Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 204799 Registered with Ofsted: 14/05/1993 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

Most children make effective progress from their individual starting points across all 7 learning areas. Their communication skills generally develop well through a love of storytelling and rhymes. Children learn new and important vocabulary, such as 'cold' and 'smooth' during sensory play. Children are confident and know the routines well. They successfully learn to use their imagination, such as in role play when pretending to make meals.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children demonstrate physical skills during action games and while on outdoor nature walks. They gain a solid understanding of being healthy by eating nutritious foods and practising dental hygiene. While children are increasingly confident and engaged, their overall achievement in independence and creativity is occasionally limited because art activities are too adult-led.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children play well alongside each other and develop secure friendships. They take turns, share resources and are very well mannered. For example, they offer their friends some bricks to play with and say 'please' and 'thank you' during lunchtime. The childminder models respectful behaviour in her interactions with children. She provides consistent praise with a pleasant demeanour, which helps to boost children's self-esteem.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder provides clear, consistent guidance in her routines that help children feel safe and content. She promotes her attendance policy well and ensures that she follows up on absences. Children understand the simple, effective rules in place. For example, children take turns in a game or offer art resources to a friend sitting next to them. The childminder models gentle, kind and respectful behaviour in her interactions with children. Children benefit from lots of reassurance and encouragement as they play and learn. This helps to build children's confidence and develop a positive attitude to their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are motivated, interested and busily engaged in their play. They show sustained concentration and a positive approach when solving problems. For example, they work together to find out how to best build the bricks to make a stable base for a complicated structure. Children are happy and content, and they demonstrate a love for learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder successfully provides an environment that allows children to lead their own play and explore new ideas. Children have the freedom to investigate various resources, such as the 'sticky' glue dribbling off glue sticks or different-sized chalks to make marks. This hands-on approach helps them develop their confidence in their play and learn new skills.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children learn the foundations of a healthy lifestyle as they talk about healthy foods. The childminder provides healthy, nutritious meals and offers children daily opportunities to practise their own hygiene habits, such as brushing their teeth after lunch and washing their hands independently at the portable sink.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's wellbeing is supported by the childminder's nurturing approach. She provides a home-from-home space where children feel safe enough to explore. She makes sure the areas children use are safe and secure. Furthermore, she respects their need for privacy and quiet during personal care routines and sleep times.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children have plenty of time to develop their social skills and become aware of the world around them because of the thoughtful activities the childminder arranges. The childminder takes children to visit local parks and shops regularly. These experiences help build children's confidence and develop a sense of belonging in their community. Children have daily access to fresh air and physical exercise.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The experienced childminder has an excellent knowledge and understanding of child development and the importance of play. As a result, she has successfully embedded her curriculum to ensure children's experiences cover all 7 areas of learning. She observes children's interests closely and knows where they are in their development journey. This means she can expertly design and plan activities that build upon their existing knowledge and help teach new skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder makes sure that learning opportunities for children are logically sequenced. For example, she makes effective use of sensory and coordination activities as building blocks for later literacy and mark-making skills. The childminder prioritises children's communication and language development successfully. She makes sure there is daily provision for children to enjoy stories and rhymes. The childminder introduces new descriptive words often, such as 'slippery' and 'smooth' as the children explore ice cubes. On occasion, the childminder has not thought carefully enough about the individual strategies to support children who are at an early stage of language development.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder introduces mathematical language and concepts effortlessly, for example, using words such as 'pyramid' and 'layers' during construction play. She allows plenty of time for children to explore art materials and resources during planned activities. While children enjoy exploring some materials, the childminder sometimes limits their independence and creative thinking because these activities are too adult-directed. This does not encourage children's creativity and ideas well.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder prioritises getting to know children from their first day in her care. Through consistent observations and developmental assessments, the childminder identifies children's individual needs effectively. This allows her to pinpoint potential progress gaps or developmental concerns early on. The childminder maintains active professional links with external agencies, other professionals and the local school. This helps ensure children receive specialised support in a timely manner. While the childminder does not currently care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, she demonstrates a positive, proactive attitude toward removing any barriers to learning. She is knowledgeable regarding the use of additional funding and adapts her curriculum to be inclusive. For instance, she simplifies instructions to ensure every child can participate fully in activities.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Central to her inclusive practice is the respectful relationships the childminder has with parents and carers. This means that there is a consistent two-way flow of communication between the childminder and parents. By establishing honest partnerships, she offers targeted advice and support to families. This collaborative approach ensures that the environment remains flexible and responsive to the diverse requirements of all children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The knowledgeable childminder is dedicated and very experienced. She is focused on continuous improvement and frequently reflects on how effective her provision is. She works very closely with her co-childminder and any assistants she works with to provide a consistent, high-quality, nurturing and homely environment. Partnerships with parents are effective. Communication with families is a significant strength and means that everyone is informed about the children and their progress. Parents and carers say they know about their child's progress and appreciate the consistent, flexible care provided.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder accesses a range of training and professional learning. She keeps up with current best practice and new ideas by engaging with local childminding networks and receiving support from the local authority. Moving forward, the childminder should prioritise developing her awareness of language strategies to better support children's communication and language development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands the importance of regular attendance and promptly follows up any absence. She supports smooth transitions to nursery because she maintains successful working relationships with local schools. This means that children are supported as they move on to the next stage of their education.

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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 successfully nurtures a home-from-home atmosphere where children feel secure, happy and eager to learn. From the moment they arrive, children settle in quickly as they cuddle alongside the childminder while looking at a favourite book. They demonstrate a sense of belonging as they confidently choose their preferred toys and resources. They have a clear understanding of daily routines as they busily help tidy up to get ready for a group singing time. The childminder monitors children's attendance carefully to support families to develop routines and positive habits for future learning.

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

Children approach new challenges with a 'can-do' attitude and show impressive levels of concentration and commitment. For example, children work closely in partnership with others to figure out how to carefully balance bricks to create a stable pyramid. They show genuine excitement during sensory play as they watch ice cubes melt in their hands. Children benefit from a balance of indoor and outdoor exploration that the childminder thoughtfully provides. Whether children are refining their skills by climbing at the local park or using chalks and glue sticks to create art, they enjoy plenty of opportunities to develop their physical abilities.

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

A love of reading is at the heart of the childminder's setting. Children benefit from regular story sessions that leave them eager to share their own versions of tales and to guess what is coming next. The childminder skilfully weaves learning into play. For example, while building towers of bricks, the childminder introduces words such as 'pyramid', 'bigger' and 'under' to teach the children about shape and size. The childminder encourages children's creativity, for instance through daily opportunities to explore a range of art materials.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Worcestershire Children imagine an icy world of a penguin as they make a collage picture using tissue and coloured paper. They watch with interested wonder as glue creates patterns on a page. On occasion, the childminder's activities for creative learning are too adult-led. This does not encourage children's independence and creative thinking well.

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen strategies to better support children's communication and language development. The childminder should develop teaching to encourage children's independence and creative thinking skills further.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, co-childminder, assistant, parents and children 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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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. 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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