Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY486349 Registered with Ofsted: 09/03/2015 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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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is attentive to children's needs and has procedures in place to keep them very safe in and out of the setting. She ensures that she has the knowledge and skills to keep children safe, such as to meet their individual medical needs. The childminder has well-embedded routines that promote children to develop healthy habits and to have an awareness of safety. For example, children wash their hands before eating and understand that they must hold onto the buggy when on the school run.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is exceptionally attentive to children. She has an excellent understanding of their individual health and wellbeing needs. The childminder has developed warm and trusting relationships that enable her to support children with their needs. When children are tired, they indicate this to the childminder. The childminder immediately responds, helping them to find their comforters before going to bed. The childminder regularly checks sleeping children, and the other children enjoy joining her to do this. The childminder provides children with access to outdoor play daily, identifying when children would benefit from physical play. Children develop their physical skills in the childminder's garden, as well as visiting local parks and woodland.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Mealtimes are promoted as social times, where children share their thoughts with others. They look at pictures from home that parents and carers have sent in and recall what they have done at the weekend. Children are extremely independent during mealtimes. They identify when they are feeling thirsty and help themselves to water, independently pouring it for themselves. Children demonstrate excellent manners, saying 'please', 'thank you' and asking to get down from the table when they are finished. The childminder supports children to express their feelings and have positive discussions.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder swiftly identifies children's needs through observations and assessments. She makes targeted plans to support children's development needs and to reduce barriers to their learning. This ensures that children make rapid progress from their starting points and that children's future learning is not hindered. For example, the childminder supports children to develop strength in their fingers to aide their fine motor skill development. The childminder closely monitors children's development. She adapts teaching to ensure that children make progress. The childminder works with parents and carers to further enhance children's learning and development. She helps parents to know what skills to practise at home with their children. For example, she identifies when children are ready for their next steps in learning, such as when children show signs that they are ready to start potty training, and works closely with the children's parents to implement a consistent plan

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Inclusion Strong standard

for the child between home and the setting.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder consistently provides support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who face barriers to their learning. She supports children to have confidence and skilfully and positively manages children's barriers to learning. This supports children's wellbeing. For example, she identifies children who are experiencing change. The childminder plans activities that support children's understanding of the changes they face. The childminder identifies when she requires additional training to further develop her knowledge. She works with other professionals as needed and uses additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, to ensure the right support is in place for children.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder uses detailed analysis of her setting to identify the strengths and priorities for improvement. She has identified the areas of the curriculum she would like to improve and has plans in place to ensure that this happens. The childminder demonstrates high levels of professionalism and is committed to improving the quality of her provision. For example, she has identified that she needed a more in-depth understanding of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and has attended training and childminding network meetings to develop her knowledge. This knowledge has been implemented effectively in the setting.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is adaptive and responsive to the changing needs of the children. She makes the necessary changes to her practice and procedures to ensure that she is precisely meeting the children's needs. For example, she attends training to gain more knowledge to support children's medical needs. The childminder works closely with other professionals, such as the teachers at the school children attend. This helps to ensure consistency between the setting and school. For example, the childminder uses the same early literacy scheme in her setting as children use at school.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder consistently works closely with parents and carers to gather their views. She makes improvements based on their feedback. For example, she has developed practices around healthy eating by sharing monthly newsletters with tips and reminders about healthy packed lunches. The childminder engages parents in conversations about their children's care and development to ensure that she has the right information to care for their needs effectively. She shares information that supports children to be ready for their transition to school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Despite minor weaknesses at times in the delivery of planned activities and the organisation of resources, all children make progress from their starting points in development. Children learn through their interactions with each other, learning new vocabulary and testing out their ideas. For example, as children play in the play kitchen, older children talk about washing their hands and younger children copy key words such as 'soap' and 'dry'.

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Achievement Expected standard

Younger children are beginning to learn about the bathroom in preparation for potty training. Older children regularly use books to find out information and to aide discussions. For example, they use books to help them to express how they are feeling and to learn about winter and Christmas. Children are prepared for their next steps in learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder provides a very welcoming environment where she is dedicated to every child getting the attention they need. She warmly interacts with children, engaging them in the activities and supporting them as needed. The childminder gives lots of encouragement as the children play and take part in routines. When children need emotional support, they seek out the childminder for comfort and reassurance. This helps children to build very secure attachments with the childminder. The childminder is highly attentive to children's needs, while also encouraging their independence. Children attend the setting regularly, and the childminder follows up with parents and carers when there are absences, to promote the importance of consistent attendance.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder uses lots of verbal praise to reinforce the well-established expectations for their behaviour. As a result, children behave exceptionally well. The childminder supports children to develop the skills to manage conflicts with others, helping them to take turns and negotiate. Children play cooperatively together. For example, as they role play, they negotiate with each other when they want to play with the same toys and agree to take turns. When it comes to tidy-up time, all children help, with the older children more independent in this task, while the childminder supports younger children to put the toys away in the correct places.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides an array of activities for children that support their learning and development both indoors and outdoors. For example, in the home corner, the childminder supports children to develop their communication skills and learn new words from each other when engaging in role play. When in the childminder's garden, the children practise their physical skills by running, jumping and climbing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans experiences that are based on children's interests. For example, they visit a local airfield where children can watch the planes and wave to the pilots. The childminder is aware of children's starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who face barriers to learning, and uses this information to support the planning of the learning experiences that she provides.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a lending library so that children can develop their love for reading and share books at home. While looking at books, the childminder introduces new vocabulary. She supports children to identify numbers and count. The childminder teaches children to develop an awareness of their emotions through stories and feelings cards.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

On the whole, children have lots of opportunities to learn and develop through an enriching curriculum. However, the childminder is not consistently clear about what she wants some children to learn during planned activities. This means that, at these times, children's learning is not always targeted to their individual needs. The childminder provides an ample number of resources. However, these are not always well organised. For example, the book box is full of books and has more books balanced on top. This means that children are not consistently able to get to the books they would like to access to follow their own learning independently.

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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 build very secure relationships and enjoy a wide variety of activities. The childminder bases activities on children's interests, which supports them to enjoy learning to the fullest. Children enjoy lots of opportunities for physical activity, such as throwing paper snowballs at a target. Children play cooperatively, taking turns and counting how many they have hit the target with. The childminder takes children on regular outings to greenspace and woodlands, where they explore 'fairy houses' in the trees and 'conker island'. Children bring these interests back into the setting, where they enjoy making fairy doors that they plan to take to the woodland.

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

Older children encourage the younger children to join in with their play. This helps them to develop their speaking skills, learning from their peers. Children communicate well with each other. For example, they negotiate turn-taking and manage minor disagreements well. Children enjoy playing 'schools' and 'babies', based on their experiences. The childminder encourages children to use books to find out information to further support their knowledge and ideas.

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

The childminder builds strong relationships with children. She offers reassurance and support as needed. The childminder positively manages children's behaviour through lots of praise and encouragement. She sings and does action rhymes with the children, which they thoroughly enjoy, pretending to be a snowman that is melting away. The childminder implements a robust routine. This supports children to know what is happening and what will come next. This helps them to feel safe and secure.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:00 - 18:00

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen how she uses her knowledge of children's individual stages of development to sequence teaching and build on what children already know and can do further. The childminder should support children to access their learning more independently, such as by reviewing the organisation of learning resources.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder during the inspection.

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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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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

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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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