Childminder in Essex

Overall effectiveness Good

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

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The provision is good

Children have close attachments to the childminder, even those who have only just started. They turn to her for reassurance, cuddles or to ask her to read them a story. This shows that children feel safe and secure in her care. Children play happily alongside each other. They share toys and other resources, such as musical instruments, and take turns to operate small musical toys. Children are fascinated with the pirate ship toys they find on the shelf and spend time using their imaginative skills to pretend their small play figures are pirates.

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The provision is good

Children are keen to learn and explore. They enjoy dancing around the room to favourite farmyard nursery rhymes. Children imitate the noises the animals make and tell the childminder what the animal is. Children hunt through boxes of toys, choosing their favourite trucks and cars which they push around the floor. They find play food in the role-play kitchen and carefully place the food on plastic plates, which they serve to the childminder. This helps children to recreate experiences from home in their play. Children behave well and respond promptly to the childminder's gentle reminders when they get a little over excited.

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need to do better?

n The childminder joins in with children's fascination of different musical instruments. She encourages them to create soft and then faster, louder sounds. Children follow her lead and enjoy making different noises on drums, tambourines and with sleigh bells. However, the childminder misses the opportunity to introduce simple mathematical language to further extend children's understanding. n Children make good progress in relation to their starting points. The childminder completes statutory assessments, such as the progress check for children aged between two and three years. She identifies what children need to learn next and plans activities to meet their next steps in learning. n Children freely access books and take them to the childminder to read to them. They giggle with delight as the childminder puts her hand inside the attached puppet and makes him move as she reads the story. However, the childminder

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need to do better?

does not always make the most of opportunities as they arise to further extend children's language skills. n The childminder works closely with parents to help meet babies' existing care routines, particularly when they start. She gathers details about what time they usually sleep, feed and what sounds they make to indicate that they are tired or hungry. This helps babies to settle quickly and form trusting bonds with the childminder. n The childminder knows how to access support and guidance from other professionals should she need to. She shares information with school teachers

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need to do better?

15 January 2020 when she drops off and collects children who attend school. The childminder uses information from school newsletters to help her support children with their homework and topics. For example, she arranges activities to complement what children are learning at school to further extend and consolidate their knowledge and understanding. n The childminder is keen to develop her practice further. She uses online resources and websites to help increase her knowledge and find new ideas for activities. This helps the childminder to provide children with new experiences to support their learning further. The childminder reflects on her practice and seeks parents' views to help her to identify areas to develop further. Current plans are to make better use of the garden space, following recent high winds which brought a tree down. n The childminder supports children's social and physical skills. For example, she

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need to do better?

takes them to soft-play centres to practise climbing, balancing and different ways of moving. This helps to support their good health and well-being. n Babies enjoy watching what is going on around them. The childminder provides opportunities for them to get involved with the older children. For example, she gives babies small shaker eggs to enable them to create sounds for themselves.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

The childminder has a good knowledge of child protection and wider safeguarding issues. She keeps her policies updated to reflect new guidance and completes online courses to extend her awareness and understanding. The childminder restricts the use of mobile phones in her home. She ensures that parents and her own older children do not use their mobile phones when childminded children are present. The childminder has parental controls on electronic equipment that children use under supervision, so that they are safe.

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should:

n encourage children to learn and use simple mathematical language in their play n make greater use of opportunities as they arise to further extend children's language skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY426571 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10101037 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 0 to 5 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 5 Date of previous inspection 6 March 2019

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2011 and lives in Colchester, Essex. She operates during term time from 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector observed the childminder playing and interacting with the children. n The childminder discussed with the inspector how she supports children's learning and development to help them make progress. n The inspector sampled children's records and checked evidence of the childminder's suitability to work with children. n The inspector held discussions with the childminder to explore her understanding of safeguarding and child protection.

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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

15 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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