Childminder in Central Bedfordshire

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

The childminder provides a welcoming, nurturing environment for the children and enthusiastically joins in their play. She is very attentive to children's individual needs and successfully differentiates her teaching. This ensures that all children, regardless of their age, are included in the range of activities provided. For example, the childminder encourages younger children to use their hands to explore the sensory experience of the dried pasta and shows older children how to make 'pasta shakers'. Children demonstrate their fine motor skills as they carefully use their pincer grip to pick up the pasta and proceed to carefully place it in their containers. They smile, demonstrate pride in their achievements and eagerly shake their completed shakers.

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The provision is good

The childminder encourages the children to freely select from the range of resources available to them and follows their interests. For example, she joins in the children's pretend play suggesting ideas and modelling how to do things, such as how to use the toy stereoscope to hear the toy dinosaur's heartbeat. Additionally, the childminder provides a range of craft activities for the children. Young children concentrate and persevere as they use the paint to make marks on paper. They enjoy getting messy. The childminder reads stories and sings rhymes to the children, encouraging them to look at the illustrations on each page.

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need to do better?

n The enthusiastic childminder puts the children at the heart of everything she does. She provides a home-from-home, friendly environment. Consequently, children settle well and develop strong attachments with the childminder. This supports children's emotional development effectively. Children happily include the childminder in their play and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. The childminder readily offers cuddles and reassurance if the children need support or are upset. n The childminder develops positive relationships with parents. She spends time talking to parents and getting to know children's care needs and stage of development before they attend. This successfully helps to ease the transition from home to the childminder's care. Parents speak very highly of the service the childminder provides. They comment on the childminder's exceptional care and dedication to the children's needs and her high standards of cleanliness and

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need to do better?

safety. n The childminder knows the children well and structures her curriculum to build on what they know and can already do. She completes ongoing observations of the children to monitor their progress and well-being. This successfully supports her to understand each child's individual personality and further development needs.

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need to do better?

14 February 2024 n The childminder engages in back-and-forth conversations with the young children, which supports the foundations for their language development. For example, she names animals and encourages young children to repeat their associated sounds. Children respond and 'roar' like a dinosaur and 'woof' like a dog. However, on occasions, the childminder does not encourage older children to practise pronouncing words for themselves. n The childminder completes required mandatory training. This supports her ability to keep children safe. For example, she has a current paediatric first-aid certificate and ensures her child protection training is up to date. However, while the childminder intends to access training to further raise her curriculum knowledge and teaching skills to an even higher level, she has not had the opportunity to do so. n The childminder is a positive role model and supports children to understand

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need to do better?

rules and boundaries, such as the importance of sharing and taking their turn. She praises children for their efforts and achievements, which successfully develops their confidence and supports them to persist at their chosen activity. n The childminder successfully obtains a range of information about children's dietary requirements, preferences and food allergies at the start of a child's placement. Children are supervised when they eat, learn to feed themselves and sit very well around the table with their peers. n The childminder successfully broadens children's range of experiences. Children make new friends during their attendance at toddler groups. They enjoy walks along the canal where they feed the ducks and visit soft-play activity centres to enhance their physical skills, such as climbing and balancing. Additionally, the childminder supports children to appreciate and respect the diversity of others.

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need to do better?

For example, children paint colourful dragons in celebration of the Chinese New Year.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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should:

n use every opportunity to extend young children's spoken language skills during spontaneous play activities n identify a broader range of training opportunities to further enhance the implementation of the curriculum, including the quality of teaching, to support all children to achieve to the highest level.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2650074 Local authority Central Bedfordshire Inspection number 10305415 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 Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2021 and lives in Leighton Buzzard. She operates Tuesday to Friday, 7.30am until 5.30pm, term time only, except for bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder holds an appropriate childcare qualification at level 3.

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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 childminder showed the inspector the areas of her home that children access. They discussed how the childminder organises her setting and plans the curriculum and experiences for children. n The inspector observed children taking part in activities with the childminder and assessed the impact on children's learning. n The childminder provided the inspector with a sample of key documentation on request. n The inspector took account of the views of parents from written feedback provided at the inspection.

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Inspection activities

14 February 2024 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

14 February 2024 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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