Childminder in Essex

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17 March 2015 3 February 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

 The childminder has a good knowledge of how children learn. She provides a varied range of activities that covers the seven areas of learning, and includes valuable experiences for the children, so they make good progress.  The childminder forms warm, caring bonds with the children. She provides a welcoming, homely environment where they develop their confidence and feel happy, safe and emotionally secure.  The childminder supports children in developing their physical skills. She provides a good range of equipment for younger children to develop their crawling and walking skills. In addition, she provides a range of ride-on toys and physical games in the garden. This supports older children in developing the skills they will need for the school environment.  The childminder has formed successful partnerships with parents. She celebrates children's achievements with them, and encourages them to support their children's

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This provision is good

learning at home. Consequently, children are provided with a wide range of opportunities to make good progress.  The childminder's self-evaluation accurately highlights her strengths and areas for improvement. She regularly seeks the views of parents about her setting and effectively implements new knowledge she gains from training.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The childminder does not always liaise with the other early years settings the children attend; in order to form more sharply focussed assessments of the children's capabilities.  Children have fewer opportunities to see written print and to independently draw and write in their environment, in order to further develop their literacy skills.

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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

 strengthen the relationships with the other settings children attend, in order to provide more in-depth assessments of the children's capabilities  extend the use of signs and labels in the environment, and provide more areas where children can independently draw and write, to further support their growing interest in literacy.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the indoor and outdoor learning environments where children play, and viewed all areas of the home used for childminding purposes.  The inspector spoke to the childminder and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector carried out an evaluation of teaching with the childminder.  The inspector viewed the parents' feedback on questionnaires and testimonials.  The inspector looked at children's records, planning, and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures and evidence of the suitability of the childminder and other household members.

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who attend. This is good

The childminder regularly observes children in their play. She forms accurate assessments of their capabilities. The childminder then plans activities that are tailored to the children's individual interests and learning needs. As a result, they make good progress. Children are supported to acquire good language skills. The childminder engages the children in purposeful conversations. She extends their vocabulary by adding new words into activities, such as 'clockwise' and 'anticlockwise'. Children develop their imagination and problem-solving skills. They enjoy using the toy drills to pretend to fix the bicycles. They happily seek out the childminder to ask her questions and to show her what they have done. Children enjoy reading books, and have some activities provided to support early writing skills. However, there are fewer signs and labels in the environment for them to refer to. Areas where children can independently draw and write are not always available.

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who attend. This is good

As a result, children have fewer opportunities to develop their literacy skills even further.

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good

Children develop high levels of self-esteem. The childminder praises them regularly for their achievements. Children recently received certificates for being sensible and acting safely during a fire evacuation practice. Children are provided with healthy snacks and home-made meals. They take part in regular physical exercise, such as, running games in the garden and trips to the park and beach. Children develop their independence skills as they are encouraged to help tidy up toys and put on their own shoes. They develop an awareness of good hygiene, as the childminder reminds them to wash the germs off of their hands. Children follow clear boundaries. The childminder supports them to understand the affects their behaviour can have on others. Such support helps children prepare emotionally for coping with changes in their lives, such as moving on to school.

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provision is good

The childminder implements the learning and development requirements well and keeps children safe. She can identify the possible indicators of abuse and knows the appropriate action to take if she has concerns about a child. The childminder oversees children's progress well. She is able to identify when children need extra support to continue to make good progress. The childminder attends statutory training courses and other additional training when it is available. She is keen to attend further training on the revised curriculum, to further enhance the service she is providing. The childminder meets with other childminders regularly to share ideas about good practice. She also attends the local authority meetings to keep up to date with current guidance and legislation. The childminder has formed partnerships with some of the other settings the children attend. However, there are some that she has not shared information with, to further support and

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provision is good

enrich her assessments of children's learning and development.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 201979 Local authority Essex Inspection number 875080 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection 3 February 2009

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Telephone number

The childminder was registered in 1993 and lives in Harwich, Essex. She operates all year round, from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for 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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