Childminder in Medway

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 develop well in the care of the childminder. She is welcoming and attentive to their needs. This helps them feel safe and secure. Children are provided with high-quality experiences which help them to fully engage with their learning. They enjoy their time with the childminder and have developed strong relationships with their peers.

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The provision is good

The childminder has high expectations for all children. She uses positive language and promotes good manners, such as saying 'please' and 'thank you'. She encourages children to share and take turns when playing with the resources. Children behave exceptionally well. The childminder carefully considers the individual needs of each child, such as tending to their personal hygiene. She is gentle and kind and makes sure the experience is pleasant.

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The provision is good

Children benefit from a secure, familiar routine. On arrival, they have their own named pegs and boxes to place their belongings, which helps build self-esteem. The childminder supports children to develop their independence by attempting to take off their own coats and boot. This helps them learn skills for the future.

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The provision is good

Children clearly enjoy their learning. They are motivated to try new experiences. For example, they relish making dough, mixing and moulding the ingredients together with their hands. They make their own unique models and happily share their ideas with the childminder.

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need to do better?

n The childminder knows the children she cares for well and forms strong bonds with them. She gains knowledge about their learning and development through discussions with parents when they start. The childminder confidently talks about each child, what they like to do and what they need to learn next. She uses her knowledge to plan a challenging and ambitious curriculum. All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress in their learning. n The childminder carefully plans the play environment to maximise children's learning. She ensures she uses children's interests when planning activities and deciding what resources to put out. This promotes children's learning. For example, children enjoy making marks on paper, so the childminder ensures there are lots of opportunities to do this. This helps children develop the skills they need for when they move on to their next stage in learning.

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need to do better?

n The childminder places a strong focus on children's communication and language development. She uses every opportunity to engage children in conversation and teach new words. For example, when mixing and making

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need to do better?

11 January 2023 dough, she introduces words such as 'ingredients' and 'recipe'. This helps to increase children's vocabulary. However, occasionally during conversations, she does not allow children time to think through their answers and respond to her questions, to further extend their communication skills. n The childminder offers opportunities for children to learn about communities outside their own. They have regular 'face-to-face' calls and share letters and photographs with a friend in Australia. They learn about the culture, the different weather and native animals, such as wallabies. This helps broaden children's understanding of the world around them. n The childminder supports children to learn the importance of healthy lifestyles. All children have their own named water bottles to hydrate themselves freely during the day when they are thirsty. The childminder offers healthy drinks and food at snack time, such as watermelon and banana. Children understand good

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need to do better?

hygiene and wash their hands. They learn about good oral health through the use of stories and role-play toothbrushes. They have the opportunity on a daily basis to play outdoors with their friends, where they run, jump and climb. n The childminder supports children's mathematical development well. For example, while they are playing with the small-world characters, she counts and compares the number of people in the plane and uses language such as 'high' and 'low'. These experiences help children to learn early mathematical concepts appropriate for their age. n The childminder supports children to gain an understanding of their feelings. For example, she uses picture cards to help explore how children are feeling and initiate discussions about what would make them happy or sad. Children share their views, for example they say, 'The man is unhappy as he doesn't like fruit.' This helps children to express their ideas.

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need to do better?

n Parents feel valued and say how happy they are with the care the childminder provides. However, the childminder is not consistent in sharing ideas with parents to enable them to continue their children's learning at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The childminder understands her responsibility to keep children safe. She can clearly identify signs and symptoms which may show a child is at risk of harm. She understands the referral route she needs to take if she has a concern about the welfare of a child in her care. The childminder has effective knowledge of wider safeguarding issues such as radicalisation and female genital mutilation. The childminder knows the procedure to follow if there is an allegation about herself or another member of her household. The childminder caries out safety checks daily both indoors and outdoors, to help keep children safe.

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should:

11 January 2023 n strengthen teaching by giving children the time they need to respond during conversations, to further enhance their communication skills n provide parents with more information to support them to continue their children's learning at home.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2598550 Local authority Medway Inspection number 10260104 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 3 Number of children on roll 3 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2021. She operates from the premise of her co- childminder in Rochester, Kent. The childminder cares for children on Monday to Friday, from 6am to 8.30pm, and occasionally on Saturday from 8am to 6pm, all year round.

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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 setting. n The inspector was given a tour of the premises used for childminding and had a discussion about how children are kept safe. n The inspector held discussions with the childminder about how she plans to support the individual learning needs of the children. n The inspector observed the interactions between staff and children, indoors and outdoors. n The childminder and the inspector completed a joint observation and evaluated the children's learning and development. n Parents shared their views on the childminder through written feedback.

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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

11 January 2023 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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