Childminder in Hertfordshire

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 thrive in the childminder's warm and happy home. Her loving care helps children to feel confident and secure. The childminder knows the children well. She understands their needs and interests. This contributes significantly to their enjoyment of their time with her. Children's thoughts and ideas are important to the childminder. She is considerate of their views and feelings, making sure these are always included. Children delight in making marks. They use coloured crayons to decorate pictures of minibeasts. This helps children develop the small muscles in their hands. Children are becoming increasingly controlled in their movements. This helps children to gain the strength and control they need for writing.

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The provision is good

Children have good relationships with the childminder and with each other. This helps them to gain a sense of belonging and fosters their ability to have a go. For example, children enthusiastically fill containers with tiny pasta shapes. They use a small funnel, carefully holding it in place as they pour the pasta into the neck of the bottle. They are thoroughly pleased with their achievement and eagerly repeat the task. Children behave well. They learn from the childminder's excellent role modelling of how to treat others. The childminder has high but realistic expectations of what children can achieve.

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need to do better?

n The childminder describes the broad curriculum that she designs for children. This curriculum helps to promote children's communication and language skills, their personal, social and emotional development and their physical skills. The childminder explains how she extends children's learning as she helps them to build their knowledge of the world around them. She promotes early literacy and mathematical skills and helps children to develop and express their creativity. The childminder explains how she makes changes and adjustments to the learning experiences to meet the individual needs of each child. n Children are busy and engaged. They are interested in the experiences that the childminder plans for them. She helps them to develop their love of books. Children select books and use the pictures to tell the story. They often look at books independently, repeating some of the phrases that they know. Children

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need to do better?

treat books with care, carefully turning pages and gently lifting flaps to reveal pictures beneath. The childminder has added cushions to the book area to make it more comfortable for children. n The childminder provides children with experiences that they want to get involved in. She helps the children gain new knowledge and to practise skills so that they become more proficient. Children learn new words and use these in their play. This helps them to gain a wider vocabulary and understanding of the meaning of words. Children describe containers as 'full' and 'empty' and count in

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need to do better?

9 July 2024 sequence the number of scoops they fill. n The childminder makes accurate assessments of children's progress. She notices when children achieve a new skill or show that they remember something they learned before. This helps her to know when to introduce new challenges and to celebrate children's success. n Children have good levels of concentration appropriate to their stage of development when participating in planned experiences with a high level of adult input. However, children do not show such good levels of concentration in their self-chosen play. The childminder frequently provides support, but children do not consistently carry through their ideas and often abandon resources, quickly moving on to the next thing. n The childminder establishes positive partnerships with parents and works closely with other settings that children move on to. This helps to provide children with continuity of care and learning. Parents speak highly of the childminder,

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need to do better?

recognising her ability to nurture children from a young age, her sensible advice and the support she provides for parents leaving their baby for the first time. n The childminder reflects on her practice to benefit the children. She continues to develop her knowledge and skills to make sure she is up to date with current practice. The childminder maintains the required records to ensure the safe care of children.

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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 support children to extend their concentration and ability to follow through their ideas in their self-chosen play and help them to take responsibility for resources.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY537631 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10344383 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 3 Date of previous inspection 19 September 2018

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2016 and lives in Hitchin. She operates all year round from 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Thursday, except for bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder holds an early years qualification at level 3. The childminder provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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 childminder and the inspector discussed how the early years provision and the curriculum are organised. n The inspector and the childminder observed children's play during planned activities and evaluated the quality of education. n The inspector spoke to the children and the childminder at appropriate times throughout the inspection. She took account of the written views from parents.

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Inspection activities

9 July 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

9 July 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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