Childminder EY301157

Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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The provision is outstanding

Children settle exceptionally well and demonstrate close attachments with the nurturing childminder. Babies who are new to the setting gaze into the childminder's eyes and respond well with facial expressions and gestures, clearly communicating their feelings and needs. Older children delight at showing visitors around their learning environment, chatting about what activities and routines they follow and what they learn from them.

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The provision is outstanding

All children are confident communicators who delight at chatting to their friends and adults. The childminder creates a language-rich environment full of narrative and discussions. She consistently encourages children to have meaningful input in conversations through provoking questions, allowing children time to respond and showing genuine interest in what they say.

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The provision is outstanding

Children are highly independent and relish in taking on roles of responsibility throughout the day. They create their own lists of jobs where they share out tasks, such as laying the table, serving food at mealtimes and holding the gate open when going out. All children tidy away after play, understanding how this keeps them safe and the toys intact. Furthermore, older children support their younger friends to learn these routines by role modelling and helping them.

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need to do better?

n From when children first start and throughout their time in her care, the childminder gathers extensive information from families. This enables her to have a deep understanding of all children, their early experience, and how these impact their learning. The childminder skilfully introduces activities and discussions that broaden children's experiences and supports their well-being and learning superbly. For example, she embraces children's love of music to create song and dance sessions when she identifies that new children need further support in settling. n Children's learning is exceptionally well sequenced, with the childminder ensuring knowledge is thoroughly embedded. During all discussions, the childminder asks children to help remember answers and key vocabulary, praising their strong recall. She then extends children's learning by role modelling more complex language to enhance their vocabulary even further.

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need to do better?

n The childminder embraces children's observations and uses them to support her teaching, understanding that this is how children learn best. For example, having seen a hedgehog in the garden, children take pictures and research them online. The childminder uses this activity to support their understanding of internet safety. Children then create models of hedgehogs with dough and sticks, developing their fine motor skills and mathematical knowledge. Alongside these

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need to do better?

24 September 2025 activities, children explore various sensory and factual books that are age- appropriate for the children present. n Exceptional communication with families supports children in making excellent progress. The childminder shares videos and conducts online meetings with parents to demonstrate how to further support children's learning at home. She encourages parents to attend specific training courses with her so that the support strategies they implement with children are consistent. n Children are encouraged to celebrate and share what makes them unique in interesting ways. They teach their friends how to count in different languages that reflect their backgrounds. Children use this new knowledge in daily routines. For example, they count to 20 in other languages to monitor the amount of time it takes to wash their hands correctly. n The childminder establishes highly collaborative relationships with other

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need to do better?

professionals. She instigates face-to-face meetings with nursery school staff every half term to ensure their teaching compliments one another and promotes excellent progress for children. The childminder has strong relationships with the local schools' early years staff. She gathers information about the skills children will need prior to starting and plans her curriculum around this. n The childminder is highly evaluative of her skills and knowledge, accessing extensive training that is focussed on the individual needs of children who attend. For example, she has recently completed a course that focuses on the impact children's diets can have on their facial muscle development and how this effects their speech and language skills. Furthermore, the childminder uses her extensive knowledge to enhance the practice of colleagues during regular group sessions that she organises.

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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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Setting details

Unique reference number EY301157 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10407991 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 11 Date of previous inspection 22 January 2020

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2005 and lives in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. She operates all year round from 8am to 6pm, Tuesday to Thursday. The childminder holds an appropriate qualification at level 3. She offers the government funded places for all eligible children.

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Inspection activities

n The inspector considered the views of parents by reviewing feedback letters. n The inspector looked at a sample of relevant documents. n The inspector observed the interactions between the childminder and children during activities. n The inspector observed the quality of teaching to assess the impact on children's learning. n The inspector and childminder completed a joint observation of an activity to assess the quality of teaching. n The inspector held discussions with the childminder about the monitoring of learning and development in the setting and tracked the progress of children.

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Inspection activities

24 September 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

24 September 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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