Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY396579 Registered with Ofsted: 14/09/2009 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

The childminder provides children with regular opportunities to practise and apply their knowledge and skills independently, helping them to achieve well. Children readily transfer what they have learned previously to new situations. For example, they remember using spaghetti to measure the circumference of their heads. Older children then compare this using a ruler, point to the correct position and ask the childminder to name the number. They confidently explain, 'The ruler is longer'. This shows how well children learn to use an expanding vocabulary, speak confidently and listen attentively.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are creative thinkers who like to experiment when given the opportunity to think for themselves. They consider what they have previously learned and use this to test out new ideas. For instance, younger children try to tip a full bucket of cooked spaghetti upside down to mimic making a sandcastle, expecting it to remain solid. They try different ways to make it work and decide to place the spaghetti over the bucket. This shows children's problem- solving skills.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are highly independent in their self-care. They manage routines well, such as waiting their turn to wash their hands with soap, drying them and placing paper towels in the bin. Even the youngest children show good awareness of safety, for example by holding the banister as they go upstairs and sitting on each step as they come down.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has established routines effectively. Children know what is expected of them when moving from one activity to another. The childminder builds purposeful learning opportunities into daily routines. For instance, at snack time, children happily follow their usual routine as they correctly count the pieces of fruit before they eat them. The childminder remains flexible and responsive in her approach to meet children's changing needs and interests, such as noticing they are tired and arranging for them to take a nap.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder promotes children's good attendance and punctuality, ensuring that children fully benefit from the provision. She forms positive bonds with children and uses moments during their independent play to encourage them to interact collaboratively, such as when they collect water in buckets from the outdoor tank to fill a tray. Older children learn to invite others into their play, helping everyone feel included.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder encourages children to be respectful and fair towards each other. She talks to them about sharing and taking turns. The childminder gives children opportunities to make their own choices, such as deciding how long they would like to play with a resource that others want to play with too. Children willingly hand over toys to their friends, often before the sand timer finishes, and smile with pride as they see the positive impact of their actions on others.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder offers bespoke settling-in sessions to help children form secure attachments. Children confidently and competently access the provision. They seek comfort readily, knowing the childminder is always on hand and understands their needs. She talks with parents at drop-off about their children's experiences at home and is alert to signs of tiredness or hunger. The childminder responds quickly to meet individual needs and ensures that children's wellbeing is given the utmost attention.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children express their feelings well. Even the youngest children point to a picture of an emotion on a poster to represent how they are feeling in real time, such as 'tired'. Older children talk about their emotions, and the childminder helps them to understand how their actions affect others. All children show emotional security with the childminder, for instance when they need reassurance or a cuddle.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder works effectively with parents to support children's key milestones, such as weaning, feeding themselves and toilet training. Children successfully learn about the importance of good health, including making healthy food choices, being physically active, washing their hands and drinking water.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans an ambitious curriculum that reflects children's interests, needs and abilities. She prioritises the development of children's self-care skills through daily routines to get them ready for school. This is evident when older children confidently practise their cutting skills at snack time, carefully slicing grapes into halves and then quarters. However, there are moments when the childminder does not fully consider how best to build on younger children's existing knowledge and understanding.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children's vocabulary develops well as the childminder narrates their actions so they hear language in meaningful contexts. This is then applied by children when they experience similar situations. Mathematical language related to counting, size, shape and measure is interwoven into everyday activities. For example, children learn words such as 'longer' and 'shorter' as they use cooked spaghetti to measure the length of their foreheads. This demonstrates children's communication and early mathematical understanding.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder further enriches the curriculum by taking children to the local park and nearby amenities. She also plans themed activities linked to a range of festivals, such as Chinese New Year, Eid and Diwali. This helps children learn about communities beyond their own and celebrate their own cultural identities.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder provides an inclusive learning environment, where all children make good progress from their starting points. From the outset, she gets to know children and gains an understanding of each child through communicating with parents, assessing their development and observing them at play. This enables her to identify emerging delays swiftly and put targeted support in place. For example, for those children who need help with social skills, the childminder takes them to playgroups in the local community to become familiar with different people and situations. This is proving successful.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder thoughtfully weaves children's cultures and traditions into daily practice. Children feel a great sense of pride and belonging when she joins in with their family celebrations and talks with them about their experiences. The childminder also uses Italian words with children, who understand and follow her instructions, helping them feel valued and included.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works effectively with other professionals and settings that children attend. In this way, she finds out about any emerging interests and areas for development children may have and works collaboratively to continue to support each child. This shared approach works well as children's learning is consistently reinforced.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of her role and responsibilities, including maintaining her own professional development to strengthen her knowledge and skills. She keeps up to date with early years legislation through newsletters, networking with other local childminders and her own research. In addition, she ensures that her mandatory training, such as paediatric first aid, remains current.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder reflects on her practice to drive continuous improvement. She considers how to enhance her provision and recognises that more focused training is needed to raise the quality of her teaching further to support children in her care to reach their full potential, such as building their resilience to persevere at a task to the end.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder places a high priority on forging warm, respectful relationships with families. She values parents' ideas and suggestions. Parents report that communication between them and the childminder is supportive and informative, which impacts positively on children's development. Furthermore, the childminder has established effective ways of communicating with parents and other early years settings that children attend, supporting consistency in children's learning and care.

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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 flourish emotionally, physically and developmentally with the warm and nurturing childminder. They build loving, stable relationships in a calm, family environment, where children feel safe and secure. Children move confidently and freely between rooms, choosing from well-presented resources that reflect their changing interests. The childminder is a positive role model. She encourages children of all ages to copy her respectful and caring manner. Older children demonstrate these qualities in abundance. Younger children demonstrate they are developing these qualities as well. For example,

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About this setting

Type: Childminder when teaching children to share and take turns, the childminder introduces a sand timer to give each child a fair chance with the same toy. The youngest children say 'your turn now', often before the sand timer runs out. The childminder is generous in her praise and encouragement, which builds children's self-esteem and positive attitudes to learning.

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About this setting

The childminder values children's unique personalities and contributions. She quickly identifies any gaps in their learning. She then personalises her approach to help all children progress at a steady rate. This is particularly evident in her focus on children's personal, social and emotional development. The childminder also works closely with families to promote regular attendance and prepare for their eventual move to school.

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About this setting

Children of all ages love to show the childminder their achievements. For instance, while waiting for the childminder to get their food ready for lunch, each child competently sings a solo of their favourite song, remembering the words and actions well. Children demonstrate they are confident and eager learners.

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Next steps

The childminder should develop interactions with younger children that build even more precisely on their existing knowledge and understanding. The childminder should strengthen her professional development to further enhance her teaching skills specific to children who attend her setting.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, parents and children 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. Registration date: 14/09/2009

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday : 07:00 - 17:30

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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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