Childminder in Essex

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

The childminder makes good use of the space within her home to provide children with an indoor environment that is welcoming and interesting. Children are familiar with, and follow, the childminder's boundaries and daily routines. For example, they understand that they need to tidy some of the toys away before they move on to the next activity. The childminder has clear expectations of the children and ensures that she gives them effective directions to follow. As a result, children are settled and comfortable within the childminder's home. They generally share the resources well. The childminder is always on hand to help those children who find it difficult to share, to take turns and learn about each other's needs.

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The provision is good

Children enjoy participating in a wide range of trips and outings, such as visiting the zoo, local parks, the sea-life centre and making use of soft-play activity centres. The childminder uses these experiences to enhance the children's knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Children articulate their needs well. They engage in discussions with the childminder and with each other. The childminder has effective strategies in place to enhance children's communication and language skills. She narrates their play, reads stories and generally talks to them about what they are doing.

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need to do better?

n The childminder is committed to continuously reviewing and improving her provision. She seeks appropriate training courses to help her to further develop her knowledge and understanding of specific issues, for example, autism. She has effective links with the local authority and works closely with a group of other local childminders who share updates to guidance and procedures. n Parents who contributed to the inspection through written testimonials, share that they are very happy with the care of their children. They find the childminder caring, professional and supportive. Parents comment that they are provided with good information about what their child has been doing with the childminder. n The childminder helps children to develop their understanding of counting, numbers, shapes and simple mathematics. She plans specific activities to enhance this aspect of learning, as well as threading mathematical language into

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need to do better?

conversations with the children during everyday activities and routines. n Children enjoy small group activities, such as listening to a story. However, at times, the childminder does not pay enough attention to how such activities can be differentiated to meet the individual needs of the children. On occasions, her questioning skills are not adapted to the different abilities of the children present. n Children participate and benefit from learning outdoors when they visit local

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need to do better?

9 October 2024 parks and places of interest. However, they are provided with fewer opportunities to engage in all seven areas of learning when they play in the childminder's garden. The curriculum for those children who learn better outdoors is not as effective as the learning that is planned for indoors. n Children sit together at mealtimes with the childminder closely supervising them. They share conversations about what food they have in their lunch box and what foods they like and dislike. The childminder encourages them to eat their savoury, healthy foods before any sugary treats. The children understand this and know to unpack their lunch accordingly. n Children enjoy practising their fine motor movements, for example, by using tweezers to pick up different coloured small items and placing them in the corresponding coloured container. The childminder models how to use the tweezers for the youngest children, while the older and more proficient children

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need to do better?

confidently transport the items without dropping them. The childminder encourages them to name the colours and to count how many pieces they move between containers. Children show a sense of real pride when they achieve and the childminder praises them. n Children guide their own play and learning as they select resources from the low-level and labelled shelving in the play cabin. The childminder helps older children to learn the independence they need for their eventual move to school, such as putting their coats and shoes on.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

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

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should:

n give greater consideration to how activities and discussions are differentiated to meet the needs of individual children n improve the provision for children who learn better outdoors to experience a full and purposeful outdoor curriculum.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY542630 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10364908 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 13 Date of previous inspection 13 February 2019

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2017. She operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder holds an appropriate qualification at level 3.

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Inspection activities

n The childminder showed the inspector all areas of their premises used for childminding and discussed how she ensures that they are safe and suitable. n The childminder and the inspector completed a learning discussion together to discuss the childminder's intentions for children's learning. n The inspector observed the interactions between the childminder and the children. n The childminder and the inspector discussed observations of activities and how the curriculum has been implemented and the impact that this has had on children's learning. n Parents provided the inspector with written feedback. n The childminder provided the inspector with a sample of key documentation on request.

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Inspection activities

9 October 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 October 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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