Childminder in Blackburn with Darwen

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/12/2014 15/01/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 Previous inspection: 3 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 because the childminder has an in-depth understanding of how young children learn. She provides an excellent range of interesting and captivating activities for children in her care. As a result, they are eager to learn and make rapid progress from their starting points.  Children's language development is given high priority. They have many excellent opportunities to develop their speech and language, and extend their vocabulary through a variety of activities.  The childminder is extremely caring, sensitive and skilled in helping children to develop secure emotional attachments. This enables children to develop self-confidence and nurtures their overall well-being.  Excellent partnerships with parents and other professionals ensure that children's individual needs are exceptionally well met.  The childminder has an excellent knowledge of the safeguarding and welfare

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This provision is outstanding

requirements. Consequently, children remain exceedingly safe and secure while in her care.  The childminder is highly professional, ensuring that all aspects of her provision are met to an exemplary standard. Her thorough self-evaluation promotes the continual development of her provision and her pursuit of excellence, and also reflects the very high expectations she has of the children and herself.

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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 checked all areas of the home used for childminding, both indoors and outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled children's assessment records and planning documentation. She looked at a selection of policies and procedures, including safeguarding and risk assessments.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector carried out a joint observation with the childminder and discussed children's learning and development.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability of the childminder and her family, her self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to the childminder and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents by reading a number of comments on parent questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2008 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two children in Blackburn. The whole ground floor of the house, one bedroom and bathroom on the first floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has two pet rabbits. The childminder attends toddler groups and visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently four children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She is a member of Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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

 consider ways to build on the excellent practice in place to provide further opportunities for older children to increase their independence and take a more active role in age-appropriate tasks, such as setting the table, serving food and tidying away afterwards.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is excellent. The childminder has exceptional knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has very high expectations of herself and of the children in her care. She has an in-depth understanding of how to support young children to reach their full potential and achieve the best they can. The environment children access contains an excellent range of high quality resources to match the developmental age of children in her care. Resources are stored within reach, so that children can choose activities and initiate play during the session. This promotes their independence extremely well and encourages self-confidence. The childminder provides rich, varied and imaginative experiences and plans outings to local places of interest, such as the zoo, farm or other towns. These activities capture children's interests, challenge their skills and extend their play. As a result, children are

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who attend

highly motivated and eager to learn. The childminder sensitively joins in children's play and has an excellent ability to engage with them during activities. She gives lots of eye contact, praise and smiles as she plays with the children. This gives them a sense of achievement and enhances their learning and development. Children readily select resources to share with the childminder and they use their imaginations very well as they contribute their ideas during activities. For example, as children plate up 'food' for the childminder, they discuss what food they think she will like. The children try to recall which foods are healthy and which are treats, building further their understanding of healthy eating. The childminder challenges the children to count the number of animals which are hiding in the porridge oats, helping to develop children's understanding of early mathematics. In this way, children are gaining valuable skills for future learning.

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who attend

The childminder places a high priority on developing strong language and communication skills. She has attended training in this area and uses her knowledge extremely well. She talks to children about their feelings and asks 'What would you do if...? or 'What do you think about...? She gently supports language by correcting speech and supporting children to find correct wording when engaging in conversation. This helps to extend their vocabulary and their understanding about context. For example, when children pour the water into the guttering, she encourages the children to listen and use describing words. The childminder provides a wealth of stimulating resources that enable children to learn familiar letters and make marks, enhancing their literacy skills. Children can find their own name and recognise that of their friends, supporting their emergent reading skills. Children are very eager to take part in story time, making choices about the books they

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who attend

want the childminder to read. This shows that the childminder listens to the views of children, and as a result they are highly engaged. Although children are developing excellent self-care skills as they learn to manage putting on their coats when going outside and washing their hands before eating, some opportunities for older children to set the table, serve their own food and tidy away afterwards during mealtimes are not consistently exploited to provide additional opportunities to promote children's independence. Children spend time in the local community and enjoy visits to the local parks and places of interest. They learn about the wider world through discussion and by exploring a variety of artefacts from different cultures. The childminder also has a range of interesting resources to help children to understand about equality and diversity. In this way, children learn to accept each other and to value similarities and differences.

