McAulay, Carolyn

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 29 April 2016 9 January 2009

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

p.1

This provision is outstanding

 The childminder and assistants' excellent teamwork ensures children's needs are met extremely well. They calmly and safely manage children's care routines and ensure they thoroughly enjoy very well organised, fun, exciting and suitably challenging activities.  The well-qualified childminder and her assistants are highly skilled and knowledgeable. Their teaching and care are outstanding. They regularly review their work, performance and procedures, attend training and discuss good practice issues. The assistants' specific skills are used well so children benefit from individual support and their learning is enriched during rewarding gardening activities.  The childminder has highly successful relationships with parents. She involves them in regular reviews of their children's routines, activities and progress. The childminder and parents agree children's next steps for learning and plan how these are to be achieved.

p.1

This provision is outstanding

Parents welcome the childminder's innovative ideas for activities to continue at home.  Children flourish and have a strong sense of belonging. The childminder and assistants skilfully develop children's confidence and are highly receptive to their characters and interests. Parents and carers are positively welcomed and included. Children are excited by their families' involvement in trips and activities, such as cooking and gardening.  Children behave extremely well. The childminder and assistants ensure children know what is happening next and what is expected of them. Together, they agree house rules and children choose photographs to illustrate these. The childminder and assistants ably promote children's positive relationships, good manners and respect for the lives and customs of others.  The childminder and assistants skilfully adapt their teaching to cater for children's differing abilities and interact extremely well with them. Through their expert questions,

p.1

This provision is outstanding

explanations and use of resources, they very successfully reinforce and extend children's understanding and their growing vocabulary.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 review the planned changes to provide even more opportunities for children to recognise and link sounds to letters and evaluate the impact this has on their learning.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed a joint observation of an activity with the childminder.  The inspector spoke to the childminder, assistants and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures.  The inspector checked evidence of the childminder and assistants' training and suitability. She talked to the childminder about her self-evaluation form and plans for improvement.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views. She also took account of the views of parents from their written feedback to the childminder.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The childminder and assistants are passionate about providing a high quality, family- orientated service. They astutely evaluate all aspects of the provision, incorporating information from courses and the views of parents and children. The childminder's timely, well-targeted improvements strengthen teaching and learning, children's care and safeguarding procedures. These include reorganising the garden to create inviting areas where children can be active, explore and learn about the natural world. The childminder intends to further develop children's use of sounds and letters. Her strong links with other agencies ensure well-coordinated strategies and support for children who have special educational needs or disability. She keeps staff at other settings and schools children attend fully informed about their development. Arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The childminder and assistants attend regular training. They have a thorough

p.3

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

knowledge of abuse, neglect and safeguarding procedures. They teach children how to protect themselves from harm and carefully monitor their welfare. The childminder informs parents about local services and support available to families.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

The childminder thoroughly understands children's abilities, stage of development and learning needs as a result of her robust assessments. She plans rich, varied activities which reflect children's interests and next steps. She makes learning fun and praises children's efforts so they want to take part and do well. Children are curious and keen to experiment. They eagerly examine and discuss the features of potatoes they are planting. They use torches when they search for the darkest places in the childminder's house. They are fascinated by the explanation of how torches work and are used to provide light in different situations.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children thoroughly enjoy exploring their extremely well equipped, comfortable, child- friendly surroundings. They help themselves to interesting books and toys which prompt their imaginative ideas for play. The childminder and assistants conscientiously promote children's good health and safety. They skilfully foster children's independence in managing their personal care and hygiene. Children grow vegetables, enjoy cooking and prepare snacks which encourage their healthy choices at mealtimes. They safely use utensils, scissors, gardening tools and apparatus and discuss their feelings and fears.

p.3

Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children make outstanding progress in relation to their starting points, including children who have special educational needs or disability. They are extremely purposeful, articulate and resourceful learners who are very well prepared for school. They readily respond to adults' skilful questions to recall, describe and work out problems, for example, during a lively matching card game. Children count accurately and readily compare, order and group items according to quantity, shape, size or colour. They apply their understanding of space and measure when they plant potatoes. Children enjoy singing and listening to well-told stories. They correctly identify and form some recognisable letters.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 204408 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 854338 Type of provision Childminder Day care type Childminder Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 14 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 18

p.4

Name of provider

Date of previous inspection 9 January 2009

p.4

Telephone number

The childminder was registered in 1992 and lives in Worcester. She operates all year round from 7am until 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder works with three assistants. She holds an appropriate qualification at level 3. The childminder provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. She supports children who have special educational needs or disability. The childminder has close links with another childminder and a pre-school.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

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 reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

Telephone number

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.5

Telephone number

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

p.5