Childminder in Staffordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/12/2014 30/03/2009

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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

 The quality of teaching is good. The childminder supports children's learning and development through effective questioning, demonstrations and engagement in their play. As a result, children are making good progress.  The childminder has excellent relationships with the children in her care. She uses effective strategies to support children in developing secure attachments.  The childminder has an excellent understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse. She understands the procedures she must follow should she have concerns over the safety of children in her care.  The childminder works closely with parents and other settings to ensure that children's learning and development needs are consistently met. As a result, children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Children are not always encouraged to participate in child-initiated activities to consolidate and extend their learning independently.

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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 interactions between the childminder and children during play.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability of the childminder and other adult household members.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and the planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at documentation including a range of policies and procedures, risk assessments and the childminder's self-evaluation form.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2004 and is on the Early Years Register and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband in Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent. The childminder works with her husband, who is also a registered childminder. The whole of the ground floor of the property and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has several cats. The childminding provision operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. There are currently 11 children on roll, of whom five are in the early years age range. The childminder collects and drops off children to local schools. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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

 encourage children to engage in more child-initiated activities in order for them to extend and consolidate their learning independently.

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who attend

The childminder uses her good knowledge and understanding of how children learn and develop to ensure that children have access to educational programmes that meet their individual needs. She uses her initial observations and information from parents regarding the children's abilities to determine their starting points. This information is then used as the basis for future planning and assessments. The childminder provides children with a range of adult-focused activities based around their interests. As a result, the children are motivated to learn. However, while child-initiated activities are available, children are not always encouraged to participate in them to extend and consolidate their learning independently. For example, children do not always engage with the range of activities or resources that are available if the childminder is supporting other children with care routines. As a result, occasionally children are not engaged in purposeful activities.

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who attend

Children have individual developmental journals that are used to record observations of their achievements, photographs and completed assessment records. The childminder monitors these to ensure children are making good progress.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good. The childminder promotes children's learning through effective questioning, demonstrations and engagement in children's play so they make good progress in all areas of their development. For example, when building structures with building blocks the childminder introduces counting, size, colour recognition and encourages children to use their imagination to enhance the experience. The childminder encourages children to use their critical thinking skills through effective questioning. For example, when children are counting the childminder encourages them to think about numbers which come before or after each number, to encourage their developing mathematical skills.

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who attend

The childminder talks to the children continually as a matter of routine. She engages the children in conversation and extends their language by, for example, reading books and through daily routines. As a result, the children are making good progress with their communication and language skills. She introduces new vocabulary during play. For example, during an activity with modelling dough the childminder encourages the children to 'squash', 'cut' and 'slice'. She also introduces mathematical language using words such as 'full' and 'empty'. Overall, the childminder's good teaching prepares children appropriately for the next stage of their learning, including school.

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

The childminder provides children with a safe and secure environment that is welcoming and homely. She is very aware of the children's individual emotional needs and uses her good knowledge to provide children with an appropriate level of support. The childminder uses individual settling-in processes to ensure that children are settled in her care before starting on a permanent basis. As a result, children are happy and confident in their surroundings. Children are aware of their own needs and let the childminder know when they need to sleep or rest. Consequently, children's care needs are well met.

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

The childminder is a good role model and ensures that children are developing an understanding of respect and manners. The children are well-behaved and aware of expectations. For example, when the childminder asks the children to tidy away they do so without hesitation and enjoy the praise given for their achievements. Children are offered a range of healthy snacks and have access to drinking water throughout the day. The childminder encourages the children to make informed decisions as she talks to them about what is healthy and why. The childminder provides the children with opportunities to develop an understanding of personal hygiene and ensures that children have good hand-washing skills. As a result, children are developing a good understanding of healthy lifestyles.

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

Children are encouraged to manage risks for themselves as they play. The childminder talks to them about keeping safe and teaches children to recognise potential dangers for themselves. Consequently children develop a good understanding of their own safety, and that of others around them.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of her roles and responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder has a good range of policies and procedures that accurately reflect her practice. These are reviewed regularly to ensure they remain current and up to date. The childminder has very good knowledge of the signs of abuse and of what would alert her to any concerns about children in her care. She is aware of the procedures to follow to ensure children are protected from harm. These procedures are supported by a range of policies and procedures. As a result, children are kept safe and protected from harm. Risk assessments cover all aspects of the childmnder's care including venues the children visit outside the childminder's home. The childminder carries out regular fire drills and records these, including any changes that may be needed to the procedures due to issues that

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a good understanding of the need to monitor children's progress regularly. This helps her to identify where children may be falling behind. She has the appropriate knowledge and skills to put appropriate intervention in place to ensure that such children quickly catch up and that gaps in their learning are closing.

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provision

The childminder ensures her mandatory training is kept up to date, and completes additional training to help her to continue to improve the quality of the provision over time. She uses self-evaluation appropriately to identify areas for improvement and puts appropriate arrangements in place to address these. As part of this process the childminder seeks the views of parents through questionnaires and daily communication methods. She also takes account of children's views in order to ensure that they are happy in her care.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are good. Parents share information regarding their children's interests and learning at home to support the childminder in offering children activities that support their learning and development. Parents have regular access to children's learning journals and are encouraged to add comments about children's achievements at home. The childminder ensures that the progress check for children aged between two and three years is completed appropriately and shares this with parents. The timing of this is discussed with parents so that it supports the Healthy Child Programme review completed by health professionals. The childminder has a good understanding of the need to work in partnership with other settings to support children's learning and development needs consistently. She meets regularly and shares information with other settings to ensure that both settings are working collaboratively to support children needs

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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 EY289290 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 856330 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 11

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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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