keep safe. There are various safety measures in place around the house and children develop an awareness of personal safety. The childminder supervises children closely and sets clear boundaries to promote their understanding of keeping safe. The childminder ensures she supports the children by remaining with them at all times and engaging with them. This supports their feeling of security.

p.4

provision

This experienced childminder is committed to her childminding business and ensures that she is fully coherent with the regulatory framework. She demonstrates a secure awareness of the safeguarding and welfare, and learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which enables her to promote good outcomes for children. The childminder is knowledgeable about her role to safeguard children. She has a secure awareness of the routes of referral and whom to contact if she has concerns about a child. She organises her provision effectively, sharing tasks with her co-childminder and spending time with the children. The childminder has a good range of documentation, including policies and procedures in place. These contribute effectively to maintaining children's safety in the home and on outings.

p.5

provision

The childminder understands the importance of continuously improving her practice for the benefit of the children. She has completed a system of self-evaluation, which highlights areas for future development and shows the strengths of her practice. She pro- actively works with her co-minder and monitors the quality of her interactions with children. She has addressed the recommendations from her last inspection. This demonstrates that the childminder is proactive and has a drive for continuous improvement.

p.5

provision

The childminder has positive relationships with parents and regularly shares information about their children's day with them. She welcomes daily discussions to maintain a two- way flow of information and organises parental questionnaires to allow the comment on the childminder's quality of care. The childminder thoughtfully prepares children for the move to other settings, such as schools. She has established valuable links with the settings that the children attend, which enable her to provide continuous care and learning for the children.

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.5

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.6

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.6

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.7

Setting details

Unique reference number EY224961 Local authority West Berkshire (Newbury) Inspection number 842629 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 17

p.7

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.7

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.7

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.7

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.7

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.8

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.8

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.9

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.9

Discuss this inspection

Members compare notes on inspectors and inspections here. Join free to read and post.

Join the discussion