Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY332879 Registered with Ofsted: 09/04/2006 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.2

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.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

From the start of their time with the childminder, children develop a strong sense of belonging and security, which means they are open to learning and achieve well. Older children talk confidently and discuss what they have done at the weekend with the childminder, her assistants and each other. Younger children develop the confidence to ask adults when they need help.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children and those facing other barriers to learning make rapid progress from their starting point due to clear targets and ongoing assessment.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Children are particularly well prepared for school. They develop confidence and independence in preparation for their next stage of learning, such as being able to put on and fasten their own coats and shoes.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The children's welfare and wellbeing are at the heart of the setting. The children's physical and emotional health and their happiness are paramount to the childminder and her assistants. Parents comment that their children love to come, and they are extremely pleased at how well their children are cared for. The childminder and her assistants know the children incredibly well and fully meet their individual needs, whether they need physical or emotional support, more time to process language or have other barriers to learning or wellbeing. They are highly skilled at developing secure and positive relationships with the children, which means that they swiftly notice changes in behaviour that might reflect a change in wellbeing. They are adept at addressing these and supporting children to become confident, resilient and independent learners.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder and her assistants ensure that children understand the need for a healthy diet. Children have opportunities and are encouraged to try new foods, such as watermelon. The childminder follows the parents' care routines as much as possible and has excellent communication with the parents about the children's diet, sleep and other routines through the day. The childminder and her assistants are alert to issues such as allergies and choking.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The curriculum has been carefully designed to be flexible to reflect what is happening in the children's lives at that moment and their interests. For example, children make fake snow and hide large and small polar bears. They use their fine motor skills to carefully transfer the snow to egg cups with a teaspoon. The curriculum is highly inclusive and play based, ensuring that those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning access the same experiences and teaching as their peers. It is well sequenced and aims for children to be happy in their learning and to be confident and independent. The childminder and her assistants continually strive to make improvements to the curriculum through discussion and professional development.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Supporting language and communication skills is a strength of the setting. The childminder and her assistants are highly skilled at ensuring that children learn to speak very well. They use every opportunity to extend vocabulary and teach new words explicitly, including mathematical language and concepts, such as 'big' and 'small', when hiding polar bears in the snow. The childminder recognises that children need to feel safe and secure to learn, and children's personal, social and emotional development is deeply embedded throughout the setting.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children have ample opportunities to play outdoors and to be physically active.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has robust procedures in place for identifying children with barriers to their learning. She ensures that she liaises closely with parents when children first start to ensure a thorough understanding of what the child can do and where support is needed. Her knowledge is secure, and fully embedded systems are in place to ensure that children who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same learning as their peers. The childminder and her assistants have excellent knowledge of the children in their care, and rigorous monitoring and assessment ensure that children reach their targets and make rapid progress. Children who need extra support have one-to- one time at points throughout the day, and if necessary, activities are adapted to meet their needs.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder works alongside parents and, where necessary, with outside agencies and the local authority to best support children with SEND.

p.3

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has created a gentle and calm environment where children feel cherished and safe. The childminder and her assistants model kindness, care and respect to each other and to the children. As a result, children are kind, caring and respectful to each other. Children behave in an exemplary fashion, saying 'please' and 'thank you' at mealtimes and copying the behaviour of the adults. When playing, they politely ask their friends if they can join in or use a resource. They share toys and laugh together as they sing songs. They listen attentively as adults read to them. Children have very positive attitudes to their learning, are curious and feel safe to explore new ideas and experiences.

p.4

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Independence is clearly embedded in the practice, particularly through the daily routines. Older children automatically take care of their own hygiene and personal needs. Younger children are specifically taught how to wash their hands for lunch, with verbal reminders and gentle guidance when needed. The childminder and her assistants take every opportunity during the daily routines to teach and consolidate children's learning.

p.4

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder recognises that she needs to have strategies in place to support parents with poor punctuality or attendance.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is very aware of the strengths of her practice. She is highly ambitious for the children in her care and is developing a sound understanding of areas for development, which she addresses as they occur. She has excellent communication with her assistants and ensures that standards remain high through regular supervision sessions. She supports professional development; however, training is not always sharply targeted to the specific needs of the current cohort of children. Assistants state that their wellbeing is a priority for the childminder and that they appreciate the openness of the professional relationship.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder continually strives to improve her practice and make decisions that fully support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has built strong links with the local authority, local schools and parents. She works hard to ensure that children have a smooth transition and are well prepared for their next step in learning. She is innovative at engaging parents in their child's learning, and parents are now keen to share photos and comments of their child's learning at home. Parents are extremely happy with the setting and comment on the progress their children make.

p.4

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

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

All children are warmly welcomed into this incredibly nurturing and caring setting. They build positive and trusting relationships with the childminder and her assistants and clearly demonstrate feeling safe and secure, snuggling on laps to listen to stories. The childminder and her assistants have a deep knowledge of all children's families and circumstances, on some occasions having cared for siblings who have now left to go to school. This familiarity gives children a strong sense of security and belonging and leads to high levels of confidence to try new things and to persevere at tasks. For example, children carefully use a teaspoon to fill small utensils with fake snow.

p.5

Inspector:

Clare Eyre Children thoroughly enjoy and engage with the exciting and interesting activities and resources available to them. They share the sound books together, listening carefully and attempting to copy the sounds. The childminder promotes the importance of developing early reading skills from a young age. Children listen attentively while the childminder and her assistants read stories about animals in the snow. Children ask questions and talk about the books with the adults, happily sharing their own knowledge and understanding. The childminder and her assistants place great value on developing language and vocabulary. They support younger children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities extremely well in their acquisition of new vocabulary. They model and repeat what children say, give space for children to respond and take every opportunity to extend their language skills.

p.6

Inspector:

The childminder has extremely positive relationships with parents, and attendance is good. However, she needs to put procedures into place to ensure that if attendance drops, she has clear strategies.

p.6

Next steps

The childminder should put procedures into place to support parents with poor punctuality or attendance. The childminder should ensure that professional development is specifically targeted at the present cohort of children.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and her assistants during the inspection.

p.6

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.

p.6

About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.7

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.8

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.8

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.

p.8

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.8

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

p.8

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.

p.8

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

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 .

p.8

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8