Childminder in Derbyshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/11/2014 22/04/2009

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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

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This provision is good

 The childminder knows the children very well so is able to support and challenge their learning effectively. As a result, children's communication and language development is especially well promoted and they all make good progress in their learning.  The childminder uses effective strategies to communicate with parents. Consequently, they work in partnership to provide continuity of care and promote learning for children.  Children are safeguarded because the childminder maintains relevant training to keep her knowledge up to date and implements a range of procedures to keep children safe.  Children form very secure attachments to the childminder because she is perceptive to their needs and provides a welcoming environment.  The childminder is reflective and evaluates her setting. Consequently, she constantly develops activities and resources so that they meet the needs of individual children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not always use the very highest quality teaching strategies. As a result, opportunities for children to developing thinking skills are occasionally not maximised.  The assessment of older children's learning is not always precise and sharply focused on the specific areas of learning. As a result, opportunities to robustly monitor the educational programme and plan a rich and varied curriculum are not maximised.

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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 toured the areas of the premises used for childminding.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed practice and the interactions between the childminder and children during play and care routines.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of documentation including letters from parents, policies and procedures, and reviewed the children's files that contained observations, planning and assessments.  The inspector spoke with the childminder at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the childminder's qualifications and the suitability of adults in the home.

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Information about the setting

The childminder has been registered since 1991 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her family on the outskirts of Chesterfield. The whole of the ground floor and a secure garden area are used for childminding. The family has pet rabbits and some goldfish. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local children's centre. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis and collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently 19 children on roll, five 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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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 encourage children to further develop their critical thinking skills by using high quality teaching strategies, such as asking children more open questions that require them to think and explain

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

 extend assessments in order to be able to more robustly monitor the specific areas of learning for older children and further support the planning of a rich and varied educational programme.

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who attend

The childminder knows the children in her care very well and uses this information to plan experiences and challenge their learning. She knows how each child's physical skills are developing and provides opportunities to extend them. For example, she encourages toddlers to walk longer distances outside to develop their confidence. Children are also provided with activities to promote their fine motor skills, such as using a range of paintbrushes and playing with soft dough. The childminder continually observes how children respond to activities so she can assess their learning. For example, she observes how children can control a paintbrush to make circles and how well they use tools. The childminder uses these observations to plan how she will further promote their learning, for example, by changing the tools she provides for an activity and the support she gives children. The childminder has a good understanding of the different areas of learning and

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who attend

links her observations and children's next steps in learning to each area. Children's learning is assessed against developmental milestones that focus mainly on the prime areas of learning. This effectively tracks younger children's development but older children are not always precisely assessed against the specific areas of learning, such as expressive arts and design. Therefore, opportunities to use this and extend the planning of rich and varied experiences for older children are sometimes not maximised.

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who attend

The childminder provides especially good support for children's developing communication and language skills because she uses effective teaching strategies that promote early speech. For example, she listens carefully to children and clearly repeats their words to correct and reinforce their learning. The childminder also supports their language development by encouraging them to talk about the pictures in books and singing songs and rhymes with the children. The childminder uses opportunities in play to teach children about colours and think about how to solve simple problems when using construction toys. She stimulates conversation by asking them about the animals they have seen at the zoo and which should go in the water. Although the childminder uses the information she knows about children's interests, she does not always use the very highest teaching strategies to further extend children's thinking skills. For example, children enjoy watching

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who attend

vehicles in the road outside and talking about what they can see. However, the childminder does not maximise the opportunity and further challenge their understanding by asking questions that make them think about why the lorry has flashing lights and what is in the bins.

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who attend

Children have access to an interesting range of toys and resources that meet their interests and needs. The childminder plans activities that reflect events, seasons and the observations they have made about trees changing. For example, children experiment with different ways of using paint to make firework pictures and print the patterns on the leaves they have collected. The children enjoy free access to a range of toys that allow them to lead their own play. They are able to play with what they know as they role play caring for babies and building fences for zoo animals. The childminder provides a range of drawing materials so that children can experiment with their early writing skills in preparation for nursery and school. Parents are included in their children's learning because the childminder builds strong partnerships and communicates very effectively with them about their children's progress.

