Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY264165 Registered with Ofsted: 09/06/2003 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

Children make steady progress from their individual starting points. Communication and language development are supported well through regular stories, songs and thoughtful conversations. Babies are beginning to use associative sounds and single words. Older children confidently express their wants and needs and talk about familiar routines.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop early mathematical knowledge by counting objects in books and singing number rhymes. They are learning what numbers represent in everyday contexts, such as holding 3 soft toys as they sing a number song. Personal, social and emotional development are supported effectively. Children are learning to share, take turns and play alongside others. They develop physical skills through mark-making activities, using cutlery at mealtimes and taking part in daily outdoor play. This supports the development of strength, coordination and control. However, progress for older children is not consistently maximised because activities are not always planned well enough to extend learning further.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder forms warm, trusting relationships with children to develop confidence, emotional security and a strong sense of belonging. She adapts routines sensitively to meet individual needs, particularly for the youngest children. Babies receive lots of cuddles and reassurance, particularly when they wake from their sleep. Older children confidently approach the childminder for support, displaying secure attachments and trust. The childminder models kind and respectful behaviour. She uses gentle explanations to help children understand expectations that are appropriate to their age and stage of development. For example, she gently reminds the youngest children not to snatch. Children are encouraged to share toys, take turns during play and play alongside one another, for example, when pushing dolls in buggies, sharing books or using ride-on toys outdoors. These interactions support children's cooperation and patience skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Consistent daily routines support children's emotional wellbeing. Mealtimes, sleep routines and personal care are well established and help children feel settled and know what to expect. Older children are encouraged to be independent. They confidently wash their hands, sit appropriately at the table and feed themselves. However, everyday routines are not always used purposefully to help children understand why these practices are important. For example, the childminder does not consistently talk to children about healthy food choices or explain the reasons for good hygiene. Strengthening this would help children develop an age-appropriate understanding of healthy lifestyles, self-care and personal responsibility.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Attendance is promoted effectively. Registers are completed daily, and the childminder follows up promptly with parents when a child does not arrive as expected. Overall, children show positive attitudes to learning, engage well with routines and are developing the self- regulation and social skills needed for their next stage of learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides a warm and caring environment where children's welfare and wellbeing are prioritised. Children feel safe, secure and emotionally settled in her care. Babies are comforted through close physical reassurance and calm interactions, which helps them feel relaxed and content. The childminder works closely with parents to meet children's individual care needs. Routines for sleep, feeding and personal care are flexible and agreed in partnership with families, helping to provide continuity between home and the setting. The childminder encourages children to express their emotions during daily conversations. For example, older children announce they are happy today.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supports children's physical wellbeing through regular opportunities for outdoor play and appropriate rest periods. Older children are encouraged to develop independence during care routines, such as putting on their coats and shoes and caring for their personal belongings. However, the childminder does not consistently use daily routines to fully support children's understanding of healthy lifestyles, such as talking about the food they eat or explaining why handwashing is important. This reduces children's understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and make positive choices for their wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans a broad curriculum around all areas of learning. She knows children well and uses her observations of children's play to identify what they already know and can do and what they need to learn next, for example, to count objects during play and talk about numbers in familiar books. This supports children's mathematical development and helps children begin to understand what numbers represent in everyday situations. However, activities are not sufficiently planned for older children and focused on the skills they need to learn. For example, older children are ready to extend their counting skills beyond 10, but activities often focus on counting small numbers, such as up to 3. As a result, opportunities to deepen learning and extend older children's thinking are sometimes missed.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching supports children's personal, social and emotional development effectively. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and confident to explore resources. They have warm and supportive relationships with the childminder. Children are eager to join in with familiar songs. They listen attentively to stories read by the enthusiastic childminder and are beginning to use words during play. This helps children to develop confidence in listening, understanding and using language. Babies develop strength and balance as they are supported to stand and take early steps.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a secure and inclusive approach, ensuring that children's individual needs are identified and supported appropriately. She works in partnership with families, valuing parents' detailed knowledge of their children and using regular discussions to gain a clear understanding of children's routines, interests, strengths and any emerging needs. This collaborative approach supports continuity of care and helps children to feel settled, safe and included within the setting. However, partnerships with professionals from other early years settings that children attend are not established to offer an even more consistent and complementary approach to their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a sound understanding of the process to follow should she have a concern about a child's development. She explains that she would observe and monitor children's achievements, share any concerns sensitively with parents and seek advice from relevant professionals, such as health visitors or local authority services. This shows an appropriate awareness of early identification and the importance of timely intervention to reduce potential barriers to learning, such as special educational needs and/or disabilities, and to fully support children's wellbeing. The childminder has completed training to help her promote children's communication and language development. She applies this knowledge through everyday interactions, supporting children to develop confidence in listening, understanding and using language. Overall, inclusive practice enables children to participate fully in the setting, feel valued and supported and make

