Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY437747 Registered with Ofsted: 18/01/2012 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

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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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Achievement Strong standard

All children make consistently high levels of progress in readiness for their future transitions. Children show their rapidly developing understanding of language. Babies respond to the childminder's singing with excitement by babbling and attempt to copy simple actions. Toddlers enjoy familiar songs. They immediately retrieve animal figures from a tub as the childminder sings about a farm. Children are developing a love of books. They readily access an attractive selection of books at the childminder's and have visits to the library. They take books home to share with their parents.

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Achievement Strong standard

Babies copy actions as they use a metal spoon to hit a metal pan and play peekaboo with chiffon material. Toddlers spontaneously follow the sequence of daily routines. They are confident to try out familiar tasks and independently develop new skills. For example, they persevere when trying to open the pedal bin to dispose of their rubbish.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has a thorough knowledge of children's stage of development and interests, such as exploring tactile objects, mirrors, cars and balls. This sustains children's engagement and reflects in their sustained positive behaviour, especially taking account of their very young age. The childminder sensitively supports children's developing emotions, for instance, as babies become cross when they drop and cannot locate a drumstick. The childminder expertly minimises children's frustrations to prevent negative behaviours.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder provides ample opportunities for babies and toddlers to develop early social skills through their interactions with others around them. The childminder is a strong role model. She uses highly effective strategies to manage children's behaviour positively. For example, she cajoles and distracts toddlers who are, sometimes, a little overzealous and do not yet understand the concept of sharing toys. The childminder additionally understands that there are particular triggers to certain behaviours, such as children becoming tired or hungry. She instinctively changes the daily routine in response to this, such as by bringing forward lunchtime.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder understands the importance of working closely with parents to promote good attendance to support children in having regular routines and consistent and positive attitudes to their learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder gathers important information from parents to settle new children and provide consistent care. Settling-in programmes are tailored and responsive to each child's individual needs, backgrounds and experiences. This is a gradual process that allows children to develop secure bonds with the childminder. The success of this is extremely evident as children play contentedly. Babies are confident to explore independently, while regularly seeking reassurance that the childminder is close by.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Toddlers show high levels of confidence, independence and motivation to join in with daily routines that embed life-long healthy habits and self-care skills. For example, toddlers show great skill and familiarity in using the handwashing unit. The childminder praises them as they attempt to use the pedal mechanism to open the small bin lid. The childminder works very closely with parents to instil healthy eating habits and uses mealtime routines to accelerate children's development. For example, toddlers help to chop up their fruit.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides explanations to children as she intermittently tidies toys away to prevent trip hazards. This also maintains a calm and orderly environment, which allows babies the space to practise their developing mobility safely and helps children to maintain focus and concentration.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder accurately analyses the quality of her curriculum and teaching and adapts this to meet children's needs. She plans a well-designed and broad curriculum of high quality. It aligns with the sequence in which children learn and the childminder's continuous assessments of what children know, can do and need to learn next. The childminder intuitively responds to children's interests and next steps. For example, she introduces musical instruments in response to babies' fascinations with different sounds and the development of their grasp.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder's effective teaching and interactions optimise children's development of vocabulary and communication in all areas. She weaves in mathematical language and concepts. This includes, for instance, counting the number of steps and the pieces of banana with toddlers and the items they roll down the cardboard tube. Such activities further target the important development of children's hand-eye coordination in readiness for future learning, such as writing.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder increases children's opportunities to build on their physical and social skills through extensive outings. For example, children attend a toddler group that was set up by the childminder and her colleagues as a result of a need within the local community. They use apparatus that offers different levels of challenge while visiting parks.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has an in-depth knowledge of each child, their family and of their unique home circumstances. She has processes to quickly identify children who might need some additional support. She understands how to address this sensitively with parents in order to formulate planned strategies to help meet children's needs. The childminder establishes very effective partnerships with other professionals to plan and provide multi-agency support for children and to rigorously monitor the progress children are making and their wellbeing.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has high expectations for every child. She is keen to expand her understanding of inclusive practice for children who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to their learning. For example, she has recently completed training on neurodivergent conditions, such as autism, and is planning further continued professional development.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder strategically and continuously plans around children's individual needs, familiar home routines and their stage of learning on entry and thereafter. This is achieved through working collaboratively with parents and sharing helpful advice and guidance. The childminder consistently monitors and responds to children's progress. She makes successful adaptations to daily routines, the environment and activities to meet children's changing interests and stage of development.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder sharply targets continued professional development and areas for development on subjects that will have the most impact. She has embraced and addressed previous recommendations. These, and other improvements, are well embedded and are having a consistently positive impact on children's ability to lead their own play and develop curiosity, independence and imagination. For example, the childminder has introduced more resources made from natural materials.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder's purposefully designed play cabin is ever evolving as children's stage of development and interests change. For example, babies pull themselves up to a standing position using the wall-mounted activity board, designed to develop young children's hand- eye coordination. Babies show excitement and great focus as they manipulate the intriguing items. The childminder has implemented new ideas from training that focus on supporting children's transitions.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Children thrive as a result of the childminder's consistently positive engagement with other professionals and parents, including those who may be less confident to engage. Parents are continually informed about children's progress. The childminder shares ample information, including what children are learning next, verbally and through daily diaries, photos and videos. She shares resources and activity ideas and packs, including those which help parents prepare children for moving on to school.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has 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 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

Children show consistently high levels of confidence, especially given how new some are. They thoroughly enjoy learning with the highly-motivating childminder. Toddlers are very sociable as they show the pet rabbit housed in the outdoor hutch and the way up to the cabin they play in. Children develop high levels of emotional wellbeing and a sense of belonging. For example, they develop secure emotional attachments to the childminder. They seamlessly settle and transition through carefully planned daily routines. They thrive on the consistently high levels of support they receive from the childminder. She focuses on their unique needs, gained through invaluable contributions from parents.

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Inspector:

Rachel Ayo The childminder's calm and positive approach creates a harmonious environment where, for example, toddlers are successfully learning to understand and follow simple boundaries, such as being kind and gentle. Daily routines are clearly familiar to children. For example, toddlers readily unfasten the hook and loop strips on their shoes and place their shoes in the footwear cupboard before excitedly playing. Babies wriggle from the childminder's arms once back inside. They are eager to return to exploring within the safe and stimulating environment that mirrors and facilitates children's interests.

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Inspector:

The childminder is acutely aware of the importance of good attendance. This ensures that all children, including those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, positively benefit from the opportunities and experiences she offers, achieve consistently and develop fundamental foundations for future learning. For example, babies show extreme self-assurance as they use sturdy push-along resources. This helps them to strengthen their leg muscles in readiness for learning to walk independently. The childminder provides grip socks to support this stage of their development. Babies smile and make sounds in response to the lively social interactions and praise they receive. Toddlers develop small-muscle strength while scooping autumn items into metal utensils.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of any disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing that they may care for in the future.

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About this inspection

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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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:30 - 17:00

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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 standard 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 standard 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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