Thorpe, Andrea Teresa

Overall effectiveness Good

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

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The provision is good

Children are extremely confident. They are happy and self-assured. Children play well together. They learn how to take turns and share. Children's behaviour is exceptional. The rules and boundaries set by the childminder help them to feel safe and secure. Children build affectionate attachments to the childminder and this helps them to settle quickly. Children feel at ease in the childminder's calm, relaxed environment and they thrive in her nurturing care.

p.2

The provision is good

Children enjoy physical play outdoors. They proudly demonstrate that they can hop on one leg. Children are competitive. They enjoy playing football and taking turns in the goal. Children discover technology as the childminder shows them how to time their racing on her mobile electronic device. They race to the finish line to find out who is the fastest.

p.2

The provision is good

Children have a good attitude to learning. They enjoy exploring the resources set out for them to choose from. Children like to practise picking up conkers with tweezers. This helps to strengthen their fingers to be ready for holding a pen. Children enjoy listening to stories. They know their favourite stories well and remember what comes next. Children talk about the characters in books and compare them to toys in the setting.

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need to do better?

n The childminder supports children's growing independence extremely well. She teaches them how to dress themselves and they learn to distinguish left from right. Children develop excellent hygiene routines and remember to wash their hands after petting the family dogs. The childminder teaches children to be kind to the animals as they stroke their fur gently and thoughtfully. This teaches children to respect living creatures and to keep themselves safe. n Partnerships with parents are strong. The childminder forms good relationships with parents and keeps in contact with them daily. She sends photographs of their children to help them to feel involved in their day. The childminder supports parents to continue their children's learning at home. She shares information with parents about topics, such as online safety. Parents praise the childminder in their feedback and speak highly of the care their children receive.

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need to do better?

The childminder works in close collaboration with other settings that children attend. This helps to ensure children receive continuity and consistency in their learning. n Children learn about the traditions of other countries and discover that all people are different and unique. They try on costumes and taste food from other cultures. Children look at books and play with resources that reflect positive images of people from diverse backgrounds and with different abilities. They

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need to do better?

11 March 2020 participate in creative activities as they mark different occasions. Children face new challenges and have lots of fun, for example, as they try to use chopsticks to eat noodles for Chinese New Year. n The childminder takes children out to exercise in the fresh air every day. They go for long walks and talk about the wildlife they can see and hear. They plant vegetables in the garden and learn how they grow. The childminder makes good use of some spontaneous opportunities to promote children's enjoyment and learning outdoors. For example, they examine the dogs' muddy paw prints and make footprints of their own. The childminder asks them which prints are the 'biggest' and 'smallest', helping them to understand size and shape. However, the childminder does not always extend children's learning during their play in order to give them the best experience possible. n Children make good progress in their learning and development. The

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need to do better?

childminder knows the children well and understands how they learn. She observes them at play and assesses their progress accurately. The childminder promotes conversation and asks children questions to develop their communication and language skills. However, she does not always make the most of opportunities to model pronunciation in order to advance their learning. n The childminder undertakes regular training to enhance her skills. She carries out research to keep her knowledge up to date. The childminder reflects on her practice and evaluates the effectiveness of her teaching. She takes account of the views of parents and children when taking steps to improve her play environment and develop her practice further.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

The childminder is confident in her knowledge of safeguarding matters. She is fully aware of her responsibilities to protect the children in her care. The childminder has undertaken training in all areas of safeguarding and her knowledge is current. The childminder has a good understanding of the signs that may indicate that a child is at risk of harm. She knows how to record any concerns and where to report them.

p.3

should:

n grasp all opportunities to promote younger children's communication and language development even further n focus teaching more precisely on extending children's learning to build on their existing knowledge and enable them to make more rapid progress.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY416264 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10127221 Type of provision Childminder

p.4

Registers

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

p.4

inspection

Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 11 Date of previous inspection 8 October 2015

p.4

Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2010. She lives in Chelmsford, Essex. The childminder operates from Monday to Friday, 7.30am until 6pm, all year round, except for bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder provides funded early education for three- and four-year-old children.

p.4

Inspection activities

n Ofsted is aware of the challenges that Covid-19 is currently posing to those we inspect. During this visit, the inspector took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of Coronavirus by the provider. This has included the effect these measures have had on the current attendance of the children and staffing arrangements. n The inspector looked around the areas of the setting available to children. n The childminder discussed her plans for the children's development and how she implements her educational programme. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to children during the inspection and took account of the views of parents by reading written testimonials.

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Inspection activities

11 March 2020 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

11 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

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

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