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Inclusion Expected standard

steady progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates committed and responsible leadership. She makes thoughtful, child-focused decisions that prioritise children's safety, welfare and wellbeing. She has a secure understanding of her statutory responsibilities and ensures that safeguarding and regulatory requirements are consistently met. Attendance procedures are effective. Registers are completed daily, and the childminder follows up promptly when children do not arrive as expected. This contributes to children's safety and welfare.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder reflects on her practice and demonstrates an accurate understanding of the strengths of her provision. She evaluates the quality of education and recognises the need to further develop curriculum intent so that learning is consistently purposeful and ambitious. Strengthening this aspect of practice will help to secure deeper learning and sustained progress, particularly for older children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder values professional development and keeps her knowledge up to date through relevant training, including safeguarding, paediatric first aid and communication and language support. She engages with other childminders to share ideas for best practice and discuss policy updates. However, partnership working with other settings that children attend is not yet fully developed. The childminder does not routinely share information to ensure a consistent and complementary approach to children's learning across settings. Developing this further would support greater continuity in children's experiences and progress.

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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 are happy, settled and feel safe in the nurturing childminder's care. They form secure relationships with the childminder, who knows them well and responds sensitively to their individual needs. Babies are soothed with cuddles and reassurance. Older children confidently seek support, demonstrating secure emotional security and a strong sense of belonging. Children are generally engaged and focused as they engage in their chosen play. The childminder stores some resources at children's levels to support the youngest children

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Inspector:

to explore happily alongside their peers. Children enthusiastically join in with action songs and listen attentively to stories, helping them to develop speech and a love of books.

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Inspector:

Mathematical learning is promoted through everyday play activities. For example, children count toy monkeys as they enthusiastically dance to familiar number songs. Children are encouraged to count objects in picture books and to identify numerals from 1 to 3. This helps children to begin to understand what numbers represent.

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Inspector:

Older children display increasing independence in routines, such as personal care and putting on their coats and shoes. This supports their readiness for nursery and school when the time comes. Children behave appropriately for their age and stage of development and are supported to share, take turns and play alongside others.

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Inspector:

Children make steady progress from their starting points. Assessment systems are in place and used to identify what children need to learn next. Communication and language are promoted effectively. Babies are encouraged to use associated sounds in their play to support their emerging speech. Older children engage in meaningful conversations with the childminder throughout the day. Babies are developing their drive to stand and walk as they hold the childminder's hand to move around the room.

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen curriculum intent and ensure that activities consistently provide appropriate challenge, particularly for older children, so learning is purposeful and supports deeper thinking and sustained progress. The childminder should develop partnership working with other early years settings children attend to share information and ensure a complementary and consistent approach to children's learning and development. The childminder should make better use of everyday routines, such as mealtimes and personal care, to help children develop an age-appropriate understanding of healthy choices, hygiene and self-care.

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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. Tina Smith

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 17:00

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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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