Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY402587 Registered with Ofsted: 16/11/2009 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 Expected standard

Overall, all children develop the early skills they need for their future learning. They show good levels of independence, manage simple tasks for themselves and respond well to routines. Children who have barriers to learning, including those with delayed speech, make good progress in relation to their individual starting points. They confidently communicate their needs and are developing an impressive vocabulary. Children develop a keen interest in books, stories and mark making. They listen attentively to stories, join in with familiar phrases and talk about their favourite characters. Children develop their early mathematical understanding through everyday play routines. They show great determination as they practise counting, copy patterns and use mathematical language routinely in their play. Children show a wide range of skills, including those that are essential for the next stage of their learning and development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder creates a calm, positive and predictable environment, where children feel safe and able to express themselves confidently. She understands that young children's behaviour is closely linked to their stage of development and emotional needs. This ensures that the childminder responds appropriately and sensitively when children need reassurance, guidance or support. The childminder and any assistants she works with build warm and trusting relationships with children. They take time to understand their personalities and preferences. This enables them to respond to behaviour in a way that is nurturing and developmentally informed.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder supports children to manage their behaviour well. She models calm language, kindness and cooperation, which children imitate in their play. Children know they will be listened to and supported, which strengthens their sense of safety and belonging. They behave well and respond positively to the the childminder's sensitive but consistent approach. Children show an awareness of the needs of others. They collaborate on tasks, wait their turn and share toys readily. The childminder promotes positive punctuality and attendance, supporting parents and carers to maintain consistent routines for their children. Overall, the childminder's support helps children to develop positive attitudes that prepare them well for future learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder promotes children's welfare and wellbeing effectively. She successfully fosters a strong foundation for children's emotional security. The childminder provides clear and consistent routines that help children to understand what is expected of them. For example, children show they know they are required to wash their hands and faces after snack or to tidy up the toys before lunch.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder promotes children's safety and independence well. She uses daily routines, such as mealtimes, as valuable learning moments to support children's understanding of staying safe. For example, the childminder supports children to remain seated while eating and to be mindful of speaking with their mouths full. These sensitive explanations and consistent reminders help children to learn about managing their own safety in an age- appropriate way.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder places a strong focus on promoting healthy lifestyles through regular outdoor play. Children enjoy daily walks in the local community and develop their coordination as they use equipment at the local park. The childminder ensures an effective two-way flow of information between the setting and parents and carers. For example, she ensures that children's dietary needs and home routines are followed, in line with parents' wishes.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder uses her understanding of child development well. She plans experiences that support children's emotional wellbeing and reflect their interests and next steps. This builds on their personal, social and physical skills successfully. She regularly reviews the curriculum to ensure that all areas of learning are covered, including mathematical knowledge. This promotes learning experiences that are purposeful, inclusive and responsive to children's interests. However, at times, the childminder introduces new information before children have had a chance to revisit and practise what they have learned before. As a result, children are not able to connect what they already know to new information in a meaningful way. However, this does not deter children's enjoyment, and they show a keenness to take part and remain interested.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children benefit from the childminder's sensitive guidance and purposeful interactions, which are supportive of their early communication. The childminder consistently models new words and uses open-ended questions that encourage children to think and respond. She successfully promotes additional opportunities for children with emerging speech delays to practise language in a meaningful way. As a result, all children become increasingly confident in expressing their needs and ideas. For older children, the impact is demonstrated by their mature use of vocabulary and imaginative storytelling.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder promotes an inclusive environment in which every child is recognised and valued as an individual. She accesses ongoing training that is relevant to the specific needs of children and uses this well overall to make useful adaptations to the provision. A strength of the provision is how the childminder recognises children's preferred ways of communicating and uses these so that children feel understood and valued. This successfully supports all children to gain a strong sense of belonging and ensure that they can play an active role in the setting.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder ensures timely identification of any emerging needs so that children do not fall behind in their learning. She checks children's progress regularly and assesses it accurately against their starting points and milestones typical for their age. The childminder responds quickly when her monitoring identifies an area where children may need more support. She adopts a collaborative approach to working in partnership with parents and carers and others, which includes signposting to professionals, if required. The childminder successfully promotes consistency in approach between the setting, home and any other settings children attend. She uses funding effectively to plan an accessible curriculum so that children achieve their very best.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder provides strong leadership for any assistants she works with. She manages their wellbeing and workload effectively. Together, they ensure that the setting is well organised, safe and focused firmly on supporting children's learning to a high level. The childminder demonstrates a commitment to keeping her own and her assistants' knowledge up to date through reading professional guidance and accessing a range of training. She has used this well to shape daily practice, particularly in relation to children's development and safety. For example, the childminder has established protocols to deal with emergencies, including any near-miss choking incidents at mealtimes. This includes a renewed focus on first-aid practices, arrangements for food preparation and support for children to develop healthy habits when eating. As a result, practices are reflective and continually improving to meet children's needs and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder regularly reviews the environment to ensure that it supports children's learning, safety and development. She selects resources carefully and organises them to promote children's independence, inclusion and engagement. Ongoing improvements to the environment are informed by reflection and most especially through levels of engagement by children. The childminder has sourced a number of exciting resources that spark children's love of literacy and promotes their use of technology safely. This has been particularly beneficial for children who are developing their communication skills.

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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

The childminder and any assistants she works with know children well. Their interactions are warm, responsive and intentional. From the moment children arrive, the childminder welcomes them warmly, and children settle quickly. Children enjoy a balance of structured activities and free play, allowing them to follow their own interests while developing new skills. They show high levels of curiosity and engagement as they make choices and access resources that reflect their developing abilities. Children use their imaginations well. They create exciting stories about their adventures with a crocodile when going on a trip to a local stream.

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Inspector:

Melissa Cox The childminder ensures that mealtimes are unhurried and sociable occasions. Children demonstrate they know how to keep themselves safe at mealtimes by sitting calmly, eating slowly and following guidance, such as not talking with food in their mouths. They use their cutlery well and show impressive manners.

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Inspector:

Children learn to be independent by choosing activities. For example, they help to tidy up and manage simple self-care routines. Children learn how to get along with others through positive role modelling and support from the childminder, who helps them to share, take turns and understand their emotions. When children find something challenging, they show they are emotionally secure to seek adult support. This is sensitively provided in a meaningful way that builds children's resilience and contributes to children's sense of belief in themselves. Overall, children enjoy attending. They develop the skills, confidence and curiosity they need to make expected progress and to be well prepared for the next stage of learning.

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen the sequencing of the curriculum to ensure that children's learning builds more clearly and progressively over time.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistant and children.

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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,Friday : 07:00 - 17:30

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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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