Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 138381 Registered with Ofsted: 01/12/1993 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

All children achieve well from their starting points. They are confident to explore, develop new skills, and begin to build resilience and perseverance. Children begin to solve problems when objects they are posting become stuck. They keep trying and eventually move the object. Children communicate their own needs as they ask for 'more' during snack time. They show how they enjoy trying new things and discover new textures through sensory exploration. Children interact well and play alongside each other, developing their friendships. They show interest and curiosity in their play, seeking out resources they enjoy, such as puzzles. Generally, children develop the fundamental skills they need to be ready for their next stage of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder uses gentle reminders consistently to remind children of the behaviour expectations and rules. This sets out the childminder's high expectations for behaviour from the start, supporting children's understanding of what is expected of them. She helps children begin to understand and develop their turn-taking skills in a nurturing manner. The childminder encourages children to use their manners, including saying 'please' and 'thank you'. Children help to tidy up before the next activity and know where things belong. This provides children with responsibility and helps them to learn about respecting the environment.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children listen well to the childminder and show positive attitudes towards their learning. They show a keen willingness to engage and seek support if needed. At times, children need support to help them manage their feelings and behaviour. The childminder recognises the development needs of children and approaches this calmly and effectively. She is a positive role model for children and they form trusting and caring relationships with each other.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of children attending regularly and punctuality. She works closely with families to follow up absence, helping to provide support to families when needed.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides healthy and nutritious meals for children, ensuring this is in line with nutritional guidance. Children enjoy healthy snacks, such as fruit, and drink water throughout the day. The childminder promotes children's awareness of oral hygiene through fun activities and shares information and tips with parents about the use of dummies. She explains how these can impact on children's teeth as well as their speech development. Children develop healthy habits. The childminder ensures they access the outside daily on trips out into the community. For example, they enjoy walks and visit local parks, which helps to develop and strengthen their bigger muscles, supporting their physical health and wellbeing. The childminder implements robust hygiene routines and talks to children about germs as she supports them to wash their hands. Overall, children develop their independence skills in their own self-care well. For example,

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

they eat independently and begin to drink from open-lid cups. However, at times, the childminder does not always extend children's ability in their self-care needs. For example, she washes children's hands and wipes their faces when they could do this independently.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder takes time to get to know children and works closely with families to understand children's routines, personalities and backgrounds. This helps children to settle quickly and feel valued from the start. As a result, children are emotionally secure in the childminder's care and have a deep sense of belonging. Children show a keen interest in books and bring these to the childminder to read. The childminder reads 'The Worried Whale' and checks children's understanding of emotions, asking questions such as 'Oh no! Is the whale worried?' Children nod and make faces, interpreting a worried face. This helps children develop awareness of emotions from an early age.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder uses her well-rounded knowledge of children to plan and respond to their individual needs and interests. Overall, she uses her interactions well to extend children's knowledge across all areas of development, although there are aspects within children's personal development that need further review. Children show excitement and wonder as they approach activities, saying, 'Wow!' The childminder introduces new vocabulary, such as 'penguin', as children happily explore polar animals. This helps to widen their knowledge of the world around them. Children consistently repeat new words the childminder is using, as they develop and widen their vocabulary. The childminder uses simple and clear language while getting down to children's eye level when speaking to them. She recognises the importance of helping children to articulate their mouth movements, supporting their pronunciation of words.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children laugh, smile and enjoy their 'wake and shake' time. They confidently move their bodies in different ways and follow instructions well. They walk, jump and hop as they navigate the space around them, supporting their confidence, coordination and balance. The childminder creates opportunities for children to develop their smaller muscles. She role models how to pinch their fingers together to pick up pretend snow and fill their diggers. Children enjoy this and carefully focus on filling and emptying.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder weaves mathematics into daily routines and uses these opportunities well. For example, during nappy changing, the childminder discusses with children how many wheels they have on the toy car they are holding. The childminder encourages children to find the 'little' penguin and 'big' penguin, helping to shape their understanding of different mathematical concepts.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works collaboratively with parents and other professionals, including health visitors and inclusion support workers. The consistent and swift partnership working creates and maintains clear and effective communication that supports children's learning, care and wellbeing. Parents report positively on the ongoing, supportive and informative communication. The childminder ensures parents are well informed regarding their children's development. She provides a regular overview of children's progress, emerging skills and next steps. The childminder shares supportive strategies and expectations with parents around developmental milestones, such as toilet training. This helps to provide continuity between home and the setting, supporting children to feel confident and secure.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has robust procedures in place to monitor children's learning and development, helping to identify emerging gaps in their learning quickly. She implements effective strategies, helping to begin to close gaps in learning, for example using flashcards and visual timetables.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has a wealth of knowledge and experience that she weaves throughout her practice. Children benefit from an inclusive and responsive learning environment. However, although the early identification process is robust, the childminder does not always target her training to further support those who may face barriers to their learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents comment on the warm and caring environment the childminder provides. They report that their children have made notable progress, particularly In their communication, language and social development. The childminder ensures she engages with parents regularly. She uses daily conversations to relay children's care routines and shares photos of children's learning. The childminder discusses strategies with parents to support children who face barriers to their learning. This provides continuity and a shared understanding of how to support children's learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder places focus on her own wellbeing and ensures she creates the right balance between home and work life. She has used self-evaluation well to focus on reducing paperwork. The childminder has created local links with other childminders and they network together to share ideas and practice. This provides a collaborative working approach to support children's learning and development. The childminder understands the importance of refreshing her knowledge and keeping up to date with relevant changes to legislation. She has recently refreshed her safeguarding knowledge and implements robust procedures around this. However, the childminder has not yet embedded continuous and targeted professional development to raise the quality of teaching further.

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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 knowledgeable and passionate childminder provides a warm and welcoming home- from-home environment for children. Children demonstrate they feel safe and secure when confidently exploring the environment. The childminder plans exciting and fun activities based on their individual interests and development. This enables children to show high levels of focus and engagement in their learning. The childminder ensures she takes time to get to know each child and their family, helping children to settle well and build positive, nurturing partnerships.

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About this setting

Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR The childminder implements clear expectations for children's learning and provides varied opportunities to support children across all areas of development. When children start, the childminder gathers information from parents to identify children's starting points. The childminder supports all children, including those who face barriers to their learning, to build on what they already know and can do. This helps children to make meaningful, sustained progress over time.

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About this setting

Children show that they are familiar with daily routines and participate in these confidently. For example, the childminder explains to children when it is time to wash their hands, and children begin to push up their sleeves, heading towards the bathroom. The consistent routines help children to understand what is happening next, supporting positive behaviour.

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Next steps

The childminder should focus her professional development more precisely to target children's individual needs, helping them to make further progress in their learning. The childminder should continue to review opportunities within daily routines for children to further develop their independence skills, particularly around their self-care needs.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children during the inspection, and parents shared their views with the inspector.

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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. Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:30

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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

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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