Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY200414 Registered with Ofsted: 18/09/2002 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

Children achieve incredibly well, across all areas of the curriculum. They are enthusiastic learners because the childminder herself is so enthusiastic and provides an exciting range of activities and experiences.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children follow instructions extremely well and display superb focus and attention skills. These form a strong foundation for continuous high levels of achievement and children are very prepared for the next stage in learning, including the transition to school. They develop important life skills, such as using cutlery, being independent in self-care and developing positive friendships with other children. Working closely with the local school, the childminder helps children become ready for the eventual transition to Reception Class.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children who face any barriers to learning make strong progress from their starting points. They become excellent communicators, taking turns during conversations and expressing their ideas, needs and wants with clarity.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has created an environment of trust and warmth, with a key focus on helping all children feel that they truly belong and are welcome. She demonstrates high values herself and makes clear her high expectations of behaviour from children. Through her own excellent modelling of positive interactions, she supports children to be tolerant and to work together to learn new skills. Using resources based on turn-taking, she helps children to experience the benefits of collaboration and supports the development of excellent relationships between children.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder is actively engaged in children's play, joining in with enthusiasm and enjoyment. Relationships with children are superbly secure. Using praise and encouragement, she helps children to be independent and motivated, and their behaviour is exemplary.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Absence levels are very low, and this helps children to learn the routines, boundaries and expectations of the setting. Children settle very well because the childminder is attentive to their needs and strives to help them settle quickly.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder adapts her practice to meet the differing needs of children who are at various stages of development. She is highly skilled and knowledgeable at how to instil a love of learning in children, so that they are excited to learn.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children are greeted with hugs and smiles from the childminder, who is eager to invite them in so she can outline their plans for the day. In return, children show their strong attachment with the childminder by sitting on her knee, or drawing her into their play. As they seek out numerals hidden in a tray of porridge, their faces beam with delight as they persevere to locate one and are so excited to show the childminder, making it a lovely shared experience.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Being healthy in body and mind is a focus of the childminder's provision. She provides a nutritionally balanced menu and shares recipes with families. New meals are introduced very well, with the childminder eating alongside children, encouraging them to try something new, using words such as 'delicious' as she eats. Engaging in physical activities is part of her routine and children develop skills such as riding on a balance bike.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Safety is meticulously monitored, and practices are implemented so that in the indoor and outdoor environments, children learn to manage their own risk, but always within clear boundaries. Children learn about emotions through the use of puppets and looking at facial expressions in books. The childminder helps children to label and recognise different feelings and provides strategies to help them manage these in a positive way.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has designed a rich curriculum that is implemented superbly well. Delivering a wealth of exciting experiences, the childminder seamlessly covers all areas of learning with great skill. Taking children out on trips is a key part of her routine, and they visit local parks, the swimming pool, museums and activity centres together. These experiences are specifically chosen to follow children's interests as well as broadening their understanding of the world. The childminder makes relevant adaptations to her practice so that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive an excellent level of early education.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder ably develops children's language skills through sharing stories, rhymes and songs. She adapts her communication with different children so that her engagements are age- and stage-appropriate. Story sacks and puppets, for instance, are included to help children to develop an understanding of emotions. Children use finger puppets as they recreate parts of a familiar story and the childminder skilfully introduces the concept of feelings, making links to the facial expressions on different puppets.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children laugh and have great fun chasing balloons as the air inside escapes and they create an unpredictable path as they fall. This helps children to practise their balance, agility and coordination skills. The childminder implements a robust and highly effective assessment process. The childminder completes statutory assessments with great detail and accuracy.

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Inclusion Strong standard

From the outset, the childminder helps children to feel included and valued. Supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is one of her key strengths, and as a result, they make wonderful progress in their learning. She strives to provide the highest level of care and early education for all children.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder completes relevant and specific training. This helps to develop her practice in certain areas so that the care and support she provides meets the needs of each child who attends. For example, she recently attended training about British Sign Language and uses visual prompts around her play space for easy reference. This enhances her interactions with each and every child to be of such a high quality.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder forms positive and highly effective relationships with other professionals and external agencies. She works closely with them so that specific advice can be given for individual children, and this is implemented through targeted learning plans. The childminder is highly reflective and assesses the impact these plans have on children's development, making adaptations where required. With such meticulous planning and superb implementation, children thrive. The childminder makes certain she uses additional funding to purchase high-quality resources to help individual children to move forward in their development.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder continually reviews her practice and researches new and innovative ways to teach young children. For example, she has plans in place to introduce experiments so that children can learn about scientific topics through first-hand experiences.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Links with other local childminders are very effective. The childminder shares ideas and keeps up to date with changes to the early years sector through these positive relationships. She has formed excellent relationships with the local school, so that key information is shared for children who attend both settings.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Communication with parents and carers is highly effective. Developmental updates, activities enjoyed and plans for upcoming activities are shared with parents, and this further enhances the strong partnerships between families and the childminder.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder manages her workload very well, balancing completing professional development with ensuring that her own wellbeing is protected.

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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 receive a warm welcome from the childminder, who has created a wonderful learning environment where children make excellent levels of progress in their learning. Sounds of laughter and broad smiles are evident as the childminder and children enjoy each other's company. Children are confident, capable and keen learners, exploring with enthusiasm. As they roll trains down a ramp, children squeal with delight as they navigate a bend in the track. Children use different trains and learn, through trial and error, which manage the tight turn.

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

Children make superb progress in their learning. The childminder carefully assesses children's developmental levels and uses this information to implement tailored plans that support their progress in a highly effective way. Using her wealth of experience and knowledge of child development, the support the childminder provides is consistently of a high standard for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

The childminder develops a positive sense of self and promotes children's health as key parts of her provision. She implements thorough risk assessments to keep children safe while in her care. Through her kind and considerate interactions with children, the childminder helps them to feel valued, that their voice is important to her and that their contributions are highly valued. Children are active learners who engage with activities with self-confidence and wonderful enthusiasm. For example, children use spoons to feed porridge to characters from stories such as Goldilocks and show great empathy to Baby Bear, who is upset about his chair being broken.

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

The childminder is highly proficient at helping children to develop positive social skills and form wonderful relationships with each other. She uses a range of strategies that help

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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 17:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

individual children to work together and enjoy the company of each other. For instance, the childminder encourages children to build structures together, participate in turn-taking games and collaborate on small projects.

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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 disadvantaged children, 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 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. 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. 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 .

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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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