Childminder in Somerset

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/01/2015 20/07/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The childminder has an excellent understanding of children's individual interests and learning needs. This enables her to plan and provide an exceptionally broad range of fun activities that support all children in making rapid progress in their learning.  The childminder constantly engages in purposeful dialogue with the children, which encourages them to investigate, explore and solve problems and increases their language and communication skills greatly.  Children are very happy, confident and feel safe and secure due to the strong emotional attachments they build with the childminder and other children.  Activities and resources are extremely well organised and prepared for, enabling children to become increasingly independent and direct their own play and learning.  The childminder is highly professional. She constantly reviews and improves all aspects of her provision to ensure it is of the highest quality and fully supports children's care

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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 looked at children's assessment records and a sample of welfare records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder and children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the written feedback from parents and the provider's self-evaluation.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2006. She lives with her husband and three children in the village of Bishops Lydeard, close to Taunton in Somerset. All areas of the childminder's home are available for childminding, with care mainly provided on the ground floor, which includes a lounge and kitchen/diner. Rest and toilet facilities are available on the first floor. There is a rear garden available for outside play. The family have a pet dog. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 10 children on roll, 5 of whom are in the early years age group. The childminder holds a teaching qualification.

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

 provide more opportunities for children to talk about their own family.

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who attend

Children are making excellent progress in their learning due to the exceptionally high quality teaching they receive from the childminder. She provides children with an extremely wide range of fun activities and learning experiences that encourage them to explore, investigate and problem solve. During the inspection, the children played with the toy animals and dinosaurs. The childminder encouraged children to identify key features of the animals, using their hands to feel the texture of their skin and then using language to explain how they look and feel. They compared and estimated size and weight. The childminder taught children how to use their hands to judge which animal is heavier and which is lighter. The childminder had prepared the activity exceptionally well to enable children to extend their learning. Books about animals were easily accessible and used by children independently to find out if the animals live in hot or cold climates. The

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who attend

childminder pointed to the words in the book as she reads the unusual animal names. This increases children's range of vocabulary and makes children increasingly aware that print carries meaning. The childminder expertly adapts her plans and activities to suit children's interests. When children talked about the mud the animals might walk in, she suggested making muddy dough. Children excitedly ran to the larder to help the childminder to find the resources they needed and helped to recall the method they used, adding water and oil to the flour and squashing it with their hands. The childminder provides many opportunities for children to be creative and use their imaginations. When children identify they would like to do some painting, she helps them to find paper, brushes and paints and then leaves children to produce their own colours and designs. Children demonstrate high levels of concentration as they explore and investigate how they can create different

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who attend

colours as they mix the paints together. The childminder asks children about their paintings, which makes children feel very proud and reinforces their learning as they explain what they have done and how they have done it.

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who attend

Assessment arrangements are precise and enable the childminder to closely monitor children's progress and development. This means she can target children's individual learning needs through their play and successfully identify and narrow any gaps in their learning. All children receive the support they need to be very well prepared for the next stage in their learning. For example, the childminder teaches children simple techniques to manager their personal care needs. To help them put their gloves on indepdently, they say a rhyme that the childminder has taught them. 'In like a fish, out like a starfish,' they say as they pull their fingers close together and then open them up wide to fit into the gloves. This means that they are confident, capable, and ready to move on to school when this time comes.

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who attend

Parents are fully involved in children's learning. They receive daily information about the activities children are involved in, which means they are able to engage in discussions with the children at home. The childminder makes parents aware of children's learning folders, which they take home regularly. She encourages them to contribute their own observations of children's progress at home. This means the childminder considers all aspects of children's learning when planning for their next steps. The childminder shares summary assessments, including the required progress check for two-year-old children, with parents. This provides them with detailed picture of children's progress, any gaps in children's learning and their next steps.

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

Children settle exceptionally well in the childminder's welcoming home. They form strong bonds with the childminder, her family and other children attending. These secure emotional attachments help them feel relaxed, safe and secure, give them confidence to have a go, and become increasingly independent. Children are learning about boundaries with regards to behaviour. As well as this, the childminder teaches them strategies that enable them to sort out minor disagreements by themselves. For example, when children identify that another child isn't sharing with them, she asks them what they could do to encourage the other child to share. This means children learn skills to enable them to form good relationships. The childminder takes children to group activities, which helps them to build relationships with wider groups of adults and children. The childminder respects the individual preferences of children, responding positively to their requests. She sensitively

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

makes them aware of the individual needs of other children attending and members of her family. This helps children to learn to respect and value diversity. The childminder uses photographs of minded children throughout her setting, which gives them a strong sense of belonging. The childminder is aware of children's home lives and families. But she does not provide enough encouragement for children to talk or share news about this aspect of their lives, to increase their understanding of what makes them special.

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

The childminder provides an excellent range of well-maintained toys and resources for children to play with. These are generally stored to allow children easy access, enabling them to direct their own play and make choices. The introduction of real resources, such as saucepans in the mud kitchen, increases children's interest and involvement. The childminder uses her garden and local play areas and attractions extremely well to further enhance children's learning experiences. The childminder provides a broad range of equipment and many opportunities to develop children's physical skills. For example, they use the pull along toys indoors to help them balance and negotiate space. The childminder teaches children positive practices to support their own health and well-being. She adapts the snacks she provides to entice all children to try new things and follow a healthy diet. For example, children help to use the blender to create their own fruit smoothies,

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

The childminder places a high priority on keeping children safe. She constantly reviews safety and supervision arrangements. This helps to ensure children are as safe as possible when playing in her home or when on outings. She teaches children about boundaries and expectations, to help them learn how to adapt their behaviour to keep themselves safe. For example, she explains to them about road safety, and how they can stay safe when on outings. Efficient use of documentation, such as records of children's attendance and a visitor's book, add to children's ongoing safety.

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provision

The childminder has an excellent understanding of child development and uses this expert knowledge to support children's individual learning needs exceptionally well. She is highly professional, implementing effective practices and procedures to meet children's care needs and keep them safe and healthy. The childminder frequently reflects on the service she provides to ensure it is the best it can be. She evaluates all aspects of her provision and seeks feedback from children, parents and other early years professionals. This helps her to identify and address areas for improvement. The childminder regularly attends training to increase her skills and knowledge to benefit the children in her care. For example, she has attended training on schemas, which has led to improvements in the way she adapts activities to support individual children's learning styles. The childminder carefully monitors individual children's progress. This enables her to make sure that the

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provision

educational programmes are fully effective and provide children with a very broad range of experiences to support their learning.

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provision

The childminder has an excellent knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements for both learning and development and safeguarding and welfare. She is confident in the area of safeguarding and is able to identify signs and symptoms which may give cause for concern. She demonstrates a confident awareness of the procedure to follow should she have a concern, helping to ensure she is able to take prompt action to help keep children safe. She has a clear written policy regarding child protection, which she shares, along with all her other written policies, with parents. This means they are fully aware of her role and responsibilities. The childminder establishes strong relationships with parents. They receive detailed information through the daily diaries, and regular discussions with the childminder. This means that parents are fully involved and well informed about all aspects of their child's

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provision

care and learning. Parents are extremely happy with the service the childminder provides. They state that children are very happy to attend and benefit greatly from the wide range of learning opportunities the childminder offers. The childminder shares detailed information with local pre-schools that children also attend. This means that all those involved work together to provide children with consistent support for their learning and care 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 EY343488 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 828443 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 5 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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