Seale, Joanne

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 08/12/2014 03/12/2008

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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 demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge of how to safeguard the welfare of children in her care and manage any concerns of this type. She manages risk effectively to help keep children safe by minimising any hazards.  The childminder implements consistent boundaries in order to help children learn to manage their own behaviour and feelings. Children are self-assured and acquire the self-help skills needed for their next steps in learning.  The childminder assesses children's starting points in learning when they begin to attend and then provides activities which are matched to children's learning needs, in order to help them make good progress in their learning.  The childminder works effectively in partnership with other professionals and settings to support continuity for children's well-being and learning. She forms good partnerships with parents in order to promote their children's learning and development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder has not explored how she can make the best use of very young children's repetitive play interests, such as when they frequently throw objects, in order to enhance their learning through these.  The childminder sometimes does not give children all the time they need to fully explore resources or activities according to their interest and re-visit these in order to maximise their learning.

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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 viewed the areas of the premises used for childminding.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked the qualifications of the childminder, along with evidence of the suitability of adults living or working on the premises.  A joint observation was carried out by the inspector and the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined samples of documentation related to children's welfare and learning, used by the childminder when caring for children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector and the childminder discussed the childminder's knowledge of areas, such as safeguarding and supporting individual children's learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector and the childminder discussed the ways in which the childminder evaluates her provision and seeks the views of others to inform this.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2004 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and three children in the Elton area of Bury. The lounge, playroom, kitchen and conservatory on the ground floor are used for childminding. Bathroom facilities are available on both the ground floor and the first floor. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play. The family has a pet cat. The childminding provision operates from 8am to 5.30pm from Monday to Friday, all year round, apart from family holidays and bank holidays. The childminder has a qualification in childcare at level 3 and is working towards a degree in a relevant subject. There are currently six children on roll attending for a variety of sessions, of whom five are in the early years age range. The childminder 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:

 explore fully how the repetitive play and actions of children can be used to enhance their learning and progress

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

 consistently enable children to re-visit and fully explore learning experiences at their own pace in order to maximise their progress.

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who attend

The childminder has a comprehensive understanding of the areas of learning of the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, she offers a broad, interesting and challenging range of activities, which is based on children's observed needs and interests, as well as information from their parents. Children make good progress towards the early learning goals, as a result of individual planning for their needs, which is based on frequent and precise assessments of their learning. Assessment covers all areas of learning and, consequently, the childminder quickly identifies any emerging gaps in children's development, in order to address these and minimise any future difficulties. The childminder monitors the progress of children meticulously while implementing interventions to address any perceived gaps in learning. The childminder has implemented the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years as part of the

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who attend

rigorous assessment process. Parents make contributions to these checks as part of the partnership working with the childminder to support their children's learning. Parents also have ongoing access to contribute to the planning for their children's learning because the childminder provides access to an internet based information sharing system. Parents view photographs of their children engaged in learning experiences and also can see assessments of their children's progress whenever they choose to look at these. As a result, the childminder provides effective routes for parents and herself to work in partnership to enhance children's learning. The childminder obtains information from parents about their children's learning and development when their children begin to attend her setting and uses this to form initial plans to further their development. This also provides a starting point from which the childminder can assess children's subsequent

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who attend

The childminder's planning for individual children covers all areas of learning, in order to promote their good progress and support their next steps in learning, which includes being ready for full-time school. She uses what she observes about children's interests in order to engage their attention in activities. For example, she plans activities which include action songs, percussion and movement to music when she recognises that children particularly enjoy this. She also uses song spontaneously to sustain children's concentration during activities. This supports children's learning through creative experiences and also enables them to experience rhyme and rhythm, which supports their development in literacy. However, she makes less use of harnessing children's play interests that are repetitive and cause some disruption, in order to support learning. For example, while the childminder reinforces children's learning about safety when they

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who attend

throw objects, she does not consistently devise and implement plans to help them fully explore the motion and its effects safely. This is because she does not have an enhanced understanding of this and, therefore, cannot maximise children's progress by providing exceptional support for their learning through repetitive play. The childminder provides a range of activities so that children learn about diversity in the local and wider community. For example, children learn about festivals, such as Chinese New Year and Hanukkah, through various activities, including tasting foods and creating artwork. They also participate in national fundraising events to learn about others who are less fortunate than themselves and how support is provided for them.

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who attend

The childminder provides a range of experiences for children to investigate different materials, such as water, sand and malleable clay or dough. This means that children develop the manipulative skills needed to support their later ability to write and draw. For example, the childminder provides water with foam and shows children how straws can be used to blow more bubbles. She encourages children to feel the foam and splash their hands in the water, as well as to look for objects hidden under the bubbles. This also supports their earliest learning in mathematics, as toddlers realise that objects are still present sometimes, even if they are not immediately visible. The childminder also makes use of the activity to introduce new vocabulary to children, in order to develop their speech in single words and two word phrases. She makes effective use of homemade shakers containing a variety of materials, such as sand, feathers and liquids to support

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who attend

children's learning. For example, she counts these out loud for children and they join in, becoming familiar with some number names. She also uses the opportunity to introduce some learning about size by contrasting the big and small bottles. However, she does not always keep these activities accessible for long enough, or let children explore these to the full extent of their interest, for learning to be maximised before offering another option. This lessens the positive impact on children's progress as they have not always finished their independent exploration of resources and activities. The childminder encourages children to select books and reads with expression in order to sustain children's interest in these. She demonstrates some excellent skills when asking pre-school age children questions about stories, providing strong support for their development of critical thinking as well as their speech in full sentences. For example, she asks children to think about the

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who attend

reasons why characters respond in certain ways in a storyline and how children think problems in the story may be best resolved. This enhances children's thinking about how to solve problems by working with others and their views.

