Childminder in Lancashire

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is good

Children develop a secure attachment to the childminder and turn to her for reassurance. They receive praise and encouragement, which helps to raise their self-esteem and confidence. The childminder obtains some useful information from parents. She is familiar with children's interests and meets their care routines well. She provides healthy meals and snacks and encourages children to be independent. Children find their placemat, sit happily at the table and feed themselves lunch.

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The provision is good

The childminder supports children to gain key skills needed for later learning in school. Children learn to communicate confidently and follow instructions. They develop good mathematical skills. They count and identify colours and sizes of toys as they play. Children use a range of tools, for example, they fill watering cans under the outdoor tap and use a tape measure to find the length of the toy dinosaur. Every week, children spend time with other children, which helps to support their good social skills. The childminder helps young children to learn how to take turns. For example, she makes sure that children take turns to choose which book will be read, and to sit in the box and row the pretend boat. Young children concentrate well when they find something that interests them. For example, a young child plays in the pretend kitchen and stirs a range of pots and pans with a wooden spoon.

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need to do better?

n Children enjoy a wide range of outings. These help to support their physical development, raise their awareness of nature and build up their social skills. Children feed the ducks at the water park, search for squirrels at the nature reserve and stand on the beach on a windy day. They play at toddler group and sing songs at the library rhyme-time session. They meet with the children of other childminders for activities in the forest area. n The childminder talks to children about different fruits and vegetables when they go shopping. Children taste the food they have bought and help to make meals, such as pizza, choosing their own toppings. These activities successfully help to increase children's knowledge of healthy eating. n Children develop good mathematical skills and language as they play. For example, the childminder helps children to count. She introduces mathematical words, such as 'big' and 'small' as children fit toy dinosaurs into different-sized

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need to do better?

baskets. n Children learn to behave well. From a young age, they begin to take turns and share. The childminder praises toddlers when they pass items to each other. n The childminder encourages children's listening and speaking skills effectively. Young children join in with recognisable words while singing familiar songs. The

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need to do better?

21 January 2020 childminder pauses while reading stories, so children can say the last word in the sentence. She makes good use of the characters in books to talk about and help children to recognise different emotions. Children recognise that the dinosaur in the story is 'grumpy'. n Children learn about their culture and those of others in a range of ways. They listen to stories about Chinese New Year and go to organised events, such as to see a dragon dance. In the autumn, they go searching for pumpkins. n Indoors and outdoors, children have opportunities to make independent choices and explore freely. There is a broad range of interesting resources which match children's interests. However, at times, it is not clear what children are to learn, and children occupy themselves while the childminder supervises them for safety. n The childminder is open to the views of parents. However, she does not gather

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need to do better?

their views on a wide range of issues to help identify areas to improve. Since the last inspection, the childminder has reorganised the areas used by children and moved the play area to the rear of the house. This provides easier access to the rear garden and means that children's play is not disturbed when the childminder needs to get something from the kitchen, such as snacks. n Parents provide some useful information about what their children can do before they start. They receive photographs during the day and information about what their children are doing. Information about children's abilities is increasingly being exchanged to support assessment.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The childminder refreshes her knowledge of how to identify and report that a child may be at risk of harm. She has recently completed training to raise her awareness of wider safeguarding issues. She assesses risks before taking children on outings and follows effective safety procedures when using the car. While on outings, children learn about road safety. Sometimes, they visit the fire station to talk about the work of the emergency services.

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should:

n focus more precisely on children's different abilities when organising activities, to keep each child engaged in learning at an appropriate level n make greater use of what parents know about their children to identify children's starting points and support ongoing assessment n consult parents on a wider range of issues to help identify areas for ongoing improvement.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 403500 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 10064132 Type of provision Childminder

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Childminder Age range of children 1 to 2 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 4 Date of previous inspection 7 September 2015

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2001 and lives in Ormskirk. She operates all year round from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Thursday, except bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder holds an appropriate qualification at level 3.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector had a tour of the childminder's home to gain an understanding of how the early years provision and the curriculum are organised. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n A joint observation was carried out by the inspector and the childminder. n The inspector held discussions with the childminder. She looked at relevant documentation, such as evidence of the suitability of household members. n The views of children spoken to on the day and the written views of parents were taken into account.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

21 January 2020 21 January 2020 regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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