Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 506268 Registered with Ofsted: 29/08/2000 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

Children achieve well from their starting points. They are confident and happy learners. They continuously demonstrate positive attitudes and a willingness to learn. For instance, they frequently ask the childminder questions through their play to extend their knowledge. Children spend long periods of time at activities that are inviting and match their interests. As a result, they maintain their concentration and engagement to assist them at school.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or who may face a specific barrier to learning, make notable progress in their communication and language skills. For example, children practice their communication skills as they learn to interact, engage and listen to older adults when visiting care homes. However, at times, when children mispronounce words, the childminder does not always use her intended teaching strategies to further support them in developing clear vocabulary and communication skills, for example by sensitively modelling the correct pronunciation for children to hear.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are well behaved, and staff promote positive behaviour effectively. When children have a disagreement over a popular toy, the childminder sensitively models turn taking and encourages them to listen to each other's opinions. As a result, older children show they are resolving peer conflict appropriately by themselves.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

She has well-established processes in place, including daily visual risk assessments of the home and assessments for outings, ensuring that children's safety and protection are paramount. She describes how she provides real-life photos to help prepare children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), such as photos of their peers walking safely in the community. This helps children, particularly those with SEND, as they understand how to keep safe and feel prepared for outings.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder offers a thorough onboarding process. She listens to parents to gain in- depth knowledge of children's unique routines at home. She uses this to help plan and establish familiar routines to meet the needs of individual children. For example, children may bring a favourite toy to help them feel safe and manage their emotions and behaviours effectively. This also supports families to successfully overcome any barriers to children's attendance and punctuality.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children practice and consolidate consistent daily routines, such as washing their hands thoroughly before eating. The childminder models clear language, repeats key words and uses visual aids. Therefore, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, can become increasingly independent in managing their personal care needs and developing effective hygiene routines. The childminder shares a range of information with parents, such as guidance to parents on reducing potential choking hazards. Children are learning to keep themselves safe when the childminder explains to them the importance of sitting while eating to prevent choking.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children enjoy a healthy range of snacks and meals. The childminder ensures the attentive supervision of children, including at mealtimes. The childminder gathers information about children's dietary needs and allergies when they first start. She works closely with parents to ensure that children's allergies are well managed as their needs change. This ensures that children's overall welfare and wellbeing is prioritised.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder forms very positive partnerships with parents, who applaud how the childminder works together with them from the start. They say that children's transitions between the setting and home have been fantastic. Effective settling-in sessions enable children to become familiar with the environment and develop secure attachments with her. This fully supports children's wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children have great fun and choose from a variety of activities within a well-resourced learning environment. The childminder has a clear and sequenced curriculum that covers all areas of learning, including promoting children's physical development. For example, children strengthen their fingers as they roll and mould dough. This helps to support children in their writing skills for when they progress to school. Generally, the childminder adapts activities to meet the learning needs of individual children. For example, adding numbers into messy play helps them build on their recognition of numbers. However, at times, her interactions and use of available resources are not consistently targeted enough to ensure that children make the fullest progress towards achieving their next steps.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder focuses on developing children's communication and language skills. For example, after a recent visit to the zoo sparked children's interest in penguins, the childminder introduced storybooks, songs and small-world play linked to that theme. She asks questions about the resources and activities they play. The use of visual prompts also supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to make connections in their learning that deepen their understanding. Consequently, all children are extending their language and early literacy skills in a meaningful context.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has a sound understanding of how to meet all children's needs. Training she has undertaken enables her to fully support all children known or previously known to social care. The childminder adapts settling-in routines, such as using a transition toy for children who find it difficult to settle. This helps children to consistently attend the setting and improve their emotional wellbeing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a proactive and inclusive approach to supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, she undertakes regular training to improve her knowledge. This ensures that she provides inclusive care and education for all children. The childminder collects detailed information about each child, including those with SEND, to understand their routines and support smooth transitions into her setting. When children need assessments, these are organised to ensure that educational plans are in place and any extra funding is accessed before children start school.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder completes regular assessments with parents' ongoing input. She can confidently explain what children know and can do and how she is going to help them progress in their development. For example, she attends toddler groups so that children can meet and interact with other children of different ages. All children, including those with SEND, make lots of progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder takes time to research strategies to best support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). She carries out training to increase her skills and knowledge of supporting children with SEND. Feedback from parents is highly positive. The childminder shares daily information and photos about children's learning, which parents say help them to remain fully involved in their child's progress. Parents work closely with the childminder to support next steps, ensuring a consistent approach between home and the setting. This ensures that all children receive the right support at the right time.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates effective leadership through regular reflection on her practice. She regularly reflects on her practice and talks to other professionals, such as local authority early years advisers, to strengthen the provision and plan her further training. For example, she has booked on a course next month to build on her existing knowledge of supporting children with SEND.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder loves her job and has excellent wellbeing. She expresses how training helps her build confidence in her abilities to continuously deliver high-quality care and education.

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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 enjoy learning and thrive in this inclusive setting. They swiftly make caring and trusting attachments to the childminder, supported by nurturing and bespoke settling-in processes. For example, she realises that some children benefit from bringing a familiar toy or comforter from home to help them settle happily. When unfamiliar visitors arrive, new children excitedly show them toys they have brought from home. This highlights how the childminder considers the uniqueness of all children effectively, helping them feel confident and safe in their new environments.

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

Children benefit from the childminder regularly taking them on trips to places of interest in the community, such as the library, playgroups and the zoo. Weekly time spent in the library helps foster children's love of early reading. This is evident when children often ask the childminder to read to them. The childminder provides books linked to children's interests and current topics, such as winter. Consequently, this helps to enhance their communication and early literacy development. For example, children enthusiastically join in with familiar phrases read to them and try to say new words they hear.

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

Children become increasingly independent from the start. For example, the childminder provides visual aids and talks children through self-care routines, such as handwashing. These strategies can support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or children who speak English as an additional language to gain confidence, reduce anxiety and improve understanding.

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

The childminder understands the importance of communicating with other settings children attend and gathering in-depth information with parents before they start. She uses this

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Essex knowledge to plan and adapt her well-sequenced curriculum. This ensures that all children are making a wealth of progress from their starting points.

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Next steps

The childminder should focus interactions with children more precisely to incorporate children's next steps consistently, building on their abilities during play, to support the best rates of progress. The childminder should make the most of opportunities to help children learn to hear and say words correctly to support their articulation and formation of words and simple sentences.

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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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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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