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

Children form secure attachments to the childminder because she is perceptive to their needs. She provides settling-in sessions for children and parents so that she can build relationships with them both and collect information about children's preferences and comforters. As a result, children settle quickly and enjoy attending. The childminder uses daily diaries to record detailed information about children's routines and activities. Parents value these books and regularly use them to share information about what children are doing at home, for example, what their favourite songs are or their child's progress towards toilet training. As a result of these excellent communication strategies, the childminder and parents form an effective partnership to support the continuity of care for children. The childminder provides a caring and welcoming environment. Children are reassured by her and enjoy her cuddles when they are tired.

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

The childminder provides clear expectations about behaviour and encourages good manners by reminding children to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Children respond well to instructions about how to behave because the childminder talks to them calmly. For example, she helps children think about what needs to happen next when they have had a dispute about a toy. The childminder understands how children develop their social skills and supports them to share and take turns. She clearly praises children efforts and helps them achieve when they are frustrated by what they want to do. Consequently, the childminder is effectively developing children's self-esteem and confidence, which will support them as they transfer into nursery or school. Children are beginning to develop an understanding of how to keep themselves safe because the childminder explains how to manage risks. For example, she ensures they manage the stairs safely by talking about

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

looking where you are going and allows them time to solve how they will move toys around the garden safely. The childminder supports children to develop their independence because she provides a coat rack at their level and encourages them to put on their own boots. Children confidently access their own coats and help others hang their coats too.

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

Children's overall well-being is effectively promoted because the childminder provides daily fresh air and exercise. Children have access to a range of resources in the garden and walk to school most days to collect older children. The childminder encourages children of all ages to walk and they enjoy observing the changing weather and seasons. Children are developing healthy eating habits because the childminder provides a good range of healthy food at snack and meal times. She provides sensitive support and encouragement for children as they learn to manage their own personal needs according to their age. The children are developing good hygiene routines because the childminder explains why they should not put their fingers in their mouth after painting and ensures they wash their hands correctly before eating.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of her responsibility to protect the children in her care. She regularly attends training to ensure her knowledge of safeguarding is up to date and uses this to inform clear policies that support her practice. Consequently, she has a good understanding of what would cause her concern about a child's safety or welfare and the procedure she would follow to safeguard them. All adults associated with the household have had their suitability to be with children checked. The childminder maintains a qualification in food hygiene that promotes the use of routines that reduce the risk of cross contamination. The childminder has completed risk assessments for all aspects of her setting, including outings. She continually reviews these so that the environment remains safe for children. For example, children are not allowed on the sloping lawn when it is wet because it becomes too slippery.

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provision

The childminder has many years of experience caring for and teaching children. As a result, she can effectively identify when children may not be making expected progress in their learning. She uses her expertise to monitor their progress and provide additional strategies to support their learning. The childminder uses her excellent partnerships with parents to discuss any concerns about children's progress and identify potential interventions. She continuously reviews and evaluates how effective activities are for particular children. As a result, she can adapt resources to match them to children's individual needs. For example, she identifies that younger children prefer to experiment with the marks they can make using paintbrushes rather than printing with leaves to make patterns. Her continued evaluation of what she provides ensures that outcomes for children continue to improve. The childminder collects views from parents who report high

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provision

levels of satisfaction with the care she provides. She proactively seeks a range of training to support her practice and implements ideas, such as how to make the most of walking in the woods. Although the childminder regularly assesses children's progress, it does not always include detailed information about the specific areas of learning for older children. As a result, not all opportunities to rigorously monitor the educational programme are maximised.

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provision

The childminder works in partnership with staff and teachers at the local nursery and school. There are effective channels of communication that help the childminder to complement children's learning and support them to manage changes. The daily diaries are used by other carers involved in children's lives, for example, grandparents, so that everyone is included and information is effectively shared. The childminder receives support from the local authority adviser and uses a range of strategies to keep up to date with new ideas and current issues.

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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 207395 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 871153 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 19

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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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