Roper, Elaine

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 9 April 2015 21 March 2011

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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 enthusiastic learners who enjoy a range of well-planned activities. The childminder tailors activities to the needs of each child and is skilful in adapting these to keep children engaged and motivated. Children of all ages make good progress because of her carefully targeted planning and individual attention.  The childminder has a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and takes effective action to ensure that risks are minimised. This means that children are safe and secure while in her care.  The childminder supports children to develop good communication and language skills. They are articulate and confident during their play and interactions with adults.  The childminder makes good use of toddler groups, outings and visits in the local community to enhance children's learning experiences. Therefore, children have good opportunities to socialise with their peers and to learn about the world in which they

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This provision is good

live.  Children's independence skills are promoted very well. Children of all ages manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs, age appropriately. The childminder encourages them to put on their coats and shoes and to make their own sandwiches for lunch.  The childminder's relationships with parents are good. Parents comments about the quality of service and care are overwhelmingly positive. They appreciate the homely environment, the excellent childcare and the wide range of learning activities.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The childminder does not provide an environment rich in print. This sometimes limits children's development of early reading and literacy skills.  The childminder is not currently maximising opportunities to undertake training aimed at building on the already good teaching and learning for all children. This means that she is not always able to ensure children's progress is as rapid as possible.

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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

 build on the children's interest in letters and text by, for example, displaying the alphabet and more printed words both indoors and in the garden  find training opportunities aimed at further improving practice and outcomes for children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed all areas used by children.  The inspector observed the childminder playing and interacting with the children.  The inspector spoke to the childminder and children throughout the inspection as appropriate.  The inspector looked at planning documentation and children's assessment records.  The inspector looked at a sample of records and policies relating to children's welfare, health and safety. She also checked evidence of suitability of the childminder and other people living at the premises.  The inspector took account of the written views of parents and carers included in the childminder's documentation.

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who attend. This is good

The childminder has a secure understanding of how children learn and teaching is good. She uses observations, assessments and tracking effectively to identify and target children's next steps in learning. As a result, the childminder knows each child very well. She creates resources and plans activities that she knows will interest them and provide challenge. For example, she uses a set of numbered cars and a home-made cardboard box car park, with marked, numbered and colour-coded spaces to teach counting, number recognition, matching and colours. Older children can count and recognise numbers to five and name common colours. They delight in parking the cars in the right spot and matching up the colours and numbers. The childminder encourages younger children to use their 'counting finger' to see how many pieces of sandwich they have cut. The childminder prepares children well for the next stage in their learning, such as school. She

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who attend. This is good

does so by developing their independence and skills in literacy and numeracy. However, the childminder does not have many examples of text in the playroom or garden. Therefore, the environment is not rich in print to fully promote the development of early literacy skills.

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good

The childminder provides a welcoming environment for the children where they feel comfortable and secure. She is a very positive role model who reinforces good behaviour through basic house rules and plenty of praise and encouragement. Consequently, children understand behaviour expectations and develop positive values. This develops their self-esteem and confidence and promotes their emotional well-being. Children are able to enjoy outdoor play in all weathers under the newly built canopy or out on the lawn. The childminder helps them to understand why exercise is important to keep them healthy and teaches them how to keep themselves safe. She promotes children's understanding of healthy lifestyles by providing a wide range of healthy snacks and meals. The childminder encourages children to share and be kind. This helps them to develop positive attitudes to others.

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provision is good

The childminder has a relevant childcare qualification, which means that children benefit from her specialist knowledge and understanding about the early years. In addition, she attends network meetings at the local children's centre and keeps up to date via specialist websites. However, the childminder does not attend additional professional training to further improve her knowledge and understanding and to support children to reach the highest levels of attainment. The childminder evaluates her service, reflecting on her strengths and areas that she wants to further improve. Future development plans are realistic and enhance children's learning. The childminder works in partnership with parents and other professionals. This supports children's care and learning, so their individual needs are met.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY347439 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 873457 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 3

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection 21 March 2011

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Telephone number

The childminder was registered in 2007 and lives in Watford. She operates all year round from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder has an appropriate early years qualification at level 3.

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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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