Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY343473 Registered with Ofsted: 27/11/2006 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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Achievement Expected standard

Overall, all children achieve well in their learning and development, whatever their starting points. Younger children learn how to select toys for themselves from accessible baskets. Older children learn how to help to put toys away when they have finished using them. Children develop a love of books to support their communication, language and literacy skills. They learn new words through songs and rhymes. Generally, children gain a range of physical skills, such as walking and balancing. These skills are valuable preparation for school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder talks with parents about the value of punctuality and regular attendance to prepare children for school. She has clear and high expectations for behaviour, which she shares regularly with children. This helps to promote positive behaviour. The childminder uses a calm, consistent and fair approach to managing behaviour, suited to the needs of the child. She explains why some behaviour is unwanted and offers positive, alternative ways to act. The childminder teaches children how to be kind and respectful to each other, for example by reading stories about this. Children act in positive ways and the childminder praises them explicitly for this. They learn to share and to take turns by playing simple games and by sharing toys and resources in the garden. Children make friendships with each other and enjoy playing together.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Babies have close, strong bonds with the childminder, and older children enjoy warm, trusting relationships with her. The childminder places high importance on children's safety and wellbeing. She carries out daily safety checks in all areas of her home and garden to reduce the risk of hazards. The childminder teaches children how to act in safe ways. For instance, she explains to children why it is important to find a safe place to cross the road and how to act with care and caution when crossing the road with her. Children play safely at the childminder's home and follow her clear boundaries. The childminder ensures that mealtimes are social occasions and supervises children closely as they eat. She ensures that children sleep in suitable safe conditions and checks them frequently to be assured of their welfare.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder teaches children to understand a range of emotions through discussions and stories. This helps children to gain an understanding of themselves and others. She provides well-balanced, healthy food and snacks that meet special dietary needs. The childminder teaches children why eating well is important. She provides daily physical outdoor challenges for children. However, she does not consistently teach children to understand why they need to be physically active and the benefits of this to their mind and body. This means that children often lack the capacity to make informed healthy choices on their own.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, the curriculum is based securely on areas of learning, children's interests and their next steps for learning. The childminder uses regular assessments of children's progress effectively to determine their skills and what they need to learn next. This means that children are suitably challenged, whatever their starting points, and make secure progress.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder teaches children mathematics in successful ways. She sings number songs and rhymes with children, who recite numbers in ascending order. Children play with a pretend farm set, and the childminder asks children to count apples on trees. They do this reliably, demonstrating effective counting skills. The childminder teaches children the names of different shapes as they complete puzzles. Overall, the childminder helps children to gain effective communication, language and literacy skills. For instance, younger children listen intently to stories as the childminder uses interesting puppets and props to bring the story to life. They learn new words as they listen to stories. However, at times, the childminder's method of questioning children does not help children to excel in their learning and achievement. For instance, the childminder tends to ask children questions that require short, one-word responses. This means that children are not given the opportunity to

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

develop their thinking and consistently practise speaking in full sentences, progressing their skills even higher.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Generally, the childminder helps children to gain a range of physical skills. She provides support to younger children to help them to learn to walk. Older children learn how to balance along low beams. Children learn how to play well together. They take part in pretend home play and make tea for each other. This helps to promote positive relationships.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands how close monitoring of children's progress helps to identify children who require extra help in their learning. She uses this approach to recognise when children need more support and adapts her teaching and activities to meet their needs. For example, she focuses on providing targeted additional support in physical development to any child who needs this. The childminder reviews children's progress, uses a graduated approach and seeks suitable support for children. This includes talking to parents to make suggestions about relevant helpful sources, such as health professionals, where needed.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Overall, the childminder keeps her professional knowledge and skills current. For instance, she reads articles and books on early years education and attends regular safeguarding training updates. The childminder pays attention to her work and is aware of what is going well and where improvements can be made. She sets practical goals to keep improving steadily.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder keeps parents actively informed about their children's progress through regular feedback. She liaises with parents to support children's development in different areas, such as toilet training. Parents' comments obtained during the inspection show high levels of satisfaction with the care and learning provided by the childminder. Some comments described the setting as 'a safe, loving and nurturing environment'.

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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

Overall, children make secure progress in their learning and achievement. The childminder promotes regular attendance, and this helps to support children's development and readiness for school. Children confidently select toys and resources for themselves, such as

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Inspector:

Jenny Beckles puzzles, and concentrate well until they have completed them. The childminder teaches children how to do things for themselves. Younger children learn to feed themselves at mealtimes, and older children learn how to put on their coats and shoes. The childminder rightly considers that a strength of her provision is her passion for books. Throughout the morning, children independently select different stories to browse through quietly while pointing out their favourite characters. Their love of books supports their language and literacy skills effectively. The childminder ensures that children feel safe, secure and valued. She appreciates their unique personalities and interacts positively with children by smiling and through warm eye contact. Children have a caring, close relationship with the childminder and relate well to other children.

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Inspector:

The childminder provides a broad and balanced curriculum that meets the needs of all children, including those requiring extra support. She teaches children about the world around them. For example, the childminder teaches children how things grow as they water plants in the garden. She points out different weather and seasons to the children when they go out on walks. Children enjoy using different tools and materials to express themselves creatively. They use brightly coloured paint to paint vibrant pictures and use colouring pencils to draw pictures of sharks. The childminder follows children's lead as they happily play a game where they hide an object and then have to find it. Children take great delight in this, and this supports their enjoyment of learning new skills.

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Next steps

The childminder should enhance her interactions with children to promote their communication and thinking further. The childminder should develop children's understanding of physical activity and healthy choices further, promoting improved practices for their future lifestyles.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children. She considered the views of 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 : 07:30 - 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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