Childminder in Hertfordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 2 July 2015 16 September 2008

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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 quality of teaching is of a very high standard and, at times, outstanding. The childminder has high expectations of herself and the children, which helps them to reach their highest levels of achievement.  The childminder actively gains the support of all those involved with the children. She follows guidance offered by other professionals and locates resources to support and include children who have special educational needs and/ or disabilities. This includes the use of visual displays, sign language and adapting activities to follow the children's lead.  The childminder draws on her recent training about communication to sharply focus on children's speech and language skills. For example, she provides a home-made box of surprises to initiate discussion. Children eagerly use the speakerphone to talk in a loud, clear voice about their discoveries.  Children are clear about expectations of behaviour and the use of good manners. They

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This provision is good

follow instructions with ease, such as sharing toys and listening to their friends. This helps children to work cooperatively as part of a group and value the contributions of others.  Safeguarding measures are robust as the childminder ensures the premises remain secure. She has a secure knowledge about the procedures to follow should she have any concerns about the welfare of a child in her care.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 On occasion, the childminder assesses the risk for older children and does not fully encourage them to determine these for themselves.  The childminder does not consistently use all available opportunities to promote children's awareness of healthy eating. Therefore, she does not fully develop their understanding of healthy lifestyles.

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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

 maximise the opportunities for more-able children to learn about keeping themselves safe, for example, by involving them more in the process of risk assessment  strengthen opportunities to develop children's awareness of healthy eating to contribute towards their understanding of leading healthy lifestyles.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's activities indoors and during the snack and lunch time routines.  The inspector observed adult-led activities and discussed the intentions and learning outcomes with the childminder.  The inspector sampled the childminder's documentation including policies, a self- evaluation form, training certificates and children's learning journals.  The inspector took account of the views of parents through recently completed questionnaires and a selection of written references.  The inspector saw evidence of the suitability of all adults living on the premises and other documentation in relation to the safeguarding and welfare requirements.

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who attend. This is good

The childminder uses her expert knowledge of the learning and development requirements to offer children a wide variety of rich and imaginative experiences. For example, children use magnifying glasses to investigate the features of bugs. They eagerly join in with related stories that the childminder provides. The childminder works closely with the other settings children attend to follow current topics. This highly supports continuous learning for each child. In addition, she prepares children exceptionally well for school. For example, children requiring extra support with their mobility are now eager to run with other children their age. This is following specialised activities to strengthen their muscles, such as regular visits to a soft-play centre. The childminder includes numbers and shapes in everyday activities that children recognise exceedingly well. In addition, she offers a multitude of activities for children to practise their early writing skills. Children write and

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who attend. This is good

post their own letters and enjoy threading different materials. Assessment at all ages is precise. The childminder uses these to secure timely support and identify further relevant training to ensure gaps in learning close rapidly. Parents are fully involved at every stage of children's development through a range of highly successful strategies. They comment on the exceptional progress their children have made in their learning and development.

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good

Children have developed affectionate bonds with the childminder and gain comfort and reassurance as they need. They thrive on the quality of individual care that they receive and quickly become self-assured and gain confidence in new surroundings. Children demonstrate their self-help skills as they prepare their own food at mealtimes and drink from specially adapted cups. However, the childminder does not use every opportunity to talk to children about the nutritious choices she offers and how these can benefit a healthy lifestyle. Children receive regular praise for their achievements in the form of 'wow' moments, which are placed on display. This raises their self-esteem. Children learn to keep themselves safe as the childminder provides high-visibility jackets to wear on outings and talks to them about road safety. However, on occasion, more-able children are not always encouraged to identify and determine some risks for themselves.

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provision is good

The enthusiastic childminder strives to continually improve the service that she provides and has successfully addressed her previous recommendation. She now meticulously reviews and evaluates children's learning programmes and their overall progress. This helps her to ensure that they receive optimal challenge and make the best possible progress. The childminder uses self-evaluation effectively to determine her priorities for improvement. For example, the outdoor space is currently being redeveloped so that it may be used to its maximum potential by all children. In addition, future plans are to extend her training programme even further, with the aim of maintaining and enhancing the high-quality practice that she has achieved.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 149476 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 874964 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 16 September 2008

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Telephone number

The childminder was registered in 1998 and lives in Royston. She operates all year round from 7am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder provides funded early education to three- and four-year-old children and supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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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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