Childminder in West Northamptonshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20 April 2015 3 May 2012

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Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Requires improvement The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Requires improvement The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Requires improvement The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 The quality of the childminder's teaching is variable and she does not always use information from her observations to accurately shape the children's further learning experiences. This means that the planning of activities is not always sharply focused on children's precise learning needs.  The childminder does not actively encourage parents to contribute to initial assessments of the children's starting points, in order to support and challenge children's learning and development from the start of the placement.  The childminder has not explored ways to share information with other providers about children's learning, in order to promote continual progression in their development.  The childminder does always provide a wide range of alternative activities and resources to support the needs of children who do not always wish to participate in planned activities. As a result, children are not always fully motivated and engaged in

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This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

their learning.  Self-evaluation procedures and processes to monitor the delivery of the educational programmes and assessments of children's learning and development are not sufficiently robust to identify and target areas for improvement.

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It has the following strengths

 The childminder develops kind and caring relationships with the children. This supports their sense of security and emotional well-being.  The childminder minimises hazards in her home and has a suitable understanding of safeguarding procedures. She attends child protection training and ensures her first-aid qualification is up to date. This supports children's safety and well-being.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 improve teaching skills and ensure ongoing assessment is consistently used to track children's progress and inform the planning of challenging activities that are fully matched to the children's learning needs, and therefore helps them to make good progress in their learning  improve procedures to seek further information from parents and other providers about children's achievements at home and other early years provision, in order to support a more precise planning and a collaborative approach to children's care and learning.

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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 activities and the range of accessible resources to further facilitate children's play and learning if they do not choose to participate in the planned adult-led activities  develop procedures for self-evaluation to ensure targets for improvement are based on rigorous monitoring of practice and enhance processes to monitor the delivery of the educational programmes, including the assessments of children's progress.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and routines in the childminder's lounge and dining room.  The inspector spoke to the childminder throughout the observations and spent time interacting with the children.  The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures.  The inspector discussed self-evaluation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of the childminder and other adults living within her home.

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who attend. This requires improvement

The childminder completes some observations of the children as they play and has a general overview of their development. However, she does not effectively use this information to fully extend individual children's learning. Consequently, not all activities are well planned to ensure children are suitably challenged to learn. The childminder's teaching is variable. She sometimes asks the children questions in quick succession and does not allow them time to think and respond for themselves. Nevertheless, children make some progress in their learning. The childminder encourages younger children to repeat single words and imitate animal sounds. Older children use language to talk about the biscuits they are making with the dough. They are beginning to understand that the marks they make on the chalk board carry meaning. The childminder encourages children to persevere as they complete puzzles. These skills support children's future learning in

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who attend. This requires improvement

readiness for school. The childminder obtains some information from parents about the children's interests at the start of the placement. However, procedures to seek more specific details about the children's learning and development at home are not sufficiently maximised.

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requires improvement

The childminder provides a welcoming and appropriately resourced environment. However, children do not always have sufficient opportunities to make independent choices about what resources they would like to play with. Children benefit from flexible settling-in procedures. They are happy and naturally approach the childminder for reassurance if they are feeling upset or unsure. Children's behaviour is managed appropriately, which promotes their understanding of right and wrong. They are gently reminded to be kind and caring towards one another. Children are encouraged to be physically active during trips to the park and soft play centres. They are provided with appropriate meals and snacks and have access to regular drinks, which ensures they remain hydrated. Children learn suitable hygiene practices, such as washing their hands after using the toilet.

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provision requires improvement

The childminder is beginning to make some evaluations of her provision. However, defined targets for improvement have not yet been established. Additionally, procedures to monitor the delivery of the educational programmes, including assessments of children's progress, are not sufficiently rigorous across all areas of their development. Consequently, any gaps in the children's learning or areas where they may need extra support are not always clearly identified. The childminder shares copies of her policies and procedures with the parents and written feedback states they are happy with the service provided. However, partnerships with other early years providers have not been established so that a more collaborate approach to children's care and learning is achieved.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY396757 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 859821 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 11 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 7

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Telephone number

The childminder was registered in 2009 and lives in the Rectory Farm area of Northampton. She operates all year round from 8am 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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