Childminder in Hertfordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/11/2014 20/10/2008

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 1 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

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This provision is outstanding

 The childminder uses her extensive knowledge and experience to teach children. She builds on their ideas and interests to ensure they make optimal progress towards the early learning goals.  The learning opportunities are extensive. Children delight in learning through self- determined activities and planned play. This is because the childminder provides all that they need to extend their ideas and express their thoughts.  The childminder establishes excellent partnerships with parents that contribute significantly to children's sense of security and emotional well-being.  The childminder has extensive knowledge of early years practice. She continually seeks out opportunities to extend this further by attending training and practice meetings to underpin her excellent practice further. She is an advocate of best practice in early years, sharing her knowledge and supporting others to achieve high standards.

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This provision is outstanding

 Children are protected because the childminder has excellent safeguarding knowledge developed and secured through regular training. She prioritises children's well-being and safety putting their needs above all others.

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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 activities in the childminder's home and talked to the childminder and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector viewed areas of the property used for childminding.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation related to the day to day organisation of the childminding service, children's progress and discussed self-evaluation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents in letters and from information provided by the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of childminder and the suitability of other household members aged over 16 years.

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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 husband and one child in a house in Hoddesdon. The whole of the ground floor, one bedroom on the first floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has a dog. The childminder attends local groups and activities at the nearby children's centre. She visits shops, parks and woodlands on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently eight children on roll, two of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder provides funded early education for three- and four-year-olds. She operates all year round from 7.45am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for 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:

 maintain the programme of astute, targeted training as part of continuous professional development, in order to sustain children's high levels of attainment.

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who attend

The childminder has an excellent knowledge of the learning and development requirements. She uses superb teaching skills to support and promote children's learning through play. As a result, they make very good progress towards the early learning goals from their individual starting points. The childminder observes and assesses children's play frequently. She uses the information gathered very successfully to inform the planning for children's next steps in learning. She shares details with parents and other providers to ensure children get continuity of experience and optimal learning in all situations.

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who attend

Children thoroughly enjoy the wide range of learning provided by the childminder. They are eager to get involved and spend a considerable amount of time pursuing things that really interest them. The childminder is mindful of children's learning needs and carefully structures a programme of activities and teaching techniques even in child-led play. Children delight in the challenge of building a complex run for small balls, working out how to fit the pieces together. The childminder takes every possible opportunity to promote children's language for thinking and talking. She expertly questions and narrates play while giving children plenty of time to think and respond. Consequently, children learn in a language rich environment where their voice is always heard. The childminder incorporates children's next steps in learning into each activity extremely well. During the dough play, she helps children to develop their eye-hand coordination as they use tools

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who attend

and equipment. In addition, her teaching helps to secure children's understanding of numbers, size and positional language as they mould the dough.

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who attend

Children are developing their love of books as they share stories with the childminder. They study the pages together taking turns to tell the story. This shows how confident children are becoming in their communication skills, their excellent recall of the details of the story and their awareness that the printed word has meaning. Children love to explore the opportunities to make marks. The childminder helps to foster children's emergent writing with stimulating activities, such as drawing with sticks in mud and chalking pictures and patterns on the ground. Children are learning valuable skills that underpin their future learning in school and help them to continue to strive for higher achievements.

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

The childminder helps children to feel settled and thoroughly at home in her care. She works extremely hard getting to know children and their parents in order to establish trusting relationships on which to build highly effective partnership working. The childminder is careful to gather detailed information and this informs her expert care of children.

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

Children thrive and experience a happy, healthy life with the childminder. They spend time outside making the most of local places for outdoor learning and exploring. Children keep fit and active developing strong bodies and good coordination. The childminder expertly promotes this further by providing healthy foods, regular drinks and helping children to understand their importance to health. She uses robust routines to help children develop the essential healthy habits of hand washing and wiping noses to minimise the spread of infection and cross contamination.

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

Children thoroughly enjoy the wealth of opportunities to develop their independence. The childminder always allows children the chance to do things for themselves. Her expert teaching means children learn through observation, discussion and with guidance of how to do things safely. This promotes their confidence superbly and encourages them to develop their have a go attitude to all that they do. Children are responsible and sensible while having fun. This is because the childminder sets clear boundaries and has high expectations of the children and herself. The childminder is an excellent role model of polite and considerate behaviour and this rubs off on children. As a result, children have the confidence, emotional resilience and necessary independence needed for their successful move on to school.

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provision

The childminder is exceptionally well-organised. She is meticulous in ensuring she meets all of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. She has detailed documentation that underpins her practice. Frequent training to keep her up-to-date with the latest developments in early years practice enhances this. The childminder has a very secure knowledge of safeguarding practice, she provides a safe, risk assessed environment for children at all times. The childminder has a very clear understanding of child protection procedures and ensures any visitors to her setting are known, logged in the visitors' book and never left alone with children. This means she protects children effectively and their well-being is her top priority.

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provision

The childminder has an excellent record of training. She ensures the knowledge gained through continuous professional development is incorporated into practice effectively to enhance her teaching and extend the range of experiences for the children. A clear focus on children's communication and language and encouraging emergent writing has had a very positive outcome for children. These aspects of children's development are particularly well-supported and the childminder has had tremendous success in narrowing the gap for children who were previously achieving below the expectations for their age. She plans to maintain this programme of extremely well-targeted training, so that children continue to achieve the high levels of attainment. The childminder, in evaluating her practice seeks the views of a wide range of people. She gathers information from parents, listens attentively to children and seeks feedback from other early years professionals. As

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provision

a result, she is consistently striving for and achieving the very highest standards.

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provision

The childminder is highly successful in establishing very effective partnerships with parents, other providers and professionals. She shares pertinent information promptly, develops and participates in shared programmes to support individual children and supports other providers in the area to develop and improve their practice.

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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 124094 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 854177 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4

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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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