Childminder in Medway

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

Children are extremely happy and confident in the childminder's care and thoroughly enjoy their time in the homely environment. The childminder, who is attentive and kind, forms secure relationships with the children. She knows the children well and provides them with reassurance and cuddles as they need it. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

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The provision is good

Children gain a good understanding of healthy lifestyles. The childminder encourages them to follow good hygiene routines, such as regularly washing their hands. She teaches children about healthy food choices.

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The provision is good

The childminder offers the children the opportunity to choose their play. She supports them, as they play together, with guidance and practical demonstrations. The childminder recognises and celebrates children's progress, giving them plenty of praise and encouragement. This helps to build children's confidence, self-esteem and language skills.

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The provision is good

The childminder is a positive role model and has high expectations for children's behaviour. She gently reminds children of her expectations when they need support. The childminder encourages children to share resources and wait their turn when required. She teaches them how to be considerate of others, such as slowing down on the swing as another child approaches, or working together to build a tall tower. This contributes to children's growing understanding of the expectations for their behaviour.

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need to do better?

n Children are keen learners. They move around freely in the learning space and choose from a range of resources that interest them. From the start, the childminder gathers detailed information about children from parents. She uses this information to plan a broad and varied curriculum that focuses on the interests of the children in attendance. For example, following their interest in the farm, the children have been exploring different farm animals, their characteristics, and the sounds that they make. n Children are becoming confident communicators. They demonstrate a wide and sophisticated vocabulary. The childminder engages children in continuous conversation that is centred around their interests. She asks thought-provoking questions and allows children plenty of time to respond. For younger children, the childminder clearly emphasises key and new words in her interactions with them to help enhance their understanding and language skills.

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need to do better?

n Children enjoy and benefit from lots of fresh air daily. They like playing in the childminder's well-planned, enchanting garden. The childminder encourages

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need to do better?

20 June 2024 children to use their large-muscle skills to dig, pour, and build with the sand and water. They also enjoy moving around the outdoors in a range of ways, such as running, climbing, balancing, and swinging. This helps children to build core strength and coordination. n Children gain a good understanding of the natural world around them. The childminder educates children so that they learn where their food comes from and how to care for plants and vegetables. Children monitor the growth of strawberries in the garden and are delighted when they are big and ripe enough to harvest. This helps children to develop a positive relationship with food and learn purposefully about growth. n The childminder incorporates mathematics into all activities by encouraging mathematical language. For instance, she introduces the words 'big', 'small', 'more' and 'less' as children compare toy farm animals and play in the sand.

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need to do better?

Furthermore, children explore the concept of shape and space as they fill small spaces with various smaller objects and consider the amount of space left to fill. This helps to provide children with a secure foundation to support their future learning. n The childminder builds strong partnerships with parents, who talk about how their children are well looked after. Furthermore, parents appreciate the childminder's 'good' communication and how they are enabled to feel part of their children's day. They say that the childminder is 'caring and nurturing'. She shares information with parents about what their children have been doing and their achievements during the day. The childminder gives parents ideas about how to promote children's development at home. However, she has not fully developed partnerships with the other settings that children attend. This means that they do not consistently work together to support children in their next

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need to do better?

stages of learning and development. n The childminder is organised and has the necessary documentation to ensure that she has the information she needs for the safe care of children. She keeps up to date with essential training, but, in more recent years, has not focused on building her knowledge of teaching and children's learning.

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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 develop partnership working with other settings that children attend to consistently support children's next steps in learning

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should:

20 June 2024 n focus professional development on teaching and children's learning to build knowledge and raise the quality of the provision for children.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2666082 Local authority Medway Inspection number 10339416 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 5 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2022. She lives in Rochester, Kent. She holds a relevant 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 her evaluation of the setting. n The childminder showed the inspector around her childminding premises to discuss how the early years provision and the curriculum are organised. n The inspector spoke with the childminder about the leadership and management of the setting. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The childminder showed the inspector the premises and discussed how she ensures that they remain safe and suitable. n A sample of documentation was reviewed by the inspector, including suitability checks and the childminder's paediatric first-aid training certificate. n Parents' views were taken into account by the inspector.

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Inspection activities

20 June 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

20 June 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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