Nicholls, Victoria May

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 are very happy and content at this home-from-home setting. The childminder develops meaningful relationships with the children in her care. She is caring and responsive, which helps children to feel safe and secure. In turn, children display these qualities towards each other. For example, older children actively involve younger children in their play and hold their hands when making their way to wash their hands. This helps children to develop the skills they will need to build future friendships.

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The provision is good

The childminder provides children with a wealth of experiences that help them to make sense of the world around them and their place within it. For example, children have regular opportunities to interact with people from various backgrounds and generations as they explore their local community. This includes weekly visits to a local care home, where children enjoy making connections with the residents and learn about times gone by. Children enjoy visiting local places of interest, such as castles and beaches.

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The provision is good

Children develop positive attitudes towards their learning. Children of all ages concentrate intently as they take great care when making gifts for loved ones. Even the youngest children learn new skills as they move glue sticks across their paper and persevere as they attempt to attach collage materials. The meaningful praise children receive encourages them to feel proud of their contributions and creations.

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need to do better?

n The childminder gets to know the children in her care very well. She uses regular observations and her partnerships with parents to create an interesting curriculum that successfully builds on what children already know. The childminder works with other settings that that children attend, sharing information to provide a consistent approach to children's learning. This is reflected in the good levels of progress all children make from their starting points. n Children develop early literacy skills through a shared love of reading. The childminder uses books to support and extend children's learning. For example, while reading a book about a farm, older children learn that a male sheep is called a 'ram'. The childminder challenges older children's thinking as they look at the pictures and consider why the ram and lamb are in different fields. Children learn that a ram has horns, and conclude that these might hurt the

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need to do better?

lamb, which is why they are separated. Younger children enjoy lifting flaps and turning pages as the childminder reads to them. They repeat the names of the animals and learn about the sounds they make. n The childminder provides children with an early understanding of mathematics,

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need to do better?

25 February 2025 preparing them well for their eventual move to school. For example, while building, children recognise that some bricks have numbers on. The childminder encourages children to identify the numbers as they hunt for more. Children learn the sequence of numbers as they 'help' the childminder put the numbered bricks in order. Older children learn that the number six is the same shape as an upside-down number nine, and that these two numbers hold different values. n Overall, the childminder supports children's communication and language skills well. Children get to hear a broad range of words as the childminder commentates children's play, asks regular questions and initiates discussions. This helps children to connect language with meaning. However, the childminder does not always deliver support strategies swiftly enough to maximise all children's communication development, particularly those who are at an early

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need to do better?

stage in their development. This means that not all children have every opportunity to become highly effective communicators. n The childminder models effective hygiene practices and provides children with clear explanations of why these are important. This helps children to develop a good understanding of how to keep their bodies safe and healthy. For example, children learn that keeping to their own hand towel when drying their hands helps to prevent their germs from mixing with others, and this helps to keep them well. Children remember the sequence to follow when washing their hands through embedded routines. Children take great care to dry their hands to prevent them getting 'sore'. n The childminder manages potential conflict sensitively and positively by taking time to understand and validate children's feelings before helping them to make positive choices. For example, when a younger child draws on an older child's

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need to do better?

picture, the childminder helps the older child to understand that the younger child is learning from them. The older child then creates a space for the younger child and models turn-taking as they create in collaboration. This helps children to develop an understanding of others.

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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 deliver communication strategies at the earliest opportunity, so that children who have gaps in their communication receive every opportunity to catch up with their peers.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY263162 Local authority Portsmouth Inspection number 10380657 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 10 Date of previous inspection 18 June 2019

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2003 and lives in Southsea, Hampshire. The childminder offers care Monday to Friday between 6.30am and 6pm. She holds an appropriate qualification at level 3. The childminder receives government funding for children who are eligible.

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Inspection activities

n The childminder showed the inspector around the premises and discussed how she organises her early years provision, including the aims and rationale for the curriculum. n The childminder spoke to the inspector about their intentions for children's learning. 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 provided the inspector with a sample of key documentation on request.

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Inspection activities

25 February 2025 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

25 February 2025 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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