Childminder in Sandwell

Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety is not fully assured. Despite recent Ofsted involvement with the provision, the childminder continues to work alongside persons not known to Ofsted. The childminder does not have good enough knowledge of their child protection responsibilities. Furthermore, they have failed to ensure their assistants fully understand their safeguarding duties and their role in keeping children safe from risks and hazards.

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The provision is inadequate

The childminder does not provide the most age- and stage-appropriate curriculum. Teaching is, at times, too formalised and often above the level of understanding of the children attending. The childminder's priorities for children's development are overly focused on letters, numbers and colours and not embedding core skills they need, such as social skills and speech and language development. Planning does not specifically cater to children as individuals in order to build on their key next steps in learning. This means that children do not progress as well as possible.

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The provision is inadequate

That said, children are settled, content and generally happy throughout the day. The environments are well resourced indoors and outside. There are some activities children enjoy, such as creative activities, including gluing, sticking and drawing.

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need to do better?

n The childminder does not demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the Ofsted registration requirements for childminders. As a result, there are times when five adults are working on the premises together at one time. This is a breach of requirements for the registration she holds. n Since the last Ofsted visit, the childminder has not taken sufficient enough action to ensure all persons they are working with are known to Ofsted. While some applications for new assistants have been received and are being processed, this does not apply to all persons working at the premises. This does not ensure children's safety. n The childminder's assistants do not fully understand their roles and responsibilities. Their induction has not been robust enough. The childminder has failed to ensure her assistants fully understand their safeguarding responsibilities. As a result, they are unclear about who to escalate concerns to

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need to do better?

outside of the provision. Furthermore, at present, there are limited arrangements in place to monitor their practice and provide ongoing support, monitoring and coaching. n The childminder does not keep her knowledge of her safeguarding duties up to date. She does not have the depth and breadth of child protection knowledge to meet requirements. This does not help to protect children from harm.

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need to do better?

3 June 2025 n The childminder's assistants do not have a full comprehension of their risk assessment responsibilities. This means they do not always supervise children enough, and they do not prevent and minimise risks effectively. For example, the childminder has to intervene to prevent them overfeeding young babies when they begin gagging on the drinks and food provided. This does not help to keep children safe. n The childminder's record-keeping does not help to ensure the efficient running of the provision. There are gaps in personal information, recruitment records and suitability checks for new assistants. n The childminder's curriculum is not good enough. The childminder knows children well, but her priorities for children's learning are not fully age- and stage-appropriate. For example, young children sit at tables learning to write out letters by tracing over the alphabet on whiteboards when they are yet to secure

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need to do better?

social confidence, clear communication and independence skills. This does not help to ensure they gain the key skills they need for their eventual move to school. n The childminder's teaching is variable. At times, she is very formal in her approach. While she does talk to children, occasionally, she takes too much of a step back and her interactions with children are overly supervisory. While she recognises that she wants to enhance teaching, she does not fully consider how to plan for children's individual learning needs. Therefore, children do not make the progress they are capable of. n Relationships with parents are not good enough. The childminder does not provide them with the most pertinent and accurate information about their children's development to help best support learning at home. n The provision is clean and well maintained. Children cooperate with routines and respond to instructions when given, so they behave well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

There is not an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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Due date

3 June 2025 ensure assistants are subject to rigorous recruitment processes, which must include providing Ofsted with all information required to complete suitability checks in a timely manner 18/07/2025

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Due date

improve induction training to help new assistants become familiar with their key roles and gain secure understanding of their responsibilities, including safeguarding 18/07/2025

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Due date

implement supervision and monitoring processes to ensure new assistants are provided with ongoing support 18/07/2025

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Due date

gain a more secure knowledge and understanding of key safeguarding responsibilities to ensure children are safeguarded 18/07/2025

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Due date

improve risk assessment in practice and ensure all assistants are supported to swiftly identify and minimise risks to help keep children safe 18/07/2025

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Due date

improve record-keeping to help ensure the effective running of the provision, specifically relating to recruitment records and suitability checks. 18/07/2025

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Due date

make more effective use of what is known about children's age, stage and learning needs to enhance the curriculum and improve teaching 01/08/2025

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Due date

extend what is provided to engage children in more stimulating activities that inspire play, exploration and learning throughout the day 01/08/2025

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Due date

3 June 2025 establish more effective two-way partnerships with parents so information shared is pertinent and detailed to further support continuity in children's learning between the provision and home. 01/08/2025

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Setting details

Unique reference number 2649703 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 10403925 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 24 Number of children on roll 16 Date of previous inspection 9 May 2024

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2022 and lives in Rowley Regis. She operates all year round, Monday to Friday 7am to 7pm, except for family and bank holidays. The childminder works with a co-childminder and several assistants. She offers funded early education places for eligible children.

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Inspection activities

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 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 Parents shared their views of the setting with the inspector. n The childminder provided the inspector with a sample of key documentation on request. n The inspector talked to the childminder's assistants at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Inspection activities

3 June 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

3 June 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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