Childminder in Cambridgeshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 5 August 2015 14 October 2010

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is outstanding

 The childminder has an excellent understanding of effective teaching methods. She questions children expertly to make them think and gives them time and space for independent exploration. This helps children to be exceptionally confident and active learners.  The childminder gives children small tasks to do that make them feel valued, such as chopping fruit for lunch or fetching another child's shoes. They bask in her warm praise and feel a real sense of achievement.  The childminder is highly ambitious and committed to professional development. She attends a broad range of training events that helps her to improve the provision and achieve outstanding outcomes for all children.  Excellent partnerships with parents, carers and other professionals help to ensure that children's individual needs are exceptionally well met. Parents are delighted with the care their children receive.  Children are extremely well prepared for school. They are sociable and confident

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This provision is outstanding

around others, with an exceptional understanding of kind and caring behaviour. They communicate confidently, thoroughly enjoy learning to write and listen eagerly to stories.  Children benefit from frequent outings and walks. They have a well-developed understanding of their local community and have excellent opportunities to learn how other people live.

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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

 make more use of the garden to expand on children's understanding of healthy foods they can grow and the life cycles of plants and animals.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the childminder and the children during their activities.  The inspector spoke with the childminder and the children at convenient times during the inspection. A planned activity was observed and discussed.  A range of documentation was looked at, including some policies and procedures, evidence of suitability of the household members, children's learning records and the childminder's self-evaluation.  The views of parents were taken account of through surveys, testimonials and comments in their children's learning records.

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who attend. This is outstanding

The childminder has an excellent understanding of how children learn. She provides children with exceptional support during their play, taking all opportunities to enrich their learning experiences. Children develop mathematical skills particularly well. The childminder questions them skilfully, asking them to speculate which is the heavier object on the balancing scales. As older children direct a radio controlled vehicle, they demonstrate a keen sense of backwards and forwards, and left and right. The childminder encourages children to develop to their strengths and has high expectations of them. With her expert support very young children extend their language skills extremely well. Older children are articulate and express themselves clearly. They confidently explain the differences between giraffes and camels and that the letter, 'M' stands for, 'Mummy'.

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outstanding

Children are developing excellent independence skills as they make their choices from the vast range of resources. They play active games in the garden and test out their increasing physical confidence on large equipment at local parks. The childminder provides children with plentiful materials so they can explore their senses, such as rice, sand, water and shaving foam. Children have opportunities to plant and grow flowers in the garden and watch them develop. However, there is capacity to increase the use of the garden to enhance children's knowledge of healthy foods and life cycles. The childminder teaches children about hygiene and safe practice as, for example, they feed the pet rabbits. The childminder quickly gets to know the children very well. She has extremely close emotional bonds with them and they clearly feel very secure.

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provision is outstanding

The childminder is well qualified, experienced and highly motivated. She makes ongoing evaluations of her provision by gathering the views of parents and children. The childminder confidently implements improvements, such as utilising a software program to communicate effectively with parents. This enables her to instantly update parents on their child's daily activities and well-being, and receive their contributions. The childminder constantly assesses children's progress and provides frequent summaries of their achievements. These are shared with parents and other settings the children attend to ensure continuity of care and learning. Children's safety is assured because the childminder has an excellent understanding of safeguarding procedures. She attends child protection training regularly to update her knowledge.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY407573 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 850836 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 13 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection 14 October 2010

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Telephone number

The childminder was registered in 2010 and lives in St Neots, Cambridgeshire. She offers her childminding service each weekday all year round. The childminder provides funded places for eligible two-, three- and four-year-old children. She holds a childcare qualification at 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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