Spooner, Anna Louise

Spooner, Anna Louise

Unique reference number (URN): 2743117 Address: 2 Brices Way, Sudbury, CO10 7UP Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 27/07/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Spooner, Anna Louise

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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 develop the knowledge and skills they need for their future learning and development, including being ready for school. They learn through trial and error and become very independent learners.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop their attention and learn to listen and respond to others. They give eye contact and fully understand the advice and guidance the childminder offers. This helps children to successfully achieve their goals. For example, when children are learning something new, they receive gentle suggestions and encouragement. Children independently build a tower of magnetic shapes, confidently saying, 'I did it.' They show they are developing independence and confidence in their ability to problem-solve and achieve what they set out to do.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children benefit from props and visual supports to support their communication and understanding. This ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, can communicate and express themselves, access the full curriculum and thrive when facing new tasks.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Parent partnership is prioritised. The childminder communicates extremely effectively with parents from the start. For example, she plans bespoke settling-in routines based on information gathered from parents. Children who find it difficult to separate from parents settle smoothly as their needs are met quickly and accurately.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder works with parents to help their children to receive any additional support they may need. This includes supporting them in accessing any additional funding their children may be entitled to. When required, the childminder collaborates closely with parents and specialists to develop and deliver personalised support plans. This ensures that every child receives the care they need in an inclusive environment.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder goes above and beyond to work collaboratively with other settings children attend. The childminder shares existing knowledge with them, such as children's interests. Other settings use this information to tailor their environments to specifically meet the

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Expected standard

individual needs of children. Consequently, children thrive from the start, as they feel comfortable with familiar experiences set out for them.

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Expected standard

The childminder regularly reflects on her practice and talks to other professionals, such as local authority early years advisers, to strengthen the provision. She has recently undertaken further training, building on her own experience and prior knowledge, to support children who may need additional support or face barriers to learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children build caring attachments to the childminder, who always speaks calmly and respectfully to them. Children are excited to attend, and this is seen in high levels of attendance. Children look forward to the range of activities the childminder provides and trips in the local community.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is an excellent role model. Children are well-mannered and polite and follow her example. The childminder is aware that she could work on encouraging children to instinctively say 'please' and 'thank you' more readily, by role modelling and reinforcing this, particularly during children's play.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder introduces turn-taking games and uses age-appropriate discussions to help children to recognise and regulate their own emotions. As a result, children are learning to play cooperatively and understand how their actions may affect others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder supports children through daily routines to develop their skills with personal care and independence. Children automatically tidy up after themselves, and the childminder provides lots of encouragement and praise to reinforce this kind and respectful behaviour. The childminder has high expectations to support children's hygiene routines, and these are generally being taught well to children. For example, children know to wash their hands with soap before eating and after visiting the toilet. However, the childminder has not yet established a clear routine to ensure that children develop the importance of following important hygiene routines to the end, for example always washing their hands after blowing their nose to prevent the spread of germs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The relationships children build with the childminder are warm and trusting. This promotes children's wellbeing and helps them in developing a strong sense of belonging. Children are extremely happy and content. They enjoy trips in the local community, such as trips to the library where they mix with older generations of people. They delight in outdoor play and trips to the farm. The childminder uses yoga to help children to develop strategies to help them regulate their emotions and support their physical and mental health. The childminder works with parents and carers to establish care routines, such as sleeping arrangements, that suit the individual needs of children. She undertakes regular training to ensure the ongoing safety and welfare of children. For example, she has just completed training on sleep safety.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder ensures that children receive healthy, balanced and nutritious food and drink. Children have the opportunity to grow food from seeds, such as strawberries, and eat these. This promotes an understanding of where healthy food comes from and supports healthy eating habits. Mealtimes are sociable, and the childminder uses discussions to help children to keep themselves safe while eating. For example, she reminds children to slow down when eating to prevent them from choking.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has designed a curriculum that covers all areas of learning and development. She is clear what she wants children to know and be able to do and how to help children achieve this. The childminder is reflective and adapts her teaching to prioritise children's physical development. For example, to help children master the art of jumping in a fun way, she introduces a balance beam. As children walk along, they are developing their core muscles and practising jumping skills as they jump off at the end.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder undertakes regular observations and assessments of children's learning and development. Parents' views on their children's progress are continually sought and inform what she teaches children next. This collaborative working means the childminder identifies any gaps in learning swiftly, and appropriate support is provided together.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder recognises a strength in her teaching that focuses on not leaving children's learning to chance. For example, the childminder asks them to count how many coloured bits of paper they have stuck on their picture. Children make progress in their counting skills as they count in sequence with the childminder. However, the childminder does not consistently consider the best use of available resources. At times, this can reduce children's interest and full engagement at activities. This can impact on maximising children's learning and consistently helping children build on what they already know and can do.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands the setting's context, strengths and areas for development. She is dedicated and shows a commitment to delivering an ambitious curriculum and to meeting the ongoing needs of all the children she cares for. The childminder has recently undertaken training to specifically help her identify those children who may need additional support to access their full curriculum entitlement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder seeks advice and support from outside professionals, such as health visitors. She uses this knowledge to improve her practice and ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, have their needs met. The childminder seeks parents' and carers' views regularly to help improve the education and care she provides children and their families. Parents applaud the high-quality communication they have with the childminder. Parents know what it is their children are currently working towards. This demonstrates the effective level of communication between the childminder and parents. As a result, parents are further supporting and enhancing children's learning and development at home.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder helps children to settle quickly when they start at the setting and move on seamlessly to other settings or school, when appropriate. The effectiveness of her thoughtful and positive engagement with parents and other settings makes a positive and significant difference to children's education, care and overall wellbeing.

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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 enjoy inviting the fun-loving childminder into their play and confidently ask her for help when required. The childminder is warm, nurturing and consistently responds attentively to children's individual needs. This ensures that children build secure attachments to her. The childminder provides a curriculum that supports children's learning and encourages them to be independent and sociable. Children benefit from outings in the local community, such as weekly trips to the park and the library. A firm favourite is outings to 'Friday café', where children develop their communication skills as they learn to interact, engage and listen to older adults.

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

Before starting, the childminder meticulously gathers in-depth information from children, parents and carers and any external professionals working with children or their families. This ensures that their views and aspirations are included in decision-making about support put in place for their children from the start. This promotes children's emotional wellbeing extremely well and supports seamless transitions to the setting. It also shows the childminder's commitment to her role in ensuring that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, have their needs met from the start.

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

Teaching is generally high-quality and meaningful. There is a prominent focus on developing children's communication and language and their love of books. The childminder encourages children to fill in the missing words in stories being read to them. This supports their listening and comprehension skills that support children when they move on to school.

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

The childminder is a positive role model and teaches children the importance of treating others with kindness, care and respect. She provides genuine praise for children's efforts and achievements. Children often instinctively praise others' successes with no prompting from the childminder, demonstrating they understand the kind behaviours expected of them.

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Next steps

The childminder should enhance teaching strategies and use of resources to support children to excel further in their learning and development. The childminder should reinforce children's growing awareness of the importance of good hygiene practices more consistently.

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:00

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, parents and carers and children 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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