Matthews Allison Clair

Overall effectiveness Good

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

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The provision is good

Effective settling-in procedures help children to form strong relationships with both the childminder and other children. Parents comment that the childminder is 'more than a childminder'. Older children nurture the younger children. For example, they give younger children a cuddle and take them by the hand to gently guide them. All children, including the youngest children, are very familiar with daily routines. They follow these without hesitation. For example, at mealtimes, children independently get a stool to sit at the table and dispose of their rubbish in the bin.

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The provision is good

Children are exceptionally happy and enjoy playing with each other. Resources appeal to all children and are stored carefully to help them to make choices. All children are willing to try new tasks. They demonstrate the ability to persist and know to ask for help should they need it. For example, they confidently seek support when learning how to pull up the zip on their coat.

p.2

The provision is good

The childminder sets high expectations, which helps to ensure children's behaviour is consistently good. Children are kind and polite. They develop the skills to negotiate and can reason with one another to share resources. Children are very busy and engaged. They express great imagination when the living room is turned into a home for 'man-eating dinosaurs'.

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need to do better?

n Activities are interesting and thought provoking. Children show their excitement when they successfully dig at the ice to remove the frozen animals. The childminder provides resources which help children to explore and investigate, and which help to maintain their concentration and interest. Children learn to use tools such as pipettes, and experiment with spraying water on ice. They watch in awe when they add food colouring to ice and see the changes occur. n The childminder is highly skilled at knowing when to observe and when to intervene. This helps children to make good progress in their learning. She places significant emphasis on supporting children to be independent. The childminder purposefully takes a step back to allow children to develop their skills and become competent in their self-care. Children dress themselves, appreciate the need to wear a coat outside and understand the importance of

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need to do better?

handwashing. n Children have good opportunities to explore their local community. For example, they go on regular trips to the beach, attend toddler groups and visit the library. They practise their writing skills. For example, the childminder prompts them to write shopping lists to take to the shop to help them to buy ingredients for baking. n The childminder introduces numbers in daily activities. For example, she makes

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need to do better?

2 March 2020 effective use of a daily calendar, and prompts children to find a wooden coin to match the date. Children are encouraged to recognise the numbers they can see around them in the community and often point out numbers on houses. They frequently use mathematical language, such as 'big' and 'small', and talk about different lengths when measuring objects. n The childminder is very clear about children's next steps in learning and ensures that resources and activities are provided to suit all children in her care. This helps all children to make very good progress in their development. n Great emphasis is placed on children's well-being. In the main, children are provided with healthy snacks to support their good health. However, they are not always fully encouraged to learn how to form lifelong healthy habits, such as when they are choosing whether to have a drink of water or fruit squash. Outdoor provision is exceptionally well resourced. This helps children to practise

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need to do better?

their physical skills and offers many opportunities for them to be creative. n Partnership working with parents is greatly effective. Parents speak very highly of the childminder. She communicates through daily discussions and adds photographs and comments to an online assessment tool.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

The childminder regularly refreshes her knowledge of safeguarding. For example, she completes online training regarding safeguarding and wider child protection issues. This helps to ensure she knows how to keep children safe and can act promptly should she have a concern about a child's welfare. The childminder takes steps to ensure that children are not exposed to unsafe online material. Children are fully supervised at all times and the childminder is mindful to ensure that they are not left alone with people who have not completed the required suitability checks.

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should:

n encourage children to learn more about the importance of making healthy choices in their diet.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 202685 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10127065 Type of provision Childminder

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Childminder

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inspection

Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 11 Date of previous inspection 29 October 2014

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 1999 and lives in Clacton. She operates all year round from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. She holds a relevant qualification at level 3.

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Inspection activities

n A tour was completed with the childminder to review the quality of children's experiences and the impact these have on their learning. n The inspector and the childminder completed a joint evaluation of an activity. n The inspector spoke to children at appropriate times during the inspection. They also took account of the views of parents expressed in written testimonials. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including evidence of the childminder's training and suitability.

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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

2 March 2020 2 March 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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