Childminder in Staffordshire

Overall effectiveness Good

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

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The provision is good

Children are happy and they feel safe. They demonstrate this through their play and engagement in the routine. For example, children eagerly partake in age- appropriate responsibilities, such as collecting their own lunch box at lunchtime, and helping to sweep up after activities with a dustpan and brush. This means they develop good self-help skills within a secure routine.

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The provision is good

The childminder has high expectations for what children can achieve. She plans activities to support their developmental needs. For example, younger children practise their fine-motor skills using 'handy scoopers', where older children benefit from more challenging tools, such as tweezers. This positively contributes towards children's confidence in their learning.

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The provision is good

Familiar stories positively influence children's experiences. For example, children engage in a role play activity where they taste and explore some of the foods that a 'hungry caterpillar' might eat, such as pears and strawberries. They learn which of the caterpillars' foods are unhealthy, such as the 'chocolate cake'. This helps children to develop an early understanding of healthy eating.

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The provision is good

Children benefit from daily experiences in the community. For example, they partake in walks around the local green spaces, visit community parks, and engage in soft-play sessions. These experiences purposefully help children to develop confidence in their developing social skills and behaviours. Parents comment on the range of activities available to children. They say their children are developing well.

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need to do better?

n The curriculum design aims to build on what children know and can do. For example, younger children engage in fine-motor activities to strengthen the muscles they need to enable them to write. The childminder is conscious to plan activities which revisit prior subjects and skills to embed children's learning. However, she does not consciously gather information from children's previous settings to contribute to their starting points and help to build on the skills children have already learned. n The childminder naturally introduces new words and sounds to children. She repeats what they say to model the correct pronunciation of words. This helps to reinforce children's vocabulary growth. However, the childminder does not always encourage children to practise heard language and communicate their ideas during play, to achieve their highest potential in their communication skills. n There are some strategies in place to promote children's positive behaviours. For

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need to do better?

instance, the childminder makes a conscious effort to crouch down when talking to children and she secures good eye contact to ensure they are listening.

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need to do better?

3 March 2023 However, the childminder identifies that more could be done to reinforce positive behaviours, such as introducing reward charts, and referencing books. This will further support children to play cooperatively together and understand how their behaviours can affect others. n Children benefit from positive interactions with the childminder, who is attentive and considerate towards their needs. For example, the childminder is confident in identifying when children's behaviours begin to decline, therefore she incorporates a short walk into the routine. Furthermore, as children walk, she notices they start to feel tired, and she offers them time to rest. This demonstrates respectful relationships and improves children's behaviours. n Children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, the childminder encourages children to hold the pushchair while they walk to promote road safety, and she supervises them closely when independently using tools, such as

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need to do better?

knives to cut up their fruit. This helps to ensure children's safety as they learn about risks through hands-on experiences. n The childminder works in close partnership with local authority coordinators, and she is a member of various online groups to support her continuous professional development. To further understand how early years children learn, the childminder has recently attended an 'early years development' course, and she has further desires to obtain more qualifications. This ensures the service she provides children and their families continues to improve and grow. n The childminder discusses how she gathers and shares information with parents from the start of a child's journey. For example, she uses social media to communicate with parents about their children's learning and progress. She identifies this helps parents to further enhance children's learning at home.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The childminder demonstrates suitable knowledge of the signs and symptoms that might indicate a child is at risk of abuse or neglect. She understands her role in relation to the 'Prevent' duty guidance and female genital mutilation. The childminder is confident to discuss the correct procedures to follow should she have any concerns about a child's welfare, including allegations against another adult in her home. Risk assessments are in place to ensure children's safety indoors and outdoors. For example, during food tasting activities, children learn not to walk around with food in their mouths. This helps to reduce the risk of children choking.

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should:

n review behaviour management strategies to further enforce positive behaviours to help children to play cooperatively with one another and understand how

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should:

3 March 2023 their actions can affect others n strengthen procedures for gathering information from children's previous settings to contribute towards their starting points n encourage children to consistently practise language and communicate their ideas to help them to achieve their highest potential in their communication and language skills.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY486914 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10276403 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 13 July 2017

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2015. She lives in Newcastle in Staffordshire. The childminder operates all year round, from 7:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family holidays.

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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 childminder and the inspector discussed how the childminder organises their early years provision including the aims and rationale for their EYFS curriculum. 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 and inspector discussed how the curriculum had been implemented and the impact that this had on children's learning. n The childminder provided the inspector with a sample of key documentation on request, including feedback from parent questionnaires.

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Inspection activities

3 March 2023 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

3 March 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

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