Bennett, Catherine

Bennett, Catherine

Unique reference number (URN): EY299572 Address: Lantern Cottage, Leigh Street, Leigh upon Mendip, Radstock, Avon, BA3 5QP Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 20/01/2005 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Bennett, Catherine Alice

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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 demonstrate high levels of resilience, perseverance and take great pride in their achievements. Younger children show determination and focus as they reach up to take the pegs off the washing line the older children had created. They persevere trying to pinch the top of each peg, building on their smaller physical skills.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children use an increasing range of vocabulary, listen attentively and follow instructions well. Young children begin to count up to 4, demonstrating learning beyond that is expected for their age. Older children learn about more and less when threading and confidently recognise their names. Children who have recently started develop their sense of belonging, as they recognise their trays containing their drink bottles.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children recall previous learning experiences, such as trips out into the community. They confidently share their home experiences with the childminder, demonstrating self- confidence and knowing the childminder values their thoughts and experiences. Children develop the skills they need for future learning and they are well equipped for their next stage into school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has created a well-balanced routine that is embedded into daily practice. It offers children choice and freedom to explore. The childminder has high expectations for behaviour and through consistency and gentle reminders, children begin to understand what is expected of them. The childminder is mindful of younger children and those that are still learning routines and expectations.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Parents comment positively on the trusting and secure relationships their children have built with the childminder. They report that their children's 'wellbeing and security' are the childminder's priority. The childminder ensures she works closely with families to monitor and record attendance, swiftly following up absences if they occur. She encourages children to use their manners, help others and to be kind. For example, older children confidently say, ' I don't need help', as younger children try to help them pack away. The childminder discusses with children how sometimes we need to let them help us so they can learn to. This creates a collaborative working ethos throughout the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder helps children to begin to self-regulate and understand their emotions through discussion, offering reassurance and talking about how children are feeling. For example, younger children become tired and the childminder uses language to describe this. This helps children to begin to make connections and understand how they are feeling and why. Children benefit from opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles. The childminder extends this to parents and shares healthy lunch box expectations and guidelines. Children explore body parts during an activity as they place them correctly on the body. This helps children learn about their bodies. Children have daily access to outside and enjoy going on walks to the local park, where they can test their abilities and develop their bigger physical skills. Younger children develop their stability and balance, as they carefully pull themselves up

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

onto chairs and learn about managing risk.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder establishes highly effective routines reflecting children's care needs. This supports children's emotional wellbeing. She places high priority on taking time to get to know new starters and families, quickly developing a secure bond from the start. The childminder implements safer sleeping practices and works collaboratively with parents when children's routines change. Parents deeply value the kind, caring and thoughtful childminder.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder knows what she wants children to learn and develop next. She is highly skilled at using children's lead within their play to direct age-appropriate outcomes for children's learning. She uses her interactions with a purpose of helping children achieve their next steps in learning and beyond. For example, she uses prepositional language, such as over, under and on top, as children play.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children develop a love of stories from an early age. They independently choose books and younger children pass them to the childminder, eagerly waiting for her to read to them. Children enjoy sitting with the childminder and pointing to the pictures. She encourages new language through repetition, speaking clearly and using key phrases. Young children build on their problem-solving skills and turn books the correct way around, proceeding to turn the pages. Older children enjoy discussions about the context of the books and show a genuine interest.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder supports children's personal, social and emotional development superbly. Children of all ages work and play together collaboratively during tidy-up times and role play. Older children enjoy chatting and have back-and-forth conversations, they ask questions demonstrating curiosity and wonder. Younger children babble and say some key words as they explore the foods in the role-play kitchen. They confidently demonstrate their emerging physical skills, as they independently pull themselves up onto chairs, reach up for objects and meticulously place pretend food on the plates for their friends. The childminder helps them to explore colours, checking what they know and can remember. This helps children to revisit and consolidate their learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder uses robust assessment and monitoring procedures to gain a thorough understanding of each child and their learning needs. This allows the childminder to identify any emerging gaps in children's learning. This ensures children receive an excellent start to their early education and make noticeable progression throughout all areas of their learning. The childminder tracks children's speech and language, helping to closely monitor new words and phrases children use. This is also shared with parents, capturing a more holistic view of children's communication. These processes help to swiftly identify where children may need additional support.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has formed robust partnerships with local early years providers, including the local school. They report on the highly effective transition process for children going into school. The sharing of relevant information ensures children's individual needs are fully met. For example, if children struggle to settle into new environments, then extra transitions would be provided to support this. This collaborative approach ensures children receive the support they need swiftly, to consistently enhance their development and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has recently placed her focus on networking and forming robust partnerships with external professionals. She identified this as an area for improvement through robust self-evaluation and monitoring of her own practice and provision. Self- evaluation is embedded in daily routines and supported through regular communication with early years professionals and other childminders. The childminder now regularly attends local networking groups that offer high-quality support, training and guidance. For example, discussions around the new nutritional guidelines led to more focus on healthy eating and sharing this with parents.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is passionate about her role in providing the best care possible for children and families. She continuously strives to implement a well-rounded and robust curriculum, meeting the needs of all children. For example, the introduction of a new school readiness booklet and worksheet she has created has impacted positively on children's readiness for school. The childminder keeps the children and the community at the heart of her decision- making.

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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 environment through her caring and responsive nature. She ensures she takes time getting to know children and their families. This helps new children settle quickly and become confident within their environment. She reassures children with her attentiveness and cuddles. The childminder establishes trusting partnerships with parents, creating a collaborative approach to supporting children's learning and development. This ensures all children can fully participate in daily routines and activities. Children thrive in her care.

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

The childminder is dedicated and understands her role and responsibilities in supporting children, including those who may be disadvantaged or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder implements a well sequenced and varied curriculum that helps children make noticeable progress across all areas of their learning and development. Children demonstrate high motivation and positive attitudes towards their learning. They show curiosity and creativity during their play. For example, young children walk around rocking their babies to sleep in their arms saying, 'shh', and older children create their own role-play scenarios. The childminder engages in these teachable moments and uses these to ask questions to further develop children's thinking. This helps children to connect their ideas and particularly supports their communication and language. Children are confident communicators.

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Next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance 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,

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Address:

Lantern Cottage Leigh Street, Leigh upon Mendip Radstock Avon BA3 5QP

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Address:

Registered person: Bennett, Catherine Alice

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Address:

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

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Facts and figures used on inspection

those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, 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 school lead 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

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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