Childminder in Hampshire

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's experiences at this setting are supportive and enriching. From the outset, the kind and caring childminder builds trusting relationships with children and their families. This makes them feel welcomed and valued. Children feel safe and happy and readily seek the childminder out for comfort, reassurance and praise. There are funny moments they enjoy together where they giggle and laugh, creating an uplifting atmosphere.

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The provision is good

The setting is thoughtfully organised to reflect children's evolving interests and offers a wide range of engaging and meaningful learning opportunities. This helps children become motivated to explore, develop new skills and grow in confidence. The childminder places a strong emphasis on children's emotional well-being and celebrates their efforts and achievements with smiles, encouragement and positive interactions, such as performing 'high fives'.

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The provision is good

Children are supported to become increasingly independent through everyday routines, such as helping them recognise when they may be thirsty and need to drink water. The childminder introduces new vocabulary in context, for example, she explains how drinking water keeps them hydrated. In addition to their language development, this helps enhance children's understanding of staying fit and healthy.

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The provision is good

Children show impressive behaviour. The childminder acts as a positive role model and sets clear and consistent expectations. Children respond well and demonstrate kindness, good manners and cooperation. They readily say 'thank you' and follow the childminder's instructions with enthusiasm.

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need to do better?

n The childminder has an understanding of how young children learn. She gathers meaningful information from parents and uses her own ongoing observations to assess children's development accurately. This enables her to identify areas where children may need additional support and plan targeted activities to help them achieve. For example, to strengthen children's fine motor skills, in preparation for early writing, the childminder provides purposeful tasks, for example, picking and placing pegs into a board with holes. This helps to develop children's hand strength and coordination. n The childminder provides a wide range of real-life experiences that successfully broaden children's understanding of the world around them. She takes every opportunity to build on their natural curiosity. For instance, children notice a bee in the garden. The childminder promptly extends their learning by explaining that bees carry pollen from flowers and work together to make honey. This

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need to do better?

22 May 2025 enhances children's knowledge of nature and the environment. n Children's communication and language skills are effectively supported by the childminder. She skilfully follows steps to help children acquire language appropriately. For example, the childminder reads stories to them with great expression and tone, especially when using character's voices. Children immerse themselves in pictures, listen attentively and show a good recall of the story events. In addition, the childminder sings cheerfully with children and supports their learning of words to familiar songs. These types of activities effectively extend their vocabulary. n Although the childminder's curriculum for children's communication and language development, is well structured and effectively taught in a step-by-step way, her planning and delivery is not consistently sequenced across all areas of learning. In some areas, there is less clarity on how individual children's learning

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need to do better?

builds progressively from their current stage in development. This has an impact on children's overall progress. n The childminder joins in with children's play to support their imagination, for example, through role play. For instance, she sets up a toy picnic with items from a story children know. Children use a pretend knife to cut fruits and share these amongst dolls around the picnic mat. However, at times, when children are fully engrossed in their independent play, the childminder is quick to intervene and suggest other things children can do. During these times, children's thinking and opportunity to expand their own learning, is interrupted. n Relationships with parents are built on trust and mutual respect. Parents are very happy with the education and care their children receive. They comment positively about their children's progress, particularly their social skills, confidence and speech. The childminder keeps parents fully informed of their

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need to do better?

children's busy day with her. Parents highly value the collaborative approach between the childminder and themselves to support children's continual development.

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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 explore more ways to sharpen professional development opportunities to further enhance existing good practice across all areas of the curriculum n enhance teaching skills even further to recognise when to intervene and when to allow children time to think, explore and investigate without interruption.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 113221 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10398309 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 7 Date of previous inspection 15 October 2019

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 1994. She lives in Southampton, Hampshire. The childminder offers care all day, Monday to Thursday. She is eligible to receive funding to provide free early education for children aged nine months to four years. The childminder holds an early years qualification at level 3.

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Inspection activities

n The childminder showed the inspector the premises and discussed how they ensure they are safe and suitable. n The childminder and the inspector discussed how the childminder organises their early years provision, including the aims and rationale for their early years foundation stage curriculum. n Children spoke with the inspector during the inspection. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The inspector and the childminder carried out a joint observation of a communication and language activity. n Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The childminder provided the inspector with a sample of key documentation on request.

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Inspection activities

22 May 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

22 May 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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