Childminder in Somerset

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 respond happily to the friendly, welcoming childminder and they go easily to her for spontaneous cuddles. She helps them feel secure in her care and they settle quickly to play on arrival. The childminder identifies children's stages of ability and provides a well-organised curriculum to support their learning. She provides a wide variety of play activities that help all children make good progress.

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The provision is good

Younger children gain confidence and crawl around the play areas to find toys of their choice. They like to reach out and knock down a tower of bricks or feel a sensory, touchy feely book that crunches and rattles when held. Children develop an interest in their world from a young age. For example, they enjoy going on walks with the childminder around the nearby country lanes. They look at the horses and donkeys they see in the fields and listen to the noises they make. The childminder is very calm and supports children well with gentle explanations to learn how to manage their feelings. She praises children often for their efforts and achievements. Children benefit from this approach and develop good self-esteem.

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need to do better?

n The childminder has a positive approach to continually reflecting on her practice and identifying ways to develop this further. For example, since registration she has raised her awareness about safer sleeping practices for babies. This has helped her with monitoring sleeping children safely. n Children learn to share well from a young age. They play cooperatively and take turns in games. The childminder supports them well to form early friendships with their peers and they begin to gain the foundations to develop good social skills. n The childminder promotes children's communication and language effectively, overall. For example, she provides treasure baskets of sensory objects for younger children to explore and emphasises words to describe these objects, such as 'spiky, fluffy' and 'soft'. She reinforces the sounds and noises the younger children make and praises them when they try to repeat sounds back.

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need to do better?

n The childminder monitors children's progress well and recognises their next steps of development. She understands how some children follow particular patterns of play, such as transporting toys from one place to another or filling and emptying containers. She supports children well, overall, to develop a positive attitude to learning through their play. n Children develop their imaginations well, such as in their role-play games. They pretend to be shopkeepers and press buttons on the toy till. The childminder helps them count out the money for their customers. Children like feeding the baby dolls and cuddle them to sleep. n Parents speak highly of the childminder. They state that the childminder keeps

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need to do better?

23 July 2024 them fully informed of their child's day and they know which activities they have been involved in during the day. Parents state the childminder encourages them to continue the learning activities at home, which helps to provide a continuous approach for their child. n The childminder provides a welcoming, comfortable home, where children can easily access a range of exciting toys and resources to support their choices of play. She provides daily play in the garden and children like combining herbs and water to make their mixtures when playing at the mud kitchen. Younger children smile as the childminder plays peekaboo games with them. However, at times, the childminder does not always plan activities outdoors to engage and sustain children's interest and support their next steps of development as well as possible. For example, to make more use of children's enjoyment of songs or books and meet the learning needs of those children who learn best outdoors

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need to do better?

consistently well. n Children develop good personal and social skills. They sit together to enjoy healthy snacks of fruit, such as grapes and blueberries, and begin to gain independence with feeding themselves. Children like going to toddler groups with the childminder, where they meet their friends and join in with the different activities. The childminder talks with children about how to keep fit and healthy, such as to brush their teeth regularly.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

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

p.3

should:

n strengthen the planning of activities to engage children's interests and support their next steps of development even more effectively, with particular regard to their outdoor play.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2675687 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 10350737 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 3 Number of children on roll 3 Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2022. She lives in Curry Rivel, Somerset. The childminder is available to care for children Monday to Wednesday, from 8.am until 4pm, all year round. She is eligible for government funding to provider free early years education for children aged two, three and four years. She holds a primary teaching qualification.

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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 provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n The inspector and the childminder completed a joint observation of a planned activity and discussed the quality of education provided. n The inspector viewed a sample of documentation, such as the childminder's accident and incident records. n The inspector observed children's interactions in play indoors and outdoors and discussed their learning and development with the childminder. n The inspector took into account the spoken comments of parents.

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Inspection activities

23 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

23 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

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