Childminder in Durham

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/12/2014 27/01/2010

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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 quality of teaching and learning is good. The childminder has a good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She uses observations to plan activities which support children's learning and development. As a result, all children make consistently good progress.  Children form strong bonds and warm relationships with the childminder, and they are settled in her care.  The childminder has a good understanding of safeguarding and child protection procedures. She promotes a safe and secure environment as she effectively minimises all risks and hazards. Consequently, children are cared for in an environment that promotes their safety and well-being.  The childminder has a positive relationship with parents and shares information with them on a regular basis. As a result, parents are kept well informed about their child's care, learning and development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not provide an environment consistently rich in print to help children develop further their interest in the meaning of words, their early reading skills, and the opportunity for them to always make independent choices.  Occasionally, the childminder does not allow children enough time to respond to questions, to further develop their critical thinking skills.

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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 play and learning opportunities for the children.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder and child at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability of the childminder and household members.  The inspector took account of the views of parents.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2006 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband in Langley Park, near Durham. The whole ground floor of the house, the first floor bathroom and the rear garden are used for childminding. The childminder attends activities at the local school. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis and collects children from the local school. There are currently 10 children on roll, two of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 6.15am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. 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:

 extend opportunities for children to begin to understand that print carries meaning, for example, by using words, signs and numbers within the environment, including labelling on resources to ensure children can always make independent choices

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

 enhance children's critical thinking skills by allowing them enough time to respond to questions during activities.

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who attend

The childminder has a good knowledge of how children learn and provides a range of learning and development opportunities across all areas of learning. She has a good knowledge of individual children's interests and plans activities around these to extend their learning. As a result, children make good progress from their starting points. The childminder uses information gained from parents and observations of children's achievements to monitor their progress and identify next steps in learning. As a result, children are developing the key skills they need in preparation for their next stage of learning. The childminder has a well-resourced playroom with toys and equipment that cover the seven areas of learning. The younger children access the playroom with the childminder and choose what they would like to play with. However, the layout of the playroom does not fully support children's opportunities to self-select as there are few

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who attend

labels on the resources, which means they have to ask the childminder for help in accessing the activities they want to take part in.

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who attend

The childminder shares observations with parents and this gives them opportunities to look at and contribute to their child's records. She actively encourages parents to be involved in their child's learning. The childminder achieves this through daily verbal feedback and communication diaries, which parents also contribute to. This regular exchange of information enables parents to be part of their child's ongoing learning and development and supports good learning outcomes for children. The childminder is very experienced in how she teaches children. For example, she consistently supports young children's conversations by repeating words they say and introducing new ones. She regularly gives praise when children attempt new words and shares this with parents by documenting their achievements in the child's communication diary.

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who attend

The childminder plans activities taking into consideration the child's interests and their stage of development. The childminder is able to extend the children's learning without over directing their play. However, although careful questioning helps the children to think about new ideas, the childminder does not always give them the time they need to respond before giving them the solution. Therefore, she is not always supporting them to develop their critical thinking skills. Children's literacy development is fostered well through an interest of books and various resources, to encourage their early reading skills. The childminder supports children's mathematical development effectively through everyday activities. For example, she encourages children to count the number of legs on the spider that they have drawn. As a result, children make good progress in their learning. Children learn about different cultural festivals and the childminder provides

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who attend

them with resources to explore diversity and learn to value the similarities and differences in people. For example, they celebrate Chinese New Year and enjoy tasting foods from different countries.

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

The childminder provides a warm and welcoming environment where children are emotionally secure. The children settle quickly in the home as the childminder works closely with parents to ensure the children's individual needs are met. The childminder gathers information from parents and carers so that she can meet children's individual needs. For example, she meets with parents before children attend to collect key information and find out about children's interests and achievements. She also finds out about their routine at home, to ensure that children settle well in her care. The childminder has a settling-in process and parents and children are encouraged to visit her home several times before starting at the setting. The childminder is warm and encouraging with the children and gives them lots of attention. She recognises when children are tired, hungry or require their personal needs attending to, and responds

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

quickly to ensure they are comfortable. As a result, children are emotionally secure and feel valued. The childminder acknowledges children's achievements with praise and encouragement, which helps to build their self-esteem. Consequently, children are developing well in their personal, social and emotional development, which supports any future move to another setting or school.

