Childminder in Northumberland

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18 June 2015 10 June 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 has good teaching skills and a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She provides interesting and challenging experiences that meet the needs of children.  Children have strong attachments to the childminder, who is very caring and attentive to their needs. This has a significant impact on children's confidence, growing independence and motivation to learn.  Children's language development is given a high priority by the childminder. She is skilled in using conversation to promote children's thinking and listening, and encouraging children to express themselves.  The childminder has a good understanding of safeguarding and how to promote the health and safety of children in her care. She has assessed the risks to her premises well and has minimised these so children are able to use all areas safely.  The childminder demonstrates a good commitment to making ongoing improvements to

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This provision is good

the quality of care and learning for children.  The childminder has a good relationship with parents and local schools. They share information regularly that enables them to work together to provide consistency of learning and care.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Children do not always have enough opportunities to develop their natural curiosity and imagination.  The childminder does not always make the most of the outdoor environment to provide children with opportunities to investigate and explore.

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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

 enrich young children's opportunities for developing their creativity and imagination, for example, by providing natural objects and everyday items that can be used in a variety of ways  enhance the outdoor learning environment and use it more effectively to expand children's learning experiences, for example, by adding more resources to encourage investigation and exploration of the natural world.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the childminder's kitchen, lounge, playroom and garden.  The inspector held discussions with the children and the childminder at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the childminder.  The inspector looked at a range of records including children's details, learning information, written policies, planning, risk assessments, training certificates and a selection of other documents.  The inspector took account of the views of parents from written statements.

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who attend. This is good

Children benefit from a varied range of activities and are supported well by the childminder, which helps them to make good progress in their learning and development. The childminder uses her good knowledge of the seven areas of learning to provide stimulating activities that capture children's interests. For example, children use animal puppets to help tell a story when sharing their favourite stories with the childminder. The childminder regularly observes and assesses children's learning and plans for the next steps in their development. Children have good opportunities to develop their physical skills when they play outside. However, outdoor activities do not always encourage children to use their senses to investigate and explore the natural world around them. Children enjoy participating in imaginary play as they use a range of small-world and construction resources. However, at times, younger children are unable to engage in deep

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who attend. This is good

levels of active learning. This is because they cannot always access resources that can be used, moved and combined in a variety of ways to further develop their creativity and imagination.

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good

The childminder has a warm and calm manner. She treats children with kindness and respect, and acts as a positive role model for them. Consequently, children are happy and content in her care. A welcoming, homely environment is provided with clean, age- appropriate and well-maintained toys and equipment. The childminder offers frequent praise for children's good efforts and encourages them to share and take turns. She calmly communicates her clear expectations of behaviour to children and, consequently, children's behaviour is very good. The childminder gently encourages children to take measured risks. For example, children run, jump, climb and balance when they play outside. The childminder helps children to develop the necessary skills in preparation for school. For example, children are widely independent as they put on their coats and shoes and tend to their own care needs. The childminder provides healthy, balanced snacks and

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good

meals that promote children's good health and meets their individual dietary needs.

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provision is good

The tracking of children's progress is effective, and is used to identify any gaps in children's learning. The childminder continually reviews the activities and experiences she offers children to ensure they reflect their interests and stage of development. Areas for further development are identified, taking account of the views of parents and children. Arrangements for safeguarding children within the provision are good. The childminder knows how to identify and report concerns that she may have about a child in her care. The childminder holds a relevant early years qualification at level 3 that gives her a good understanding of how children learn and enables her to teach effectively. This has a significant impact on the quality of children's learning and development. Written comments from parents are positive and demonstrate they value the childminder's service.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 301718 Local authority Northumberland Inspection number 867325 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 9

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection 10 June 2010

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Telephone number

The childminder was registered in 2000. She lives in Cramlington, Northumberland. The childminder cares for children on weekdays from 7.30am to 5.30pm during term time. She holds a childcare qualification equivalent to 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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