Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY275326 Registered with Ofsted: 15/12/2003 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

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.

p.1

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder creates a culture of kindness, care and respect. She acts as a positive role model to establish positive relationships between herself and children. For example, the childminder intervenes promptly and calmly to resolve any conflicts, such as when children squabble over a toy. She reinforces expectations through clear reminders, saying, 'sharing is caring'. This helps children to regulate their behaviour and develop positive interactions with their friends.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder takes children on a variety of outings in the local community to help build their confidence and develop their social skills with other adults and children they meet. For example, she visits to the local library for story time to teach children how to listen attentively and cooperate with others. Children become increasingly engaged and begin to understand the expectations for being together in a group. The childminder promotes sharing and teamwork during everyday activities. For instance, children take turns using a knife to cut up fruit such as pears and bananas at snack time. They learn patience, respect for others, and the importance of waiting their turn.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder keeps an accurate record of children's attendance and monitors reasons for irregular attendance. She shares her attendance policy with parents to promote the importance of routines and positive habits that support children's learning and wellbeing.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder focuses well on children's welfare and wellbeing. She creates a welcoming, clean and safe environment where children feel secure emotionally supported. The childminder helps children develop an understanding of the importance of physical activity, personal safety, health and wellbeing. For example, she talks to children about appropriate clothing to wear in the winter months, such as scarves and gloves, to help them understand how to keep themselves safe.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children become increasingly independent and confident. For instance, they manage their own personal hygiene routines, feed themselves, learn to do up their shoes and zip up their coats. These skills support children's confidence and growing independence. The childminder recognises the importance of school readiness and helps children develop the skills they need for their next stage of learning.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder celebrates the uniqueness of children's personal efforts to support their emotional wellbeing. For example, she frames a child's picture each week and puts it on display to help them feel proud of their achievements. Additionally, the childminder sends a postcard home to children and their parents when they do something to be proud of. This helps children develop a positive sense of self-worth.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supports children to recognise and manage their emotions. For instance, she talks calmly to children at their level and uses pictures of emotion faces to help them

p.2

Needs attention

identify their own feelings and understand those of others. Children develop empathy and demonstrate positive behaviour, contributing to their overall wellbeing.

p.3

Achievement Needs attention

Children do not consistently achieve as well as they could from their starting points, particularly children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder identifies that children are learning and developing at different rates with their communication and language skills. However, she does not seek timely advice from the local authority early years team and other professionals. As a result, gaps in children's learning are not addressed quickly enough, which limits the progress some children make.

p.3

Achievement Needs attention

The childminder celebrates children's achievement in early literacy. For example, children enthusiastically recount familiar stories, confidently turning pages as though they are reading from the book. They focus and maintain their attention well. Children sequence visual pictures from familiar books and recall different environments, such as the tall grass or forests, showing that they remember and apply what they have learned. They already know descriptive words, such as 'splash splosh' through the deep cold river and 'squelch squerch' through the oozy mud. Children are confident and articulate and demonstrate language skills that support their preparation for the next stage of learning.

p.3

Achievement Needs attention

Children are involved in the preparation of meals and develop positive attitudes to healthy eating. For instance, they know fruit and vegetables are healthy for them. Children are independent and manage a range of tasks for themselves, which supports their confidence and readiness for future learning.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder does not consistently identify what she wants children to learn during activities or build on what they already know and can do. As a result, she is not able to assess accurately the impact of the curriculum on children's learning and development.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder's ambitions for the curriculum are appropriate. She uses observations and assessments of children to decide on some next steps for their care needs and education, such as recognising numbers. However, weaknesses in the implementation of the curriculum mean that learning is not always planned or sequenced clearly enough to help children make consistent progress.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder implements some basic strategies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, such as allowing thinking time to answer questions. However, she does not seek advice or support from other professionals or develop specific learning targets. This limits the quality of teaching and reduces the impact of the curriculum for these children. The childminder uses songs, action rhymes and books to support children's communication and language skills. She introduces new vocabulary and asks questions to help maintain children's attention. However, these interactions are not consistently linked to clear learning intentions or next steps.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder supports children's mathematical development during daily routines. For example, she encourages children to count objects accurately. However, assessment information is not used effectively to extend learning further. The childminder encourages cooperation during shared activities. Children are supported to take turns and share resources, which helps them develop positive social skills.

p.4

Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder does not identify children's additional needs quickly enough or put clear plans in place to support them. Support is not reviewed regularly with parents or adjusted to help children make better progress. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not receive the targeted support they need to achieve as well as they could.

p.4

Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder uses assessments and conversations with parents to decide on some strategies to support children's learning. For example, she approaches children on their left side and gains their attention first before speaking to help them listen and participate. However, these strategies are not planned in a structured way or reviewed to check whether they are making a positive difference. The childminder does not seek specialist guidance early enough, which limits the impact of the supported provided.

p.4

Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder is welcoming and inclusive. Children take part in community activities, which help them develop an awareness of different people, events and traditions.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder does not identify existing weaknesses in the quality of education or have a clear plan to bring about continual improvement. She has not met the previous next steps from her last inspection, which were to strengthen arrangements to identify and precisely target specific areas for improvement and to enrich the quality of the curriculum. As a result, weaknesses in practice are not addressed quickly enough to improve outcomes for children.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder undertakes regular online training to keep her knowledge of childcare issues up to date. However, professional development is not clearly linked to identified priorities for improvement. This limits the impact training has on improving the quality of education and children's learning over time. The childminder is not yet able to evaluate whether changes made have improved outcomes for children.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder works in partnership with parents and shares information about children's activities and progress. She agrees with some strategies with parents to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, she does not seek specialist advice or external support to strengthen these strategies, which limits their effectiveness and reduces the difference they make to children's learning and development.

p.4

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

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

Children do not consistently experience the same quality of learning and development opportunities, particularly children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Some children do not receive timely support they need to help them make the progress they could.

p.5

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

Children form positive relationships with the patient and kind childminder. They settle quickly and show they feel safe and belong. Children's care needs are met well, and they feel comfortable and supported throughout the day. Children behave well and develop growing confidence and independence. Older children make choices about their play and show increasing self-assurance as they prepare for the next stage of their learning. They understand expectations and follow routines, which help them feel secure.

p.6

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

Children confidently explore the environment and independently select from a wide range of accessible resources that reflect their interests. For example, they use their imagination during play, pretending to care for dolls and toys. Children talk enthusiastically about what they are doing and enjoy sharing their ideas.

p.6

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

Children engage in meaningful back-and-forth conversations and use language to express themselves and interact with others. Children with SEND play alongside their peers and are included in daily activities. They begin to play collaboratively together, sharing resources and developing social skills. For instance, children delight in experimenting with items from a doctor's kit, using a stethoscope to check the doll's heartbeat and pretending to feed toys with a tube of cream.

p.6

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

Children enjoy physical play. For example, they enjoy stacking sensory cubes to build towers and explore different ways to balance and arrange them. They persevere with activities and take pride in achieving what they set out to do.

p.6

Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder during the inspection.

p.6

About this setting

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

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.7

Total number of places

The inspector spoke to 2 parents and read parents' written reviews of the service provided.

p.7

Total number of places

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.

p.7

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.8

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.8

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.

p.8

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.8

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

p.8

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.

p.8

Urgent improvement

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 .

p.8

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 .

p.8

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn . Store Street Manchester M1 2WD

p.8

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9