Childminder in Central Bedfordshire

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

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The provision is good

Children demonstrate that they are happy within the childminder's home. Children enter the home easily and quickly become engaged in activities. They actively seek out the childminder for comfort and enjoy showing her their skills and achievements. For example, while in the garden, children create marks on the chalk boards. They look at the childminder for reassurance. When she claps, they join in. This promotes children's early writing skills. The childminder offers children lots of praise. They develop high levels of self-confidence and self-esteem. Children understand the routine in place, and they behave well. Children are confident in their learning and independently access resources. The children play well together and treat each other kindly. They actively seek each other out to play with.

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The provision is good

Children have lots of opportunities to access fresh air. They explore the garden freely and enjoy investigating the toys in the water tray. Children enjoy filling and emptying containers with water. They work out how much water will fit in each container and wait to see what happens when there is too much. Later, they enjoy splashing the water on the floor, creating puddles. Opportunities, such as these, help to promote children's skills in exploring and experimenting.

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need to do better?

n The childminder successfully creates a home-from-home environment. Children feel safe and secure, confident that the childminder is close by, if needed. The childminder continuously reviews her setting. She attends training courses which meet the needs of the children within her care. She is always looking for new ideas to bring into the setting, including a postcard scheme to help children learn about the world. She successfully adapted this to meet the learning levels of the children in her care. The children benefit from the childminder's child development knowledge. She plans activities which she knows will interest the children and support their learning. On occasions, however, the childminder does not always challenge the most-able children to extend their learning further. n The childminder has a good knowledge of sequencing children's learning. She regularly repeats activities to give children opportunities to reinforce their

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need to do better?

knowledge and practise their learning. The childminder often uses resources created in an activity to support later learning. For example, the children use milk bottle watering cans they created last week, to water the plants in the garden. n Children gain a good understanding of the world around them. They learn about the amount of rain which fell over the course of a week and use tape measures to see how high the water gets. Children read books about growing sunflowers, becoming interested in how they grow. Later the childminder offers children the

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need to do better?

21 March 2022 opportunity to plant their own sunflowers. They count the number of seeds they need for each pot before using spades to decant soil into their pots. This helps to develop children's mathematical knowledge. n The childminder encourages children's language development. She adapts her language to suit the needs of the children in her care. Children benefit from her repetitive language and the time she gives them to respond to any questions she asks. Using books, the childminder gives children opportunities to explore new words and uses the pictures to support the younger children. This is highly effective in supporting children's vocabulary development. n During the COVID-19 pandemic, the childminder remained in close contact with all children and families. She offered parents simple activity ideas to complete at home with their children, along with videos and website links with information

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need to do better?

about ways to adapt them. The childminder is very aware of the possible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the children. By speaking to parents, she was able to create individualised plans for children. She offered settling-in sessions to those who needed it. n The childminder works closely with parents and shares information regularly. Parents express how much their children enjoy coming to the childminder's and how they feel like 'one big family'. They discuss the information they receive, both daily and termly. Parents appreciate the termly newsletter, which informs them of the childminder's plans over the coming weeks. This enables them to prepare in advance. Parents find the childminder approachable and feel they can discuss any issues they may have.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The childminder confidently recognises the possible signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect. She is clear about when it is best to talk to parents and when a referral needs to be made. The childminder understands her responsibilities to ensure the suitability of adults who live in her household and knows who to report to if an allegation is made about her or anyone in the home. The childminder understands the wider issues in society, for example radicalisation, which could affect children and their families. The childminder keeps her safeguarding training up to date, further promoting children's welfare.

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should:

n enhance the opportunities to extend and challenge the most-able children, to further promote their learning to the highest levels.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2520480 Local authority Central Bedfordshire Inspection number 10208048 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 4 Number of children on roll 7 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2019 and lives in Leighton Buzzard. She provides her childminding services from 7.30am to 6pm from Monday to Thursday all year round. The childminder holds a relevant childcare qualification at level 3.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in the evaluations of the provider. n The childminder and the inspector completed a learning walk together of all the areas of the setting and discussed the childminder's curriculum and what she wants children to learn. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this was having on children's learning. n The inspector carried out a joint observation of a group activity with the childminder. n The inspector looked at written reviews and spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of the childminder.

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Inspection activities

21 March 2022 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

21 March 2022 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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