Childminder in Newcastle upon Tyne

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/01/2015 06/05/2009

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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 and learning is good. Children make good progress in their learning and development because the childminder fosters their individual interests. He joins in their play and engages them in purposeful conversations to promote their language and thinking skills.  Children are happy and settled in a homely and welcoming environment. They have strong attachments to the childminder, who is very caring and attentive to their needs. This means that children's emotional development is supported well.  The childminder is well informed about safeguarding issues and completes robust risk assessments to ensure children are safe in his home and on outings.  Parents rate the service offered by the childminder highly. They particularly value the way they are included in their child's learning and development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not always maximise opportunities to encourage children, specifically boys, to engage in and practice further their already good early writing skills.  Partnership working with other early years providers is not yet highly effective. Consequently, opportunities to share information about children's learning to complement and support their development are not fully exploited.

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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 in the childminder's home.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder, co-childminder and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the childminder.  The inspector took account of the views of parents through their written references.

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Inspection activities

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the childminder's qualification and the suitability of all adults living and working in the home.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2002 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. He works as a co-childminder alongside his wife. They operate from their home, which is situated in Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne. The ground floor of the house is used for childminding, as well as a bathroom on the first floor. There is an enclosed rear garden for outside play. The childminder visits the shops and park on a regular basis. He collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently 10 children on roll, of whom six are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round, from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays.

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

 review more imaginative ways to enhance further the already good opportunities for children, especially boys, to make marks and practice early writing skills, for example, by adding clip boards, large sheets of paper and exciting writing and drawing resources

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

 enhance further the arrangements for sharing information and partnership working with other professionals to obtain a fuller picture of how they are working with children in order to fully support their learning and development.

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who attend

Children make good progress because the quality of teaching effectively supports their learning and development, and helps them to be ready for the next stage in their learning, such as school. The childminder undertakes regular observations of children during play and plans a broad range of purposeful activities around their interests. These are recorded in children's individual learning journals and are shared with parents to ensure that they are kept fully informed of their children's progress. In addition, the childminder obtains information from parents about their children's starting points and their learning and achievements at home. He is effective in using the information he gains from parents and his observations, to link to the planning of future activities. Consequently, children's progress is accurately assessed, which enables the childminder to provide experiences that consistently reflect their individual needs and challenge their abilities. The childminder is

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who attend

aware of the requirement to provide parents with a short, written summary of their child's development between the ages of two and three years old. He also has appropriate arrangements in place to share relevant information with parents, in order to seek additional support in closing any emerging gaps identified in children's learning.

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who attend

The childminder gives children's language and communication skills high importance, to underpin their future learning. He skilfully extends children's thinking and vocabulary through his interaction and effective questioning about what they are doing. For example, as children build a train track, he carefully poses questions, such as 'You tell me what you would use' and 'How do you think we can join them together?' Consequently, all children become confident communicators and begin to think critically. Furthermore, the childminder uses these spontaneous activities to effectively teach and develop children's awareness of colour, number, size and shape. As a result, children are gaining some of the necessary skills in readiness for school. Older children show growing confidence in early reading. For instance, a child picks up a toy and shows interest in the letters that are printed on it. The childminder builds on this and encourages the child to sound out the

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who attend

letters. This helps to foster children's early reading skills. However, this emerging interest in literacy, specifically for boys, is not fully exploited by the childminder. This is because he has not fully explored different ways in which to ignite their interest in mark making, to further develop and enhance their early writing and reading skills. The childminder provides children with good opportunities to take part in a wide range of physical activities. For example, they go on walks and visit local parks. This provides opportunities for children to balance, climb, run, jump and use small apparatus, promoting their physical development.

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

Detailed information is sought from parents at the beginning of the placement, to ensure that the childminder has a good understanding of the children's individual needs and how to offer appropriate care to them. For example, he finds out about young children's home routines, so he can provide continuity of care and emotional security. Settling-in routines are adapted for each child, so that they separate well from their parents and begin to develop a sense of belonging. As a result, children's emotional development is promoted well. Children's independence and freedom of choice are effectively supported because resources are plentiful and a good selection is easily accessible to them. The childminder is a good role model, explaining to children what is, and is not, acceptable behaviour. He discusses house rules and boundaries, so that children learn about what is expected of them. Children's achievements are acknowledged with lots of praise and frequently

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

celebrated with a 'high five' hand gesture. Consequently, children have high levels of confidence and self-esteem.

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

Children enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities. This, combined with a healthy diet and good hygiene routines, lays the foundations for children to adopt healthy lifestyle habits. Children visit the park, soft-play venues and toddler groups. This contributes to children's physical health and well-being and provides opportunities for children to socialise with others. Consequently, children are gaining valuable experiences for their future learning outside of the home, and this aids their transition to nursery or school. The childminder teaches children about safety by reinforcing the rules that keep them safe. For example, they are reminded why they should not run in the house and why they should use patrolled crossings when they are out and about. Consequently, children develop a good awareness of staying safe, both when indoors and outside.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of his role to effectively safeguard and protect children from harm. He works with a co-childminder and has a range of written policies and procedures that support his work with children. This includes the procedure to be followed if an allegation is made against him or his co-childminder. The childminder is clear on how he would share and report any concerns that he might have about children. He has completed e-learning training that helps him to identify the possible signs of abuse. This also ensures his ability to keep children safe. The childminder prioritises children's safety at all times and his home is child friendly and well organised. He keeps all areas safe through the use of ongoing visual and written risk assessments. This means that children can move freely and safely throughout the ground floor of his home. The childminder and his co-childminder place a high importance on following children's

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provision

interests and recognising their next steps in learning, and provide experiences accordingly. This results in children enjoying activities that are purposeful, relative to their current interests, and meet their emerging needs.

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provision

The childminder establishes positive relationships with parents. He spends time at the beginning and end of the day to exchange relevant information with parents. This friendly approach promotes an open and easy method of communicating between carers. The childminder shares children's record of achievement with parents and asks them to contribute their views. Parents are complementary about the quality of care their children receive and the activities and opportunities provided. They are confident that their children are happy, settled and make progress. The childminder has established generally good links with the local nursery, school and playgroup. They frequently exchange information about children's welfare; however, the childminder is not yet consistently sharing information about children's learning to fully complement and support their development. The childminder and co-childminder have developed effective systems to monitor and

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provision

evaluate their practice, and have used the Ofsted self-evaluation document to reflect on the strengths and areas for improvement. He successfully identifies improvements for the future, such as to invest in additional information technology resources to help develop children's skills in this area. The recommendation from the previous inspection has been improved upon. Consequently, planning and children's assessments are more focused and precise.

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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 EY234303 Local authority Newcastle Inspection number 869993 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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