Howarth, Jessica-Laine

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 May 2018 17 February 2016

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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 make good progress in learning. The childminder's effective settling-in procedures help her to develop good relationships with parents and find out what their children already know and can do. This helps her to identify children's starting points, against which to measure their ongoing progress.  The childminder uses her good observations and assessments to track children's progress and identify any gaps in learning, which she addresses when planning.  The childminder is well motivated and continues to develop her skills, to improve children's learning experiences. For example, she has made good use of online materials to develop ideas for promoting literacy. Children who had shown little interest in reading now look up information relating to their projects, extending their learning well.  Children's behaviour is very good, and they show they feel emotionally secure. They are inquisitive learners who confidently ask questions in their desire to find out more.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The childminder's systems for sharing information with other early years settings children attend are only partially successful. As a result, for some children, she has little information about what they learn at pre-school to ensure consistency when planning.  Children who prefer to learn outdoors have few opportunities to learn how to use technology for different purposes.

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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

 develop systems to share information with other early years settings children attend, to ensure consistency for all children when planning for their future learning  provide more opportunities for children to learn to use technology, particularly those who prefer to learn outdoors.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to the childminder and children, and read feedback from parents.  The inspector observed the childminder and children during activities indoors and outside.  The inspector talked to the childminder about her self-evaluation and her systems for monitoring the effectiveness of the learning provision.  The inspector sampled required documentation, including safeguarding procedures, and talked to the childminder about how she implements these.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The childminder's effective self-evaluation helps her to target improvements to where these will have the most impact on learning, to maintain good-quality outcomes for children. For example, developing outdoor learning opportunities resulted in children who previously showed little interest in mark making now enjoying writing letters and numbers with sticks in the soil, and they make labels for the plants in the allotment. The childminder works very well with her co-childminder, and uses her own additional experience to provide good professional support, particularly in relation to monitoring the effectiveness of the learning provision. Safeguarding is effective. The childminder and her co-childminder understand local safeguarding procedures very well and know what action to take if they have concerns. They make sure their assistant attends safeguarding training and knows the procedures to follow if she has child protection concerns.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The childminder plans unusual activities that challenge children very well. For example, she encouraged children to use their imaginations and pretend to be pirates, and they thoroughly enjoyed dressing up and painting their faces. She buried a treasure chest and gave children clues to find the 'X' marking the spot where they needed to dig. They used their existing knowledge very well to work out each clue and they worked as a team to dig up the chest. The childminder had filled this with treasure, and children used their good counting and calculation skills to divide it between them. The childminder teaches children very well about the natural world. For example, while watering plants, the childminder showed them how some of the flowers were starting to change into strawberries. She encouraged them to think about how they will know when these are ready to eat, comparing them to the strawberries they had for their snack.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children know their ideas are valued because the childminder involves them very well in planning what they do. For example, they helped to plan and plant an area of the allotment for growing flowers, because children want to be able to give these as presents to special people in their lives. This helps to support their very good self-esteem. Children enjoy active play outdoors and benefit from the fresh air.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are very independent and they confidently make decisions for themselves. For example, at lunchtime, they choose what fillings they want in their sandwiches, and they make these themselves. They handle knives safely as they spread butter and cut their sandwiches, showing good fine motor skills. They talk about cutting these into triangles and squares, using their mathematical knowledge well. These and other good skills help prepare children well for the next stage in their learning, including going to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY418176 Local authority Devon Inspection number 1134133 Type of provision Childminder Day care type Childminder Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 1 - 10 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 12

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Name of registered person

Date of previous inspection 17 February 2016

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Telephone number

The childminder registered in 2010. She lives in a residential area of Exeter, Devon. She works with another childminder or an assistant on most days. She works Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm all year. The childminder holds an early years 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

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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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