Childminder in Bromley

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16/05/2014 04/07/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 1 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The quality of teaching is excellent and children are making extremely good progress because the childminder and her assistant have an exceptional knowledge of their individual needs and interests. This thoroughly supports children's learning and development.  The childminder creates a stimulating and interesting learning environment for children They are extremely interested in the activities they choose to play with and are highly motivated to learn because the childminder successfully supports their learning through play.  The childminder has developed an exceptionally effective two-way communication with parents. Consequently she has a comprehensive understanding of each child's individual needs.  Children's understanding the world is promoted well and enhances their well-being. Children learn to care for growing plants and vegetables and the childminder uses these experiences well to enhance their understanding of healthy eating choices.

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This provision is outstanding

 Extensive reflective practice and self-evaluation includes the views of assistants, parents and their children and is used effectively to continue to improve the quality of provision.

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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 the children during activities and their interaction with the childminder and the assistant who was present on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder, her assistant and the children during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including policies and procedures, comments from parents and other settings and sampled children's records and activity plans.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children’s learning and development records and discussed the childminder’s observation and assessment procedures to determine how she meets individual needs and supports learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed the childminder’s reflective practice and self-evaluation systems.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2004. She lives with her partner and their two children in the London Borough of Bromley. The setting is close to shops, parks, schools and local transport links. The whole of the property is used for childminding purposes, including a purpose-built ground floor play room. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The family has a cat. The childminder has two assistants, who work with her as and when required. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. There are 13 children on roll, of whom five are in the early years age range. Children attend a variety of sessions on both a full-time and part- time basis.

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

 enhance further the robust systems to promote independence skills by enabling children to participate in the preparation of snacks.

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who attend

Children are making excellent progress in their learning and development. This is because the childminder and the assistant who was present on the day have a secure knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Together they plan an innovative range of play experiences and activities around the children's individual interests. These are varied and cover all areas of learning and include an exceptional balance of child-initiated play based learning and adult-directed play tailored to each child’s preferred style of learning. The childminder understands that all children learn differently and adapts learning and play experiences that appeal to them in a way that suits them to learn effectively. For example, younger children are able to complete puzzles that enhance their interest in animals and are supported to attempt to complete quite challenging puzzles which they do successfully.

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who attend

The childminder delights in the children’s achievements, praising their attempts and really supporting their self- confidence. Older children are encouraged to develop their language and vocabulary exceptionally well. For example, during an opposite game children are supported to identify and match opposites and more complicated language is introduced such as ‘fierce and timid’. The childminder and her assistant use these activities extremely well to gauge children’s development and to provide then with appropriate challenges to enhance their progress and development further. Observations and assessment reflect the ongoing progress children are making and the information is used well to ensure that the experiences and activities provided continue to interest and motivate children.

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who attend

The childminder gathers extensive information from parents before the placement starts. Parents tell the childminder about their child's interests, care needs and routines. The childminder observes children when they start at her setting and establishes what they are able to do and what they understand. She then links this information to the Early Years Foundation Stage to determine whether children are reaching their expected levels. She uses this information to highlight any concerns or gaps in learning which enables her provide activities and experiences to support children’s progress or to seek additional support as needed. This helps the childminder to support children to meet their potential.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is excellent Children are able to independently choose resources from the dedicated play room. The childminder supports children's communication and language skills as she and her assistant talk to the children as they play. For example, as the children build with construction resources they are encouraged to talk about the different objects they are making and to develop problem solving techniques. When one child is building a pen for their play animals they discover that it is too small for the number of animals they have. The childminder’s assistant cleverly encourages the child to think about what they could do to enable all the animals to fit into a pen and the child works out that they need to make a bigger pen. Conversations throughout the inspection between the childminder or her assistant and the children encourage children’s language thinking and problem solving skills. The childminder provides a wide range of activities

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who attend

which promote children's understanding of numbers, counting and quantity. Children learn about shape, measure and volume as they engage in sand and water play or when they are watering the plants in the garden or the fruit and vegetables at the childminder’s allotment when they fill various size containers. The childminder has numbers throughout her setting in both her indoor and outdoor environments and has some innovative ways of displaying these to enhance children’s number recognition. For example, she has some wicker numbers that children use for threading with brightly coloured ribbons. In her kitchen area she has stuck the numbers one to four from a number puzzle onto the back of the child sized chairs children use for snacks and creative activities. Children talk to the childminder and her assistant about the colour of the chair they are sitting on and are encouraged to identify the number is on the back of the chair.

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who attend

The childminder organises her home well. Children are able to enjoy a variety of activities in a homely environment. In the dedicated play room, there are displays of children's creative work. There are photos of the toys in each box together with a label in lower case print which supports children’s early reading skills as they can see print in a meaningful situation. The childminder also provides activities in her outdoor area to promote literacy skills further such as alphabet puzzles and sand moulds in the letters of the alphabet.

