Childminder in Oldham

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not applicable

p.1

The provision requires improvement

Children are settled and happy at this caring, home-from-home setting. However, the curriculum is not sufficiently broad, or planned well enough, to help children make good progress in their learning. The childminder provides children with some activities and toys that she knows they will like. However, she does not consistently plan ways to help children gain skills and knowledge in the right order to help them learn well. In particular, the childminder's expectations of younger children are not pitched at the right level. For example, the childminder offers babies an activity to learn numbers and letters, which is beyond their level of learning.

p.2

The provision requires improvement

The nurturing approach of the childminder and her assistant help them to develop close and loving bonds with the children. Babies lift their arms to be picked up and they crawl onto the childminder's lap for comfort. Their big smiles show that they feel happy and secure. Older children are encouraged by the childminder to consider their friends during play. For example, she encourages them to share and take turns. While children's behaviour is generally good, weaknesses in the curriculum mean that they are not consistently helped to develop positive attitudes to independent learning.

p.2

The provision requires improvement

Children enjoy playing and learning outdoors every day. The childminder promotes some aspects of their physical development appropriately. For example, she takes children to the nearby play area where children develop their large-muscle movements as they play on the equipment. She supports children to practise climbing the steps in her garden and to carefully hold the handrail. Children are learning to move around safely. The childminder helps children to learn about nature as they observe tomatoes and strawberries grow. They water them regularly and enjoy watching them bear fruit.

p.2

need to do better?

n Good communication helps all adults who care for the children to keep them safe and well. The childminder and her assistant organise themselves well and ensure children are well supervised. They ensure that practical information about each child's day, such as accidents and medication, is shared with parents and other settings that children attend. Parents say their children are happy, safe and settled and that they make some progress in their learning. n Children are learning how to behave well. The childminder and her assistant are consistent in supporting children's behaviour. Children use manners and they say 'please' and 'thank you'. They listen and follow requests well. n The childminder does not have a consistent curriculum. While children can access some toys and resources to support their play, the range is narrow and does not support all children's levels of development. This limits their

p.2

need to do better?

7 September 2023 engagement and learning. n The childminder remains close to children as they play. However, her interactions do not focus on what she wants them to learn. For example, babies enjoy banging the xylophone to make sounds, but with limited adult response they quickly lose interest and stop the activity. Children are not consistently being supported to develop keen and positive attitudes to learning. n Children's independence and self-care skills are not promoted consistently well. While the childminder appropriately encourages pre-school children to put on their own shoes, hang up their own coat and manage their own lunch box, she holds and feeds the younger children at mealtimes. They are not being supported to develop the skills they need to feed themselves and to develop good levels of independence. n Although the childminder knows children well, she does not assess their learning needs robustly. The childminder knows children's likes and dislikes, and she

p.2

need to do better?

offers toys that support some learning. For example, she provides toy sharks as children sing a song about sharks. This helps them make connections in their learning. However, the childminder's assessments of what children can do, do not have sufficient regard to what parents know and are not used to ensure learning is sequenced or progressive. Learning is often incidental, which means children are not progressing as well as they could. n The curriculum for communication and language is not implemented consistently. The childminder provides children with lots of opportunities to hear songs and rhymes and to dance. Children enjoy joining in and copying the actions they see on the television screen. However, on occasion, the television plays with no planned purpose and distracts children from their play and learning. Additionally, the background noise makes it difficult for children to hear spoken language and sounds. This hinders the development of their speaking

p.3

need to do better?

skills. n The childminder monitors and supports her assistant. They have regular conversations to share information and they access a range of online training. All mandatory training is complete. This helps the childminder to make sure that all statutory requirements are met. The childminder knows that she needs additional support to help her provide a more focused curriculum and to promote children's learning consistently well.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

The childminder and her assistant have a good understanding of child protection procedures. They keep their training up to date and are able to recognise signs that a child could be at risk of harm. The childminder knows how to refer to relevant agencies should she be concerned about a child's welfare. She ensures that her home is safe and free from hazards. The childminder and her assistant both hold a current paediatric first-aid certificate and know what action to take in the case of an emergency.

p.3

Due date

plan and deliver a sequenced curriculum that supports all children's engagement and builds their learning progressively. 30/10/2023

p.4

should:

n focus adult interactions to support children to be deeply engaged in activities n sequence the expectations for babies' learning and development, in particular to develop their self-care skills at mealtimes n sharpen assessments right from the start of each child's placement, and use information from parents to plan developmentally appropriate ways to help children achieve their next steps in learning n reduce distractions to children's learning.

p.4

Setting details

Unique reference number 2644287 Local authority Oldham Inspection number 10301484 Type of provision Childminder

p.5

Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Childminder

p.5

inspection

Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 8 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

p.5

Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2021. She lives in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The childminder operates Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm all year round, with the exception of family holidays. The childminder also works with an assistant and provides occasional overnight care. She holds an appropriate early years qualification at level 2.

p.5

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 showed the inspector the premises and discussed how they ensure it is safe and suitable. n The childminder and the inspector discussed how the childminder organises their early years provision, including the aims and rationale for their curriculum. n The inspector observed the interactions between the childminder and children. n The childminder and inspector discussed how the curriculum had been implemented and the impact that this had on children's learning. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The childminder provided the inspector with a sample of key documentation on request.

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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

7 September 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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