Childminder in North Northamptonshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 1 July 2015 16 December 2009

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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 childminder 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 precisely focused on children's individual learning needs and stage of development.  The quality of the childminder's teaching is variable. As a result, activities and questioning techniques do not consistently challenge children's thinking and curiosity.  The childminder does not have an adequate understanding of, and has not reviewed children's progress between the ages of two and three years, in order to support their development and identify areas where extra support may be required.  The childminder does not always make the best use of the available resources to further stimulate children's ideas and imaginations as they play.  Procedures to monitor the delivery of the educational programmes, including the

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

assessments of children's learning and development are not sufficiently rigorous and self-evaluation is not used effectively to clearly identify and target areas for improvement.

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It has the following strengths

 The childminder is aware of her responsibilities to protect children from abuse and neglect. She works from her co-childminder's premises and is able to demonstrate what steps have been taken to ensure the environment is safe and secure.  The childminder has affectionate relationships with the children and shows them that she enjoys their company. This effectively supports children's emotional 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

 make better use of observations to plan activities which provide more challenge and build on children's interests so that they make good progress across all areas of learning  improve teaching skills, for example, by developing more robust questioning techniques and encouraging children to explore their own ideas  improve understanding of the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years, in order to provide parents and/or carers with a short written summary of their children's development in the prime areas of their 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

 review the deployment of resources to increase children's choices and remind them of additional resources stored elsewhere, for example, by creating a pictorial catalogue of resources  develop self-evaluation to identify and address areas for improvement, including procedures to monitor the delivery of the educational programmes and assessments of children's progress.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities and routines in the indoor areas and garden.  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 reviewed evidence of suitably of the childminder.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and from documentation completed by them.

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who attend. This requires improvement

The childminder does not always build on the children's ideas and interests as they play. She occasionally pronounces letter sounds to children incorrectly and does not always enable children to express their own creatively during craft activities. The childminder makes some observations of the children. However, she does not clearly assess what they need to do next. Consequently, the planning of activities is not always effective in matching activities to the children's individual needs, in order to build on what they already know and can do. In addition, the childminder has not completed a written progress check when children are aged between two and three years. Nonetheless, children have fun and enjoy their time in the childminder's care, in readiness for school. They make some progress in their learning and development because the childminder knows them well and offers positive, friendly support. The childminder reads stories to the

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who attend. This requires improvement

children and encourages them to sing rhymes. She readily engages children in conversation and introduces new vocabulary, such as 'straight' and 'curly' as they talk about their face and hair.

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requires improvement

Children are cared for in a suitable and appropriately resourced environment. However, they do not always have sufficient opportunities to make independent choices about what resources they wish to play with. Furthermore, resources provided to support craft activities are sometimes limited. The childminder holds a current first-aid certificate, which enables her to treat children appropriately after minor accidents. She supports children to manage their own feelings and to play cooperatively together. Children are taught to cross the road safely during trips to the local park and enjoy being physically active on the play equipment. They are becoming increasing independent in their self-care skills, such as washing their hands at appropriate times during the day. Children enjoy fresh fruit for their snack and freely access their bottles of water which ensures they do not get thirsty.

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provision requires improvement

The childminder has experience and has provided care for children for a number of years. However, she has not attended additional training to update her existing knowledge for some time. This has led to weaknesses in the overall quality of the provision, including the quality of teaching. The childminder discusses daily practice and policies and procedures with her co-childminder. They are beginning to use self-evaluation to reflect on the quality of the service provided. However, to date this has had minimal impact on the overall effectiveness of the provision. Furthermore, processes to review children's learning, enabling her to track their progress over time, including any gaps in their development are not sufficiently robust. The childminder develops appropriate relationships with parents and other providers.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY241001 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 870096 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 13

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection 16 December 2009

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Telephone number

The childminder was registered in 1990 and works from her co-childminder's house in the village of Weldon, Northamptonshire. She operates all year round from 7.30am to 5pm, 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

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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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