Atkinson, Susan

Atkinson, Susan

Unique reference number (URN): EY298257 Address: 10/12 Croft Avenue, Shap, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 3NR Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 16/11/2004 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Atkinson, Susan

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder helps children to develop a secure understanding of how everyone has different abilities. Children play together and learn to accept and celebrate their differences and similarities. All children feel welcome in the inclusive environment and the childminder adapts her provision to help all children feel included. The childminder maintains oversight of adaptations and makes changes as needed to provide ongoing support for children's individual needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well and has appropriate expectations and ambitions for them. She understands how to identify and assess the needs of children with SEND and has cared for children with a variety of needs over her years in the role. This has led to the childminder developing a sound reputation for inclusive care and recommendations from previous families that she has provided care for. The childminder works closely with other agencies and professionals involved in children's care to develop a supportive approach that is adapted to children's individual needs. She understands that children with SEND learn in different ways and how different approaches are needed to help them make appropriate progress. The childminder works collaboratively with parents to ensure that her understanding of these children's needs aligns with that of parents and other professionals.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children make some progress in their learning and development. However, much of their learning is not as a result of a well-planned and delivered, individually tailored curriculum. For instance, although babies develop their physical skills, the childminder does not promote this well through daily outdoor play. Children develop their vocabulary and confidence in communication skills, although this is not taught consistently well. Children with SEND make progress from their individual starting points. The childminder knows them well and understands how to support their individual needs. Children make progress towards the next stage of their learning and learn some key independence skills. They learn how to make and manage friendships and how to celebrate and include people with different backgrounds and abilities. This supports the social and personal skills that they will need in life and as they continue their education.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

The childminder is generally a positive role model to children and offers praise when children are kind to each other and when they demonstrate good manners. However, she does not always apply expectations consistently. This means that some instances of unwanted behaviour go unchallenged. This does not help children to understand how to behave well. The childminder understands that children need time and space to focus on activities and to practise their skills. However, she leaves the television on and background noise hinders children's ability to focus.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Children understand the routines in the childminder's home, and they feel secure as they know what comes next in their day. Children play and babies explore the environment, generally getting along with each other well. Children develop the confidence to ask for help when they need it. The childminder supports children who are toilet training to manage their own care needs appropriately. The childminder understands that regular attendance supports children's development. She works with parents to offer flexibility to accommodate their changing circumstances.

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Children's welfare and well-being Needs attention

Children are not given consistent messages about healthy eating, safe-eating practices and screen time. For example, food is not always healthy and, at times, does not meet nutritional guidance. Practice around mealtimes does not always promote children's social skills consistently. The childminder does not plan outdoor learning well enough to ensure that children of all ages benefit from daily outdoor play. While older children enjoy outings, such as trips to local parks, babies are not always encouraged to develop their physical skills in the outdoors.

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Children's welfare and well-being Needs attention

The childminder does not always ensure that sleeping arrangements are consistently well managed. The childminder places toddlers to sleep for extended periods of time in pushchairs. This does not consider their individual care needs and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and well-being Needs attention

Children develop a sense of belonging and demonstrate secure attachments with the childminder. Children who are new to the provision settle quickly and feel safe in the childminder's care. The childminder encourages children to be mindful of their friends' feelings. She recognises when babies are tired or hungry and understands when situations may trigger children's emotional responses.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder demonstrates an understanding of how children develop and what they need to learn in preparation for their move on to school. However, the childminder's planning and delivery of the curriculum is not of a consistently high standard. Children benefit from the environment and activities, but much of their learning is incidental. The childminder's process for deciding what children need to learn next is often generic to all, or most, children. It is not purposefully planned to promote progress in the areas that each child would benefit from most. Children with SEND benefit from thoughtful interactions and appropriate activities that support their individual needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder has ongoing discussions and chats with children throughout their day. However, she does not demonstrate a sharp focus on developing the early communication and language skills of babies, in particular. Children learn new physical skills and the childminder helps them to practise these skills indoors. However, outdoor play and learning are not always well considered to help children, and babies in particular, make the most of their outdoor experiences. Children have access to lots of resources, which support their learning in areas such as mathematics. They also have some experiences that help them to learn more about the wider world. However, their learning is not specifically planned to bring about clear progress in each area.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has a broad overview of the strengths and challenges of her provision. However, she does not always take swift action to bring about improvements or implement policies and procedures consistently well. The childminder has not obtained written permission from parents to allow her to administer some medications. However, she has not yet needed to administer these medications, meaning that the impact on children's safety and wellbeing is minimal. The childminder understands that she must have this in place to meet the statutory requirements.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder provides opportunities for ongoing discussions with assistants who she works with and monitors their practice. However, this does not translate into targeted professional development to support assistants well. Professional development is also not well focused on priorities for the children attending.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder works with parents and gives them information about what their children are doing in their day. She gives them ideas for continuing activities at home. The childminder gathers pertinent information from parents at the outset to help her understand children's backgrounds and circumstances. This includes gathering information to support children who face barriers to learning and those with SEND.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

The childminder does not plan and deliver a consistently ambitious curriculum that supports children's individual interests sufficiently well. Although children make some progress in their learning, the childminder does not focus on what each child needs to learn next across the different areas of learning. The childminder does not set consistently high expectations for children to promote positive behaviour and attitudes towards learning. The childminder's practice does not always promote the welfare and wellbeing of children sufficiently well, particularly regarding sleeping and eating arrangements. The childminder does not consistently support children to learn about and develop healthy habits and lifestyles. Professional development is not well focused to continually raise standards of teaching. Policies and procedures are not implemented consistently to meet the required framework standards. However, the childminder does recognise and understand the improvements that

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

she needs to make. She demonstrates a positive attitude towards making improvements to the provision to raise the standards of care and learning for children.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children build relationships with the childminder and each other as they play and spend time in the childminder's home. The childminder is mindful of promoting regular attendance and is flexible to suit families' differing needs, where possible. Children learn about their similarities and differences and how different family dynamics work. Children of different ages spend time together. Children with SEND and those who face other barriers to learning experience an inclusive and welcoming environment. Children enjoy songs and stories with the childminder, and babies enjoy exploring the environment and the plentiful resources. Babies and children settle well and develop a sense of belonging. Children learn some key skills in readiness for the next stage of their education. For example, they learn to dress and undress themselves and begin to manage their own personal care needs with support from the childminder.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Address:

10/12 Croft Avenue Shap Penrith Cumbria CA10 3NR

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:30

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Address:

Local authority: Westmorland and Furness

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistants who she works with and children during the inspection, as well as taking account of feedback from parents and other relevant professionals. 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. A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standards expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standards set out in statutory and non-statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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