Childminder in North Lincolnshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/11/2014 20/03/2009

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

 The childminder is confident in her teaching and skilfully interacts with children during activities to ignite their curiosity and develop their knowledge. Consequently, children make good progress in their development.  Children respond positively to the childminder's caring approach and form close bonds with her. As a result, children feel safe, are emotionally secure and behave well.  The childminder manages her service efficiently and gives high regard to safeguarding children. As a result, children are protected and kept free from harm at all times.  The childminder pays good attention to monitoring the quality of her service and continually improving this. Parents are fully involved in the process, which means the service is shaped to meet the needs of all families and children.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 Opportunities for children to see their name in written form and use this for a purpose in their environment are not fully explored.  Opportunities for parents to contribute what they know about their child's learning at home are not always maximised to promote an even more effective, shared approach to children's learning and development.

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 had a tour of the premises and observed children in the downstairs rooms of the house.

p.2

Inspection activities

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

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's records and policies and checked evidence of the childminder's suitability.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents from recent questionnaires they have completed and written comments they have made.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector made observations of and discussed the outcome of a planned activity with the childminder.

p.2

Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2001 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her two children in a house to the west of Kingston upon Hull, close to the boundary with the East Riding of Yorkshire. The whole of the ground floor of the home, the bathroom on the first floor and the rear garden are used for childminding purposes. A rabbit is kept as a pet. The childminder takes and collects children from the local school, nursery and pre-school. There are currently nine children on roll, six of whom are in the early years age group. They attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates Monday to Friday, all year round, from 6.30am to 5.45pm, except for family holidays and bank holidays. She has an appropriate early years qualification at level 3 and receives funding for the provision of free early education for three- and four-year-old children.

p.3

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

 maximise opportunities for children to see and use written examples of their name in their environment, such as displaying these above their coat pegs and providing name cards for self-registration, to support children's early literacy skills even further

p.3

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

 strengthen the already good partnerships with parents by providing even more opportunities for them to share what they know about their children's learning at home.

p.3

who attend

The childminder has a good understanding of how children of all ages learn and develop. She is skilful and confident in her teaching and promotes an enthusiastic and nurturing approach to children's learning. The childminder interacts extremely well with children on their level as they play and follows their lead. This means children feel valued and respected, are motivated to learn and develop good critical thinking skills. For example, the childminder gives children time to learn about simple capacity for themselves as they fill and empty containers with rice. As children repeat the action the childminder extends their learning by emphasising mathematical language and concepts, such as full and empty. She challenges children's learning even further by asking them to estimate how many spoons full of rice it will take to fill a particular container. Children respond positively to the challenge and delight in discovering that they need to repeat the action seven times

p.3

who attend

to fill the container. This shows children acquire the skills and dispositions to be active learners, and as a result, they make good progress in their development. Consequently, they are well prepared for the next stage in their learning, such as school.

p.3

who attend

Children's development in communication and language is supported extremely well by the childminder. She constantly engages children in conversation as they play and listens with interest to what they have to say in response. The childminder skilfully uses open-ended questions and gives children time to formulate their answer. She provides clues and prompts to support children in expressing their ideas if needed. For example, as the childminder lifts up handfuls of rice and lets this fall into a tray she asks children 'What does it sound like?' She gives children time to think and when they do not readily make a connection, she responds with, 'It sounds like something we hear in the garden on wet days'. After which, children respond with 'rain' and delight in the acknowledgment and praise the childminder gives them, to confirm they are correct. This means children are supported very effectively to constantly extend their knowledge. Overall, the childminder

p.4

who attend

pays good attention to supporting children's early development in literacy. Children have access to a good range of books, to encourage them to develop a love of reading and they are encouraged to develop their early writing skills as they trace over letters and pictures on wipeable cards. The childminder displays children's art work and this is labelled with their name. However, the childminder does not always seize further opportunities to show children how the written form of their name can be used for other purposes. For example, their name is not displayed as a label above their coat pegs or used as a name card for self-registration, so to allow children to make further connections in their learning and extend their developing interest in print.

p.4

who attend

The childminder keeps parents informed of their child's developmental progress through discussion and sharing their child's learning record with them. She works very well with providers of other early years settings children also attend and uses information of what they know about children's progress and skills. This helps her to plan precisely for children's next steps in learning. However, there are fewer opportunities for parents to share what they know their child can do at home on an ongoing basis, in order for the childminder to develop an even more consistent approach to children's learning and development. Children are provided with a very good range of activities to help them develop their coordination and become confident in their physical skills. For example, children use a variety of play equipment in the garden and at local parks and soft play venues. This means they are supported to develop good balancing and climbing skills

p.4

who attend

according to their age and stage of development. Older children also delight in taking part in vigorous exercise sessions to music indoors. This enables them to coordinate their movements and develop good control of their bodies as they reach up high, crouch down low and use sticks to tap out rhythms.