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

Children's well-being is fostered extremely well. This is because the childminder and her assistant promote children's emotional needs in a caring way. Excellent settling-in procedures support children in their move from their home or another childcare environment into the childminder’s setting. For example, parents are encouraged to stay with their child when the placement first starts and the childminder ensures that she is fully familiar with any special comforters that the child may use and their current interests. The childminder works extremely closely with parents to make sure she knows and follows the children's individual routines and care needs. Her partnerships with parents are exceptional and really support children’s ongoing progress, development and well-being. She provides regular feedback to parents on their children’s progress and development both verbally and via her electronic observation and assessment system. This enables

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

parents to be exceptionally well involved in their child’s learning and to work in partnership with the childminder to support their children’s next steps.

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

As children play, the childminder and her assistant praise and encourage their efforts which fosters children's confidence and self-esteem. Children show their strong sense of belonging in the setting at snack time when they independently go to the fruit bowl to choose their snack. The childminder discusses children’s individual sleep routines with parents during the settling-in sessions which helps to ensure that they rest in line with their individual requirements. Again children show how settled they are in the childminder’s care at sleep time when they settle down easily for their sleep, enabling them to recharge their batteries and enjoy more activities in the afternoon.

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

The childminder has excellent systems in place to promote the safety and well-being of children in her care. She works closely with two assistants to ensure that staffing arrangements meet the required ratios and that close supervision meets the needs of all children attending. The childminder reviews her risk assessments regularly to take into consideration the changing needs of the children in her care. The childminder has further enhanced these systems to include regular head counts on outings and a specific responsibility chart, which outlines the responsibility of her and her assistants when out of the setting. This shows her commitment to ensuring children’s well-being and safety is extensively promoted and her exceptional dedication towards ongoing improvement to her childminding practice. The childminder has a comprehensive understanding of her responsibility to protect children from harm and of the procedures to follow should she

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

have any concerns about any of the children in her care.

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

Children behave extremely well. They are polite towards each other and demonstrate exceptionally good manners at meal times and when participating in activities. This prepares them well for the next stage in their learning, such as moving on to pre-school and/or school. Children's health is promoted extremely well as they are encouraged to follow stringent hygiene practices. For example children are reminded to wash their hands after using the bathroom and before eating meals and simple posters in this area with photos of children completing these tasks enhances their understanding of how to reduce infection. Nutritious home-cooked meals are prepared by the childminder and her assistants in line with individual dietary requirements. Children help to prepare the table for snack and meal times. However there are less consistent opportunities for them to be involved in the preparation and serving of snacks and/or meals. Children benefit from

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

regular fresh air and exercise because they have the opportunity to play in the childminder's garden and to participate in regular outings to her allotment. The childminder and her assistant also take the children to local childminding groups, which extends their opportunities for outdoor play. It also provides the chance for children to form friendships with other children in the community to improve their social skills. The childminder also supports children's understanding of the world as the children are able to plant, grow and tend to vegetables in the childminder’s garden and on regular visits to her allotment. When the childminder talks about her allotment one child tells her ‘I helped you with the watering canning’.

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provision

The childminder fulfils her responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements, and the safeguarding and welfare requirements. She provides a variety of experiences to help children make excellent progress given their individual starting points. The childminder, alongside her assistant, meets children's individual needs exceptionally well. This ensures that each child is treated with equal concern and is supported to develop to their potential.

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provision

The childminder has strong partnerships with parents. She spends time at the beginning and end of the day discussing their child's achievements and care needs. The childminder keeps parents exceptionally well informed of their children’s progress and well-being individualising her systems to match the parents’ choices and circumstances. For example, she uses daily contact books, text messages, emails and an electronic observation and assessment system to provide information for parents. As a result, parents are fully informed of the activities, play experiences and care their children have received throughout the day. This information also contains details of children's next steps in learning and of how parents can continue children's learning at home. The consistent approach between the childminder and parents supports children’s care and learning needs exceptionally well. Comments from parents highly praise the way the childminder

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provision

has supported them with toileting and sleeping issues and the huge impact that this has had on their child’s progress.

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provision

The childminder also cares for children who attend other early years provision, and has built strong and positive links with staff from these settings. Working in partnership the childminder has developed some specific targets that prepare children well for their move onto pre-school such as being toilet trained, recognising their own name and being able to listen and take turns. She provides experiences in her setting to support these targets, such as providing children with placemats with their names on so that they have daily opportunities to see their name in print. This links well with their move onto pre-school or school where they will need to recognise their name label on a peg to be able to put their belongings in the correct place. This promotes an excellent shared approach and continuity in the children's care, learning and development. Parents are extremely happy with the service and care their children receive.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a passion for providing very high quality childcare that enriches the care and learning experiences of children in her care. She demonstrates an exceptionally positive attitude towards her ongoing personal development and regularly reflects on and evaluates her childminding service. This is demonstrated in the childminder’s extensive reflective systems, including her comprehensive self-evaluation form. She constantly evaluates her practice and includes the views of her assistants, children and feedback from parents to continue to offer an exceptional high quality childcare service, which provides positive outcomes for children. For example, in identifying areas for improvement, the childminder has further enhanced the way she records children’s progress and comments from parents regarding the new system are extremely positive. They comment that they enjoy seeing first hand their children enjoying

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provision

their learning opportunities and experiences.

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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 EY288744 Local authority Bromley Inspection number 966579 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 15

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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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