Childminder in Lancashire

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 thoroughly enjoy attending the setting. They demonstrate they feel safe and secure as they separate from parents, excited to start the day with the childminder and her assistant. Children are confident as they approach new visitors, excited to introduce themselves and show off their favourite toys. The childminder provides a wide range of 'hands-on' activities so that children can explore, investigate and learn about the natural and wider world. Children enjoy regular trips to local parks, woodlands and libraries where they can explore nature and socialise with others.

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The provision is good

Children are eager and enthusiastic learners. They access resources that ignite their curiosity and inspire their imaginative skills. For example, children pretend to make cakes in the sand. They exclaim that the cakes are hot and they must blow them before they can eat them. The childminder understands how young children learn. She uses this knowledge to support children's language development by mirroring speech and introducing vocabulary as they play.

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The provision is good

Children form good relationships with other children and adults and play together cooperatively. The childminder and her assistant are good role models and are respectful to the children. This is reflected in the high standards of children's behaviour. They are kind, considerate and nurturing. For example, older children invite their younger peers to join in with their play. They happily adapt their own activities to suit the needs of babies and patiently show them how to interact with different resources. This helps to promote children's social development.

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need to do better?

n The childminder understands the importance of working in partnership with parents. She encourages parents to contribute to assessments and gathers detailed information on a child's entry to the setting. She offers interesting ideas to parents so they can support their children's learning at home, including to promote a love of reading and books. This helps to build an accurate picture of children's individual stages of development and promotes good joint working. n The childminder regularly attends meetings with other professionals, including local authority representatives. She listens to the views of early years professionals and introduces these ideas into her setting. The childminder offers many training and development opportunities to her assistants. However, she does not provide highly effective coaching and targeted support for her assistants to help them consistently implement the curriculum.

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need to do better?

n Children are well behaved and impressively considerate of their peers. For example, older children nurture babies and kindly demonstrate how different resources work. They encourage babies to become involved with their

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need to do better?

12 March 2024 imaginative play, showing them how to dig in the sand. Babies laugh excitedly as they are so eagerly invited to play with their peers. As a result, children develop relationships with each other that promote and enhance their social skills. n The childminder promotes children's independence well. She encourages the youngest children to peel their own bananas, take off their yoghurt lids and feed themselves. This demonstrates a good understanding of how such activities promote children's physical development. Older children become increasingly independent as they manage their own toileting needs and wash their hands. They understand the importance of hygiene as they announce that they need to wash their hands after stroking the family pet. n The childminder encourages children to manage their feelings well. She asks children how they are feeling and supports them to talk about their emotions.

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need to do better?

Children behave impeccably and understand the rules and boundaries. n Although the childminder understands the learning needs of individual children, these are not always used to inform planning, particularly during group activities. At times, the childminder does not always organise activities effectively to meet the differing needs of the children. This means some children are not as well engaged and become restless and disruptive. n The childminder promotes children's language development well. She gets down to the children's eye level and talks to them during activities. She provides a narrative for the younger children and asks older children questions about what they are doing. Children develop good language skills, and any gaps in development are closing quickly. n Children develop early mathematical skills. The childminder takes every opportunity to reinforce these. For example, at snack time, the children count

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need to do better?

their blueberries and compare their size with other fruits, such as strawberries. Children explain to the childminder's assistant that strawberries are bigger than blueberries. They are beginning to use and understand mathematical concepts and can apply them to conversations.

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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 strengthen the professional development of assistants to further support their interactions with children and raise the quality of education to the highest level n build on the organisation of group activities to meet and promote the individual stages of development effectively for children of different ages.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY498510 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 10312088 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 12 Number of children on roll 13 Date of previous inspection 19 April 2018

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2016 and lives in Skelmersdale. She operates all year round, from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder works with an assistant.

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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 inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities, indoors and outdoors, and the impact this has on children's learning. n The childminder and the inspector completed a joint evaluation of an activity and a learning walk, in order to understand the effectiveness of the curriculum and how it is organised. n The inspector spoke to parents and took account of their views. She spoke to the assistant and children where appropriate. n Discussions about leadership and management took place between the inspector and the childminder. n The inspector sampled some documentation, including suitability checks, training certificates and children's records.

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Inspection activities

12 March 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

12 March 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

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