Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY408436 Registered with Ofsted: 15/06/2010 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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Achievement Strong standard

All children make rapid progress from their starting points. Children have good independence skills and do things for themselves. For example, they serve themselves breakfast and pour their own drinks. Children enjoy mark making and attempting to write their own name as appropriate. They recognise some initial letters sounds and use these spontaneously alongside the childminder.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children look for numbers in the environment on their walk and are able to recognise and label single and double digits. Children freely express their knowledge of different animals, as well as their size and length. They explain things are 'long, big' and 'small', and count when there is more than one. Children develop a love of books and enjoy stories read by the childminder. They recall that they read left to right and top to bottom. Children use lots of vocabulary and language. They understand some complicated words and also the meanings.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children behave especially well. They understand the childminder's expectations of them. The childminder uses a sand timer to support sharing and taking turns, and children know what this means. She also encourages children to use good manners and uses lots of demonstrating and guiding to support this. Children are very keen and eager to learn. They absorb the knowledge the childminder shares with them and then delight in recalling this. Children all listen and engage well. They demonstrate excellent attention and concentration skills. As required, the childminder adapts her approach to meet children's individual needs and circumstances.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children benefit from very close relationships with the childminder. They are secure and comfortable in her care and seek her out for conversations and comfort as needed. This promotes a deep sense of belonging and reassurance.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder also supports children's understanding and participation in routines. She provides them all with their own pegs for coats and towels in the bathroom, with a consistent shape and colour labels to support recognition.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder understands the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. She has developed a policy relating to this, which she has shared with parents and carers. The childminder discusses with parents the importance of the routine of attending and the impact this has on children developing positive habits for school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder supports toilet training in imaginative ways. For example, she helps children to understand how their bladder functions by likening it to a balloon. This supports children to understand the importance of using the toilet regularly. The childminder has an excellent understanding of safe sleeping practices. She uses this knowledge to support individual children's routines and needs and to ensure they sleep safely and comfortably.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is very knowledgeable about nutrition. She uses these skills to ensure that children receive healthy and nutritious meals and snacks when they are with her. The childminder also considers food groups and portion sizes. Children know what carbohydrates are and are able to explain that they give them energy, meaning they can run.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder teaches children how to keep themselves safe, such as road safety or if they find broken toys. Children know they must remain within her sight at all times when out and about and wear coloured shirts or hats to make them identifiable. The childminder encourages them to take manageable risks and to measure their own risks, through discussions and having a go.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children learn to show emotions, such as being scared. They acknowledge and recognise the feelings of others and when they are being kind. The childminder has secure bonds with the children, which are established before children even start at the setting and support them to settle swiftly.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder uses every available interaction with children as a learning opportunity, such as mealtimes and walks in the local community. She knows clearly what she wishes children to learn from each experience, routine or activity. The childminder uses highly effective teaching skills with children to ensure that they are constantly learning and developing. She shares knowledge with them at every opportunity.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder's curriculum sequences children's learning extremely well. This ensures that children build their learning and skills across all areas of learning. The childminder has robust arrangements to support individual children to settle, which are tailored to their individual needs. She seeks detailed information from parents and carers when children first start, which enables her to understand their needs fully. She then completes her own baseline assessments and provides parents with a settling-in report to keep them informed.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder shares lots of information and ideas with parents to support children's learning at home. She also provides a reading library, where she encourages parents and children to take books home to share.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder is highly effective in supporting and prioritising children's language and communication skills. She talks to them and encourages them to learn new words, which she carefully explains the meaning of. She also has a sharp focus on children's physical development and their personal social and emotional development. The childminder skilfully incorporates mathematics into everyday routines. For example, she encourages children to choose and count how many spoons of cereals they will have.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has robust processes in place, when she identifies some possible barriers to children's learning or things they find more difficult. She identifies these swiftly. The childminder puts her own strategies in place to support individual children and shares her concerns with parents and carers. She will then seek external help and advice as needed, to make sure that she can support children in the best way possible. This ensures any emerging gaps in children's learning close quickly and they make the best possible progress. The childminder has comprehensive systems in place to monitor children's ongoing progress, which she discusses and shares with parents.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has an excellent knowledge of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and identifying emerging gaps in learning. She has experience of working with other professionals and parents to ensure that children are assessed when there are concerns. This allows them to receive the best possible help and support. The childminder has accessed relevant training to support her in this role. She fully understands the processes to follow to obtain external help and advice. This supports her to meet children's individual needs extremely well. The childminder does this alongside putting her own strategies in place to ensure that any gaps in children's development close very quickly.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is professional, highly organised, passionate and caring. She is very reflective and understands accurately the quality of her own practice. The childminder highlights her partnerships working with parents and carers as a particular strength. However, she also recognises she could do even more to support children's home learning and transitions. The childminder has ambitious plans in place to achieve this.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder considers children's needs and wellbeing in all her decisions. She took account of what was best for them during the recent building work at her home. This meant that she could provide continuity but also keep children safe.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder shares lots of information and has lots of discussions with parents about funding to ensure children receive what they are entitled to. She helps parents to access this if needed and encourages them to read the 'Best Start in Life' parental advice for information.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder prioritises her own professional development from a variety of sources, to further enhance her own knowledge and skills. She attends local meetings with the local authority to stay well informed and works closely with other childminders.

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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 creates a calm and nurturing atmosphere, which is very child orientated and where children and their needs are at the centre. Children are happy, settled and confident. They are enthusiastic and keen to join in with the planned activities. Children enjoy exploring the resources. The childminder has a wealth of knowledge about many things. Where appropriate, she shares this with children, meaning that children also develop a broad knowledge. The childminder supports children extremely well to be ready for school. She focuses on key knowledge and skills, such as numbers and fine motor skills. The childminder also supports children to prepare for other transitions and changes in their lives, such as moving house or going on holiday. She creates detailed photo books for children to share and discuss, relating to the upcoming change. This supports children to understand what is going to happen and to reassure them not to be worried about it.

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

The childminder is fully inclusive in her practice. She plans suitable activities and experiences that she can adapt so children of all ages and abilities can be included. For example, older children play a game of colour snap and younger children explore different coloured stacking cups alongside them.

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

The childminder ensures that children get some time outside each day as she recognises the importance of fresh air and being active. Children enjoy a local walk, where they have opportunities to run, jump and stretch. This helps them to strengthen and develop their large muscles. The childminder talks to children about why being active is good and the impact this has on their body, including their breathing. Children know their own heart is the size of their fist.

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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 all children, including those that are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, 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, children and parents and carers 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 inspection

Since the last inspection the childminder has added an extension to her property and the space available for children. This has been risk assessed well and is safe and suitable for children's use.

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About this inspection

A shadow visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection.

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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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