Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY463094 Registered with Ofsted: 18/09/2014 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Through consistent and highly impactful teaching, the childminder has embedded daily routines and a culture that promotes children's positive attitudes towards their learning. The childminder role models and promotes kindness, care and respect between all children. Carefully explaining to children how this can be achieved. For example, children help tidy up and are reminded that this needs to be done carefully, so children's fingers do not get hurt. The childminder supports children to focus on their chosen activity, sensitively joining in their play and respecting their ideas. Children are given lots of opportunities to make their own decisions and choices about what they would like to do. Children consistently receive verbal praise from the childminder, which encourages their intrinsic motivation to continue to explore and behave the best they can.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Warm, trusting and secure relationships enable children to feel safe and able to seek affection when needed. Children are respectful of each other's feelings and take turns to share a storybook. The childminder has consistent and clear expectations of children's behaviour, which she applies in effective and age-appropriate ways. Settling-in arrangements are also planned, so children have time to develop positive relationships and feelings of security.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's varying needs, welfare and wellbeing are consistently prioritised by the childminder. Well-established routines develop healthy habits, such as highly effective handwashing, healthy choices about food and regular physical activity. The childminder has worked in partnership with parents, so children have well-balanced and nutritious packed lunches, which they thoroughly enjoy. The childminder is highly responsive to children's changing needs. For example, regularly adjusting dietary requirements, offering support and advice to parents and knowing when it is the right time for each child to start using the toilet or potty. This practice helps to embed and motivate children with long lasting healthy choices. Children are taught about how to keep themselves safe during outings, using zebra crossings and becoming aware of possible dangers. Older children are helped by the childminder to understand the risks of online safety too.

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Expected standard

The childminder ensures that the learning environment is safe and well maintained through daily health and safety checks. She prioritises and thoughtfully plans for children's rest and sleep routines so that children have comfortable, safe and hygienic nap times where they can relax and self-soothe themselves to sleep. The childminder monitors children's sleep effectively with regular safety checks.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are generally achieving and developing well in all areas of their development. This progress is evident from their starting points. All children are confident with their communication and interaction skills with their friends and adults. Children are developing their listening and attention skills during story times. They enjoy selecting and looking at a variety of books, which develops their early literacy skills. Children are curious to explore their learning environment as they engage in open-ended experiences, such as mark making, creative activities and playing with natural materials. Children are willing to have a go and try to learn new skills as they grow and develop. Children have uninterrupted time to play and explore at their own pace, creating opportunities for deeper levels of learning. Children are able to regulate their emotions, enabling them to act in positive ways.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans a broad and balanced curriculum that builds upon children's knowledge and skills across all seven areas of learning. This provides a firm foundation for children's future learning, including skills children will need for starting school. The childminder teaches children independence and self-help skills, such as putting on their coats and wellies, feeding themselves and transitioning from wearing nappies to using a toilet.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

There is a focus on developing children's early literacy skills through children's love and interest in books. The childminder models the use of language with children, adding words to what they are doing and allowing time for them to respond. The childminder could extend these strategies further by using more open-ended questions and providing more opportunities for younger children to repeat words.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children are taught age-appropriate early mathematical concepts, naturally, through play activities and meaningful tasks during daily routines, for example, by counting how many legs the cow has and looking at patterns created while painting.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children have regular opportunities for sensory and creative experiences, as they explore the real snow, ice and water with sea creatures. Children confidently practise mark-making and creative skills, developing the muscles required for early writing skills.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children are fully included, with high expectations for each child. The childminder makes adaptions to care routines, the learning environment and her teaching practice to meet children's individual needs and abilities. For example, she uses more complex sentences with older children to help develop their communication and language development, provides a step for younger children when washing their hands and provides a low seat for babies, so they can socialise and enjoy lunch with their friends. The childminder promptly identifies when children need additional support, for example supporting a child to feel more confident when forming new relationships.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses effective assessment systems to swiftly identify children's needs. The childminder is aware of and understands that some children may face barriers to their learning or wellbeing, such as disadvantaged children or children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder has knowledge of additional funding that can be used to support children's learning and development within the setting and understands how external support can be accessed when needed. The childminder works in partnership with other professionals, such as sharing two-year progress checks with health visitors and knowing what support is available to families through family hub services.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has an accurate understanding and knowledge of the needs of the children and plans accordingly to meet these. She has a clear vision about what she wants children to learn and achieve. The childminder maintains a high standard of care and education for all children, which promotes their best interests. The ambitious curriculum provides all children with a firm foundation for all future learning and having the necessary skills to transition into school. There is a secure focus on the prime areas and establishing core skills for children to build on.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder identifies strengths within the provision and takes action to improve areas. For example, the outdoor area has been carefully planned and extended to meet the educational needs of children. This approach to improvement provides a positive impact on children's learning and development, creating rich experiences where children can freely explore, investigate and use real resources in their own way.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder actively pursues and drives forward her own professional development, ensuring that there are continual improvements across the provision. The childminder takes time to reflect on practice with colleagues and attends a range of external training to improve her expertise.

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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 thrive within this safe, welcoming, caring and rich-learning environment. Children experience warm, positive and respectful relationships with the childminder, who values each child's unique needs. Settling-in routines are adapted to ensure that children feel included and develop a secure sense of belonging. Children receive comfort and reassurance to help them feel safe. The childminder consistently praises and reinforces children's positive behaviour. For example, she teaches children about kindness, showing care and respect for each other and how to keep themselves safe. Embedded daily routines support and motivate children to develop long lasting healthy habits, such as eating well- balanced nutritional meals and effective handwashing.

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Inspector:

Lisa Robinson Children are excited to engage with the carefully planned activities and play resources. They have daily access to a rich outdoor learning environment where then can freely explore natural materials and have first-hand experiences with real objects in the mud kitchen and role-play area. Children regularly participate in outings to local parks where they feed the ducks on the lake and develop their understanding and knowledge of the world around them. Forest school opportunities teach children about risks and challenge as they investigate and explore natural environments.

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Inspector:

Children are achieving well and making steady progress. The childminder consistently promotes children's independence through play activities and daily routines. Children display positive attitudes towards their learning and are motivated by the broad and well-balanced curriculum. Children show a love of books. They listen closely as the childminder reads stories as part of developing their early literacy skills. The childminder teaches children early mathematical concepts through play activities and daily routines. For example, children count the buttons on their coats and recognise shapes on their jumpers. The childminder supports children well to help them make the best possible start in their learning and development across all seven areas of learning.

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Next steps

Consider using more open-ended questions to help older children develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Provide more opportunities for younger children to repeat words.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder during the inspection and referred to information provided by parents.

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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 inspection

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

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:30

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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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