p.4

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

The childminder makes all children feel welcome and gets to know them well through close partnership working with parents. This successfully aids children's moves into her care and means they settle well and that their emotional well-being is fully promoted. The childminder provides a very supportive and child-orientated environment for children to play and learn. For example, toys are set out for children to choose from easily and cosy areas are provided where they can sit quietly if they wish. Interest tables have items that children can explore freely and use to extend their knowledge, such as books and small world animals linked to autumn. This means children feel very much at home and are confident to initiate their own ideas as they play. For example, children delight in caring for dolls and acting out their own experiences in their play, such as pretending to go to the shops.

p.4

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

The childminder provides children with meaningful learning experiences outside her home. For example, she regularly takes children to activities at a children's centre, to a music group and to a group to learn simple French. Consequently, children develop good social skills as they interact with other adults and children and extend their knowledge of the wider world, further preparing them emotionally for school. The childminder gives high priority to supporting and guiding children to behave well. She encourages children to share and take turns during activities and empowers them to develop confidence in doing things for themselves. For example, she makes comments, such as 'I'm sure you can roll it', as they play with dough. This encourages children to have a go, and in turn, gives them faith in their abilities. The childminder actively encourages children to help set up activities and checks they are enjoying these as they take part. This shows children's

p.5

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

opinions are valued and good attention is paid to ensure they continue to be motivated in their play. The childminder acknowledges children's efforts and achievements with lots of praise, which makes children feel good about themselves and further raises their self- esteem.

p.5

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

The childminder skilfully encourages children to follow safe practices and manage risks as they play and learn. For example, during an activity to explore rice the childminder reminds children not to throw this as it could hurt others, especially if it went in their eyes. The childminder gives high priority to keeping children healthy. Her home is maintained to a good standard of cleanliness in all areas and she makes sure children follow effective hygiene routines in their self-care. Consequently, children know why it is important to wash their hands before eating and do so confidently at the child-height sink in the kitchen. Children benefit from fresh air and physical exercise each day through playing in the garden or visiting the park and they are well-nourished because they are provided with healthy food items, such as fresh fruit for their snack. The childminder also takes children to the shops to buy items to take to the annual harvest festival at a local church,

p.5

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

which encourages children to learn about food sourcing, seasonal events and sharing with others.

p.5

provision

The childminder has a very good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and implements these very effectively. For example, the childminder is very organised in her day-to-day activities, has clear policies and procedures in place and maintains all required documentation to a good standard. Consequently, she manages her service safely and efficiently. Her home is kept safe and secure in all areas and the open-plan layout of her home means she is able to supervise children easily as they play. The childminder is confident in her ability to recognise the possible indicators of abuse or neglect, and has a detailed safeguarding policy to follow, should she need to refer a concern about a child's welfare to the relevant authorities. This promotes children's overall safety and well-being very well.

p.5

provision

The childminder is committed to her role and to providing high quality care and education for all children. She carefully monitors and assesses children's ongoing learning and development and evaluates the success of the activities she provides. Individual learning plans are devised for each child on a termly basis and clearly identify children's next steps in learning and how they will be supported to achieve these. These, along with overall tracking sheets, give the childminder a good picture of children's strengths and any weaknesses in their learning and where they may need additional support or challenge, to ensure they reach their full potential. The childminder demonstrates a good commitment to furthering her professional development. For example, she regularly attends short courses run by the local authority, discusses what constitutes good practice with other childminders and researches ideas for activities through various professional websites. The

p.6

provision

childminder is reflective and uses self-evaluation very effectively to consider how she can make changes to her service that will benefit the children in her care. She involves children and parents fully in the process, which shows their opinions are valued and appreciated. The childminder has addressed the recommendation for improvement raised at her last inspection and has also successfully met the local authority criteria to enable her to provided funded early education for three- and four-year-old children. This provides more flexibility for parents when choosing where they want their children to access this. A clear development plan is in place to show how the childminder intends to further enhance the good quality of her service.

p.6

provision

The childminder has good partnerships with parents. She makes sure they are fully informed about all aspects of her service by providing them with copies of her policies and procedures for their reference. Daily chats, text messages, newsletters and individual diaries ensure parents are fully informed about forthcoming activities and how their children have spent their day. Parents' comments taken from recent questionnaires they have completed, and written testimonies, show they are very happy with the service they receive. For example, they state that their children are well looked after and provided with a good range of activities. They also state that they would recommend the childminder's service to others. The childminder has very good links with other childcare settings children also attend, such as local nurseries, pre-schools and childminders. This promotes very good sharing of information about children's ongoing care and development and

p.6

provision

promotes good continuity in children's learning and emotional well-being as they move between settings.

p.6

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 500847 Local authority Kingston upon Hull Inspection number 869102 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 9

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