Childminder in Essex

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/12/2014 07/05/2009

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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

 Children make consistently good progress towards the early learning goals as the quality of teaching is very good and the childminder has high expectations for children's achievements. Language and communication are promoted exceptionally well.  Children's emotional development is understood well by the childminder. Children form highly effective attachments which give them the confidence to play and explore freely.  Children's safeguarding is given the highest priority. They are kept safe and secure, both indoors and on outings, and protected from harm or abuse.  Children benefit from well thought out partnerships with parents, and with external agencies, ensuring they are fully supported at every stage of their development.  The childminder is exceptionally well organised and manages a busy workload very efficiently. She ensures that each child's individual needs are fully met and their well-

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The outside play area does not yet match the indoor environment in providing a broad enough range of play and learning opportunities to extend children's creativity and imagination fully.

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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 interacted with children in the playrooms and in the outside area as they played and during routine care.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the childminder and carried out a joint observation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed a sample of documentation including evidence of suitability checks and qualifications, policies and children's development profiles.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents, gathered by the childminder in advance of the inspection.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2003 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 a house in Colchester, Essex. The whole of the ground floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has two rabbits as pets. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local children's centre. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently 13 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 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family holidays.

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

 enhance children's outdoor play and learning, and in particular, increasing children's options for open-ended and discovery play with natural materials and their investigation of and interaction with the natural world.

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who attend

Children make very good progress in all areas of learning and development. The childminder provides consistently high quality teaching, offering stimulating, well-planned activities in a fully child-centred environment. The childminder actively prepares children for school. She works closely with parents and the teachers from the children's future schools, to ensure she understands the school's expectations. She ensures that children are independent in self-care, such as, when using the toilet and washing their hands, or when putting on their own coats and shoes. She reminds them of the importance of listening carefully, and following instructions so that they stay safe. Children become independent as they are fully encouraged to be active and choose their own activities for the majority of their time with the childminder. Children choose where to play, whether indoors or outdoors. This supports their individual preferences and learning styles.

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who attend

Children enjoy a wide range of activities and outings. They choose from the selection of appealingly-presented toys, books, and intriguing household and sensory items in the treasure baskets, which encourage them to explore and develop their creativity and imagination. A balance of adult-directed and child-initiated activities ensures that children remain engaged and interested. The childminder is skilful in following the children's lead and shaping learning experiences around their interests and the next steps that she has identified. Young children enjoy sharing a book about colours and shapes, and relate the colours they have used in their seasonal crafts. They talk about colours that they are familiar with, and learn the names of new colours. The childminder helps children to spot features in the book and they respond animatedly. 'Ooh, monster!' they say, when they see a mask made of pasta. The educational programme is fun and interesting. Resources,

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who attend

such as, laminated pictures and words to describe the weather, inspire discussion and help children learn about the world around them. Frequent visits to the zoo help children to learn about animals and their different attributes and habits. Young children laugh as they remember a bird sitting on their shoulder on a recent zoo visit. Regular sessions at the library introduce action songs and rhymes to the children, extending their experiences and social skills as they mix in different groups. Children's language and communication is supported extremely well. The childminder talks to children in a calm and clear manner, reflecting their speech and introducing new words. She helps them recall activities and past events and talk about their feelings. The childminder sensitively joins in with children's imaginary games, such as, shopping and caring for the dolls, without dominating the flow of play.

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who attend

Children's progress is assessed and recorded by the childminder. She observes children at play and records their achievements in a scrapbook-style learning journey. Meticulous tracking, making good use of published guidance documents, ensures accurate assessment and informs the next steps in learning. These records show that all children make very good progress in relation to their starting points. Initial assessments are based on information from parents and early observations of children as they play and interact with one another. Parents are fully included at every stage. They are provided with regular written progress reports, as well as the daily informal feedback about what children have been doing, and details in a daily diary. The childminder encourages a two-way flow of information through the use of these documents and ensures a sharp focus on every individual child's progress. Every child has a progress check between the ages of two and

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who attend

three years, the findings of which are shared with parents. This enables any gaps in learning and development to be identified at an early stage and appropriate support put into place.

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

Children form affectionate and caring emotional attachments to the childminder. The childminder makes a home visit to each child before they start attending. This enables her to gain an understanding of their home and family life, and to start to build the relationships that will help to maintain their care and welfare. The childminder can then tailor each child's care to precisely match their needs. Parents provide clear information about their children through an All about me booklet and a one page 'passport'. The childminder uses this information to help to form an initial assessment of each child's starting points and as a base from which to assess their progress. Children behave very well in the childminder's care, because she is consistent in her approach and keeps to the simple, firm but fair, house rules. The childminder is an excellent role model for children. She is calm and intuitive in her interactions with the children and uses praise and

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

encouragement freely. This means that they develop a very strong sense of belonging and are confident and independent from a very young age, with high self-esteem.

