Childminder in Somerset

Overall effectiveness Good

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

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The provision is good

Children arrive happily, are eager to enter the childminder's house and separate from their parents with ease. The childminder welcomes them in and asks how they are, showing care and concern towards them. Children are keen to join in with the activities, such as digging the soil for bugs and finding out how the bees use the pollen in the flowers to make honey.

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The provision is good

The childminder has a broad and balanced curriculum and offers children a wide variety of experiences to ignite their curiosity, based on their interests and needs. She knows what skills and knowledge she wants the children to gain, both in preparation for school and for later life. All children, including those who have possible gaps in some areas of their development, make good progress from their starting points.

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The provision is good

Parents report that communication with the childminder is very good, and that they receive regular updates about their children's day and the progress they are making. Parents appreciate the coffee mornings she holds that enable them to meet other parents and their children's friends. Parents report their children enjoy bringing books home to share with them from the childminder's library.

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need to do better?

n The childminder has made significant improvements to her practice since the last inspection. She and her assistants have reviewed risk assessments of the premises and put in place daily checks to help improve how they monitor the safety of the premises. The deployment of adults is now effective, so that all children are well supervised and engaged in their play and learning. The delivery of the curriculum, along with adults' interactions, is targeted to help children make good progress. n The childminder and her assistant support children's communication and language development effectively. They engage children in lots of conversations, modelling new vocabulary, such as 'skeleton' and 'woodlice'. Children enjoy sitting and listening to stories, talking about the pictures and recalling what they have already learned. Older children speak fluently and younger ones are confident communicators. n Children demonstrate they are developing good physical skills. They strengthen

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need to do better?

their muscles as they climb up the rope ladder and slide down the slide or ride around on tricycles outside. Indoors, children use glue sticks and pick up various materials to stick on paper and make their pictures. This helps children develop their hand muscles in readiness for writing. n The childminder and her assistant manage children's behaviour well. They sensitively support the younger children to negotiate minor disputes, particularly

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need to do better?

24 August 2023 over sharing the toys. Young children are learning the importance of taking turns and sharing the toys and resources. Older children play together cooperatively and show kindness to their friends. n The childminder monitors her assistants' practice and identifies any training needs. They have attended training that has had a positive impact on practice and outcomes for children. Following a 'quality interactions' course, they now build on what children know, broaden their vocabulary, and focus on supporting children's communication and language skills more effectively. n Children are keen to experiment, such as when they find out how fast the trains can roll down some guttering. At times, the childminder does not encourage the children to solve problems when, for instance, the trains will not roll down. Instead, she quickly offers them a solution. n Children use their imaginations very well. They pretend to have a dinosaur party

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need to do better?

and invite their friends. They name the dinosaurs and find more characters to add to their play, such as a 'wizard' and make potions to make the 'Queen' better. However, at times they do not receive effective adult support to help them extend their play and learning even further.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The childminder and her assistant have a good knowledge of child protection and safeguarding children issues. They are aware of the thresholds for referring concerns about children and maintain records of any concerns about children's welfare. They know who to contact if worried about the conduct of a colleague or the childminder. The childminder checks the premises daily for possible hazards and is quick to remove any identified risks to children. She has completed the required checks on her assistants, and new household members, to help ensure they are suitable to work with children.

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should:

n extend opportunities for children to think about and solve problems for themselves n help staff understand the importance of extending children's learning through their imaginative play even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2575411 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 10284160 Type of provision Childminder

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register Day care type Childminder

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inspection

Total number of places 18 Number of children on roll 19 Date of previous inspection 6 March 2023

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2020. She lives in Frome, Somerset. The childminder provides care for children from 8am until 6pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, all year round. The childminder has an appropriate level 3 qualification and works with two assistants. She receives funding for the provision of free early education for children aged three and four years.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the childminder and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the childminder. n The childminder spoke to the inspector about her intentions for children's learning. n Children communicated with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided by the childminder and one of her assistants, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact this was having on children's learning. n The childminder observed her assistant reading a story with the children and discussed this with the inspector and evaluated the impact on children's learning. n The inspector spoke to some parents and took account of their views. n The childminder made some documentation available for the inspector to sample, including training certificates.

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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

24 August 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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