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who attend

The childminder gathers a wealth of information before the children begin attending and uses it extremely well to assess their starting points. She makes regular, accurate observations, assesses learning styles and tracks children's development. This information is used to plan for the children's next steps in learning. The childminder completes the progress check at age two and uses this, along with her expert tracking of children's achievements, to note any gaps in their development. The childminder has developed robust links with the local pre-school and they share observations, information and details of planning to enhance children's education. The childminder has excellent strategies for engaging parents in their child's learning. She values their role as first educators and provides regular information through the use of photographs, regular conversations and texts. Parents contribute to and comment on their children's progress. As a result, children

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who attend

are very well supported, make excellent progress towards the early learning goals and are well prepared for the next stage of learning.

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

The childminder takes time to get to know the children and their families before they begin to ensure she knows their routines, likes and dislikes. Consequently, children form strong emotional attachments with the childminder, which supports their emotional security and helps them to settle quickly and enjoy their time with her. Children's behaviour is exemplary because the childminder is an excellent role model. She has basic house rules, which ensure the children's safety and well-being, and these are shared with parents and children. The childminder gives children space and time to select and explore resources, so that they develop a sense of belonging. She provides support when children are struggling to understand expectations and she uses positive praise to acknowledge their achievements, so they understand what they are doing well. She is sensitive to children's needs and supports their individual requirements.

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

Children develop excellent personal hygiene skills as they learn to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Nappy changing and toilet training routines are very well embedded in practice. Children have a superb understanding of healthy lifestyles because the childminder provides healthy and nutritious snacks. She ensures that a range of fruit is available daily and discusses healthy options for lunch and tea with parents and children. Children readily talk about what food is good for them and what food is not so good for them. Milk and water are available for children throughout the day in their own cups, which ensures that they are continuously hydrated.

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

Children have excellent opportunities for physical exercise as they have daily access to outdoor play in the stimulating outdoor space and enjoy regular outings to local parks and places of interest. The childminder also visits the local community centre and attends sessions where younger children have access to toddler groups. This gives children opportunities to mix with other children of their own age and access a variety of physical activities. Children enjoy walking to and from school and to the local shops. In this way, children develop very healthy, positive attitudes to physical activity and learn to take risks in a safe environment. Children are very aware of keeping safe because the childminder talks to them about taking care of themselves and each other. She explains why they need to tidy away the toys, and how this will prevent accidents and ensure no one gets hurt. Children know how to exit the house safely in an emergency because they take part in

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

regular fire drills, which the childminder records.

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provision

The childminder has an excellent understanding of her role and responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has a very high regard for children's safety and cares for them in a child-centred environment. Extremely comprehensive risk assessments are in place for all areas of the home used for childminding, as well as outings and visits. She regularly checks her resources for cleanliness and breakages. All required policies and procedures are in place, exceptionally well written, regularly reviewed and shared with parents. Policies are very well implemented and underpin this excellent provision. The childminder has an in-depth knowledge and understanding of how children learn and the need to challenge and support learning and development. She plans well for individual children and regularly reviews and monitors their progress. As a result, children are highly motivated, deeply

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provision

involved and show positive attitudes to learning. The childminder has very strong partnerships with parents. She shares her good practice through discussion, text messages and a daily diary. She gives excellent information about outings and activities. Children's comprehensive learning journals are available for parents to discuss at any time, and particularly around the time when progress checks with health professionals are being carried out or during children's moves to another setting. In this way, parents are well informed of their children's progress and their children benefit from continuity of care and early education. Parents and other professionals are extremely complementary with regard to the service she provides. One parent comments on how much progress their child has made. The childminder has strong links with the local school and pre-schools where some of her minded children attend. Furthermore, she works in

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provision

close partnership with parents when children are moving to school. This effectively supports children's emotional security and ensures continued progress in their learning and development.

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provision

The childminder is inspirational, highly motivated and fully committed to her work. She demonstrates a strong capacity to improve. The childminder plans a superb range of learning opportunities for children and enhances her activities with a range of outings that capture children's interests and imagination. She constantly seeks to further her own professional development by attending relevant training. Since her last inspection she has made all the improvements that were asked for, including improvements to registers of children's attendance, risk assessment, planning and assessment, sensory play and monitoring her own practice. Her self-evaluation is robust and takes into account the views of parents, children and other professionals. She understands her strengths and has planned for areas of improvement. The childminder has an excellent support network and is willing to share her good practice and learn from others. She is innovative and

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provision

inspirational and provides an excellent service for children and families who attend her setting.

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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 EY366150 Local authority Blackburn Inspection number 982022 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4

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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

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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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