Childminder in Warwickshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26/11/2014 13/01/2010

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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

 The childminder is warm and caring and treats the children and their parents' as an extension of her family. As a result, children have formed close attachments to her and parents feel happy with the care she provides.  Children are cared for in a safe environment because the childminder conducts thorough risk assessments, and pays careful attention to minimising potentially new hazards to children.  The childminder works in close partnership with her assistant. She has ensured she is fully suitable to work with children and monitors her practice. Therefore, children are reasonably safeguarded.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder does not ensure that the information required by Ofsted to carry out suitability checks for all people aged 16 and over living on the premises is supplied in a timely way. Subsequently, this is a breach of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Children's individual learning needs and interests are not fully taken into accounted or promoted during adult-led activities. As a result, they do not yet make good progress.  The childminder's methods for monitoring practice and children's progress are not focussed enough, in order to raise the standards of teaching and continually improve the learning outcomes for children.

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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 compulsory part 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 indoors.  The inspector held discussions with the childminder and her assistant.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability of the childminder, her assistant and all people living on the premises.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at and discussed with the childminder a range of policies, procedures and records.  The inspector took account of parents' views from their written comments.

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Information about the setting

The childminder has been registered since 2001. She lives in Bedworth with her husband and two children. The childminder works with an assistant and is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's home is used for childminding purposes and there is an enclosed garden available for outdoor play. The childminder currently has three early years children on roll. She operates all year around, five days a week, 8am until 6pm, except for bank holidays and family holidays. There are currently three children on roll who are in the early years. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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must:

 ensure that the necessary forms are completed, so that the information required by Ofsted to carry out suitability checks for all people aged 16 and over living on the premises where childcare is provided, including obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check is carried out in a timely way

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must:

 ensure that activities planned take into account and support children's individual learning needs and interests, in order to better promote their learning.

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

 improve methods for monitoring practice and children's progress, in order to raise the standards of teaching and continually improve the learning outcomes for children.

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who attend

The childminder has suitable knowledge and understanding about the Early Years Foundation Stage, and makes attempts to use this to help children develop and learn. She routinely observes and assesses children. The childminder has identified their next steps in learning and has some awareness to what they need to achieve before they go to school. She highlights children's developmental starting points from initial observations and discussions with parents, in order to inform her assessments. She plans a suitably varied educational programme of activities for children to engage in. However, the childminder does not always take account of children's interests or individual next steps in learning when planning for their future learning. This means that planned activities do not always fully interest, engage and challenge children, in order to promote their learning as well as possible. Therefore, children are not yet sufficiently guided and supported by the

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who attend

childminder to make good progress. Nevertheless, children are gaining the basic skills and attitudes they need to be ready for school.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is adequate, but is inconsistent between activities, and at times the childminder does not fully support young children to learn. For example, children are encouraged to join in a lively music session and the childminder attempts to extend their learning by singing familiar songs and using movements and actions. She also introduces a variety of instruments to the session. However, this is not always successful as the childminder does not make use of the instruments to extend children's learning. She also does not fully recognise distractions to them, such as the television being on in the background. The activity, therefore, does not maintain children's attention and they easily lose interest. As a result, children's listening skills are not thoroughly promoted and their learning is not further enhanced. The childminder and her assistant plan certain activities, such as a fruit and vegetable sorting game and a craft activity involving creating letters for

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who attend

Father Christmas. They support children to think about healthy eating, broaden their vocabulary and help them to make choices. However, these planned adult-led activities do not take account of children's interests. Although children participate and demonstrate a certain level of enjoyment in these activities, they lack sufficient challenge and stimulation to fully promote their learning needs. Some activities do encourage children to play cooperatively and explore the environment, such as through role play and building with construction bricks. Equally, the childminder does also take opportunities to further children's current learning, such as when they show an interest in naming and counting body parts. Consequently, this does extend some of their current knowledge and skills. On the whole, children do learn and make some progress in their development.

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who attend

The childminder's knowledge and experience means she is well placed to provide support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For these children, the childminder makes effective use of her observation and assessment processes, which includes the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years. She promptly highlights achievements and can sufficiently target areas of delay. In addition, she works well with parents and has access to relevant professionals. This ensures that she successfully intervenes and supports children where needed. Partnerships with parents and outside agencies are well-established. Information is shared, so accurate assessments of progress can be made, which means that children with identified needs quickly catch up.

