Harmon, Rachel Jane

Harmon, Rachel Jane

Unique reference number (URN): EY356841 Address: 4 Martins Field, ROCHDALE, Lancashire, OL12 7NT Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 20/11/2007 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Harmon, Rachel Jane

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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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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder consistently prioritises children's welfare and wellbeing to ensure that they are able to flourish. She nurtures very positive attachments with children based on their individual needs and creates routines that mimic the rhythms of their lives at home. This ensures that transitions are seamless for children, and they feel very safe, secure and ready to learn.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder delivers a comprehensive curriculum to support children to consistently understand their feelings. Children use a very wide vocabulary to describe their emotions. The childminder shares policies and procedures regularly and effectively with parents and carers. She takes time to ensure that parents fully understand how this supports their children. For example, the childminder has updated her already excellent practice around promoting oral health to reflect local strategies to improve outcomes in this area. She works with families to identify any barriers to children accessing dental care. The childminder helps children to understand the importance of this issue.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children consistently demonstrate a thorough understanding of how to keep themselves healthy. They explain in great detail how washing their hands removes germs that can make them poorly and demonstrate how they do this effectively. The childminder's highly effective support enables children to manage their own personal hygiene according to their age and stage of development.

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Achievement Expected standard

Over time, all children make progress through the curriculum. The range of engaging experiences children experience ensures that they enjoy learning and are well motivated as they gain the knowledge and skills they need. However, older children sometimes have more opportunities for learning through planned activities than younger children. Children demonstrate self-confidence as they explore freely and tackle new tasks, such as climbing the slide.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children thoroughly enjoy the range of physical activities. They dance joyfully and energetically and observe the effect this has on them, saying they feel 'happy'. Children become confident communicators. They clearly articulate what they need and how they feel. Children demonstrate these skills, showing good levels of self-control for their age and stage. These skills prepare children well for the transition to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations of all children and gives them the support they need to meet these according to their ages and stages of development. For example, all children know they need to get their own shoes ready to go outdoors and younger children must try to fasten their hook-and-loop straps before the childminder will give them help. Children respond positively to these consistent and fair expectations and try hard.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are kind and caring towards each other. Older children find the things they need and beam with pride when the childminder praises them. Children learn to take turns, and the childminder helps them to verbalise their feelings when they find this more difficult. The warm and nurturing relationships the childminder has with children mean she can support them effectively during these times.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder considers the individual support all children need to learn to manage their own behaviour. She works closely with parents and carers to support children to continue to develop their personal, social and emotional skills at home. The childminder gives practical advice on how to help children develop a sense of independence by having confidence in their own abilities. She uses effective relationships with parents to help to promote the benefits of regular attendance.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, the childminder designs a curriculum based on the knowledge and skills children need for their future learning. During outdoor learning sessions in the community, children socialise with other children as they develop their fine motor skills, making model hedgehogs from natural materials. Children investigate mark making and colour mixing as they use squashed petals to create natural dyes to paint trees.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder sequences children's learning effectively. She has a secure understanding of child development and how children build on what they already know and can do. The childminder helps children to recall past learning to help them consolidate this knowledge before teaching them something new.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder places a focus on children's communication and language. She promotes the use of an ambitious vocabulary, introducing new language and encouraging children to use it in different contexts. For example, as children stroke fur and say it feels 'soft', she prompts them to describe it further, giving them time to think and respond.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

During teaching, the childminder helps children to make links in their learning to help them understand difficult concepts. For example, as children explore a sensory book about polar bears, she explains how their claws and rough paws give them extra grip on the ice. However, the childminder's teaching practice during planned activities does not consistently place the same high focus on meeting the next steps of younger children. This means that at these times, she does not consistently support younger children's learning. The childminder teaches mathematics effectively according to children's age and stage. She models counting for young children as they build towers and repeats the words 'more' and 'bigger'. The childminder helps older children to understand quantities and numbers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works with parents and carers when their children join the setting to understand children's learning, development and specific needs. She monitors the progress children make to swiftly and accurately identify any emerging needs for support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder is dedicated to keeping her knowledge, skills and understanding of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities up to date through regular training. She forges partnerships with other agencies to help her understand the specific needs of children who face barriers to learning, such as disadvantaged children. For example, the childminder ensures that the curriculum she offers includes opportunities for all children to enjoy a breadth of experiences, such as visiting farms and playing outdoors. She explains the strategies she will use to assess what support children need most and use any funding to meet these specific needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Typically, the childminder takes steps to reduce barriers to children's learning. For example, she ensures that children of all ages are able to access the full range of resources independently. However, the childminder's teaching practice does not consistently support very young children to reach their next steps during planned activities.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Typically, the childminder takes action to ensure that her practice and provision improve. For example, she undertakes training when she identifies an area where her knowledge could be enhanced. The childminder completes some evaluations of her practice based on children's levels of engagement, their wellbeing and the overall progress they make in their learning and development. However, the childminder's approach to evaluating her teaching practice is not yet robust enough to precisely identify areas for improvement. This has prevented her from raising the standards of the teaching practice she provides for young children even further. During a previous inspection, a recommendation was raised to maximise younger children's enjoyment and involvement in activities, but the childminder has not taken steps to address this.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder engages with parents and carers effectively. Settling-in periods are nurturing and supportive of children and their families, and they establish a sense of mutual trust and respect. The childminder is professional in her role and ensures that parents feel able to share any challenges they are facing or concerns they may have. This enables the childminder to take action to support children and their families swiftly.

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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 arrive at this welcoming childminder's home smiling and eager to settle straight into playing with their friends. Overall, the childminder delivers a broad and engaging curriculum that supports children to make progress. Activities and experiences are varied and carefully planned to give older children the knowledge and skills they need to move on to school.

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

The childminder delivers her curriculum through themes that interest the children, such as winter and polar landscapes. Children giggle with glee as they slide penguins encased in ice down drainpipes. The childminder introduces new vocabulary, such as 'longer', 'steeper' and

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Address:

4 Martins Field ROCHDALE 'friction', as children explore which pipe is the fastest. Children show empathy and turn- taking skills as they encourage their friends to have a go. The childminder reads stories and non-fiction books linked to children's learning throughout the day. This promotes children's love of reading and sparks their imaginations. For example, children ponder subjects, such as what it would be like to have a horn like a narwhal.

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Address:

Children are enthusiastic about their learning. They try hard and are excited to find out what they are doing next. The childminder embeds daily routines that support children to develop independence, such as finding their own shoes and helping to tidy up. She provides close and nurturing support that children need to grow in confidence and thrive. The childminder knows each child well and works closely with parents and carers from the beginning to tailor her care to children's needs. For example, she helps children with specific challenges, such as feeling confident to visit the dentist. The childminder shares updates on children's wellbeing throughout the day and supports parents to understand their children's progress in their learning and development.

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Next steps

The childminder should enhance self-evaluation methods in order to ensure that all children benefit fully from the high-quality curriculum as planned.

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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

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children's families during this inspection. Lancashire OL12 7NT Type: Childminder

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 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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