Childminder in North Northamptonshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 August 2016 4 June 2015

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 Since the last inspection, the childminder has ensured that the required suitability checks have been carried out on household members so that parents can be assured of their children's safety and well-being.  The childminder is well organised and uses her many years of experience to ensure children make good progress. She has a very good knowledge and understanding of how to identify children's individual stage of development and how to plan for their next steps in learning.  Children develop good speech and language skills as they explore a box of toys with the childminder. She models correct language and provides a narrative for what they are doing.  Partnerships with parents are very strong. The childminder has a very flexible approach to her service that effectively supports local people with their childcare arrangements. She balances the needs of all the children, taking into account the varying age groups

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This provision is good

and numbers in attendance on different days. She ensures that children are happy, comfortable and flourish while in her care.  Children benefit from a range of outdoor activities, such as walks in the village, visits to playgrounds and playing in the childminder's garden.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Some aspects of partnership working with others are not fully robust, as the childminder has yet to share information about children's learning and development with all of the different settings that they attend.

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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

 strengthen the partnerships with other settings where children attend, so that they fully benefit from a shared understanding and common approach to supporting their progress.

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Inspection activities

 The inspectors observed a planned activity and discussed children's learning opportunities.  The inspectors looked at the premises and the resources available to the children.  The inspectors looked at a sample of documentation, including evidence of the suitability of family members, training records, some policies and procedures and children's information.  The inspectors discussed safeguarding arrangements and child protection training with the childminder.  The views of parents were taken into account through discussion and written testimonials.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The childminder has a good understanding of safeguarding issues. She puts children's safety at the centre of all that she does. Updated policies and procedures underpin the childminder's well-organised service and risk assessment is effective. She evaluates her practice to ensure she maintains a good standard. Partnerships with parents are strong. She is held in high esteem by parents and they are extremely supportive of her. Parents comment that, 'Our children say they don't want to come home as they are having too much fun. I think this is one of the best things a child can say when greeted by their parent'. The childminder exchanges daily care information with teachers at the local school, however, this does not yet fully extend to sharing important information about children's learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The childminder plans a good range of purposeful experiences to promote children's learning. Children are interested and keen to take part in activities. The childminder sits on the floor with a child who is relatively new to the setting, showing her the contents of the box and explaining that the doll's head is used for doing hairstyles and the dryer is to dry hair when it has been washed. Children are imaginative in their play and challenged to think by the childminder's good questioning. She encourages children to use and extend their language skills. For example, she encourages children to identify a doll's mirror or a toy hairdryer, name animals and finish sentences in books she is reading to them. Observations are included in the children's files and these are matched against the age- related expected stages of development. Photographs and examples of completed activities illustrate each child's good progress well. Examples of artwork include a shark

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

made from bits of scrap paper stuck together and a picture of a ladybird with the child's comment, 'My ladybird has lots of legs'.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children develop self-confidence and strong emotional security. They comment, 'When I'm big, I'm going to university and then I won't come to you'. Children know how to keep themselves healthy and learn about healthy food and drink, for example, through picking and eating strawberries for their lunch. They have daily opportunities to play with other children and be physically active. Children learn about other cultures and countries and celebrate festivals that are relevant to them. Children learn how to keep themselves safe as they discuss aspects of road safety on the walk to school. For example, a child says, 'I'm Spiderman and I rescue people' and the childminder points out that children still have to be careful near the road because, 'Spiderman might be busy'.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children make good progress in all areas of learning. They are independent and make decisions about their play and learning. Children demonstrate well-developed social skills and are polite and well mannered. They develop good skills to prepare them for school. The childminder enables children to talk about their play and thinking and this helps them to develop into articulate and confident individuals.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 221233 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 1051068 Type of provision Childminder Day care type Childminder Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 4 - 11 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 16

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Telephone number

The childminder was registered in 1999 and lives in Little Harrowden, Northamptonshire. She operates all year round from 8am to 6pm, 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 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 .

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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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