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

The childminder obtains thorough information from parents about how she can support children's good health and well-being, prior to children joining, such as information about children's dietary needs and their routines. This is in order to provide continuity of care and support children's well-being. The childminder also obtains information to support children's emotional well-being, such as about comfort objects they prefer if they are tired or unsettled. She shares her policies and procedures with parents so that they understand how these are implemented to promote their children's welfare in the childminding setting. The childminder works effectively with parents to provide a programme of increasing visit times, based on how children are settling, in order to support children's emotional well- being when they join. Parents and the childminder exchange information daily about children's well-being, including through discussion, photographs and daily diaries, which

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

supports continuity of care. This means that parents are well informed about their children's care and the activities they have participated in each day. Children are settled and confident, as a result of the partnership working between the childminder and parents. The childminder exchanges information with other settings children attend in addition to her own, in order to support continuity of their care. She also maintains links with local settings that children sometimes attend in addition to her own, in order to support any future partnership working.

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

The childminder provides a range of resources for outdoor physical play on the premises. She also makes use of local parks and playgrounds, in order to consistently challenge children's development of whole body control appropriately for their ages and stages and enable them to enjoy exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. Consequently, children also have good opportunities to learn about taking reasonable risks in physical play. The childminder provides nutritious home-cooked meals to ensure that children receive a balanced diet in her care. She teaches children about the foods that contribute to a nutritious diet. Fruit and vegetables are offered at snack times as healthy choices, so that children can select from these as part of the support for a healthy lifestyle. Children learn the satisfaction to be gained from helping others by carrying out small tasks, such as setting the table for lunch. This develops children's self-esteem as the childminder praises

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

them for their efforts, which enhances their emotional well-being. The childminder has a comprehensive understanding of the importance of preparing children emotionally for their next stages in learning. For example, children develop confidence by gaining self-help skills. The childminder encourages children to independently climb onto wheeled toys, rather than offering help automatically when they initially vocalise for this. She waits for them to complete their efforts and praises them when they achieve their goal. This helps to motivate children, as they realise that they can help themselves and do not need to rely on others. Children have clear emotional attachments to the childminder, which supports their emotional security and, therefore, facilitates their learning. For example, children ask her questions, seek her views about their play and sit closely to her to listen to stories on the sofa.

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

The childminder helps children to learn about maintaining good personal hygiene, such as washing their hands before eating and keeping their noses clean. She has effective procedures in place to minimise any risk from cross-contamination. For example, she wears disposable gloves during nappy changes. Children are able to talk articulately about why they need to wash their hands with soap after using the toilet, showing how the childminder has consolidated their learning about how to maintain good personal hygiene. She teaches children about road safety when on walks, in order to develop children's future independence for managing their own safety. The childminder is consistent when teaching children boundaries for their behaviour so that they begin to manage this effectively for themselves. She implements a policy which emphasises the use of positive strategies for managing children's behaviour. This includes adults acting as good role

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

models for children so that they learn appropriate behaviour and manners.

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provision

The childminder has a thorough knowledge of the procedures she should follow in the event of any safeguarding concerns regarding children, including if an allegation is made against herself or her family. She keeps this up to date through training and has all required policies in place. This includes a policy for the use of mobile phones and cameras on the premises, in order to protect images of children from being spread and misused. All adults living or working on the premises have been checked for suitability. The childminder has a valid paediatric first-aid qualification, which enables her to deal with minor accidents and injuries correctly. She obtains written permissions from parents in order to work in partnership with them regarding a range of matters, including administering medicines to children and seeking emergency first aid if needed. The childminder completes and implements detailed risk assessments for the premises and all outings, in order to identify

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provision

hazards and minimise these to promote children's safety. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed to ensure they continue to be effective and meet the needs of children attending. For example, the childminder incorporates the yearly display of the Christmas tree into her risk assessment, in order to help children enjoy this time of year while minimising risk. This is because she recognises the changing needs of children attending her provision and how this affects the management of risk. All required documentation is in place to support the safe and effective running of the childminding setting, and the childminder implements her policies effectively to support children's care and learning.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This enables her to plan activities which provide levels of challenge precise to children's needs and that enable them to make good progress. The childminder has a thorough understanding of the importance of completing frequent observations and assessment of children's progress. Consequently, she makes well-targeted plans for their future learning, by responding to changes in children's interests or by identifying emerging gaps in their learning. The childminder gathers information about children's interests and any information from their parents relevant to supporting learning, in order to inform her planning for children's future progress. She monitors the breadth of her observations and assessments in order to ensure that the educational programme covers all areas of learning, which enhances

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provision

children's progress and promotes their individual needs. The childminder has a good understanding of the importance of working in partnership with other agencies and settings to support individual children's well-being and learning.

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provision

The childminder obtains parent's views regularly through both verbal and written means, in order to evaluate her practice. Children are also asked for their views in order to enhance the provision. The childminder demonstrates a purposeful approach to her professional development as she is currently building on her level 3 qualification by working towards a degree in a relevant subject. Her evaluation also enables her to maintain the knowledge and qualifications she needs in order for her provision to meet statutory requirements. All recommendations from the previous inspection have been successfully addressed in order to enhance the childminder's practice. Therefore, the childminder demonstrates an organised approach to bringing about continuous improvement, which enhances her provision for children's well-being and learning.

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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 EY282763 Local authority Bury Inspection number 856251 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 6

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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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