Masters Margaret

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/01/2015 27/07/2009

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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 childminder demonstrates a consistently good quality of teaching. She engages children in purposeful dialogue and adapts her techniques to include those learning to speak English as an additional language. This supports all children to progress well in their communication and language development.  The childminder has developed secure bonds with the children in her care and supports them to build relationships with others through the experiences that she provides. In addition, she uses positive behaviour management to fully support their well-being.  The childminder has established effective relationships with other professionals. These provide her with regular training opportunities and the ability to continually reflect upon the service that she provides.  Safeguarding measures are robust because the childminder is aware of all of her responsibilities to protect the welfare of children.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 On occasion, children are not consistently encouraged to do things for themselves, such as preparing their own snacks, to further promote their growing independence.  The childminder does not rigorously seek to gain the detailed views of all parents on a regular basis to further support her good reflective practice.

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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 children's activities indoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed adult-led activities and discussed the intentions and learning outcomes with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled the childminder's documentation including policies, a self- evaluation, training certificates and children's files.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents through recently completed questionnaires and a selection of written references.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector saw evidence of the suitability of all persons living on the premises and other documentation in relation to the safeguarding and welfare requirements.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1992 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and adult child in a house in Hemel Hempstead. The whole of the ground floor and an enclosed outdoor area are available for childminding. The family have two pet dogs. The childminder attends a variety of groups and other activities at the local children's centre. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis and takes children to and collects them from the local schools. There are currently nine children on roll, four of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She operates all year round, from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder provides early education for three- and four-year-old children and holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 3. She supports children who are learning to

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Information about the setting

speak English as an additional language.

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

 maximise opportunities for children to develop their skills for independence through everyday activities and tasks

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

 strengthen partnerships with parents even further by seeking the detailed feedback of all parents on a more regular basis to further support current monitoring practice.

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who attend

The childminder displays a secure knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage, and uses this understanding to implement a range of stimulating activities for the children to enjoy. Children access a wide range of resources as they self-select from the low-level storage boxes. For example, children enjoy role play using small-world figures to support their developing imagination and creativity. They press buttons on interactive toys as they explore cause and effect to make music and sounds. Children move in time to the beat, developing their rhythm and movement. This supports their physical development. The childminder demonstrates a good quality of teaching as she skilfully adapts adult-led activities to ensure that all children are equally involved. For example, she uses a variety of questioning techniques in line with her knowledge of each child's capability. She asks younger children to recall recent experiences to engage them in purposeful dialogue, while

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who attend

challenging older children to think critically with more precise questions. The childminder focuses on using clear pronunciation with children who are learning to speak English as an additional language, and allows them sufficient time to respond. Furthermore, she translates words and offers music in their home language to increase their confidence further. This encourages them to develop their speaking and listening skills effectively.

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who attend

The childminder supports children to follow instructions and work in group situations. This helps them to listen and negotiate their relationships with others. She teaches children the early stages of mathematics, as she supports them to count using numbers during everyday activities. For example, children count how many penguins there are during an activity about winter. Furthermore, the childminder helps them to match and sort items of clothing to dress their penguins. The childminder relates the activity to children's own experiences and encourages them to suggest what they would need to wear in colder weather. This supports children in beginning to consider and manage their own personal needs. The variety of activities and experiences provided by the childminder prepare children well for the next stage in their learning.

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who attend

Partnerships with parents are effective as the childminder uses daily discussion to involve them in all areas of their children's learning. Recent feedback from some parents suggests that they are well informed of the progress their children have made. Furthermore, written references received detail how happy they are with the care provided. However, the childminder does not rigorously gather the detailed views of all parents on a regular basis to further support her effective monitoring systems. The childminder carries out regular observations of children, and uses these to determine each child's next steps for learning. She completes regular assessments and combines these findings with the input of parents and outside agencies. This helps her to establish accurate starting points and future plans for each child. This means that the childminder tailors activities to ensure that all children improve consistently over time and any identified gaps in learning close quickly. Parents

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who attend

are kept fully informed of the activities children take part in as they regularly take home their children's files and can, therefore, extend their learning at home.

