Gordon Alison

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 February 2015 8 July 2009

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is good

 Children are happy and settled in the childminder's care. They display warm and affectionate relationships with the childminder, demonstrating high levels of self-esteem as they are treated with genuine warmth and respect.  Children make good progress in their learning and development. They are well prepared for the next stage in their learning, such as school, as they are provided with a wide range of experiences and activities that help them develop key skills in communication and self-care.  The childminder has a robust understanding of her role and responsibility to safeguard children. She knows how to respond to any concerns about a child's welfare and provides a safe and secure environment, where hazards to children are effectively minimised.  Partnerships with parents and other professionals involved with the children are well established. This helps to ensure continuity in children's care and learning, which in

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This provision is good

turn helps children to make good progress.  The childminder is committed to providing good quality care and education. She shares good practice ideas with other childminders and regularly monitors children's progress to ensure her educational programmes are effective.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The childminder does not always seize opportunities to fully exploit children's enthusiasm for learning during adult-led activities. She is sometimes too focused on completing an activity and misses opportunities to extend children's enjoyment and make activities more imaginative, rich and varied.  Children's understanding of how to keep themselves safe and healthy is not maximised as the childminder does not always provide full explanations about why they need to follow routines and rules.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 extend learning opportunities by responding enthusiastically to children's comments, encouraging them to explore their own ideas and interests during adult-led activities  reinforce children's already good understanding of health and safety routines by providing them with more indepth explanations of why such routines are important.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed all areas of the home used for childminding and also checked the outdoor learning environment.  The inspector observed children at play in the lounge and kitchen, and undertook a focused observation of an activity led by the childminder.  The inspector checked evidence of the childminder's suitability to work with children, her qualifications and a range of policies and procedures.  The inspector spoke with parents and children present at the inspection and took account of written accounts provided by other parents.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation, and discussed the childminder's practice with her at appropriate times during the inspection.

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who attend. This is good

Children are making good progress because the childminder understands how to promote children's learning effectively and demonstrates good teaching skills. For example, children are encouraged to follow a dough recipe, pointing to what they need next on the recipe card as they go. This helps them to recognise that print carries meaning. Children express their creative skills as they make pirate hats and communicate confidently as they talk about 'walking the plank'. Activities are well planned and provide challenge across the seven areas of learning. However, the childminder is sometimes too focused on completing adult-led activities and misses opportunities to fully harness children's enthusiasm for learning. For example, children express curiosity about the different utensils they are using to make dough but are not given the time to explore the difference between wooden and metal spoons. Similarly, when reading a story, children are keen to

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who attend. This is good

discuss pirates in the pictures but do not always receive sufficient encouragement to explore their ideas. Parents are provided with resources, such as nursery rhyme bags, to build on their children's learning at home. They share information with the childminder through the excellent 'activity books' which detail their child's ongoing achievements.

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good

Children form strong bonds with the childminder and are emotionally secure. The childminder works in partnership with parents on a range of issues, such as toileting and feeding, ensuring a consistent approach is taken to help children progress. For example, she agrees strategies with parents to manage fussy eaters. Children enjoy home-cooked meals and healthy snacks, such as fresh fruit and toast. They have daily access to the well-resourced garden where they increase their physical skills as they climb and balance on the equipment. Children are developing an understanding about how to keep themselves safe and healthy. They wash their hands before meals and know how to handle scissors correctly. However, the childminder does not always maximise their understanding as she does not reinforce these practices with clear explanations of why it is important to keep to these routines and rules.

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provision is good

The childminder understands her responsibilities in meeting the learning and development requirements, and keeping children safe. She keeps all required records accurately and shares these with parents so that they are always aware of the care their children have received. The home is secure and risks to children are minimised through the use of safety equipment, such as stairgates. The childminder attends regular training events to update her already good knowledge of childcare practice. The childminder also oversees the practice of her assistant and ensures that he also accesses training, such as paediatric first aid. Positive relationships with the local school are in place. The childminder uses the same approach to teaching phonics and links in with the school's termly topics to help children make the best possible progress in their learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 224479 Local authority Stoke on Trent Inspection number 866168 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 6

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Telephone number

The childminder registered in 2001. She lives in Milton, Stoke-on-Trent. The provision operates all year round, Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 5.30pm, with the exception of family holidays. The childminder has a level 3 qualification. She occasionally works with an assistant.

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Telephone number

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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Telephone number

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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Telephone number

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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Telephone number

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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