Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY256344 Registered with Ofsted: 20/05/2003 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 Strong standard

Children make consistent progress in their learning and development. The highly effective support that children receive in the setting enables them to develop social interaction skills and confidence in their communication and language. They excitedly repeat phrases from familiar stories, such as 'scrambled snake'.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children demonstrate a secure understanding of what they have been taught. For instance, they recognise that they need to add more dough to balancing equipment to ensure that characters have equal amounts to make 'Gruffalo pizza'. They use the mathematical language they have been taught in their learning experiences and play.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children's physical development is well embedded. They develop excellent muscle strength, coordination and gross and fine motor skills. For example, during a dough-mixing activity, they push the flour into a pile and knead and squeeze the dough. Additionally, children's personal, social and emotional development is supported very well. Children listen to and engage with stories designed to help them understand and empathise with different emotions. For example, during a story about a monster who is sad, children offer kisses and hugs. Furthermore, they are inspired to talk about their own feelings. This helps children to feel understood and valued.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder promotes children's welfare and wellbeing very well. She ensures that the support they receive is caring and nurturing. This helps them to thrive. She collects detailed information from parents about children's specific needs, such as allergies, intolerances and sleep routines. This helps her to provide consistent care that reflects children's home life and supports them to feel comfortable, safe and secure.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children benefit from warm, trusting relationships. They confidently seek comfort and reassurance. This demonstrates that secure attachments are well embedded. These strong relationships grounded in emotional support help children build confidence and willingness to explore and engage in play. The childminder places an emphasis on children's emotional wellbeing. She uses age-appropriate stories to help children identify and discuss feelings. This helps them to develop emotional awareness and an ability to regulate emotions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children benefit from excellent opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles. They access fresh air and exercise daily. Furthermore, she incorporates elements of yoga and nature- based learning, such as forest bathing, into her practice, which provide opportunities for children to spend time in natural environments. These experiences support children's physical development and promote their emotional wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder provides a highly ambitious curriculum for children. She uses well- developed assessment procedures to identify children's starting points and effectively plan next steps for their learning and development. Children, including those who face barriers to learning, are encouraged to engage in challenging and stimulating experiences that reflect their individual needs. She demonstrates a secure understanding of highly effective teaching. For example, well-sequenced learning around stories, such as 'The Gruffalo', supports children to explore narratives, characters and order of events. This approach encourages curiosity and ensures that learning is meaningful and structured.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Mathematics is seamlessly woven into children's learning experiences. The childminder provides a wealth of opportunities for children to develop skills in mathematics, such as number recognition and sequencing. She provides an abundance of opportunities for children to learn mathematical language related to size, quantity and weight. For example, children are supported to estimate the length of their dough snakes by counting the buttons placed on top.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Language development in the setting is supported consistently. The childminder provides unlimited opportunities for children to learn new words and their meanings. She skilfully uses repetition of phrases and encourages children to engage in a rich variety of conversations. This supports them to extend their communication and language skills effectively. Furthermore, these highly effective strategies support their developing comprehension skills.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder provides effective leadership and oversight of her setting. She regularly reflects on the effectiveness of her practice and has a secure understanding of the strengths of her setting and identifies areas for improvement, such as enhancing support for children's mental health.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder considers the needs of all children, including those who face barriers to learning or wellbeing. At times, she works in partnership with professionals to strengthen support for children's wellbeing. For example, she engages effectively with services such as health professionals to promote children's oral health and healthy routines. This supports children to understand and develop healthy practices related to tooth care. Partnerships with parents are consistent. The childminder shares information regularly and encourages their input. This collaborative approach helps ensure continuity of care for children.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is committed to her professional development. She actively seeks out training opportunities to strengthen her knowledge. For example, she has completed training to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She has sign-posted training in children's mental health to further enhance her knowledge and understanding of how to support children's emotional wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Positive professional networks are well embedded. The childminder regularly shares ideas and information with other local childminders to enhance standards. This supports reflective practice and continuous improvement.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Typically, the childminder has created a welcoming environment where expectations for behaviour are communicated and reinforced. Children are familiar with routines. This helps them settle swiftly into their day. The childminder is a good role model for children. She models respectful behaviour and reminds children of boundaries to guide children's actions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Overall, children behave well. They build positive relationships with the childminder and with each other. They play alongside their peers and show some kindness to others during shared activities. However, at times, some children do not consistently listen or respond appropriately to guidance. For example, on occasion, children throw resources and, at times, say 'no' when asked to follow instructions. Despite this, the childminder responds appropriately. She reinforces rules and expectations in a consistent manner.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children benefit from warm, trusting relationships. They seek reassurance from the childminder and respond positively to praise and encouragement. She considers children's ages, stages of development and individual needs when managing behaviour, providing additional support for younger children who are still learning to regulate their emotions and behaviour.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder promotes regular attendance and punctuality through well-established routines, enjoyable learning experiences and clear communication with parents. This supports children to know what is expected and to develop positive attitudes to learning and behaviour.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Overall, the childminder creates an inclusive environment where children are valued and supported. She collects information from parents about children's individual needs. This enables her to identify their starting points and plan purposeful activities based on children's ages and stages of development and interests. Children's curiosity is encouraged through meaningful and interesting activities. This helps them to feel motivated and included.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder consistently uses praise to build children's confidence. This promotes their self-esteem and sense of belonging. Children are supported to celebrate achievements and develop skills in independence. For example, during mealtime routines, they help clean the table and collect resources. Adjustments are made to activities to ensure that all children can access the learning opportunities. This approach enables children to build confidence in their abilities.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder monitors children's progress, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, through regular observations and assessment. This enables her to review the effectiveness of the support provided. She consistently evaluates children's development and tailors her approach to meet individual needs. Parents are kept informed. They receive daily updates on children's learning and development. Furthermore, they are supported to continue the learning at home. However, the childminder does not always make timely referrals to other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, when children face barriers to their learning and development. This means that, on occasion, children do not receive specialist support.

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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 arrive with confidence. They are greeted warmly by the childminder. Children and families are treated with kindness and reassurance. This helps children to separate from their parents with ease and supports them to feel settled. Consistent routines help children

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Inspector:

understand rules and procedures. For instance, children are supported to put their belongings away on arrival. This promotes independence and a sense of responsibility.

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Inspector:

Children enjoy the interesting learning opportunities. They respond positively to planned activities on arrival. These experiences provide structure to the start of the day and support children to engage in meaningful learning. Children are encouraged to share ideas for play and be inquisitive learners. For example, they use binoculars and telescopes to look for garden birds and confidently name robins and pigeons. These experiences strengthen their curiosity about wildlife and the natural world. Additionally, their vocabulary is extended and observational skills encouraged.

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Inspector:

Overall, children behave well and have formed positive relationships with the childminder and their peers. They play alongside one another and share ideas for play. However, at times, they do not always listen and respond appropriately during their play. For example, on occasion, they struggle to use resources appropriately and share. This means that children do not always have a secure understanding of respectful behaviour.

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Inspector:

Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. They seek comfort and reassurance from the childminder when needed. Children's attendance is promoted through routines that are familiar and a collaborative approach with families. Children benefit from regular outings, such as visits to the country park and zoo. These experiences provide opportunities to interact with others in the local community, including other childminders and their minded children. This helps children practise social skills and build confidence and supports those who may initially find it difficult to engage with others.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure that children who face barriers to their communication and language receive timely support to meet their individual needs. The childminder should strengthen support for children to understand behavioural expectations and develop strategies to regulate their emotions.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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. Loretta Murphy

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Thursday : 07:15 - 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

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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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