Mrs Caroline Marjorie Linklater

Mrs Caroline Marjorie Linklater

Unique reference number (URN): EY321487 Address: 25 Oak Street, Great Harwood, Blackburn, BB6 7PZ Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 13/02/2006 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Mrs Caroline Marjorie Linklater

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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 are developing well in their communication skills. They chatter together and voice their needs to the childminder. Children make progress in all areas of learning and enjoy choosing resources that support their development across the curriculum. Any children who have barriers to learning or additional needs are supported to catch up and keep up with their peers. This helps them remain included in all the opportunities and experiences the childminder provides.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are independent and are building the skills they need for the future, including their eventual move to school. They dress their own dolls and show the childminder the toys they want to play with next. Children use their imagination skills and show they are familiar with role play as they put their dolls to sleep and on a potty. Additionally, this shows children are aware of self-care routines.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are happy, settled and learning to be kind to each other. They know the routines of the day and understand boundaries. The childminder models high expectations for their behaviour, and children are beginning to understand how their actions impact others. The childminder is aware that some children struggle with their behaviour and is embedding age- appropriate strategies to support them to follow rules and be respectful consistently.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children tidy up and work together at transitional times of the day. This shows teamwork and helps the environment remain a positive and safe place to be.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children have secure relationships with the childminder, who offers them warm and enthusiastic interactions. This helps them stay focused during activities that they enjoy. The childminder chats with children and supports their play. Children persevere with tasks and show positivity towards their learning. For example, they keep having a go at dressing their dolls and zipping their coats.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder monitors children's attendance closely and understands the importance of identifying patterns of absence. This ensures that she can manage any concerns and help parents maintain consistent routines for their children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children learn social skills and to respect others. They integrate with a range of other children when visiting the community or playgroups. This helps them understand diversity and continue their inclusive attitudes. Furthermore, the childminder supports children's physical skills when taking children out of her setting. They love going to the park and soft- play centres, where they can run, climb and negotiate space. This helps support children's and babies' core strength from an early age. The childminder ensures that children are safe and cared for in her home. She follows hygienic procedures when changing nappies and preparing for mealtimes. Children are supervised when eating and enjoy their packed lunches with the company of the childminder. She talks to them about their favourite foods and how they support healthy lifestyles. The childminder is responsive to children's needs, which helps to build emotional

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children access their own water bottles with their names on. This helps them remain hydrated throughout the day and learn about their own belongings. Younger children also have a picture on their bottle to support their early recognition of letters and symbols.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has embedded mathematics in her curriculum. Children often count, recognise shapes and compare sizes. For instance, they identify large and small balls in picture books. All children benefit from a varied curriculum that considers children's stages in development and their interests. This helps them engage with learning for long periods of time. However, occasionally, the childminder misses opportunities to help deepen learning and extend children's thinking skills further to get the most out of each experience.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder assesses children's developmental stages from the start closely and monitors their ongoing progress. She highlights any emerging gaps in learning quickly and begins to implement strategies to help focus her support. Although this is shared with children's families, some parents are not always aware of the specific areas the childminder is working on next with their children in order to help provide consistent, collaborative support.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder helps children express themselves and consistently addresses their needs, supporting their emotional security and communication skills. She understands how to help children sequentially develop their physical skills and what is expected from them as they move through their milestones. The childminder supports any physical delays through careful planning, delivering opportunities to develop strength and by working with other professionals.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder values all children and their individual needs and backgrounds. She uses the information she knows about children to help her plan a range of experiences and broaden the opportunities children receive. This helps children make steady progress. The childminder assesses children's abilities from the start and knows how to identify gaps in children's learning. She is able to swiftly respond to these. The childminder shares information with parents and professionals and seeks guidance to help her begin interventions as soon as possible. This helps all children continue to make progress in their development.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses any additional funding that she receives for children appropriately to help support children's individual development. For example, she has accessed physical play centres to support physical development and has started to complete some communication training to enhance her knowledge of supporting children's speaking skills. So far, her strategies have had a positive impact on all children, not just those who have a specific delay in this area of development. The childminder is aware of emotional and social difficulties some children may have, particularly those who are, or have been, known to children's social care. She sensitively supports their needs and works with external agencies to ensure that important information is shared.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder did not notify Ofsted of a significant event in a timely manner. However, this has not affected the safety or developmental needs of the children. The childminder has a clear action plan for her setting, and she reflects on how her practice impacts children and their learning. This helps her seek appropriate training to support children in the areas they need the most, such as communication and language skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands her role in caring for and educating children. She has good links with the local authority and other professionals, where she can seek advice to support children she feels need additional support or are at a disadvantage in their learning. This helps all children continue to make progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder knows how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She has undergone training to help her identify signs that suggest a physical, cognitive or social delay may be present. She knows how to implement support plans and use any additional funding to appropriately support these children. This helps close any gaps in their development as soon as possible. Furthermore, she knows how to adjust and shape her curriculum and teaching style to meet their needs.

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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 and settled with the childminder. Their feelings are acknowledged and valued, which helps them feel safe and secure. This enables children to flourish in their development as they quickly build confidence and security. From when children arrive in the childminder's care, they are given the best start in their development. This is inclusive of those children who may have disadvantages to their learning or additional support needs. All children explore with confidence and know where they wish to play. They practise using simple technology from a young age as they turn music up and down and play with buttoned toys. Children chatter as they use pretend phones.

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

The childminder has a strong focus on supporting children's communication and reading skills. She models clear language and encourages children to use new words at every opportunity. Children independently choose stories and spend time browsing through books. The childminder promotes a love of reading from a young age and teaches children how to respect the stories in her well-resourced library of books.

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

Children choose their own songs to play on the music box. They bop along and sing happily. This helps support their physical skills as well as learning new words and rhythm, enhancing their expressive abilities. Additionally, children make marks using drawing pads. This helps develop their fine motor skills and put meaning to the pictures they create. Generally, children play well alongside each other and share with their peers. The childminder is supportive of any challenging behaviour or disputes and is embedding effective strategies to help promote positive behaviour and attitudes all the time. Children receive lots of praise and encouragement to hep increase motivation and kindness in groups.

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Address:

25 Oak Street Great Harwood Blackburn BB6 7PZ

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Address:

Registered person: Mrs Caroline Marjorie Linklater

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure that she consistently uses high-quality interactions that encourage children to think and explore ideas further to deepen children's learning consistently during activities. The childminder should strengthen information-sharing strategies with parents and carers so that they receive precise information about their child's progress and next steps and how to support learning at home.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children and parents 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.

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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. 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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