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

The childminder is a good role model. She uses age-appropriate strategies to manage children's behaviour and they behave well. She teaches children good manners through everyday routines. For example, children are encouraged to say 'please' and 'thank you' when asking for or receiving something. The childminder promotes healthy lifestyles in a variety of ways. Children are encouraged to wash their hands before mealtimes and they discuss how this stops the spread of germs. As a result, children are aware of their personal needs and are developing good hygiene routines. Healthy drinks and snacks are provided for children, for example, they eat a variety of fruit at snack time and drink either milk or water. The childminder provides lunch for the children and displays an understanding of their likes and dislikes. The childminder extends children's understanding of a healthy diet as she talks about the importance of healthy eating during the children's

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

activities and outings. For example, the children visit the local fruit shop to choose the fruit for their snacks.

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

The children use the secure garden area in which the childminder provides a range of activities to develop their learning and enjoyment outdoors. She has a varied range of resources available outside and also regularly takes indoor equipment outdoors. This enables the children to enjoy good opportunities for physical play, enabling them to be active and develop their coordination skills and the confidence to assess their own ability and to take safe risks in their play. A fire evacuation procedure is in place and children have an opportunity to practise this, so they know what to do in an emergency. The children also learn the importance of road safety while out walking in the local community. For example, they look and listen for traffic and cross at the pedestrian crossing.

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provision

The childminder has a good knowledge of the safeguarding and welfare requirements. As a result, children's safety is well promoted. The premises are secure and well maintained. The childminder uses effective risk assessments for her home both indoors and outdoors, and also for outings. This means that she minimises hazards and maintains a safe environment for children. This is supported by effective levels of supervision at all times. The childminder has recently completed safeguarding training to update her knowledge. She is aware of the signs and symptoms which would alert her to any child protection issues. There is a clear safeguarding policy in place and the childminder is confident about the action she would take if she had a concern about a child in her care. The childminder has safeguarding contact numbers displayed in the entrance area for parents to access. This means that she knows how to help protect children from potential harm. The

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provision

childminder keeps records of children's attendance, detailing times of arrival and departure. She is aware of her responsibilities when administering medication or giving first aid, which further supports children's health and welfare effectively.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of her responsibility in meeting the learning and development requirements. She monitors the educational programmes to ensure that all areas of learning are covered. The childminder uses observations and assessments effectively to monitor progress and plan the next steps in children's learning. The childminder keeps detailed learning journals for each child, which are very comprehensive, and she shares them regularly with parents. She is committed to developing her skills and knowledge, attending courses whenever this is possible. The childminder links with the local authority support worker and other providers, which further demonstrates her commitment to improving her already good practice. The childminder has a parents' poster displayed in the playroom, on which the current Ofsted address and telephone number are included. The recommendations from the previous inspection have been

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provision

The childminder has built up a very good relationship with the local school and information is shared regularly to support learning. She understands that developing strong relationships with parents and external agencies has a significant impact on children's learning. She builds and maintains partnerships with parents through taking time each day to discuss their children's care needs, learning experiences and achievements. The childminder takes her time when talking to parents and offers advice in a very supportive way. For example, she works alongside parents to support children starting potty training, including how to start and a way to introduce the process. During the day, she keeps in touch with the parents through text messages. The childminder has a wide range of written policies and parents have access to these in order to understand how the setting operates and how to make a complaint should the need arise. Parents sign the policies to

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provision

confirm they have read and agree with them. Parents speak very highly of the childminder and are very happy with the service she delivers. They comment, 'The childminder is doing a fantastic job, my child loves all of the creative activities that she provides. I could not ask for more'.

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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 EY342347 Local authority Durham Inspection number 857247 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 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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