Ludwig, Nicola Jane

Ludwig, Nicola Jane

Unique reference number (URN): 153291 Address: 206 Sedlescombe Road North, East Sussex, TN37 7ES Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 16/02/2001 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Ludwig, Nicola Jane

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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 a real love of learning. They deepen their knowledge and interest within the natural environment. For instance, children explore the vegetables and herbs they are growing in the garden. They excitedly pick them when they are ready to add to the meals they enjoy.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop resilience and an inquisitive mindset. For instance, during a story session children ask, 'Where's he gone?' as they follow the storyline and are keen to find out what happens next.

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Achievement Strong standard

All children become extremely confident in communicating their needs, including those who hear other languages spoken at home. Children hear an extensive range of words and learn about simple patterns, such as rhyming words in songs and the books they read together. Younger children confidently join in with repeating words and phrases in their favourite stories and begin to recognise similar sounding words.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are particularly supported well and make exceptional levels of progress from their individual starting points.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children behave exceptionally well. Very young children quickly learn how to share, take turns and be kind to one another. The childminder and her assistants very successfully create a happy, harmonious and respectful environment. Every child is valued and their unique qualities are actively celebrated. This encourages children to develop a strong sense of self and to feel positive about themselves.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The high-quality teaching and varied routine enable children to become fully engrossed in their learning and play. Children develop consistently positive attitudes towards learning. They concentrate for long periods and benefit from the childminder's positive interactions and deep levels of engagement. The childminder and her assistants share their attention equally so that every child is fully supported and their play and learning needs are consistently extremely well planned for. Children attend regularly and benefit greatly from the programme of learning and fun activities. Feedback from parents notes that children often want to go to the childminder's house on days they do not attend.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder is exceptionally vigilant in responding to children's different behavioural needs. She quickly recognises when some behaviour may inhibit learning and takes immediate, decisive action to keep children positively engaged.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children thrive within the setting as the childminder offers an exceptionally homely environment. Relationships between children and adults are especially warm and caring. The childminder works particularly closely with parents to plan children's care routines. For instance, she supports toilet training when parents agree a child is ready. Sleep arrangements are precisely matched each day to what every child needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is highly responsive towards ensuring children's safety. She shares her expert knowledge with parents to support children's safety at home. For instance, she sensitively helps parents understand safe sleep guidance. She shares extensive information with parents to help them understand how to keep children safe at home, particularly when using digital technology.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children develop exceptionally positive attachments to the childminder and her assistants. Babies are instantly comforted and all children benefit from plenty of reassurance when they need it. This demonstrates the strong attachments children form with those who look after them.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children enjoy an exceptional range of activities that involve physical movement and fresh air. The childminder has recently introduced new initiatives to support children's wellbeing, such as yoga, to help children manage their feelings and support their good health. This enables children to release their emotions and help them to regulate how they are feeling in a calm and purposeful way.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder plans activities with precision to enable all children to excel in their learning. She has completed an approved programme of training to help focus her curriculum more precisely on specific areas. Children's literacy, numeracy and language skills are meticulously planned for across all activities. Young children make rapid progress in these areas from their individual starting points. For instance, 2-year-olds develop an excellent understanding of number value, enabling them to count objects correctly as they play.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder is particularly skilled at using unplanned opportunities to fully extend children's learning. For instance, during stories, the childminder successfully introduces children to complex new words to expand their existing extensive vocabulary. She explains what an igloo is and children remember this and use the word correctly when re-telling the story. The childminder makes full use of her home environment and garden to maximise the learning experiences she offers children. She has expertly created the 'Play Shed' in her garden as an additional learning space. She creates beautiful areas for children to play and explore to support and enrich their learning. The childminder uses this with smaller groups to enable every child to benefit from individual, more focused teaching.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder uses her extensive knowledge to correctly identify if any child needs some additional support. If needed, she puts comprehensive plans in place to address this from the earliest stage. The childminder has completed specialist training to help her fully support children with different behaviour patterns. This enables her to skilfully adapt her teaching, and how she plans the daily routine, so that each child reaches their full potential.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder uses additional funding for children extremely wisely. She accesses an enhanced level of training to provide her with professional qualifications in specific areas. For instance, she has recently gained an approved qualification to help her fully understand the care and learning needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This has enriched the programme of learning and activities that she provides to take specific account of the children who attend. When needed, the childminder works extremely collaboratively with other professionals and parents to fully understand and plan for children's individual needs.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Teaching is personalised and means that every child is appropriately challenged and fully included. Gaps in learning close extremely quickly. Children, who may have initially had lower starting points, leave for school with the skills and knowledge they need to continue their positive learning journey.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Since the last inspection, the childminder has moved home. She has carefully risk assessed her new home and uses the space available to offer an exceptional learning environment. The childminder continually reviews her provision in an incisive way. She is relentless in her approach towards giving every child the best possible start to their learning. She reviews her practice insightfully and consistently identifies further ways to improve, based on what individual children and families need.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder continually monitors the work of assistants who work with her and ensures that children benefit from a consistently high level of provision. She completes training and belongs to professional forums to help strengthen the quality of her knowledge and practice. For instance, she has completed a level 3 qualification to help her become exceptionally competent in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She also regularly attends meetings with the local authority to help her fully understand safeguarding trends within the local area. This enables her to network with other professionals and be even more vigilant and able to support vulnerable families.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is exceptionally reflective. She constantly reviews the programme of learning she offers and takes decisive action to adapt her practice to meet every child's needs.

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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

The childminder offers an exceptionally professional, well-organised service. She carefully prioritises children's care and learning needs. Children benefit from an extremely homely, welcoming and nurturing setting. They form close attachments to the childminder and her family. Children demonstrate how safe and secure they feel as they reach out to her for cuddles. Parents confirm how much their children enjoy attending and show excitement when they arrive at the childminder's home.

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

The daily timetable offers children ample time to play, explore and develop new skills. Any child who needs extra help is supported from an early stage. The childminder carefully observes children and monitors their progress meticulously well. She puts relevant plans in place promptly to help any child who may be at risk of slipping behind.

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

Children show how much they enjoy their learning. Children explore the activities confidently. They show interest and curiosity as they handle different items and find resources to support their creative thinking. For example, when babies play with dolls, the childminder gently supports them to find other items, such as blankets and bottles, to support their imaginative play.

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

Children develop a wide range of skills and knowledge, which form a secure foundation for their future learning. The childminder interacts closely with all children and makes sure every child benefits from plenty of individual and close attention. Babies and younger children start to form positive relationships with other children and learn to share and take turns in their play. For instance, during a story session, children confidently take turns to lift the flaps on each page and excitedly say to their friends, 'Your turn.'

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

Children make considerable levels of progress in their learning as they attend regularly and benefit fully from the planned activities. The childminder works closely with parents to help them understand the importance of regular attendance and the positive impact it has on children's learning.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of particular groups of children, such as disadvantaged children, those with SEND, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and assistants 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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Address:

206 Sedlescombe Road North East Sussex TN37 7ES

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 18:00

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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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