Childminder in Darlington

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12 February 2015 7 May 2009

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 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 have their individual welfare needs met well as the childminder works with parents to gain information about their daily routines and individual requirements.  The childminder safeguards and promotes children's welfare effectively. She provides a safe, clean and welcoming learning environment that meets children's individual needs and helps them make good progress.  The childminder observes children closely on entry so that she has a good understanding of their starting points in order to plan future activities which are tailored to the needs of the individual children. This effectively supports children in making good progress towards the early learning goals.  The childminder demonstrates a positive attitude towards working with her local authority advisers to help her to develop her practice. This helps to support improvements within the setting and enhances opportunities for children.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Children's independence is not fully promoted due to the organisation of some of the childminder's resources.  The childminder has not fully extended her range of resources to provide children with regular opportunities to think more creatively through the use of natural materials and resources which can be used in a variety of different ways.

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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

 enhance children's independence by ensuring that resources are more easily accessible, to allow children to explore further and make independent choices about their play  enrich opportunities for children to think more creatively, by increasing the range of natural materials and resources which can be used in a variety of ways.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of the premises and observed children playing.  The inspector looked at children's learning and development records, a selection of policies and children's records.  The inspector spoke with the childminder and engaged with children at appropriate times throughout the inspection and conducted a joint observation with the childminder.  The inspector took account of the information provided in the childminder's self- evaluation document and through written parental comments provided through questionnaires.

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who attend. This is good

Children enjoy a wide range of activities that promote their development across all seven areas of learning. These reflect children's interests and are based on their next steps in learning. Teaching is consistent for all children. The childminder supports babies' communication and language skills well. She models language as they play, for example, reinforcing 'open' and 'close' as babies explore boxes. Children develop an early understanding of numbers as the childminder counts aloud as they play, for example, counting how many birds they can see. This supports children to make good progress and develop the skills they need for their next stage in learning. Children have opportunities to be creative, for example, through colouring and painting. However, opportunities to develop children's creative skills further by providing resources that can be used in a variety of ways, such as natural resources, are not routinely provided. The childminder has

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who attend. This is good

good relationships with parents. She regularly shares information about children's daily activities and they discuss the progress that children are making at home and in the setting. This helps to promote continuity in children's learning.

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good

Children have formed strong attachments to the childminder, this supports their emotional well-being. She provides a warm, welcoming and friendly environment where children are happy and settled. There is a good range of age-appropriate toys and resources which support children's learning. The childminder sets out a good selection of toys each day based on children's interests and next steps in learning; however, children have fewer opportunities to make independent choices about their play due to the organisation of the resources. The childminder promotes children's good health well, incorporating good hygiene practices, healthy eating and regular exercise into their daily routines. Children behave well in the childminder's care. This is because the childminder has a good understanding of age-appropriate behaviour management techniques. She is calm, provides children with meaningful praise and models good manners, for example, she says

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good

'please' and 'thank you' as children pass toys to her. Children learn how to keep safe as they practise fire drills and road safety with the childminder.

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provision is good

The childminder has a good understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has a secure understanding of child protection procedures and how to keep children safe. In addition, she has a good understanding of the procedures to follow in the event of an allegation being made against herself or a member of her family, including the importance of notifying Ofsted. The childminder maintains a good overview of the progress children are making through regular observations and assessments of children's learning. The childminder has completed the Ofsted self-evaluation form and seeks the views of parents to ensure continuous improvement.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 301050 Local authority Darlington Inspection number 876649 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 was registered in 2006 and lives in Hurworth. She operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays.

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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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