Wills, Clare Emily

Wills, Clare Emily

Unique reference number (URN): 2800514 Address: 19 Gillsway, Northampton, NN2 8HT Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 22/10/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Wills, Clare Emily

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

Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder is extremely committed to identifying and assessing any gaps in children's learning at an early stage and celebrating their achievements. This happens from the very first contact with families. The childminder works sensitively in partnership with parents and other agencies to minimise any barriers to learning, both at the setting and at home. For example, the childminder provides visual prompts to help children to understand the routines and her expectations. Young children independently find the pictures to show the childminder. This helps to build their confidence and independence. The childminder continuously reviews activities and the play environment, inside and outdoors, and takes steps to support all children to be fully involved. The childminder monitors children's progress towards their next steps consistently and reviews these frequently with parents. She liaises closely with other professionals to ensure that children have the support they

p.2

Inclusion Strong standard

need to make the progress they are capable of. The childminder frequently shares information, ideas and resources that enable parents to have a consistent approach to their child's learning at home. She knows children's families well and talks to children about their experiences at home, which helps all children to feel a sense of belonging and thrive. Parents highly value the exchange of information with the childminder and the frequent, small achievements of their children.

p.2

Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder is committed to ongoing professional development to enhance her practice even further. She has completed a wide range of appropriate training with a focus on special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The childminder applies her knowledge highly effectively to create an inclusive, adapted learning environment designed to meet the needs of all children in her care. She uses early years pupil premium funding to provide one-to-one support for children with SEND.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are curious and active learners who concentrate well and have a go at new activities. Overall, they gain the communication skills that they will need for the future. For instance, younger children use gestures to let the childminder know that they need help to change their wet socks after water play. Older children communicate their needs effectively and play collaboratively with their friends.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Children listen carefully to their favourite stories, demonstrating their understanding and joining in with the refrains. Older children recite the words of familiar songs and rhymes. They develop their early literacy skills in preparation for school, including muscle strength and fine motor control. Young children investigate a broad range of materials, including sand, water and 'gloop' made from water and cornflour. They develop their problem-solving skills, such as when they work out how to place different shapes onto a peg board.

p.3

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Overall, children's behaviours and attitudes are positive. The childminder is caring and respectful and recognises children's unique qualities. She models good manners so that children repeat 'please' and 'thank you' without prompting. The childminder provides a wealth of praise for children's efforts. She adapts daily routines to meet the needs of all children, including offering visual clues to support their understanding of her expectations. The childminder typically helps children to recognise the expected standards of behaviour. For instance, she reminds them of the simple and age-appropriate 'golden rules', including kindness to others. Children collaborate well together, generally, such as when playing with ice cubes in a sticky mixture to represent snow. However, on occasions, strategies to support children with, for example, waiting patiently for their turn and sharing equipment willingly are less effective. Nevertheless, the childminder is calm and gentle, and children

p.3

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

respond well to consistent routines and requests.

p.3

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Younger children cooperate well with routines, such as nappy changing. Older children confidently contribute to everyday tasks independently, such as tidying away toys before going inside. The childminder explains clearly to parents why their children need to arrive on time and attend regularly. This helps parents to maintain secure routines for their children.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder carefully nurtures children's emotional and physical wellbeing. She develops a trusting, caring relationship with children and their families where all can thrive and feel secure. Communication with parents is sensitive and responsive to their needs as well as children's needs. There is a consistent and seamless transition between learning at the setting and children's homes. The childminder helps children to identify their feelings and what will help them when they feel, for example, sad or angry. She reads stories to children to help them better understand their emotions and those of others.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder talks with children about the benefits of exercise and healthy food and drink. She encourages them to try new foods, including fruit and vegetables. Children show how much they enjoy the menu of home-cooked meals, such as a nutritious casserole of chicken with a variety of vegetables and jacket potato. They enthusiastically ask for another portion. Children are supervised closely by the childminder while they eat and are taught to use cutlery skilfully. When children show that they are tired, the childminder provides a safe space to nap within the playroom where they are in her sight and hearing.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder values and strongly supports the unique qualities of every child at this inclusive setting. She adapts her teaching according to children's needs and interests, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps her to provide a curriculum that equips all children with a range of skills in readiness for the next stage of their education, including school. Communication and language skills development is at the centre of their learning. The childminder asks questions to stimulate discussions with older children. She allows plenty of time for children to think and answer. However, occasionally, the childminder does not ensure that children hear the correct pronunciation of words to support their developing vocabulary fully. The childminder sits close to younger children as she reads animatedly from familiar stories. She encourages children to choose and share

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

their favourite songs and rhymes. This helps to develop their love of books.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children's personal, social and emotional development is central to the childminder's curriculum. The childminder helps children to recognise their own feelings and begin to manage their emotions. She encourages younger children to take turns and share toys. The childminder provides daily activities that promote children's physical development, including exploring how they can move like different animals or push themselves along on sit-and-ride toys. The childminder teaches children mathematical language such as 'more' and how to recite number names. She uses carefully selected resources to promote children's understanding of shape, size and number. The childminder ensures that children enjoy plenty of opportunities to explore the wider community. For instance, she takes children to buildings of historical interest and local facilities, such as the post office.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a thoughtful approach to maintaining and improving standards at the setting. For example, she highly values partnership working with parents, other professionals and during transitions to new settings, such as schools. Parents recognise the positive impact of this approach in addressing any barriers to learning for their children so that they can make measurable progress towards their goals. The childminder also collaborates closely with her co-childminder to make decisions, reflect on improvements and implement policies and procedures consistently. Together, they identify training requirements to meet the needs of individual children as well as their own personal development. Within a targeted professional development programme, the childminder particularly focuses on continuously enhancing her skills in identifying and supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The co-childminders offer each other a high level of support that benefits themselves and the children and families they work with. They provide a fun-filled, positive, homely learning environment where children clearly demonstrate an impressive sense of belonging. The childminder recognises the many strengths of the setting where children are happy and engaged so that they achieve the skills needed in preparation for school.

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

Children show that they feel confident and safe in the friendly and welcoming environment. They lead their own learning as they choose from a wide range of equipment and activities that stimulate their curiosity and imagination. For instance, younger children build houses for model vehicles using wooden blocks. The childminder uses their current interest in transport

p.5

Inspector:

Cathryn Clarricoates to start conversations with them about the cars and trucks. Younger children are eager to communicate with the childminder as they make noises to represent the sounds that a train makes. Older children talk animatedly to the childminder about their experiences of travelling with their family. The childminder listens carefully and values their ideas and opinions. Outdoors, children zoom around the play area pretending to be aeroplanes. The childminder supervises their play closely and is on hand to help younger children manoeuvre up and down the slopes. Younger children say, 'I can do it' as they go up the shallow steps into the playroom.

p.6

Inspector:

The childminder gets to know children and their families very well. She promotes the importance of punctual and regular attendance for children's learning and development. The childminder swiftly identifies any support needs for children, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and takes prompt action to address these. As a result, all children thrive and make good progress from their identified starting points. The childminder helps children to settle quickly and develops warm relationships with them. The childminder prioritises developing children's independence and social skills in readiness for future learning, including the eventual move to school. Children practise these skills during routines, such as mealtimes. For example, younger children pass around beakers and plates to their friends. Older children put on their wellington boots and coats ready to go outside. Older children show kindness to younger ones as they help them pretend to look

p.6

Next steps

The childminder should consistently model the correct pronunciation of words to support and further enhance children's communication and language skills. The childminder should enhance the use of a range of strategies to support children's behaviour even further.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and the children 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

Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:30

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