Early years · Childminder inspection (EIF)
Childminder in Hertfordshire
Summary
What we read, and from where
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- Inspection date verified
4 Sept 2024
- Inspectors verified
Jenny Hardy
- Behaviour and attitudes verified
Good
- Leadership and management verified
Good
- Overall effectiveness verified
Good
- Personal development verified
Good
- Previous overall verified
Met
- Quality of education verified
Good
- Name on report verified
Childminder report
- URN verified
EY501830
Deep dive
What this report says
In plain English
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Grade profile
Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.
- OverallGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Quality of educationGood
79% of comparable inspections in the last three years were graded Good (17,905 inspections).
Tone of the report
How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.
Reads more warmly than most reports of this type graded Good.
Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.
How the report reads, start to finish
Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.
Strengths
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
- Her strong knowledge helps children to make good progress. p.2
- This does not fully support children to become highly effective communicators. p.2
- The childminder provides children with a welcoming and engaging environment, where children feel safe and secure. p.2
- She forms positive and respectful relationships with them, and her calm nature provides children with a stable environment in which to learn and develop. p.2
Concerns
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No strong criticism found.
Next steps
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What the report dwells on
Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.
Progress & outcomes2
“Her strong knowledge helps children to make good progress.” p.2
Anatomy of the report
How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.
- Pages
- 6
- Words of findings
- 678
- about usual (typical 764)
- Reading level
- Hard
- Flesch 50, typical 52
- Average sentence
- 15 words
- Next steps
- 1
- typical 2
- Hedged sentences
- 2%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
Overall effectiveness Good
The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Met
p.1
The provision is good
The childminder provides children with a welcoming and engaging environment, where children feel safe and secure. She forms positive and respectful relationships with them, and her calm nature provides children with a stable environment in which to learn and develop. As a result, children are happy and settled in the childminder's care.
p.2
The provision is good
Older children act as positive role models to the youngest children. They welcome younger children to join in with the games they play, sharing the toys with them and helping them to understand how to play with the toys appropriately. For instance, they show them how to pretend to feed the baby dolls in the highchair. The childminder praises them for being kind and helpful and this promotes positive behaviour and interactions between all of the children who attend.
p.2
The provision is good
The childminder helps children to consolidate their learning and make connections through her range of adult-led activities. She provides them with opportunities to explore the toy farm animals, talking to children about what they are doing. The childminder provides them with opportunities to sing about the animals they have been playing with. She moves on to reading a story about animals. These connected activities help children to deepen their understanding of the subjects they are learning about.
p.2
need to do better?
n The childminder speaks confidently about the children in her care. She demonstrates a strong knowledge of their development, using the information she gathers from parents to help her plan appropriate activities. The childminder recognises what children need to be able to do next and has clear plans in place to support their development and meet their individual needs. Her strong knowledge helps children to make good progress. n The childminder recognises the importance of developing her professional knowledge. She identifies appropriate topics that she would like to gain a deeper understanding of and actively explores these topics. This helps her to strengthen her interactions with children and promote their learning and development further. n Children delight in joining in with singing and dancing activities. They enthusiastically choose which of their favourite songs they want to sing. The childminder supports the youngest children, who are not yet independently
p.2
need to do better?
mobile, to join in and be included. She holds their hands as they bob up and down to the music. Older children follow the instructions in the songs independently, laughing and twirling around with delight. n Overall, the childminder models language appropriately and supports children's
p.2
need to do better?
4 September 2024 communication skills. For instance, she models the noise a duck makes to younger children who are beginning to speak. Children then demonstrate their understanding and repeat this back to the childminder, who praises this achievement. She holds discussions with older children, promoting conversations at key times of the day such as snack time. However, occasionally she does not articulate words to children accurately. This does not fully support children to become highly effective communicators. n The childminder skilfully differentiates her interactions for the different ages and abilities of children. For instance, she helps younger children to join train carriages together and counts the carriages for them. She explains to older children how to join the carriages together so that they can complete this for themselves. The childminder instinctively extends this further, which provides a
p.2
need to do better?
suitable challenge to more able children. For instance, she asks them if they can add more to make the train even longer. She then checks their knowledge, asking them to re-count how many they have in total. n The childminder has established strong relationships with parents and professionals at other settings children attend. She recognises the importance of sharing information with them to support children's well-being and development. The childminder finds out about children's time away from the setting, such as during the long summer break. This helps her to identify appropriate next steps for children's development to build on what they already know and can do for themselves.
p.3
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 consistently support children to build their vocabulary accurately to help them to become even more effective communicators.
p.3
Setting details
Unique reference number EY501830 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10344330 Type of provision Childminder
p.4
Registers
Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Childminder
p.4
inspection
Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 7 Date of previous inspection 6 September 2018
p.4
Information about this early years setting
The childminder registered in 2016 and lives in Watford, Hertfordshire. She operates all year round from 8am to 6pm, Tuesday to Thursday, and 3pm to 6pm on a Monday, except for bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder holds a relevant childcare qualification at level 3. She provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.
p.4
Inspection activities
n The childminder gave the inspector a tour of the areas of the premises used for childminding and discussed how she keeps children safe. n The childminder spoke to the inspector about her Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and what it is she wants children to learn. n The inspector observed the childminder interacting with children and considered the impact of these interactions on children's learning and development. n The inspector read written feedback from parents and took their views into consideration. n The inspector viewed relevant documentation.
p.4
Inspection activities
4 September 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.
p.4
Inspection activities
4 September 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.
p.5
Inspection activities
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p.6
Inspection activities
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p.6
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
p.6
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