Childminder in Southend on Sea

Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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The provision is outstanding

Children are extremely settled and happy. They form very close relationships with other children and the childminder. Children confidently explore the excellent range of resources. They spend ages playing with wooden play food, making each other and the childminder picnics. Children enjoy listening to stories from the exciting range of books. They listen in anticipation to the story of the Gruffalo, waiting for the repeated refrains that they can say out loud, such as 'He has purple prickles all over his back.' Children use their hands and arms to bring the sentences further to life as the childminder changes her tone of voice to keep them eager to listen to more.

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The provision is outstanding

Children have excellent opportunities to play and learn in an environment which recognises and values their individuality and characters. They freely explore the extremely wide range of resources, showing high levels of pride when they achieve the required outcome. For example, children seek out the childminder to share their excitement at completing complex puzzles. Children are extremely relaxed, comfortable and content. They continually master new skills, which helps to extend their learning. Children behave exceptionally well in relation to their age. When minor disagreements do occasionally occur, the childminder speaks to them in a very calm manner, which immediately diffuses the situation. Children smile at each other and quickly settle down to return to their play.

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need to do better?

n Children make excellent and rapid progress in relation to their starting points. The childminder has an extremely precise understanding of children's abilities, stage of development and what they need to learn next. She seamlessly blends children's individual interests into activities where they rapidly learn from each other. Children's learning and development are well above expected levels for their ages. They have excellent communication and language skills. Children identify a wide range of shapes and colours, and they use numbers freely in their play. n The childminder plans exciting and stimulating activities, inside and outdoors, which ignite children's curiosity. Children immediately recognise that the painted stones, matching cards and other resources in a tray relate to a favourite book. They excitedly explore the resources, talking all at once in their eagerness. The childminder encourages them to slow down, take turns and speak one at a time.

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need to do better?

This helps children to learn excellent social manners and how to interact respectfully with others, including their peers. n Children thrive in this stimulating and highly motivating environment. They wait excitedly and patiently to be told what is planned for them to do. Children happily choose a bowl each and identify what is inside. The childminder praises

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need to do better?

12 May 2022 them for their correct guesses. She asks them if they would like to use the lentil, cornflakes and dried chocolate-coloured cereal to make their own 'Gruffalo Crumble'. The childminder encourages the children to feel and talk about the different foods as they mix and crush them. She uses new descriptive words to help extend children's language and enable them to describe what they are doing. n The childminder has excellent partnerships with parents. They praise the care and dedication of the childminder and how easily their children settled into her care. They are extremely happy with communication and how well their children's learning and development needs are continually met and extended. n Children love to be outside in the garden. They enjoy exploring and playing in the water tray and learn to pedal small tricycles. The childminder calmly encourages children to push the pedals down alternately and provides endless

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need to do better?

praise as they persevere. She suggests they try again another day, which helps children to understand that some skills are learned over time. They show and feel pride in their efforts and appreciate the confidence which comes from mastering new skills, such as independently pedalling the bicycle. n The childminder is very focused on continually updating her practice and professional development. She meets up with local childminders and makes excellent use of her local authority advisors to identify additional training or research to help support her knowledge. This helps to raise the quality of education and her practice even higher.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The childminder demonstrates her excellent knowledge of child protection through discussion. She is aware of the signs and symptoms which could indicate that children may be at risk of harm or abuse. The childminder refreshes her child protection training regularly, which helps to ensure that she knows who to contact if she needs to report concerns. She knows what procedures to follow should there be any indications that children and/or their families are at risk from extremist views or radicalisation.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY352734 Local authority Southend-on-Sea Inspection number 10137545 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 7 Date of previous inspection 1 October 2015

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2007 and lives in Southend-on-Sea. She operates all year round from 8:00am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder holds an appropriate qualification at level 4.

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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 their evaluation of the childminder. n The inspector viewed all areas of the provision and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The childminder and the inspector completed a learning walk together to discuss their intentions for children's learning. n Children spoke to the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The childminder provided the inspector with written testimonials from parents, which the inspector took into account. n The childminder provided the inspector with a sample of key documentation on request.

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Inspection activities

12 May 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

12 May 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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