Smith, Sarah Fiona

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 8 April 2016 10 March 2011

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The childminder builds excellent relationships with parents and involves them fully in their children's learning and development from the beginning and throughout the whole of their time in the setting.  Children form exceptionally strong attachments to the childminder, her family and her apprentice. These strong relationships help children to feel safe and secure and they grow in confidence and self-assurance.  The childminder is highly qualified. She uses the skills and knowledge she has gained through her qualifications and numerous training courses attended to achieve highly successful outcomes for the children in her care.  Children are highly motivated, eager to explore and develop an excellent enthusiasm for learning. The childminder provides an exceptional range of high-quality learning experiences for the children, inside and outside of her setting.  The childminder has extremely high expectations of all children, including children who

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This provision is outstanding

have special educational needs or disability, and they make outstanding progress in their learning and development.  The childminder is extremely swift to identify any gaps in children's learning. She works exceedingly well in partnership with parents to establish early interventions from external agencies to ensure all children receive the best possible outcomes.  The childminder is an exceptional role model to her apprentice. She offers robust supervision and immediate and highly effective feedback. This has a positive impact on the consistently high quality of teaching within the setting.  The childminder's self-evaluation is exemplary. She seeks the views of parents, children, other adults in the setting and external professionals to drive continuous improvement.

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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

 evaluate the impact of the proposed revision to the way in which children's progress and achievement is tracked.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector carried out a joint observation of an activity with the childminder.  The inspector held a meeting with the childminder, spoke to her apprentice, co- childminder and children throughout the day.  The inspector looked at relevant documentation, such as the setting's self-evaluation, suitability records, risk assessments and policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents by speaking with some of them during the inspection.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The childminder is exceedingly well organised and manages her setting efficiently. She works highly effectively in partnership with her co-childminder, the apprentice and the assistant. Safeguarding is effective. The childminder ensures that they all know what to do if there is a concern about a child in their care. She promotes a shared commitment towards delivering exceptional standards of care and learning for children. She ensures that robust recruitment procedures mean that all adults who work with children in the setting are suitable to do so. The childminder works exceedingly well in partnership with other professionals involved in children's learning and development. This ensures that all children receive consistency and continuity in their learning. The childminder is currently planning a review of the ways in which the progress of different children is tracked.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

The childminder uses her observations of children's play to accurately assess their level of development. She provides exceptionally motivating and challenging activities and experiences that successfully promote their learning. For example, children thoroughly enjoy exploring how a mixture of paint and detergent can be transformed into a work of art. They learn more about the world as the childminder links their activity to a previous visit from reptiles to their setting. They learn new vocabulary and use technology to find out more about the animals. Children are excellent talkers and they use their imagination to create their own play activities. Children learn about mathematics, for example, when they explore a tray of pompoms. They identify the colours and count them, sorting them into big and small. Children are active learners. They have excellent opportunities to develop their physical skills as they climb the apparatus in the childminder's garden.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

The childminder provides an extremely warm, welcoming and enabling environment where children feel free to explore and investigate in safety. Children are curious and imaginative. They benefit from daily exercise in the childminder's garden where they can pretend to cook dinner in the mud kitchen. Children learn exceptional skills of independence; they make their own choices and learn to share and cooperate with each other. They are fully involved in the preparation of their own food for snacks and mealtimes. The childminder teaches them about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and they learn about foods that are good for their health. Children learn to treat people with equal regard. For example, when children insist that only boys can be farmers, the childminder reminds them of a female farmer they met on a previous outing. Children learn about the beliefs and customs of others and they learn to respect differences.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children make outstanding progress in their learning. An extensive variety of books is freely available for children of all ages to choose, indoors and outdoors and they take trips to the library. This helps children to develop a strong interest in books and reading. Children discover that words have a meaning and this helps them to develop skills they need for the next stage in their learning and school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY262492 Local authority Thurrock Inspection number 848441 Type of provision Childminder Day care type Childminder Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 1 - 11 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 25

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection 10 March 2011

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Telephone number

The childminder was registered in 2003 and lives in Grays, Essex. The childminder operates from 7am until 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. She works with her husband who is also a registered childminder, her daughter who occasionally works as an assistant and with an apprentice. The childminder holds Early Years Professional Status. She receives early education funding for two-, three- and four-year-old children and funding to support children who have special educational needs or disability.

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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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