Childminder in Northumberland

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21/11/2014 19/11/2008

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Children are safe because the childminder understands her role and responsibility to ensure that they are supervised, kept safe and well-protected.  Children are provided with a broad range of activities, experiences and resources which meet their needs and as a result, they make good progress in their learning and development.  Children form extremely secure attachments with the childminder. She is caring and considerate of their individual needs and as a result, children settle quickly, and are very happy and content.  The childminder has established positive relationships with parents to aid continuity of care and support children's learning and development. Parents value the childminder and feel that their children are well supported.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder does not always keep to adult to child ratios that meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The childminder does not always store resources in a way which ensures that the youngest children can make their own choices and access them independently.

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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 took a tour of the areas of the setting used for childminding.  The inspector observed children in the hall, kitchen and living room.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed documentation from parents in order to take into account their views.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at observation, assessment and planning documentation and children's learning records.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1998 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her partner and two children, in Barrasford, Northumberland. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding. The family has a dog as a pet. The childminder attends a toddler group and accesses the library van. She visits the local shops, cafes and parks on a regular basis. She collects children from the local school. There are currently six children on roll, six of whom are in the early years age range and they attend for a variety of sessions. The childminding provision operates all year round from 7am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays.

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must:

 ensure that required adult to children ratios are met at all times

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

 offer the younger children more opportunities to make their own choices and access resources independently, for example, by using containers with lower sides so they can access them without adult support and storing non-fiction books within their reach.

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who attend

The childminder knows her children very well. She has a very good understanding of child development and undertakes a wide variety of training to continually update and extend her knowledge. Consequently, she has a very good understanding of how children learn through play and provides activities and experiences which are sharply focused on need, next steps in learning and take into account children's interests. For example, she recognises that the youngest children really enjoy exploring cause and effect toys, and provides a wide variety of these to support their interest and help develop their thinking and fine motor skills. The childminder interacts with the children at their level and knows when to intervene to extend learning and when to give them space and time to explore and investigate. As a result, children are engaged, motivated, excited to learn and make at good progress across all areas of learning. The setting environment is very well organised

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who attend

and children have independent access to a wide variety of resources and toys which cover all seven areas of learning, inside and outside. However, some resources are not easily accessible to the youngest children, which limits children's opportunities for making choices and developing independence. In addition, although there are a good variety of fiction and non-fiction books in the setting, the younger children would benefit from easy access to a greater variety of non-fiction books to use as part of their play.

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who attend

Teaching is good. The childminder acknowledges children's early attempts at language, encouraging them to be verbal and using a variety of strategies to promote speaking and listening. She provides a speech rich environment through her conversations, the use of books, rhyme and music. The childminder has a very good understanding of how to promote language acquisition by using narration and repetition to link words to actions and objects. As a result, children are confident talkers and make at least good progress in communication and language. The childminder looks beyond her provision to access services in the community to support children's development. She attends groups which provide a range of activities, and help children to develop social skills, through interactions with other children and adults. Consequently, children develop confidence in new situations and are happy to try new things. The childminder has a good understanding of

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who attend

the skills children need to develop to be ready for school, and supports them to acquire these to give them confidence when they start school. For example, she uses a resource pack which provides activities that children enjoy and which help them prepare for transition into school. She regularly takes them to collect children from school, which supports their familiarity with it. Children who are collected from school are encouraged to talk about what they have been learning and to share their experiences with the others. As a result, children make the move to school with confidence, and parents are very happy with the support their children receive.

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who attend

The childminder regularly undertakes observations of the children, and uses them to make accurate assessments of their progress linked to the areas of learning, and showing the children's next steps for learning. The childminder is very reflective and reviews and records her thoughts on how to enhance learning and development opportunities even further. In doing so she is quick to recognise gaps in learning and plans activities and experiences to meet individual needs. The childminder considers how younger children are developing against the three prime areas, and provides a progress check for children between the ages of two and three, which she shares with parents. Parents appreciate this and the regular updates they get as they drop off and pick up their children. They value the learning journals and daily diaries the childminder produces and enjoy having open access to them. They work closely with the childminder to support learning and

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who attend

development at home and feel their contributions are always valued.

