Bennett-Smith, Mrs Gemma Maria

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 1 September 2017 7 October 2013

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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

 Children have good relationships with the childminder. They are confident, happy and settled in her care, which helps to support their personal, social and emotional development.  The childminder has a positive attitude towards professional development. For example, she completes her own online research and attends cluster meetings with other professionals to keep up to date with new ideas to help extend her practice and skills.  Parents have a range of opportunities to be involved in their children's care and learning. For example, the childminder shares her plans for what children need to learn next, which helps them to support their children further at home.  The childminder has long-standing links with school teachers and staff at other settings that children attend. She shares information about children's achievements and the next steps in their learning. This helps to support continuity between settings.

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This provision is good

 Children make good progress in relation to their individual starting points. The childminder regularly observes children's play and incorporates the next steps in children's learning into their play and planned activities.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The childminder does not always make resources easily available to enable children to use their imaginative skills and independently lead their own play, particularly for those who prefer to learn outside.  The childminder has not fully considered additional ways to further improve the opportunities for children to develop their early reading skills.

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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

 find ways to make resources more easily available, particularly for those children who prefer to learn outside  review and develop further the opportunities for children to extend their early reading skills.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder and children.  The inspector observed the childminder and the children playing and interacting in the garden and indoors.  The inspector sampled children's records and evidence of parental involvement.  The inspector checked the childminder's suitability and that of those living in the household.  The inspector held discussions with the childminder regarding her understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The childminder reflects on her strengths and weaknesses. She seeks the views of the children and parents to help identify areas to further develop. The childminder has good partnerships with other professionals, such as health visitors and occupational therapists. She attends care review meetings, which helps to ensure that children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively. Safeguarding is effective. The childminder keeps her child protection training up to date and she knows how to respond to and report any concerns about children's safety or welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The childminder has a good understanding of how to observe, assess and plan for what children need to learn next. She places a high priority in ensuring that children are ready for school. The childminder provides a range of activities to support their social, communication and mathematical skills. For example, she prepared a painting task for children to match colours to numbers and then paint the different shapes accordingly. Children quickly learnt that the number two meant blue and five is the glittery gold colour. The childminder asked children what the different shapes were and then helped them to think about the different sizes. For example, children pointed out the big and small heart shape.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children have a good understanding of the differences and similarities between themselves and others. The childminder makes effective use of opportunities to help children to think about others and how their actions may make them feel. For example, when the children divided the hoops equally between themselves and the childminder, she praised them for their good sharing and said that it made everyone happy. However, when children shared the hoops unequally, the childminder asked them if it is fair that they did not share the hoops equally. She asked children whether they think they have made their friends sad and how they could cheer them up. This helped children to think and consider the feelings of others.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are independent and keen to make decisions for themselves. For example, they look in the childminder's resource book to choose their next activity or toy and decide whether to play indoors or outdoors. Children have good control of small tools, such as plastic knives, which they use to cut up their fruit at snack time. Children count freely in their play. For example, older children add together small numbers to reach the correct answer. They recognise, which numbers are bigger than others. For example, when children add the numbers on their bean bags together, they recognised that their score of nine was less than the childminder's score of 10.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY371568 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1065146 Type of provision Childminder Day care type Childminder Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 4 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4

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Name of registered person

Date of previous inspection 7 October 2013

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Telephone number

The childminder registered in 2008 and lives in Colchester, Essex. The childminder operates all year round from 7am 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

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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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