Childminder in Kent

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

p.1

The provision is good

Children are confident and independent. They have very close attachments with the childminder and feel safe in her care. They are very much at home in the childminder's house. Children help themselves to a plentiful range of resources at the childminder's home. They visit many local facilities, such as forest schools. The childminder uses these facilities to help extend children's life skills and to give them experiences that are not part of their normal daily routines. Children understand about meeting their physical needs, fetching drinks for themselves and others. The childminder plans exciting and stimulating activities. She knows children well and provides challenges for them relating to their different stages of development. Children feel confident to use their own style of learning in play, either exploring and experimenting or modelling their learning from others.

p.2

The provision is good

The childminder has a very positive attitude towards training and making continuous improvements. She makes changes that benefit individual children's care and development.

p.2

need to do better?

n Mathematical language is threaded throughout children's play. Children count, recognise numbers and talk about amounts, capacity, size and shape. For example, children share cakes equally in the role-play area, talk about filling up the cups and comment that 'it's nearly all gone'. They discuss the size of a pizza and compare it to the size of the cake. n The childminder encourages children to learn how to keep themselves safe. She explains and shows children how to use knives safely at snack time. Children put activities away to make space for their play, so they do not fall over. They explore and experiment in challenging outdoor areas such as forest school. They learn to negotiate these spaces, learning to climb logs and explore the natural materials safely. n The childminder has good professional relationships with parents and other settings that children attend. She promotes a positive and consistent approach

p.2

need to do better?

to children's learning and welfare. She provides parents with regular updates about their children's achievements and shares ideas about how to extend their learning at home. She shares information about children's next steps with other settings that they attend to support their continuous development. n Children show an increasing awareness of self-help skills. Younger children are encouraged to fetch tissues to wipe their noses and to express their discomfort when their nappies need changing. Older children take themselves to the toilet, wash their hands before snacks, pour their own drinks and cut their own snacks. The childminder recognises the importance of these skills in readiness for school. n Children play well alongside each other. They have close bonds with their peers

p.2

need to do better?

6 December 2019 and show care and compassion towards them. However, on some occasions, older children dictate the play and change the activity before younger children have had time to fully engage in this play. Older children sometimes find it hard to develop their social skills. n Children use many different forms of communication with the childminder and in their play. Older children use complex language, constantly questioning, eager to know more. For example, children ask about different emotions such as being embarrassed. The childminder constantly chats with younger children. However, the questions she asks often result in simple, one-word responses from children and do not encourage their language. n The childminder has a positive attitude towards her professional development and has completed ongoing training to cover all aspects of care and development of children in her care. She gains support from local authority

p.2

need to do better?

advisers and other childminders to evaluate the effectiveness of her service.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

The childminder has a confident knowledge of how to protect children from harm. She has attended up-to-date training and understands the signs that may indicate a child is at risk. She knows who to report concerns to. She has relevant checks in place to care for children and keeps paediatric first-aid training up to date. The childminder provides safe and secure places for children's play. She carries out effective risk assessments for all environments. She encourages children to think about their own safety to assess hazards themselves. For example, she encourages young children to step up kerbs.

p.3

should:

n increase opportunities for children to develop their concentration and focus to help support their social skills in readiness for school n offer more support to develop children's critical thinking and problem-solving and to help further develop their understanding and language.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY550234 Local authority Kent Inspection number 10130900 Type of provision Childminder

p.4

Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Childminder Age range of children 1 to 4 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 4 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

p.4

Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2017. She lives in Hythe, Kent. She operates Monday to Friday, 8am until 6pm, all year round, except for family holidays. The childminder holds a level 2 qualification.

p.4

Inspection activities

n The inspector observed children's play indoors and discussed children's play outdoors with the childminder. n The inspector spoke to the childminder and the children where appropriate. n The inspector took into consideration written feedback from parents. n The childminder and the inspector discussed an activity to evaluate the childminder's effective practice. n The inspector saw all the areas of the setting that are used for childminding.

p.4

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.

p.4

Inspection activities

6 December 2019 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.

p.4

Inspection activities

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.5

Inspection activities

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

p.5

Inspection activities

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.5

Inspection activities

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.5