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

Children play and learn in a fully child-centred, safe, exciting and stimulating environment. Good use is made of all the ground floor space to provide distinct areas for different activities. The lounge has large free floor space and cosy sofas for resting or enjoying the books that are stored nearby. The dining room offers table space for crafts as well as meals and snacks. A small pop-up tent adds a cosy den for children to crawl into. The garden is easily accessed by children, with coats and boots stored nearby to aid their independence further. Outdoors, children can run and move freely, use the trampoline for bouncing and the numerous footballs for ball skills. They enjoy digging and growing sunflowers in pots. However, children's imaginative and creative development is not fully maximised as they are not consistently offered a wide range of open-ended and natural play activities in the outside area. Safety is fully considered and there are features, such

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

as soft cladding on door edges, to ensure little children do not hurt themselves. Straps are provided on the booster seats, so children using the adult-sized dining chairs are safe and feel secure. No child is allowed to open the front door at any time, and children are only permitted to leave when they are holding the hand of an adult. Outings have the same attention to risk assessment; the childminder takes every precaution to keep children safe and well when out and about.

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

Children's health and hygiene are very well considered. Children understand the need to wash their hands after using the toilet and before meals and snacks, to keep them germ- free. Individual hand towels help to minimise the risk of the spread of infection. Nappy changing routines are hygienic and children can access a tissue if they need one. Children's dietary needs are expertly met. The childminder plans menus based on healthy options, such as, fresh fruit and vegetables, wholemeal bread and locally sourced produce. She informs parents of exactly what she is planning to cook so that they know what their children are having to eat and drink. Fresh water is the main drink offered, with milk as an alternative. The childminder effectively prepares children, emotionally, for their next stages of learning. Children attend a variety of community groups each week and have opportunities to mix with other children, developing their social skills and making friends.

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

They learn to interact in different environments and become confident and outgoing as a result.

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provision

Children are kept safe and are protected from harm, because the childminder has a very sound understanding of her role and responsibility in regard to child protection. She updates her safeguarding knowledge regularly to keep abreast of changes and developments. This is achieved through attending training and by reading and researching widely. She is aware of the need for vigilance when using the internet and social media, and ensures that children's and families' confidentiality is maintained by a well-thought out mobile phone and camera policy. All adults living on the premises are checked for their suitability to be in contact with children, and proof of the vetting process is kept on file. The childminder thoroughly risk assesses her home to ensure that all areas used for childminding are safe and secure, and to eliminate potential hazards. Children are encouraged to develop their understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They practice

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provision

regular fire drills, so that they know what to do in the event of an emergency evacuation. When out walking, they are reminded of basic road safety awareness and how to stay safe by holding hands.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates her very secure knowledge of the learning and development aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She delivers a highly effective and imaginative educational programme, which is expertly tailored to meet each child's individual learning requirements. She accurately assesses children's progress and ensures that activities challenge them and engage them, so that they continue to learn. As a result, all children progress well in all areas of learning. Where additional support is required, for a child with special educational needs and/or disabilities, this is sought from a range of external agencies, including speech therapy. The childminder reflects on her practice and continuously reviews her provision through a thorough self-evaluation process. She takes the views of parents and children, and visit notes from the local authority development worker, and incorporates these into her plans for future

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provision

development. She is aspirational and always aims for a high standard of care for children. The childminder attends training and information sessions as often as she can, to exchange ideas and share good practice with other providers and speakers. She uses a wide range of sources for ideas and activities, and is imaginative in her use of resources to provide new and stimulating tasks for children to enjoy.

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provision

The childminder always works closely in partnership with parents and acknowledges that they know their children best. Parents are fully included in every aspect of their child's care and learning, and contribute to the development profiles with comments and suggestions. Parents' very positive comments and references clearly show that they are very satisfied with the standards of care provided. Effective communication ensures that parents are well-informed about their child's day. The childminder liaises with any other early years settings attended by children, as well as the Reception classes at school, to share information and maintain continuity of care. This also enables her to plan activities to complement children's learning in other areas of their lives. Parents' and children's views are sought through the completion of questionnaires and through daily informal discussions.

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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 EY259346 Local authority Essex Inspection number 860489 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 13

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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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