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

Children enjoy their time with the childminder. They seek and gain comfort and reassurance as needed. This demonstrates how secure attachments have developed. Children store and access their personal belongings from a designated area. This provides them with a sense of belonging in the home and supports their emotional development. The childminder helps children to settle quickly in her care as she offers a number of settling-in sessions prior to their start. She gathers information from parents, such as individual care needs and activities that their children enjoy, which she refers to during this time. This helps to ensure a smooth move between their home and the childminders, and provides continuity in the care that children receive. Furthermore, children starting on the day of the inspection demonstrated that they are already familiar with the daily routines and know what comes next. This supports their personal, social and emotional

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

The childminder teaches children to behave well as she demonstrates a consistent approach in relation to her expectations. For example, the childminder lowers herself to the children's level and maintains eye contact as she uses a calm tone to explain why some forms of behaviour are unacceptable. Furthermore, the childminder talks to the children about how other children may feel. This supports them to recognise and respond to the needs of others, further supporting their developing relationships with their peers. In addition, the childminder involves all children in celebrating a variety of cultural traditions. This helps them to familiarise themselves on the similarities and differences of others. As a result, children learn how to treat everyone with equal concern in readiness to move on to school. The childminder offers children regular praise as they take turns or achieve their goals, raising their self-esteem. She encourages children to learn about their

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

personal safety. For example, she reminds children to sit at the table or they may fall and not to eat the glue that they use. In addition, she sensitively ensures that children do not talk to people unknown to them, without inhibiting their ability to talk more confidently with others and achieve their next steps. This supports children's awareness of how to keep themselves safe from harm.

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

Children learn to be healthy as the childminder provides a well-balanced, nutritious menu for them to enjoy. This includes a variety of pasta and meat dishes. The childminder adapts meals to suit the individual dietary requirements of children and provides information upon request, detailing the ingredients that she uses. In the summer, children helped the childminder to plant and grow a selection of vegetables. This supported them to further understand how to make healthy food choices. Children enjoy regular fruit selections, such as grapes, banana, kiwi and orange. However, on occasion, the childminder misses opportunities to maximise children's developing independence as she prepares the snacks for them while they wait. In addition, she offers them wipes to wash their hands, in place of using the downstairs sink. This reduces opportunities for children to do things for themselves. Nonetheless, she does encourage children to regularly wash

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

their hands before all mealtimes, to support a safe-hygiene practice. The childminder also ensures that she washes her own hands after carrying out all care practices. This reduces the risk of cross-contamination. The childminder ensures children have regular access to fresh air and exercise, as she walks them to and from school each day and uses the local parks to promote their physical skills further.

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provision

The childminder meets all of the safeguarding and welfare requirements well. For example, she ensures children are safe in their environment, as she uses a padlock to secure the back gate and prevents independent access to the front door. She also completes daily risk assessments and removes any identified hazards. In addition, all adults living in the home have received full suitability checks. This helps to safeguard children. The childminder is aware of her responsibilities, in line with child protection, and she is able to identify indications that a child may be suffering from abuse or harm. She knows the procedure to follow if she has a concern for any child in her care, or if an allegation is made against herself or other household member. The childminder involves children in a regular fire evacuation drill to help them know what to do in the event of an emergency. She also ensures that her first-aid training is regularly updated to help her

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provision

The childminder maintains all the required policies and has clear procedures on the use of mobile phones, cameras and other technology. For example, she limits the use of electronic devices children bring from home and ensures that no internet access is available. Furthermore, she gains permission from the parents to take and use photographs to document children's progress. The childminder monitors the educational programmes as she regularly assesses children's skills, knowledge and abilities accurately. She uses this information to identify any areas where children are not making progress at expected levels. In addition, she regularly reviews the learning and development requirements through the close network of other professionals she has developed contact with. These help her to keep herself up to date with any relevant changes to the childcare sector. These links also provide her with access to specialist support if needed for any

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provision

The childminder uses self-evaluation to help identify her priorities for improvement. The current action plan includes planned improvements to the outdoor area in order to safely use this all year round. The childminder has successfully addressed the previous recommendation and, subsequently, includes all areas of her provision within her evaluation. The childminder has an effective professional development plan in place and completes regular training to support continuous improvement. Consequently, she maintains the consistent quality of teaching that she provides. Recent courses, to support her ongoing quality, have included observation and assessment and the characteristics of effective learning. The childminder values the input of parents and welcomes the feedback that they provide. However, apart from daily discussion and occasional questionnaires, the childminder has not yet managed to regularly involve all parents in the process to further

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provision

support her consistent reflective practice. The childminder talks to the children about activities that they particularly enjoyed and involves them within future planning. This is especially child-focused during the holiday periods and, equally, includes the views of all children to maintain their enjoyment.

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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 129488 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 874835 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 9

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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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