Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY406599 Registered with Ofsted: 12/04/2010 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder places high importance on supporting children's personal, social and emotional skills. Children demonstrate loving, established relationships with the childminder, where they receive lots of encouragement and care. She has created a calm and purposeful environment that children enthusiastically explore. Children demonstrate a positive attitude to learning and maintain attention for long periods. They show respect as they return the resources carefully. The childminder understands the importance of regular attendance. She monitors attendance patterns and works flexibly with parents to remove any barriers to attendance that they may face. As a result, children attend regularly, are settled and are ready to learn.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder uses teaching opportunities in play to discuss the expectations and to acknowledge children's emotions. For example, as children want to join an activity, she discusses some possible solutions with them to ensure all children have enough resources to join in. Children then eagerly count out and share their resources with their friends. Children demonstrate an understanding of the clear, consistent expectations that the childminder has. As younger children cut with scissors, the older children talk about how to keep safe when using scissors. They remind each other how to carefully carry chairs and play well together, inviting each other into their play and taking on board each other's ideas. Children thank their friends as they help them to complete tasks. They know and follow the routines and expectations that are in place.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places children's emotional wellbeing at the heart of her setting. She provides opportunities to focus on children's wellbeing. For example, children practise yoga, where they have opportunities to relax and build on their physical strength and stamina.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children learn about healthy lifestyles as they discuss the ingredients in the home-cooked, nutritious meals that the childminder makes. Children talk about their likes and dislikes and the positive impact on their bodies. The childminder has taught the children the importance of good self-care practices. Children know when to wash their hands. This is supported by the calm childminder, who prioritises children's individual care needs. The childminder uses opportunities to teach children about personal safety. For example, she has discussed the

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Expected standard

importance of asking permission before giving each other a hug. Children demonstrate this as they ask if their friends would like a hug through the day. Children also recap on the knowledge they have about how to keep safe when they go out for walks in the community and are near the roads.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder uses her expertise to deliver an exciting, well-sequenced curriculum that is implemented to a high standard, based on a clear understanding of early years education and child development. She has clear intentions for all children's learning, including those who may be disadvantaged. Her dedication to her work shows through her high-quality teaching throughout the day. The childminder adapts her curriculum to meet the needs of children of all ages and stages of development. She is clear about the skills and knowledge she wants all children to gain. The childminder has a sharp focus on children's communication and language skills, their personal, social and emotional development and their physical development.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder expertly teaches early mathematical concepts in a fun way. She introduces a variety of mathematical language as children play. As children build towers, she encourages them to consider if they are taller than each tower. As they explore shape magnets, she uses her interactions to encourage children to recap on what they already know. For example, she reminds the children of the new shape names they learned, such as rhombus. When they cannot find a square shape, she encourages them to consider how they could make a square with the other shapes available. Children proudly remember that they can use two of the triangles.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop appropriate knowledge and skills across the areas of learning as the childminder quickly learns what each child already knows, understands and can do when they join her setting. This knowledge is used to plan meaningful experiences that build on their knowledge and skills. Typically, all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those in receipt of additional funding, make good progress from their starting points.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children access an inviting and well organised environment that encourages high levels of curiosity and engagement. Children communicate effectively with adults and each other and express their thinking clearly. Younger children learn the specific skills they need to gain independence, such as learning how to put on their coats or feed themselves. Throughout the day, children have rich opportunities to strengthen their small hand muscles. For example, they use spanners to tighten nuts and bolts or carefully build towers with small blocks. These well-planned learning opportunities, help children to achieve well and become confident, independent learners ready for the next stage of their education.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder places real emphasis on inclusion. Children are treated as individuals by the childminder, who has high aspirations for all children that attend. The childminder has a thorough understanding of each child's development and a clear knowledge of any barriers the children in her care may be facing. She uses additional funding well to enhance children's progress. The childminder monitors children's progress and completes the required statutory checks. She works closely with families to implement consistent adaptions to ensure all children can access the curriculum.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has accessed a range of training to provide her with a good understanding of how to implement the graduated approach in her setting. This enables her to skilfully adapt her provision to meet the needs of all children. The childminder understands the importance of working with other professionals so that children are provided with specialist support when needed. Typically, these partnerships with families and external professionals help to reduce barriers in children's learning and development. However, on occasions, the childminder does not swiftly follow up further referrals that could support all children to get timely support. That said, the childminder provides a wide range of support that helps all children to make progress towards their age-related expectations.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is professional and knowledgeable about her role and responsibilities. She frequently reflects on her setting, using feedback from parents and other childminders. There is a clear vision to provide high-quality experiences that are in the best interests of all children, particularly those who face barriers in their learning. There have been some recent changes in the use of the childminder's assistants, and this has impacted on the tailoring of training for these staff. The assistants feel supported in their roles and there is a clear focus on their wellbeing, but currently their understanding of the role is basic. The childminder is committed to ensuring training is targeted more precisely to match the individual needs of the assistants and areas of priority for the setting to strengthen their knowledge further.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents feel fully informed about their children's care and development due to the childminder's excellent communication. They say that their children thoroughly enjoy, and benefit from, the time they spend with the childminder. Parents are provided with activities to enjoy with their children and this helps to support the children's learning at home. The childminder has a clear understanding of her community and any issues in her locality. She uses this knowledge to complement her curriculum. For example, the childminder promotes the importance of good oral health, both in her setting and with families to support children's health.

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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 thrive in the care of the calm, nurturing childminder. The childminder has established strong relationships with the children and their families. She understands the importance of working with families to address any barriers to regular attendance. The childminder has embedded effective transition arrangements to enable her to get to know each child's needs before they start. This helps children to feel incredibly content and ready to learn in the childminder's care.

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

The childminder uses her clear knowledge of how children learn to provide a curriculum that is well sequenced and adapted to meet children's individual learning styles, interests and next steps in learning. She has created an inspiring environment that ignites children's

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Inspector:

Rebecca Weston curiosity. Children enthusiastically investigate a variety of thoughtfully planned activities that build on their existing skills.

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Inspector:

The childminder uses her interactions well to extend children's communication and thinking skills. As she plays alongside the children, she uses clear language and introduces a wide range of rich vocabulary. For example, she discusses amphibians, skeletons and children recap on their prior learning as they recall some features of fish. The childminder provides a range of books to further develop children's language skills. Children carefully select their favourite stories and talk eagerly about their favourite parts. The childminder uses books well to prompt discussions. Children pause and discuss the shadow in the story and discuss how they have a shadow when the sun is out. These experiences instil a deep love of learning in the children and supports them to make progress across all areas of learning.

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Inspector:

The childminder values each child's uniqueness and individuality. She uses this knowledge to complement her curriculum, such as introducing a variety of traditions and cultures that the children celebrate. This is supported further through daily outings in the community, where children gain an understanding of similarities and difference, and a knowledge of the wider community.

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Next steps

The childminder should embed procedures to consistently follow up when further referrals to external professionals may be needed so that all children get timely support to help remove any barriers they may face in their learning. The childminder should focus professional development more precisely to match the individual needs of the assistants and areas of priority for the setting.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistants, children and parents 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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About this setting

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

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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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