Childminder in Hertfordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/12/2014 30/03/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 Children's progress and achievements are exceptional because the quality if teaching is inspirational. Highly effective evaluation of the activities provided helps to ensure children make consistently outstanding progress in all areas of learning.  The childminder has an exemplary understanding of how children learn through exceptionally well-resourced and exciting play opportunities. She finds out about the children's individual interests and uses sharply focused observations and assessments to help her to plan very effectively for the next steps in their learning.  Partnerships with parents are highly successful. The childminder has a wealth of experience in supporting young children as they come into her care. She promotes all areas of learning to prepare them to move on to other early years settings with the skills they need to make excellent progress in their future learning.  The childminder is extremely well organised. She has maintains an in-depth knowledge

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This provision is outstanding

of safeguarding issues. The childminder has high expectations of herself and has a detailed evaluation process to help to ensure her excellent practice is consistently maintained. Consequently, children's care and learning needs are maintained to an outstanding level.

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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 talked to children and watched them play with a range of toys and resources around the home.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to the childminder about the individual needs of the children in her care.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of documents in relation to the children's progress and developing skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a variety of documents used by the childminder to support her in monitoring the safety of the children through robust safeguarding procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at evidence of the childminder's qualifications and the suitability checks undertaken for all adults in the home.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1989 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband, who is also a registered childminder, in Rickmansworth. The whole of the home is used for childminding and there is an enclosed garden for outside play. The childminder regularly attends activity groups and network meetings at the local children's centre and she visits shops and parks on a regular basis. She takes children to and collects them from local schools and pre-schools. There are currently five children on roll, four 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. 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:

 consider enhancing the successful links with parents even further by, for example, widening the range of ways to help parents to further support their children's learning at home.

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who attend

The childminder has an exemplary understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the supporting documents. She is passionate about providing a rich and interesting learning experience for children of all ages. The quality of teaching is outstanding because the childminder uses detailed observations and focused assessments to assist her in identifying the next steps in children's learning. She plans flexibly, taking into account the ages and stages of the children she cares for and their individual likes and interests. She shares this information with her co-childminder so they work together to promote children's learning. Consequently, children make excellent progress because there is a consistent approach to supporting their developing skills. The childminder completes the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years, and shares a written summary with parents to enable them to support children's developing skills at home.

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who attend

The childminder's lounge, hallway and kitchen are set out each day with an imaginative range of toys and resources to support and extend young children's learning to an exceptionally high level. Effective, focused, but flexible planning ensures children have opportunities to play freely and to take part in an adult-initiated activity, such as using spoons and scoops with play foam. The childminder enhances and supports children's personal and social skills extremely well by giving them free access to exceptionally good quality toys. They clearly enjoy interacting with both the childminders, who work alongside each other daily. Children re-enact cooking and serving dinners as they place play food in the microwave oven and toast on plates. This extends their physical development because the childminder introduces a pair of tongs to be used to pick up the 'hot' toast. Their understanding of different food is enhanced with the introduction of play large fruit and

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who attend

vegetables on a threading string. Children's language is supported extremely well. The childminder talks about the different foods. She speaks clearly and asks appropriate questions to encourage children to extend their communication and language skills to a very good level, taking into account their ages and stages of development.

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who attend

The childminder plans an interesting and challenging range of activities, outings and events through the year. These imaginative learning opportunities extend children's personal, social and physical skills to an exceptionally high level. The childminder is an excellent role model and is fully involved in supporting all aspects of children's learning. Children are gaining the skills they need to be confident in their future learning at other early years settings and school.

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

Children build extremely close relationships with the childminder and the other children cared for. The childminder is very aware of the importance of children having a sound emotional basis to support their future life experiences. She uses small-world people and books superbly to reflect on different emotions and talk about family settings. Photographs on display in the hall represent the children attending on any one day. Children refer to the pictures and talk about the other children as their friends. The childminder uses an informative daily diary to share personal care routines with parents and to keep them informed about children's changing needs. The childminder uses the ground floor of her home to provide a free-flow play space so young children are encouraged to make independent choices about what they want to do, which extends and supports their overall independence to an outstanding level.

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

Children learn about a healthy lifestyle through the well-planned daily routines. The childminder provides nutritious meals and snacks. She uses information from government healthy eating initiatives to support children's rapidly increasing understanding of foods that are good for them and that will help them grow. The childminder teaches children about how to manage their own personal care through extremely well-managed routines for using the cloakroom and nappy changing. Clear signs in the cloakroom remind children to wash their hands and use their own personal towels. Robust hygiene procedures at nappy-change times, such as the use of disposable aprons, help to ensure a clean environment. They learn about the vital importance of exercise as they play in the garden and when they go activity groups to use a range of apparatus to extend their physical skills. When the weather is poor, the childminder adapts routines to provide children with

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

exciting indoor physical play opportunities, such as jumping and reaching for balloons. The childminder teaches children about road safety and to be aware of their surroundings when out in the community. Young children are quickly beginning to understand simple routines that support their personal good health. They each have their own hand towels in the cloakroom and they are very cooperative at nappy-change time. The childminder has a highly positive approach in supporting young children's behaviour. She plans stimulating activities to help them learn to share and to take turns. When children want the same toys as their friends, the childminder is very experienced in using clever diversions to draw children to play with other resources. Children are beginning to learn at the earliest opportunity how their actions have an impact on others playing nearby. The childminder reminds them to take care so they do not hurt themselves on

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

toys and, as a result, even the youngest children are beginning to be aware of their own safety. The childminder reinforces excellent behaviour with lots of praise and encouragement. Consequently, children are emotionally prepared for the next steps in their learning and are developing outstanding social skills.

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provision

The childminder is very aware of the importance of reviewing and updating the documents she uses to support her in meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage to an outstanding level. She is very experienced in working and caring for children of all ages, and children's safety and well-being are of the highest priority. The childminder has consistently attended safeguarding training throughout her registration to enable her to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse, to further protect children. She uses the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures and code of practice as the basis for her safeguarding policy. A very effective process for maintaining a clean environment and assessing risks around the home and when on outings help to further ensure the safety and well-being of all children.

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provision

The childminder evaluates and reviews her practice on a regular basis to ensure her use of observations and assessments remains highly effective in monitoring the progress of all children. She uses a notebook to record future plans to improve the overall environment and resources, and to assist in future planning. The childminder has a very strong commitment to training and uses the local children's centre to access courses. This enhances her practice to an exceptionally high level, extending and promoting learning opportunities for children. The childminder is very involved in the local childminder network and works closely with local childminders and the local development team to share aspects of her outstanding practice. The childminder has addressed the recommendations from the previous inspection. This has enabled her to improve outcomes for children and her overall practice. The childminder is not currently caring for any

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provision

children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, she is aware of the importance of working with parents and other professionals, and has done so in the past, to make sure the needs of such children are met appropriately.

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provision

The childminder has excellent relationships with parents. She has long-standing care arrangements in place and supports children as they start at pre-school and with the move on to school. The childminder shares information with parents about how she plans for the next steps in children's learning. However, at times, the excellent links with home are not used to the fullest potential to provide a wide range of ways to help parents to further support their children's learning at home. The childminder regularly seeks parents' views through daily discussions and a questionnaire. She uses the information in the overall evaluation process, which enables her to evaluate her practice and the service she provides to maintain outstanding care and learning opportunities for all children.

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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 130300 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 874877 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 5

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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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