Childminder in St Helens

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

The childminder provides a safe and welcoming environment. To limit the number of people entering the home during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, children leave their parents at the front door. Children have adapted well to this change and enter with confidence, ready to start their day. To compensate for the time that children have been absent and isolating during the pandemic, the childminder purposefully provides situations where children can interact and talk with adults and other children. She encourages children to recognise their emotions and helps them to develop good social and communication skills. The childminder engages in meaningful conversations with children. She introduces new words to help to extend their vocabulary. For example, children confidently use words such as 'trowel' when gardening.

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The provision is good

Indoors and outdoors, children enjoy some interesting activities and experiences. They demonstrate confidence and self-esteem as they make choices about what they do. The childminder gives children plenty of time to persevere with tasks until they have completed them. Children develop good skills which are useful for later learning in school and life. They are keen to learn, behave and concentrate well, and are becoming confident and independent learners.

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need to do better?

n The childminder knows the children in her care well. She has a clear view of their abilities and what they need to learn next. She plans experiences carefully to help children to build on their previous learning. She encourages children to recall what they have done and what they know. Children talk about buying plants from the hardware store as they plant them in the garden. They remember to dig the ground, separate the roots, place the plant in the hole, cover with compost and then use water to bed each one in. n Children follow routines that help to promote their good health. For example, they know the importance of washing their hands regularly and do so before they eat and after gardening. They talk about heathy eating while preparing strawberries and banana for their snack. n The childminder encourages children to count and use mathematical language as they play. For example, children count the fingers as they put on gardening

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need to do better?

gloves. They talk about and compare sizes of flowers as they plant them in the garden. n Within the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic, children enjoy a wide range of outings which complement their learning indoors. They learn about the jobs of others as they visit places in the community. They enjoy regular visits to the veterinary surgery. Children show care and concern as they talk about being sad when the cat was injured. When shopping, they interact with the cashier and

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need to do better?

15 June 2021 technology as they pay with the childminder's bank card. n Parents comment that their children enjoy and benefit from outings to the safari park and activities at a local forest group. Children have opportunities to be curious and to explore the natural world. At the group, they walk on planks balanced on tyres, which helps them to develop coordination. n The childminder maintains all the required records and exchanges useful information about children's learning and development with parents electronically. She provides them with some useful information to help them to support their child's learning at home. n The childminder has started to meet with her assistants to discuss their performance, which helps to identify their training needs. She is beginning to link her professional development to evaluations of her practice, to help to promote continuous improvement. n Since the last inspection, the childminder has reorganised the playroom. Children

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need to do better?

easily help themselves to toys and books. They sit closely with the childminder in a cosy area to listen to stories and sing songs. This helps to improve their speaking and listening skills and develop their interest in reading. n Children freely draw on paper with pens and pencils and use chalk on a board. They manipulate dough and enjoy a range of sensory experiences, which helps to develop children's finger skills for later writing. n The childminder works in partnership with other settings. She consulted with a local school to raise her awareness of how to help children to identify the sounds that letters represent.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The childminder regularly refreshes her knowledge, and that of her assistants, of child protection and wider safeguarding issues. She understands how to identify child protection concerns and has clear reporting procedures to follow. She attends online meetings with the local authority and other childminders to discuss safeguarding issues and updates. The childminder talks to children about safety. For example, while gardening, she explains that the trowel needs to be placed down rather than thrown when not being used. This helps children begin to learn from a young age about identifying and minimising risks.

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should:

n link professional development more closely with evaluation of practice, to build on the quality of education.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY344305 Local authority St Helens Inspection number 10113725 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 2 Date of previous inspection 10 June 2019

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2006 and lives in St Helens. She operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 3. She provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The childminder sometimes works with assistants.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the childminder received since the COVID- 19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the childminder and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the setting. n The childminder and the inspector had a learning walk together. n A joint observation was carried out by the inspector and the childminder. n The inspector held discussions with the childminder and the children and took account of the views of parents provided in writing. n The inspector looked at a sample of documents, including evidence of suitability and training

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Inspection activities

15 June 2021 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 June 2021 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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