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

On the day of inspection the childminder was caring for two children under one and this is a breach of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, all children are well supported and the childminder meets their emotional and physical needs very well. Children smile, laugh and chatter as they spend time with her and she is attentive, warm and caring to them. She knows the children very well and instinctively knows how to help them feel safe. For example, when the inspector arrives she sits close beside them and offers them comfort until they gain in confidence and move away from her. The childminder recognises the importance of encouraging children to be independent, however she is quick to step in when they become frustrated or upset at their inability to do something. Consequently, children develop very strong bonds with the childminder and feel safe and secure in her care. Children enjoy accessing a variety of resources which

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

support their learning, and the childminder values the use of natural and open ended resources as part of her provision. She is keen to promote children's physical well-being and helps them to develop an understanding of healthy lifestyles by providing them with healthy snacks, meals and drinks. Children enjoy being outdoors and have access to a safe, enclosed garden and take the family dog on daily walks in the local environment.

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

The childminder gathers a wide variety of information from parents about their children before they start in the setting. This includes information about their care, learning and development needs. It is used by the childminder to plan activities and experiences which the children are interested in and which give the childminder time to get to know them and settle them in. The childminder also works extremely closely with parents to ensure that they feel confident when leaving their children with her. This ensures that parents are happy and children make a smooth move into the setting. The childminder has very good links with the local school and works part time in the pre-school; as a result, she is able to ensure that she offers the children experiences and activities which complement and reflect what they are learning elsewhere. Consequently, children feel all their learning is valued and are confident moving between settings.

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

The childminder provides a safe environment for children to explore and investigate, gently reminding them about how to stay safe as they move around, using equipment and resources. She has high expectations of children's behaviour and is consistent in her approach when helping them to understand how to share and be considerate of one another. As a result, behaviour is very good; children play happily and co-operatively and develop an understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of how to safeguard children, how to ensure that they are safe in her care and what procedures to follow if she has concerns about a child. A range of policies promote safety, risk assessments are in place and are regularly reviewed and updated. The childminder's policies, procedures and records are up to date and comprehensive; they reflect practice and are shared with parents. The childminder reviews her practice with regard to the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; however, by caring for two children under the age of one-years, she is in breach of the requirements. Although this is a breach children are safe and their needs are met. The childminder is reflective and evaluative and alters her practice in response to feedback from parents and children. This demonstrates that she is committed to continually improving her practice in order to best meet the needs of the children in her care.

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provision

Furthermore, she is planning to develop a parents' questionnaire to gather their views in a more focused way.

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provision

The childminder has a secure understanding of the learning and development requirements, how children learn and how to best support their progression. She regularly attends training to improve and update her knowledge, and as a result, she has a deep understanding of differing theories of learning and uses these effectively in her practice. She regularly observes children and uses information gathered to inform accurate assessments of progress. Gaps in learning are quickly identified and activities and experiences planned to meet individual needs. As a result, children make at least good progress in learning and development.

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provision

The childminder works very effectively with parents, who are fully involved in their children's learning. Parents hold the childminder in high esteem, value her flexibility and are very happy with the regular information they receive about their children's development. As a result, partnerships with parents are very good and children's learning and development is well supported. At present the childminder does not care for any children with additional needs. However, she is knowledgeable about how to provide them with the appropriate support and is committed to working closely with other providers and professionals in order to best meet the needs of all the children in her care. The childminder has forged strong links with local school and parents feel their children are well prepared for school. The childminder is a member of the Professional Association of Childcare and Early Years, which helps her to keep up to date with current practice and

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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 507069 Local authority Northumberland Inspection number 869320 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 6

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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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