Blighton, Christine Anne

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 16 July 2015 19 May 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 Good 2

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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 is unsure about the purpose and content of the progress check for children aged between two and three years. She has not provided parents with the required short, written summary.  On occasion the monitoring of children's progress is inconsistent and their next steps in learning lack sufficient challenge. They are not always based on sound observations and knowledge of what children need to do next. The childminder has not yet embedded her chosen method of tracking children's development.  Opportunities to provide activities to promote writing for different purposes are sometimes overlooked. Children whose identified next step in learning is linked to writing do not always get the chance to hone these skills.  Very young children lack opportunities to develop their expressive art and design skills as they are not offered a wide range of suitable materials and textures to explore.

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

 Self-evaluation is not used well enough to identify all areas of practice that need improvement.

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It has the following strengths

 The promotion of children's well-being is good. They feel emotionally secure in the childminder's warm and friendly care. This allows them to play and learn comfortably and to be confident to ask for what they need.  Children are safe from harm and abuse as the childminder understands her responsibilities in regards to child protection.  The childminder promotes children's personal and social development by attending community groups. They enjoy frequent sessions spent with other minded children. Children have opportunities to learn about the world around them as they play and explore in the garden and at the nearby beach.

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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

 strengthen understanding of the purpose and content of the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years, and provide parents with the required short, written summary  use information gained through observations and knowledge of children's starting points to plan sharply focused next steps in learning for each child, in order to help them to make good progress.

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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

 provide children with frequent opportunities to learn about writing in everyday contexts and to practise their handwriting when they show readiness as they play and work  promote expressive arts for very young children, ensuring they experience a wide range of textures, shapes and colours and enjoy making marks using suitable, age- appropriate resources  use self-evaluation to identify and focus on areas that need improving, in order to develop the quality of teaching and children's learning to a higher level.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector interacted with children in the playroom and in the garden.  The inspector observed and discussed an adult-led activity with the childminder.  The inspector looked at children's development profiles and the progress check carried out for children between the ages of two and three years.  The inspector took account of the views of parents from questionnaires and testimonials that were gathered in advance of the inspection.

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who attend. This requires improvement

Children enjoy a range of activities, both indoors and outside. However, activities are not always linked well enough to what children need to learn next. For example, the childminder does not routinely provide opportunities for children to practise their writing skills. Very young children are not always included in some messy and creative activities, such as painting, as they are considered to be too young to participate. However, no alternatives are offered, meaning that their creative development is not promoted effectively. The childminder does not gain the right sort of information from parents about their children's learning to date. This limits how well the childminder can build on what children can already do. While she has completed some progress checks for children aged between two and three years, the childminder has not provided parents with a summary or explained in detail how they can help their children at home. Children have some of the

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who attend. This requires improvement

skills they will need for the next stage in their learning, and they talk about starting school or pre-school with the childminder.

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good

Children's emotional well-being is promoted well. They feel safe and secure in the childminder's warm and homely care. They follow routines that teach them about a healthy lifestyle. Children know they need sun cream in hot weather and are keen to wash or wipe their hands frequently to keep germs away. The environment allows children to run and move about freely and they often enjoy visits to the nearby beach. Children develop social skills as they attend community groups. The childminder carefully assesses the safety of her home, garden and outings and maintains her first-aid qualification, which helps to keep children safe. She has a secure understanding of her responsibilities to child protection. The childminder speaks to parents about children's changing dietary needs and provides children with healthy drinks and snacks to ensure they stay nourished and hydrated throughout the day.

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provision requires improvement

The educational programme planned by the childminder does not ensure that every child has focused, well-thought-out activities designed to aid their individual progress towards the early learning goals. This is because she is unsure of how to set children's next steps in learning. The childminder's procedures for tracking children's learning are in their infancy. Therefore, there is potential for some gaps in learning and development to be left unidentified. In addition, parents are not always being kept well-informed about the progress their children are making. The self-evaluation does not focus well enough on improving outcomes for children and the current priorities for improvement will not have the most impact on the quality of care and education she provides. The childminder attends local training sessions to update her knowledge. She has close links with other childminders in the area. This enables them to provide support for one another in an

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Setting details

Unique reference number 202805 Local authority Essex Inspection number 865181 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 11 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 7

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Telephone number

The childminder was registered in 2002 and lives in Brightlingsea, Essex. She operates all year round from 7am to 5.30pm, 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

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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