Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 314979 Registered with Ofsted: 19/02/1996 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

Children make positive progress across all areas of learning. They develop the key knowledge and skills to help them to be ready for their next stage of learning and for their eventual move on to school. Younger children build positive relationships and show they are happy and comfortable. They show appropriate interest and concentration when mark making, exploring small-world people and engaging in crafts. Older children develop positive listening, attention and communication skills. They discuss their feelings and views clearly and with growing confidence, and show secure knowledge across a range of experiences. They also show interest when exploring different pre-writing activities with tongs and show confidence when writing and using a pencil. Children have appropriate independence skills. They take pride in tidying up and helping to clean the table at lunchtime. Children who face barriers to their learning also make positive progress and catch up well.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations for children's behaviour and sets clear boundaries that children understand and follow. All children benefit from a well-established routine. They confidently discuss the sequence of the day and what happens next. Children are supported to attend regularly, which helps them to make steady progress. The childminder has realistic expectations for behaviour. She is respectful and promotes a calm and harmonious atmosphere. The childminder acknowledges children's efforts and provides encouragement as they join in and try new things. Consequently, children listen well and take turns with each other appropriately. When children need extra support to wait for their turn, share attention and consider the viewpoints of others, the childminder generally supports this effectively. Children are polite and demonstrate good table manners, frequently saying 'please' and 'thank you'. They also show confidence when speaking to visitors, introducing

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

themselves and talking about their age. Older children state that they feel happy when they come to the setting and enjoy the activities and outings on offer.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children demonstrate positive levels of emotional wellbeing and clearly feel safe and secure. They establish special bonds with the childminder and each other and are relaxed and happy as they play and learn. The childminder provides responsive care and knows the children well. Children receive effective support to lead active and healthy lifestyles. For example, they have daily opportunities to run, climb and play outdoors. The childminder works closely with parents to promote healthy eating. Children benefit from tasting new foods each day when the childminder prepares healthy platters that help them experience new tastes and textures. The childminder listens carefully to children's comments and feelings and validates their emotions. She takes time to help them discuss and understand how they feel. As a result, children manage their emotions well and show they enjoy attending.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supports children to develop an understanding of how to keep themselves safe, for example by learning how to cross the road safely. Children's individual care routines and needs are met effectively. When younger children show signs of tiredness, the childminder promptly offers attentive and nurturing care.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations for children and they benefit from a broad curriculum that helps them to learn new knowledge and skills across all areas of the early years foundation stage. She places a clear focus on promoting children's communication and language development. For example, she frequently comments on their play, offers explanations, introduces new vocabulary and asks open questions to support children's thinking skills. Older children, in particular, benefit from an ambitious curriculum. For instance, when they show interest in beluga whales, the childminder extends their learning by showing them footage of a Beluga aircraft. However, on occasion, the curriculum is not sequenced as effectively as it could be to support children of different ages. At times, the childminder does not adapt her teaching skills quickly enough to reflect the differing interests and developmental stages of younger children, which means they are not always as fully

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children have frequent opportunities to hear and use mathematical language during play. For example, they enjoy counting and classifying poms-poms and discussing colour and size. Children receive appropriate support to talk about their feelings and views, helping to build their confidence, resilience and personal development.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations for all children. She provides inclusive care and education and understands the barriers that some children and families face. She has a thorough settling-in process, which helps her gain in-depth knowledge about each child and family. This supports her to identify each children's interests and their current stage of development. It also helps her to recognise promptly when additional support may be needed for learning or wellbeing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder is proactive when working with parents and other early years professionals, such as health visitors, speech and language therapists and locals schools. She uses appropriate assessment tools and strategies to help close gaps in children's learning. The childminder monitors children's progress closely and implements recommended strategies to help them to move forward. All children, including those who require additional support, make positive progress in her care. She also demonstrates a suitable understanding of how additional funding may be used, when required.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is committed to providing high-quality care and education. She demonstrates integrity in her approach to inclusive practice and to supporting children who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing. The childminder reflects regularly on her practice and seeks to make ongoing improvements to support positive outcomes for children and families. She has an accurate view of the setting's strengths and identifies children's behaviour, attitudes to learning and enjoyment as key positives. She also recognises partnership working with parents as a strength. This is reflected in parents' views, with several stating that they value the childminder's professionalism and trustworthy nature.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder keeps mandatory training up to date and undertakes courses to support children's personal and emotional development. However, she has not yet focused sufficiently on professional development linked to curriculum and teaching. As a result, she does not always recognise quickly enough when younger children are not fully involved or adapt her teaching as effectively as possible to meet each child's age and stage of development.

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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 feel happy and safe in this nurturing setting. They form positive bonds with the childminder and each other and show a secure sense of belonging. These trusting relationships help children to feel confident and develop their independence. Children behave well and understand the clear expectations and boundaries in place. They enjoy each other's company, play cooperatively and show kindness and consideration during play. The childminder is a positive role model and supports children to talk about their feelings. As a result, children express their needs with confidence and receive appropriate support to understand their emotions, helping them to develop positive social skills in readiness for school.

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

Children enjoy learning and benefit from a range of experiences, such as visits to the woods, park, library and local shops. These experiences build curiosity and help children develop an understanding of the wider world. Children enjoy exploring ice and observing how it melts. They talk about freezing temperatures and the recent snow. As they play with different toy polar animals, they hear and use vocabulary such as 'frozen' and 'droplets'. Younger children explore different textures, such as artificial snow and snowballs. Older children recall previous learning and talk about how beluga whales live in the Arctic. Overall, children benefit from an ambitious curriculum. However, the curriculum is not always sequenced closely enough to meet the varied needs of children of different ages and stages.

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

Despite this, children achieve well and make evident progress from their starting points. The childminder encourages regular attendance and shares children's progress with parents. Children develop the skills they need for their eventual move on to school.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:30

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen how she tailors her teaching skills and adapts her curriculum to help children of all ages to make the best possible progress. The childminder should build on her professional development and engage in up-to-date curriculum and teaching training to help enhance her knowledge and skills when making adaptations to the curriculum on offer.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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 inspection

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

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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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