Pollard Erika Lee

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/12/2014 02/11/2009

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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

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This provision is good

 The childminder uses effective systems to monitor and plan for children's learning and development, which helps them all to make good progress.  The childminder supports children's language and literacy skills well due to her interactions and positive encouragement.  Parents and other professionals who also provide for children's care and learning are fully involved and included, helping to provide a consistent approach.  The childminder has a good understanding of children's home routines, and respects these. This helps children to feel settled and secure.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 At times, the childminder does not provide creative activities which give children enough opportunities to express themselves fully.  The childminder does not always organise resources to allow children to make informed choices about what they want to play with.

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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 garden.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and a sample of welfare records.

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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 took account of the written feedback from parents and the childminder's self-evaluation.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in1998. She lives with her husband and two sons, one of whom is an adult, in the village of Musbury, near Axminster, Devon. The childminder mainly uses the ground floor of her home to provide care, which includes a kitchen/diner and lounge. Toilet facilities are available on the first floor. There is a rear garden for outside play. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 10 children on roll, six of whom are in the early years age range. The childminder's husband is also a registered childminder and sometimes works as her assistant. The childminder is accredited to accept government funding for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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

 provide more opportunities for children to explore materials and express themselves during creative activities

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

 review the organisation of toys and resources to enable children to make more informed choices in what they play with.

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who attend

Children are happy and settle well in the childminder's welcoming home. The childminder interacts positively with children as they play. She supports their language development well as she responds to the babbles of the younger children, engaging them in a two-way conversation at this very early stage. Older children ask questions and use increasingly complex sentences as they play, demonstrating their confidence in using language to communicate. Children have access to tools and resources to encourage early mark making and writing. They demonstrate a real understanding that print carries meaning as they have a go at writing their names in the cards they make. Children collect natural objects from the garden, which they talk about and use to create their own pictures. However, the childminder does not always allow children the freedom to experiment with creative materials, such as glue and glitter, to enable them to express themselves fully.

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who attend

The childminder teaches children simple mathematics during daily routines and activities. They count the stairs as they go up and down and compare quantity as they move the fir cones from the tray into buckets. Children show a keen interest in the toys and resources the childminder provides. For example, younger children reach out and investigate the resources in the treasure basket, helping them to make sense of the world around them. The childminder provides a range of books to suit children of all ages, including pop-up books to engage the younger children. During a music activity, the childminder made a wide range of shakers and bells available for children to experiment with. They listened to the different sounds they make and showed an increasing awareness of pattern and rhythm as they used them to join in with their songs.

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who attend

The childminder uses effective systems for monitoring children's progress, and planning for their next steps, so that children are supported in making good progress in all areas of their learning. Parents receive daily information about events, routines and the activities children have enjoyed. This is through discussions with the childminder and the daily diaries. The childminder completes ongoing observations. She uses these to produce termly assessments on children's progress so far, and to identify their next steps. This includes completing the progress check for two-year-old children. The childminder meets with parents to discuss these assessments in detail. This ensures they are kept very well informed and fully involved in children's learning and development. The childminder asks parents to contribute to the information she gathers about children's interests and development stage. She uses this to establish starting points for each of the children. This

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who attend

helps to ensure she is able to plan to meet children's needs right from the start.

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

Children form strong bonds with the childminder and her family. This is because she has a good understanding of children's individual needs and respects these at all times. The childminder follows familiar and consistent routines, which helps children to feel settled, safe and secure. Children are increasingly confident, chatting to the childminder as they play and seeking her support and involvement. Children develop friendships with other children attending. They eagerly greet their friends as they arrive and talk about children as they look at the photographs displayed on the wall. The childminder offers lots of praise and encouragement which builds children's self-esteem. She helps children to gain skills to support their independence as she encourages them to help with daily routines, such as making their own sandwich.

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

Children have access to a welcoming and comfortable play environment. There are a broad range of toys and resources available. However, some toys are stored in large boxes without any labels to identify what is inside. This prevents children from being able to make informed choices about what they play with. The childminder takes children to outdoor play areas, as well as using her garden to provide opportunities for children to use ride-on toys, slides and equipment to support their physical development. She talks to children about the benefits of playing outdoors in the fresh air to help them stay healthy. Younger children become increasingly mobile due to thoughtful positioning of toys and resources. This encourages them to reach out and move their bodies to get to what they want. The childminder teaches children about positive hand-hygiene routines from an early age to support their long term health. She provides resources, such as paper towels,

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

to prevent germs from spreading. The childminder promotes children's safety and welfare well. She provides good levels of supervision for children at all times, which helps to keep them safe. The childminder completes daily checks of both indoor and outdoor areas. This helps to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to provide a safe environment which is appropriate for the children attending. The childminder teaches children about safety as they play and engage in activities. For example, they helped her to cut up the cucumber to put in their sandwich. The childminder talked to them about how to use the knife safely so they don't hurt themselves or anyone else nearby.

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provision

The childminder has a good awareness and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements for both learning and development, and safeguarding and welfare. The childminder demonstrates a commitment to improvement. She has taken steps to improve her practice since her last inspection, which has a positive impact on children's learning and welfare. The childminder regularly attends training courses to further increase her skills and knowledge. For example, she is better aware of how to support children's language and communication skills having attended courses relating to this area. The childminder constantly reflects on her practices and seeks feedback from parents to identify areas for improvement. The childminder reviews children's development and progress which helps her to monitor the educational programmes. This helps to ensure that, overall, children receive a good balance of learning opportunities.

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provision

The childminder has a confident awareness of child protection and safeguarding procedures. She completes training relating to this area, and has detailed policies to refer to. This means she has up-to-date knowledge and clear guidance to enable her to deal promptly with any concerns. The childminder shares all her written policies, including those for safeguarding, with parents and carers. Therefore, they are clear about her role and responsibilities. The childminder further promotes children's safety and welfare due to the efficient use of documents, such the records of children's attendance and visitors to the premises.

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provision

The childminder develops strong partnerships with parents and carers. Parents state that they value the ongoing information they receive from the childminder which reassures them of their child's well-being. Parents comment that their children settle well with the childminder. They feel this is because she provides them with a very nurturing environment that reflects their interests and preferences. The childminder links with other early years settings children attend to share information. This means that they are all able to work together to provide consistent support for children's care and learning needs.

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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 104224 Local authority Devon Inspection number 839277 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 10

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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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