Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY414840 Registered with Ofsted: 31/08/2010 Registers: EYR, CCR

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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

Children excel in all areas of learning. Any gaps in their learning narrow and close rapidly. They swiftly build their confidence in interacting and developing positive relationships with others. They very successfully develop the key skills they need to be ready for their future learning and for school. For example, children benefit from a high level of adult support and encouragement, enabling them to feel secure and confident. As their self-esteem grows, they are able to play happily, both independently and with a group of children, either directing the group themselves or taking guidance and direction from their peers. This provides them with important future skills, enabling them to become independent and cooperative learners. They develop superb communication skills, quickly remembering unfamiliar words and building a wide vocabulary and a strong understanding of the English language.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder manages children's behaviour especially well. From an early age, children learn in age-appropriate ways to recognise their feelings and make links between their behaviour and how they feel. Children are extremely well behaved and enthusiastically engage in all activities and experiences with their peers. The childminder role models being respectful to each other. Children's interactions are of a high quality, and they have positive engagements. For example, when they create imaginative cakes with their friends, they willingly and without adult intervention ensure that all their friends, including the youngest children, have access to them as well. Children fully engage and show elevated levels of cooperation for their early age. For example, they listen to their friends' choice of songs and value their opinions by actively joining in.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children have an excellent relationship with the childminder. She knows each child extremely well and responds sensitively to their individual needs. This fosters strong attachments and creates a secure, nurturing environment. When children occasionally struggle to regulate their behaviour, the childminder embeds strategies to support them to develop positive behaviour through emotional awareness.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder ensures that children get plenty of fresh air and exercise, which supports their physical development and wellbeing. She encourages good nutrition and daily habits, such as handwashing. The childminder's skilful teaching helps children to understand why these routines matter and helps them to build strong foundations for a healthy, active life. Sleep routines are managed with warmth and care, with comfort given in ways that reflect each child's preferences. The childminder meets children's care needs through her robust arrangements for managing children's allergies or medications.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder teaches children from an early age how to keep safe. For example, she teaches them how to hold their cutlery correctly and not to speak with food in their mouths. Outdoors, children learn about road safety and the potential risks when visiting a busy farm. Children are incredibly motivated learners and have important levels of self-control. It is evident that children feel safe and secure and know their needs will be met by this loving and nurturing childminder. The childminder demonstrates a commitment to supporting children's emotional wellbeing. She uses sensory and soft toys to support children who feel anxious or upset and offers a space where they can be quiet if they choose. This thoughtful provision very successfully supports children to control their thoughts and emotions and feel calm and validated in the setting.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder is clear about her curriculum intent, which seamlessly embeds all areas of learning. This centres on preparing children with the confidence, independence and resilience they need for school and for life. The childminder's curriculum is enriched with real-world experiences. She uses planned outings to parks, farms and libraries to support children's physical skills and widen their horizons. These meaningful experiences nurture curiosity, broaden children's understanding of the world and give them the confidence to take part in community life. The childminder's curriculum intent is evident in children's confidence as they approach others with ease, talk proudly about their achievements and share what they know with others.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder supports communication and language especially well. She uses high- quality interactions and introduces new vocabulary so that children develop their communication skills and build confidence in expressing themselves. The childminder strives to support children in developing a love of reading and an awareness of print around them. She instils a love of books and early reading by making stories an integral part of daily life. The childminder is animated as she reads books, often chosen by children. She is skilled at capturing children's attention, introducing props and puppets, to ensure the youngest children remain engaged and show sustained concentration, fully absorbed in the familiar story.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Mathematics is embedded in practice throughout the environment. The childminder consistently counts items with children and uses numbers during play. She skilfully introduces mathematical language, such as 'half' and 'quarter', when slicing fruit for lunch. This helps children make progress with their early mathematics skills from an early age.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder gathers detailed information from parents about their children's achievements, experiences and current interests at home. She uses this information very effectively to create accurate baseline assessments when children start at the setting. The childminder sets precisely focused 'next steps' for each child, which are regularly shared with parents. Further assessments include details of how parents can support their children to learn at home. The childminder also shares the children's assessments with other settings that children attend or move on to. Consequently, all adults involved in children's early education can very successfully and consistently build on what children know and can do.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder swiftly identifies when children may require additional support, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She accesses regular training from the local authority and online specialist providers. She reaches out to the local authority regularly for advice and support. The childminder is reflective and is constantly striving to improve her practice and ensure excellent outcomes for all children. The childminder accepts external professional advice and guidance to continually improve and adapt her provision to meet the needs of each child who attends.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder works in partnership with her co-childminder to provide a unique and impressive service. She is highly reflective and adapts to challenges readily and has very high expectations of the service she provides to children and their families. The childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to her own professional development. Ongoing training is prioritised, and the positive impact of this continuous professional learning is evident throughout her excellent provision.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Professional relationships have been established with external agencies, enabling the childminder to seek timely advice and targeted support, particularly when working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder uses self-evaluation effectively to help prioritise continuous improvement to help maintain the excellent quality of her practice and provision. She raises relevant and precise targets that continually improve the outcomes for children. Partnerships with parents are highly effective. The childminder supports children's learning beyond the setting by sharing ideas with parents on how they can continue this at home. She regularly sends useful information, including guidance on topics. This helps to strengthen partnerships with parents and keep them informed of current issues. Parents say they value the consistent and thoughtful communication.

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

Children have wonderful experiences in the care of this extremely calm, kind and nurturing childminder. She works incredibly hard to make sure that children have the absolute best start in their early education. The childminder is enthusiastic about helping children to thrive in a home-from-home environment. The experienced childminder constantly reflects on and reviews children's progress, interests and experiences. As a result, she has an impressive understanding of how children learn and uses this information to help to ensure children make consistent progress from their starting points.

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

The childminder establishes inspirational relationships with children. She knows them all individually. She is a superb role model who promotes children's growing independence well. Children are consistently encouraged to do things for themselves. The childminder is remarkably patient. She listens to the children and always responds to them.

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

Children's needs are at the centre of everything at this inspirational setting. Their complex medical, physical and emotional needs are extremely well supported. Children are curious and keen to learn in a well-organised, calm and enabling environment. The determined and knowledgeable childminder has elevated expectations for children's achievements, and they make impressive progress. Younger children show they feel safe and secure as they enjoy singing familiar nursery rhymes and exploring the indoor and outdoor environments with great enthusiasm. This supports their early communication and language skills and their gross motor development, which supports their initial stages of walking.

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

Children have extremely positive attitudes toward their learning. They consistently show enthusiasm and curiosity in all that they do. Children sustain attention for extended periods, helping to develop their concentration skills in preparation for school. Children form strong friendships with their peers. They enjoy helping one another and show a willingness to play cooperatively. For example, during group singing, children eagerly shared the props to

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday : 08:00 - 18:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Worcestershire ensure all their friends and adults could actively participate. The childminder uses the children's patterns of attendance extremely well to plan for their learning and ensure they access a full and inclusive curriculum.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain her work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. She should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of any disadvantaged learners, 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

The inspector spoke to the childminder, her co-childminder, children and parents 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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