Gale, Karon Margaret

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/01/2015 06/05/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 The childminder builds strong relationships with children and with parents. Children are confident and happy in her care.  The childminder gives health and safety within her home a high priority. She is aware of her responsibilities to supervise children and protect them from abuse and neglect.  Children are able to choose and easily select from a good variety of toys and play equipment.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder does not consistently use her observations and assessment or children's interests to plan for the next steps in their learning.  Children do not routinely explore and mix a variety of different media and materials in order to find things out for themselves.  Children's critical thinking and language development are not consistently maximised. In conversation with children, the childminder does not always give them time to think about how they want to respond to her open-ended questions.

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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 activities as children played in ground floor play areas

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of children's records, policies and procedures and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at the childminder's training certificates and evidence of suitability for all adults.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1992. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder lives in Coventry with her partner. The ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding as well as a first floor bathroom. An enclosed garden is used for outdoor play. There are currently 10 children on roll, of whom five are in the early years age group. The childminder takes children to and collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. She cares for children all year round, Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm. The childminder holds an early years qualification at level 2 and is working towards level 3.

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must:

 ensure that observations and assessment and children's interests are consistently and effectively used to plan for the next steps in their learning.

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

 extend opportunities for children to explore and mix a variety of different media and materials and find things out for themselves

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

 extend children's critical thinking and language development by giving them more time to think about how they want to respond when questions are asked.

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who attend

The childminder's awareness of the Early Years Foundation Stage learning and development requirements is sound. She records her observations of children's achievements and uses guidance documents to assess and record their stage of development. However, the childminder does not consistently use what she knows about children, or what she knows they are interested in to plan for learning with maximum effect. Consequently, planning is not fully effective in ensuring that children make as much progress as they can. The childminder supports children sufficiently so that they develop skills in readiness for nursery class and school. She is aware that parents must be provided with a progress check when their child is aged between two and three years. Children's personal, social and emotional development is given a high priority and they are settled and confident. Their language development is supported generally well by the

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who attend

childminder. They enjoy chatting with her and any questions that she asks are open ended. However, there are times when the childminder does not give children time to think about how they want to respond and then put their thoughts into words. Children are developing well physically. The childminder provides a variety of toys that enable them to practise skills. They build with bricks, make marks with pencils and crayons, and manipulate inset jigsaw puzzles.

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who attend

The childminder supports children's expressive arts and design development by providing a variety of role play and small world toys. However, resources such as dough, paint, collage and glue are generally selected by the childminder for focussed activities. For example, she provides a pot of glue, brushes, drawings of sheep and cotton wool so that children can create pictures linked to a farm theme. Consequently, children's sensory and exploratory play and opportunities to mix different media are not maximised. The childminder encourages children to count and name colours while they play and she ensures that books are always easily accessible.

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

Children's relationships with the childminder are good. In order to ensure their emotional security, a settling-in procedure is agreed with parents in accordance with children's different needs. The childminder takes positive steps to ensure that children are emotionally prepared for moving on to other early years settings and reception class in school. For example, children socialise with other adults and children at various groups. Strategies for managing children's behaviour include positive reinforcement, in order to address their self-confidence and self-esteem. Children's independence is promoted effectively, for example, they can choose and select toys for themselves from low-level shelving units. Children learn to manage their own self-care needs. Resources are safe and meet children's learning and development needs appropriately.

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

The childminder creates a welcoming environment for children and their parents. Information obtained from parents enables her to address children's individual care needs well. The childminder shares information with parents about her practice with regard to safety, illness and managing accidents. Children's good health is protected because the childminder encourages them to be physically active. They gain confidence and physical skills while they play in the childminder's garden and when they access large equipment at the park and at groups. Parents provide meals and snacks for their children and the childminder uses her knowledge of food hygiene effectively to ensure that food is safely stored. Children's welfare is addressed successfully because the childminder ensures that the environment is safe and secure. Children learn how to keep themselves safe. They learn how to cross the road safely and they practise the fire drill.

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provision

The childminder makes sure that her home is safe and secure and she is aware of her responsibilities with regard to safeguarding and supervising children. The necessary suitability checks for family members have been completed. The childminder never leaves children with a person who has not been vetted. She ensures that her safeguarding knowledge is kept up-to-date and is aware of the signs of abuse and neglect. The Coventry Safeguarding Children Board referral procedures are always easily accessible. Parents are provided with a clear safeguarding policy.

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provision

The childminder generally monitors the educational programmes satisfactorily to ensure that children make progress in their learning, although planning is not fully effective. She reviews her childminding provision sufficiently in order to improve and welcomes advice and support from local early years advisers. In order to ensure that children's good health and safety is addressed well, the childminder ensures that her first aid and food hygiene, as well as safeguarding knowledge, is kept up to date. Recommendations linked to self- evaluation and to observation, assessment and planning were raised at the time of the last inspection. The childminder has improved her practice in accordance with these, however, planning for learning remains an area that is not fully effective. The childminder identifies that her priority for improvement is to achieve an early years qualification at level 3 and attend training that will give her a greater awareness of how to provide for children who

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provision

have dietary needs. Required documentation is kept up-to-date in order to support children's safety and welfare. The childminder ensures that resources are well maintained.

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provision

The partnership with parents promotes children's needs well. The childminder is successful in obtaining information about each child's individual care needs from parents and in agreeing with them how they can work together to meet these needs. When the need arises she ensures that links with other early years providers address continuity of care and learning for children. A range of written policies are provided for parents and these contain required information and appropriately reflect the childminder's practice.

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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 224299 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 876403 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 10

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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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