Cole, Maxine

Cole, Maxine

Unique reference number (URN): 2740200 Address: 13 Glebe Close, Lowestoft, NR32 4NU Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 18/07/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Cole, Maxine

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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

Children develop a sense of belonging due to the care and attention they receive. They are becoming eager learners who are appropriately prepared for transitions, including moving on to school. Children are building their knowledge of language as they play cooperatively together. They 'buy' and 'sell' groceries at the role-play shop. They recall previous experiences as they look at photos of family members, talking about those who are important to them. Children listen to and follow instructions from the childminder before taking turns to roll a dice during a board game. They practise hand-eye coordination as they carefully use magnetic fishing rods to catch fish. Children recognise and label different shapes, such as triangles and squares, and know and name different colours with confidence. Children as young as 2 years old recognise when they need to use the toilet and confidently ask to go. They know how to wash their hands and do so with support from

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Achievement Expected standard

the childminder. Children make their own music, shaking their home-made shakers as they jump up and down to the rhythm.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of children's regular attendance, which she monitors. She follows familiar routines, which the children know and understand. As a result of her calm interactions, children build close friendships with each other and the childminder. They are eager to involve her in their play. The atmosphere is calm and children are encouraged to explore a rich range of well-presented resources. The childminder adapts the environment to ensure that all children can access her curriculum. She supports younger children to join in with every activity. The childminder has a positive approach to supporting children's behaviours, which she shares with parents. She takes time to explain expectations to the children so that they understand. She teaches children about kindness and respect for each other and their environment. The childminder acts as a positive role model, helping children to share, take turns and begin to manage their own emotions. As a

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

result, children are polite, demonstrate good manners and respond positively to the childminder's praise and encouragement.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are given high priority. The childminder gathers a range of information from parents, which helps her to settle the children. She knows the children well and is responsive to their needs and any changing circumstances. The childminder supports children's emotional wellbeing and ensures care and learning are tailored to each child. She follows younger children's routines from home with regards to sleeping, nappy changing and supporting toilet training. The childminder ensures children's medical needs and/or special dietary needs are carefully considered.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Mealtimes are social occasions, which are taken at the dining table. The childminder supports all children to understand about healthy eating. She provides nutritious snacks and talks to the children about different types of fruit and vegetables and what they taste like. The childminder plans activities to help children to learn about good oral health. From a young age, children demonstrate increasing independence. They help to tidy toys, use the toilet, wash hands and peel their own fruit at snack time. Children learn about keeping themselves safe when the childminder takes them out in the local community. At the weekly gymnastic group, they learn new physical skills, such as practising balancing on beams.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder designs a varied curriculum that covers all areas of learning. Weekly activities within the local community form an important part of her curriculum. The childminder is enthusiastic. She demonstrates some effective teaching techniques. The childminder talks with the children about their recent experiences, such as going on holiday and shopping at the supermarket. She pauses for children to fill in gaps in sentences and asks questions, encouraging them to recall previous events. The childminder extends children's knowledge and language as children play in the well-resourced, role-play shop. She introduces new words, such as 'scanning' and 'bar codes', explaining what these words mean.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder helps children develop their large physical skills as they hop, skip and jump along to action songs. She supports children's early writing skills as they handle tweezers and other tools. The childminder encourages turn-taking and speaking skills as children choose animal pictures, deciding what sound each animal makes. She plans time in the garden, teaching the children about nature and how to feed the birds and squirrels. The childminder introduces number as she counts with the children and talks about different shapes. However, she does not confidently sequence children's learning. As a result, sometimes, activities around mathematics are too challenging for the children.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has recently completed training to extend her knowledge and expertise in supporting children who may face barriers in their learning. She uses observation and assessment to check what children know and can do and identifies appropriate next steps for children to achieve. She is aware that children learn at different rates and ensures that all children are included and are appropriately challenged during activities. The childminder skilfully adapts her teaching to ensure all children access the curriculum, feel included in the daily routines and reach their full potential alongside their peers. She makes effective use of observation and assessment to identify any gaps in children's learning and plans targeted next steps to swiftly close such gaps. The childminder ensures decisions about additional funding, including funding for disadvantaged children, are made wisely to provide resources

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Inclusion Expected standard

and experiences within the local community that are focused on what individual children need.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder keeps parents informed about their children's daily experiences and the progress they are making. Feedback from all parents is very positive. They are complimentary of the guidance they have received from the childminder, particularly around supporting children's behaviours and toilet training. The childminder reflects on and evaluates the quality of what she provides. She has identified some priorities for improvement to ensure all children receive positive learning experiences. The childminder has recently supported children's smooth transitions into other settings. However, she has yet to work closely with other professionals involved in supporting these children's education and care.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Additional funding has been used wisely to enhance the experiences the childminder offers to children and their families. The childminder has made improvements in supporting children's healthy lifestyles. She has made some progress with improving her curriculum for mathematics, but recognises that this could be further improved. The childminder has completed mandatory paediatric first-aid training and has a secure knowledge of how to deal with accidents. She is committed to further developing her skills. Since registration, the childminder has completed online webinars and other training. She is using knowledge gained to enhance her practice further.

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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 settle easily because the childminder provides a warm, nurturing environment. They really enjoy their time at this inclusive setting. Children are confident to explore and show high levels of curiosity. They engage in a wide range of activities that capture their attention and sustain their interest. In addition, the children broaden their experiences of the wider world when they attend weekly toddler and gymnastics groups and take regular trips out to the zoo and other places within the local community.

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

The childminder knows the children very well. She quickly identifies and responds to their emerging needs. The childminder understands the range of barriers that children may face in their learning and wellbeing. She provides an inclusive environment and skilfully adapts activities to ensure that all children can take part in all aspects of the curriculum, regardless of their age or abilities. Babies develop particularly strong bonds with the childminder. They show that they feel secure as they climb onto her for a reassuring cuddle before resuming play. Older children are clearly building strong friendships. They greet their friends by name and play alongside and cooperatively with each other.

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

The childminder models expected behaviours with the children. Children play well together and show kindness and respect for each other and their environment. They are learning to share and take turns, with gentle reminders from the childminder. The childminder supports children's speech and language development well. She uses a rich range of language, alongside songs and rhymes, as she engages with the children. The childminder speaks with clarity and models language to help the children to convey what they want or need. As a result, children confidently initiate and join in with conversations.

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Next steps

The childminder should further enhance the planning and sequencing of the curriculum for mathematics, so that children gain knowledge and skills incrementally to achieve a secure grounding in number. The childminder should work more closely with other professionals who are also involved in supporting the children's education and care, to secure the best outcomes for the children.

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About this inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection.

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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

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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