Childminder in Hertfordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 5 December 2017 31 October 2013

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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

 Arrangements for risk assessments are highly effective. For example, when young children start, the childminder carefully reviews daily routines, premises and equipment to help ensure their safety.  The childminder works extremely closely with parents and other settings children attend. He provides parents with guidance to help them support learning at home and involves them in planning and identifying children's next steps. All children make excellent progress in relation to their starting points.  Children enjoy the wealth of stimulating, high-quality activities and resources on offer. The childminder is very adept at extending and adjusting activities to tailor all children's individual learning needs and to maintain their interest.  The childminder is very passionate and dedicated. He evaluates his practice with his assistant and co-childminder and, together, they strive to provide children with high-

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This provision is outstanding

quality care and individualised learning. All children are highly motivated and keen to learn in this very welcoming setting.  Children show a strong sense of well-being and belonging in the childminder's home. They have fun and they are treated gently and with great respect by the childminder. Children develop excellent behaviour and social 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

 enhance the already excellent opportunities for children to learn about other cultures and customs different to their own.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector completed an evaluation of a focused activity with the childminder and discussed the outcomes for children.  The inspector viewed the areas of the home to be used for childminding and checked evidence of suitability for the childminder, co-childminder and assistant.  The inspector spoke with the childminder, the co-childminder and the children at appropriate times during the inspection. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the childminder's self-evaluation and children's learning journals.  The inspector took into account the views of parents through written documentation.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The childminder has a very secure understanding of how to keep children safe and protect their welfare and an extensive knowledge of all safeguarding procedures. The childminder supports his assistant to ensure they work together seamlessly to meet children's needs. For example, he has attended various training workshops and shares his expert knowledge with his assistant and co-childminder, to maintain an outstanding level of teaching practice at all times. The childminder plans exciting and interesting opportunities, including art and craft activities, to help children learn about what makes them special. He is keen to explore further ways to help children learn about the similarities and differences in other cultures and people around them to enrich their understanding of the wider world.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

The childminder develops rich and meaningful relationships with parents. They share comprehensive information prior to their children starting in his care. Precise assessments give an excellent overview of children's learning. These, alongside comprehensive learning records, are shared with parents electronically, verbally and through regular meetings. The childminder provides a vast range of exciting activities and opportunities for children. For example, trips to the beach and surrounding woodland enable children to learn about wildlife. They collect natural resources and utilise them in creative activities. Communication and language development are supported exceptionally well from an early age. For instance, the childminder provides activities to support matching and problem solving skills, and uses clever questioning to enhance children's communication as they build towers with different sized blocks.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

The childminder provides extremely effective support to children to help them manage their feelings and behaviour. He praises and encourages the children, who all show very high levels of confidence and self-esteem. There are excellent daily opportunities for physical development and for children to access fresh air. The children regularly access playgroups and soft-play centres where they enjoy exploring with their senses and physical challenge. Children's rapidly growing understanding of how to keep themselves healthy is supported very effectively. Very positive partnerships with parents help to ensure children's individual care needs are exceptionally, and consistently, well met.

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Outcomes for children are outstanding

Children develop excellent language and mathematical skills and show high levels of curiosity in their play as they tackle challenges. They learn to follow instructions and identify numbers, size and distance as they push toy cars along coloured tape on the floor and discuss the shortest route to get to the farm. They make rapid progress towards the next stages in their learning and are prepared extremely well for their eventual move on to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY415576 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 1065584 Type of provision Childminder Day care type Childminder Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 2 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 12

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Name of registered person

Date of previous inspection 31 October 2013

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Telephone number

The childminder registered in 2010 and lives in Welwyn Garden City. He works alongside his wife who is also a childminder, he also works with an assistant. The childminder operates all year round from 7.15am to 7pm, 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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