Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY547133 Registered with Ofsted: 16/11/2017 Registers: EYR, CCR

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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 Strong standard

Children are highly impressive in their self-care from a young age. They confidently try to blow their nose, know when to wash their hands before mealtimes and are becoming skilful in their own abilities. Young children thrive in their communication and language skills. Their vocabulary is growing rapidly as they sing and dance along to a vast array of songs. Furthermore, they show a keen interest in stories as they listen intently and turn the pages, anticipating the sequence of the characters. This supports children's early literacy.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children are developing excellent physical skills. They climb steps and joyfully slide down the slide. They strengthen their muscles as they learn to use the various ride-on toys in the garden. Furthermore, they develop the muscles in their hands as they take part in creative activities. Children are kind and warm in their interactions with the childminder and are extremely confident in their own abilities. As such, all children, including those who may face barriers in their learning, are prepared excellently for their next stage of learning, including school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder builds exceptional relationships with the children. She plans individualised settling-in sessions that meet the needs of the children she cares for. She seamlessly includes children's interests and care routines into her planned day. This helps children feel extremely safe and secure in her environment. The childminder skilfully and consistently uses singing to support children in understanding routines. This helps young children to follow instructions with enthusiasm. For example, young children are highly motivated to tidy away their toys before moving on to the next activity. The childminder provides an abundance of praise as children happily cooperate with their care routines and transition between activities and mealtimes.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has high expectations of children. She is a positive role model. For example, as children play with their cuddly toys, the childminder warmly hugs them. Young children mimic these behaviours and demonstrate that they are learning empathy with their gentle behaviour. The childminder recognises when children need guidance in managing their emotions and uses calm, age-appropriate strategies to help them identify feelings and respond appropriately. This helps children to understand their own emotions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder actively promotes attendance and punctuality. She shares the focus of learning for the day with parents and emphasises the importance of the sequence of her routines. This helps her to develop a positive attitude towards attendance among parents in preparation for school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children thrive in the childminder's nurturing and responsive care. The childminder is warm, sensitive and highly attuned to the individual needs of young children. She uses every interaction as an opportunity to support their wellbeing and development. For example,

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Expected standard

during personal care, the childminder is considerate of children's privacy and narrates what she is doing, helping them feel safe and reassured. The childminder teaches children how to support their own self-care needs from a young age. For example, she teaches them how long to wash their hands for as they sing songs. Furthermore, she role models how the germs may be hidden as she rubs her hands and fingers together. Children happily join in and copy her behaviours. This teaches children healthy habits for the future.

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Expected standard

The childminder is an expert who helps children to recognise their different emotions. She weaves in every opportunity to speak about the different emotions and how these may make the children feel. This helps younger children make sense of their emotions and feelings from a young age, strengthening their confidence and emotional security. The childminder teaches children how to keep safe as she gently reminds them to eat their food slowly and carefully navigate the step going out to the garden.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder plans a vibrant and purposeful curriculum that is meticulously sequenced to support children's next steps in learning, including adaptations for children who may face barriers to their learning. She completes regular assessments of children's learning and development. This helps the childminder to provide a wealth of simple yet highly effective activities that reflect the children's interests. She prioritises communication and language throughout her curriculum. The childminder consistently introduces new vocabulary and models clear, simple language. She repeats key words to help children understand meaning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder fosters children's sense of belonging and ensures she builds strong relationships with them to support their personal, social and emotional needs. She is highly skilled at following children's emerging interests and adapts activities in the moment. For example, when children explore the well-planned role-play cooking area, she weaves in opportunities for them to count objects and compare different sizes of pretend foods, supporting early mathematical development. Additionally, she develops children's understanding of healthy foods as they learn about avocados and green peppers. The childminder ensures children develop their physical skills through daily use of the garden and a wealth of planned outings. These experiences support children to strengthen their muscles and develop their inspiring social skills in readiness for later learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations of all children's abilities. She has robust systems in place to monitor children's learning. The childminder works alongside parents and completes regular observations and assessments. This enables her to monitor children's progress and quickly identify any emerging needs. Although the childminder recognises the need to strengthen her understanding of how to rapidly support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), she has not considered how to further deepen her knowledge. That said, the childminder demonstrates an understanding of how and when to engage the support of other professionals and external agencies, including how to seek any additional funding that children may be entitled to. She understands how to utilise funding to identify targeted training or resources to reduce any barriers to children's learning, promoting the individual needs of the children. The childminder would adapt the curriculum

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Inclusion Expected standard

and plan targeted activities to ensure that children with SEND make the best possible progress in their learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is experienced and highly reflective in evaluating her provision. She has a secure understanding of her strengths and the areas where further improvement is needed. The childminder's robust knowledge of the early years foundation stage enables her to plan effectively for children's next steps in learning and development. She completes all mandatory training, including safeguarding and paediatric first aid, to ensure children's safety and wellbeing. The childminder also benefits from a supportive network of other childminders, with whom she regularly shares practice and ideas.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder recognises that she has not yet fully explored wider professional development opportunities that would deepen her understanding of how to respond swiftly and effectively to the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Despite this, she knows how to seek advice from external professionals and how to access additional funding that children may be entitled to, in order to further support their learning and development.

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

Children experience a warm, nurturing and joyful environment where they feel extremely safe, valued and confident. The childminder places a high priority on developing relationships with children and their families. Children demonstrate deep trust in the childminder, giggling as she sings familiar songs such as 'If You're Happy And You Know It' during care routines. This sensitive and predictable approach helps children feel secure and understand what will happen next. The childminder is an expert at ensuring daily routines are rich in learning opportunities. For example, during handwashing, very young children copy the childminder as she sings, counts and narrates words such as 'rub' and 'dry'. This helps children develop good hygiene habits and early language and counting skills. The childminder's curriculum is focused on children's play interests and is expertly planned. She has robust systems in place to monitor children's attendance and learning, ensuring no

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

Children show delight when exploring core stories such as 'The Gruffalo's Child'. They eagerly select props and mimic animal sounds, such as hissing snakes and owls hooting. They giggle as the childminder places a carrot on her nose like a snowman and pretend to laugh or cry, joyfully copying her expressions as they build their emotional understanding. The childminder helps young children develop their early friendship skills as they share toys, cuddle soft animals and respond to the childminder's modelling of kindness. For example, when a child shares their toys, the childminder warmly narrates within the moment and encourages children to say thank you. This supports young children in their early manners and social awareness. Children benefit from fresh air daily. They develop all their muscle groups as they ride push-along cars, mark-make with water or dance to songs. Children are deeply motivated, confident and emotionally secure. All children flourish in the childminder's

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

home. They show curiosity, independence, empathy and joy in their learning and are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their learning, including school.

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Next steps

The childminder should engage in further professional development to enhance her knowledge and skills in promptly identifying children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to ensure these children achieve the best possible outcomes.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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.

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About this setting

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

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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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