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

Children have formed strong bonds with the childminder and her assistant, as they demonstrate excitement when they arrive and interact with them warmly throughout. For example, children welcome their encouragement and praise as they keenly show them their achievements. They also actively chat to them and recall their own experiences in a relaxed manner as they go about their day. Parents' comments about the care provided reflect that they are happy and feel the childminder has supported their children to gain confidence using a personal approach. The childminder has various settling-in strategies dependent on the family's needs, and ensures she shares information with parents daily to reassure them that their children are relaxed and settled. Therefore, children at the setting are emotionally secure.

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

The environment is busy, warm and well resourced. Subsequently, children are gaining confidence and display signs that they enjoy being within the childminder's home. The childminder has ensured that resources are age-appropriate and accessible, and children do display some levels of self-motivation by engaging in various activities independently. Children have a very strong understanding how they are expected to behaviour within the setting. The childminder and her assistant support children to take responsibility for tidying away and clearing up after themselves. They promote positive behaviours by gently reminding children to use their manners at the table and share the toys during the sessions. As a result, children behave well and quickly respond to both the childminder and her assistant when asked to do something.

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

The childminder promotes children's health and hygiene through embedded practices. For example, children go outside regularly in the fresh air. Children are supported and encouraged to wash hands at appropriate times, including after wiping their noses to prevent the spread of illness. They are able to make their own healthy food choices by choosing their own snack, drinks and sandwich fillings. The childminder supports children to try a variety of foods and, as a result, they are learning about the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices. The environment is safe and secure because the childminder is knowledgeable about assessing risk and encouraging children to take responsibility for their own safety. For example, they learn to use large climbing equipment at the local park safely. As a result, children are learning to manage risks and take care of their own personal safety.

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provision

The childminder ensures Ofsted are informed of all members of her family living on the premises where childcare is provided. However, she has not made sure that her children, once they have reached age 16, have completed the relevant forms in order to provide Ofsted with the appropriate information in a timely manner. This is a breach of requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Nevertheless, the childminder and her assistant have an appropriate understanding of safeguarding procedures and their roles in protecting children from harm. The childminder is clear about the correct actions to take if she has concerns about a child, and has ensured her assistant is equally knowledgeable. She displays the relevant information for herself, her assistant and parents, and has a policy in place, which supports their knowledge further. The childminder has ensured that her assistant is suitable to work with children and that the assistant is clear about her role

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provision

and responsibilities. All relevant policies and procedures are in place and she has made sure the assistant is understands them. The childminder has thorough written risk assessments in place and ensures that these cover all areas of the home, outings and trips. She undertakes daily checks of the environment and makes all attempts to minimise potential risks to children, which includes swiftly recognising new hazards that may occur. As a result, children in her care are reasonably safeguarded because procedures and practice generally promote children's safety and well-being.

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provision

The childminder has an appropriate understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She suitably monitors the educational programmes, using children's learning records and supporting documentation to ensure that all areas of learning are appropriately covered. However, the system for monitoring teaching and children's progress is not currently focussed enough to raise the quality of teaching and continually improve the learning outcomes for children. As a result, children do not yet make good progress. The childminder has sought some appropriate training recently, which includes paediatric first aid to assure children's welfare. She also ensures that when she updates her own knowledge that she shares this with her assistant. The childminder and her assistant regularly discuss children's needs, and the childminder gives her feedback about her practice skills and ideas. She supports

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provision

her assistant to be involved in the planning of activities and to evaluate the all-around general practice of the setting. The childminder completes some self-evaluation of the setting. She has set a few targets for improvement and she includes the views of the parents and the children.

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provision

There is a two-way-flow of information between the childminder and parents, which suitably supports children's individual needs. The childminder makes use of information from parents from the outset, and has both formal and informal procedures in place to continually discuss children's development with them. Parents' written comments report that they feel involved in their children's learning. They state that their children take part in numerous activities, both indoors and outside, and they feel that their children learn something new every day. Therefore, strategies to engage parents to better support children's learning definitely contributes to children's progress within the setting. Partnerships with professionals and outside agencies are effective as the childminder works with her assistant closely and with local nurseries and schools. This enables her to secure prompt interventions for children with additional needs and ensures they also make

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provision

progress. These partnerships also mean the childminder shares relevant information about children's development and individual needs with the nurseries and schools. This helps children further in getting ready for the change ahead as they move on to nursery and school.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory 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 268348 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 871648 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 3

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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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