Childminder in Hertfordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27 April 2015 27 April 2010

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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 effectively promotes young children's physical development. She ensures they have space to move around, toys to push and furniture they can use to pull themselves up to standing.  Children's literacy development is good, as the childminder shares regular stories with them. Children enjoy telling stories to the childminder and show a good understanding of how to gain information from the pictures. They read the stories with confidence and expression.  Children enjoy creative activities linked to topics and their interests. For example, the childminder sources appropriate creative activities for children to make caterpillars using their fingerprints to make segments of the body. They count how many prints there are and discuss 'long' and 'short'.  Children's sense of well-being and belonging is strong, because the childminder forms secure emotional attachments with them. She works extremely closely with parents to

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This provision is good

ensure that she has a wealth of knowledge about each individual child. This contributes to children feeling very settled and secure.  The childminder demonstrates an excellent understanding of how to protect and safeguard children. Through the implementation of effective policies and procedures, she actively promotes children's safety and welfare.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 On occasions, the childminder does not always give children sufficient thinking time, in order for them to answer her questions or to work things out for themselves.

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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 good thinking skills even more, for example, by giving them more time to think things through, in order to find their own solutions.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the childminder engaging in activities with the children and discussed the learning that was taking place.  The inspector viewed the areas of the premises and garden used for childminding.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of household members and a range of other documents, including the safeguarding policy.  The inspector took account of information from parents as recorded in written documents.

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who attend. This is good

The quality of teaching is good because the childminder understands the stages of development and interests of each child. She provides a range of activities which effectively challenge children. For example, the younger children enjoy pressing buttons on toys and dance to the music they make. The childminder supports the older children's interest in numbers very well. For example, she has made number pots and provides shiny pebbles for them to sort and count. Children show a high level of skill as they put the corresponding number of pebbles into each numbered pot. These effective activities ensure children are developing the skills they need for moving on to school. However, on occasions, the childminder does not always give the older children sufficient time to think before they answer her questions. The childminder regularly observes and assesses children's learning. She shares these assessments frequently with parents and discusses

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good

Children have formed secure attachments with the childminder, and as a result, they feel safe to explore their environment. The childminder gathers information about children's individual needs from parents when she first starts caring for them. This helps her to cater for any particular needs, such as dietary requirements. The childminder is aware of the signs that children are becoming tired. She knows the routine they like to follow to settle them comfortably for sleep. The childminder supports children exceptionally well to develop the skills that they need to adopt a healthy lifestyle. They are provided with nutritious snacks and meals each day. Older children use their good independence skills to make their own sandwiches and thoroughly enjoy eating them. The childminder's use of the garden and nearby parks enables children to have fantastic fun and provides wonderful opportunities for running, exploring and climbing.

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provision is good

The childminder has a secure knowledge of how to keep children safe. She regularly reviews risks in the environment and on outings. The childminder is committed to promoting good quality provision for children. She evaluates what is working and what she needs to improve. For example, she has recently decided to use the downstairs area more frequently. Consequently, the younger children have more space to develop their early mobility skills. She uses discussions with parents to seek their views on the service she offers. The childminder sources appropriate professional development opportunities through accessing training and sharing with other childminders. These activities have a positive impact on her practice. She monitors children's progress through her assessments of their learning and she shares these with parents through discussion. The childminder maximises opportunities to build relationships with all providers of the Early Years

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provision is good

Foundation Stage, where children attend other settings. As a result, consistency of learning is optimised for all these children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY401163 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 850335 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 11 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection 27 April 2010

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Telephone number

The childminder was registered in 2009 and lives in St Albans. She operates all year round from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Wednesday, 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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