Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2744616 Registered with Ofsted: 27/09/2023 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, including those who are disadvantaged and those who need additional support, consistently achieve well during their time with the childminder and develop a positive sense of who they are. All children successfully develop important life skills, such as being confident communicators. They engage in positive conversations and exchanges with each other. Children focus, explore and learn through trial and error and are very well prepared for their next stage in learning. Children move confidently around the play areas, selecting resources and using them appropriately. Children build their resilience and solve things for themselves, such as hunting for objects on a nature and treasure hunt. Children display very high levels of independence. As a result, they are well prepared for their move to nursery or school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children's behaviour is excellent. The childminder consistently helps children to be tolerant and kind, and she encourages positive behaviour based on their age and stage of development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are keen to learn new skills and are motivated to succeed. Relationships with the childminder and staff are highly positive. They have built strong, trusting, caring and respectful relationships with all children. This helps children to quickly develop similar relationships with their friends as they attend on a consistent basis and absences are minimal.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children successfully engage in activities with each other, as well as enjoying time alone to complete tasks themselves. The childminder and staff act as positive role models to children. They encourage children to take turns and to share resources fairly. Children demonstrate patience and respect. When required, the childminder and staff remind children to use their manners.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder and staff follow individual routines, such as sleeping and feeding. They make any necessary adaptations to the provision to meet children's individual needs. Children are encouraged to take off their own shoes when they come inside from playing in the garden. They confidently use cutlery at mealtimes and can serve their own vegetables at lunchtime.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children form trusting relationships with the childminder and staff. They feel secure, and this is reflected in their happy and settled demeanour.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder recognises when some children need extra attention, as they are quieter. She provides a calming, gentle presence and engages children in meaningful interactions. The childminder places developing children's positive mental and physical health as a priority. She supports children to express their emotions by labelling and talking about feelings in a calm way. This helps children make links between how they are feeling and the associated words. The childminder's patience supports children to express and manage their emotions effectively.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder ensures children receive a range of healthy foods and snacks. She prepares home-cooked healthy meals every day and takes into consideration special dietary requirements and allergies/intolerances. Children are well supervised throughout mealtimes, which are a social occasion. Children rest and sleep on bed mats when they need some down time or are ready for their nap. They are supervised at all times while sleeping. Children thoroughly enjoy taking part in daily physical activities and accessing the outdoor environment. They confidently walk, climb and move between areas with secure levels of skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates expertise in understanding how young children learn. She carefully plans her routine to provide meaningful experiences to help children become deeply interested in their learning. This helps children build on what they already know. For instance, the childminder knows how much children enjoy transport vehicles. She recently took the children on a trip where they could watch dumper trucks, excavators, car transporters and fork lift trucks. The childminder supported children with this interest and built ramps and a road system in the garden to play with similar vehicles they had seen on their trip. This helps children link real experiences to their play.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder promotes children's language skills very well. She has completed specific training on promoting communication and language and how it supports children's future learning. For example, she attended 'tiny talkers' intervention training planned by the local authority and purchased the books and resources using additional funding. She reads the books frequently to children and uses aspects she learned on the training to introduce new words to expand their vocabulary. In addition, the childminder takes children on regular visits to the local library where children loan books to enjoy in the setting and to take home. This also supports continuity of learning and promotes a love of books at home.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder extends the mathematical knowledge of children who are already competent and interested in counting. There is a clear range of opportunities to support and promote children's physical skills. She uses what she knows about children's development to plan next steps in learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The highly qualified childminder offers a warm and welcoming environment for all children. Inclusion is important to her, and she makes relevant adaptations to her practice to meet children's individual needs. The childminder has a wealth of experience in understanding the barriers that some children face and has plans in place to help overcome these within her setting. She implements a reflective assessment of her curriculum and the impact it is having on individual children's learning. The childminder successfully adapts her teaching to take account of every child's needs. She sensitively supports the quieter children and ensures they benefit fully from activities. The childminder and staff share their attention appropriately between all children. This ensures that every child is included and benefits from the planned learning experiences on offer.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Although the childminder does not have any children currently on roll with special educational needs and/or disabilities, she has previously developed close partnership working with other professionals and sought guidance when needed. The childminder has previously written individual education plans and implemented appropriate interventions and support. She understands how to use additional funding, when received, to provide specific support for those children whom it should benefit.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder organises her service well. She implements a continuous improvement plan, reflecting on her practice and provision and making improvements. She keeps herself up to date with changing regulations and attends training opportunities to strengthen her practice. The childminder supports her staff to develop and progress. For example, she has recently supported them in achieving an early years qualification. This supports them to provide consistently high-quality care and learning.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has built strong and collaborative relationships with parents. Communication with parents occurs on a daily basis, with important information being shared between them to support children's care and learning. The childminder offers a fully inclusive service and takes account of every child's care and learning needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She has developed partnerships with other professionals to ensure that all children receive the support that they need. She has also developed effective relationships with local schools and nurseries to ensure smooth transitions to nursery and school.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder recognises the importance of adapting her provision to take account of each child's and family's needs. She is responsive when different needs arise and plans for these. For instance, she recognises the growing need to support children's emotional needs and ensures children feel safe and secure.

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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

The childminder has created a warm and welcoming setting where children thrive. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and happy in the care of the childminder and staff. They explore with enthusiasm, independently choosing resources with confidence and demonstrating their awareness of the purpose of different objects. For example, they confidently use different tools when manipulating play dough. The childminder and staff play alongside children, modelling the use of different tools and modelling language. For example, the childminder encourages the children to 'roll, squeeze and flatten' the play

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Inspector:

Rachael Barrett dough. Children respond by adding their own words, such as 'squishy', 'bumpy' and 'flat'. This helps to develop their confidence in speaking and expressing ideas during play. The childminder incorporates basic mathematics by encouraging children to compare the shapes and sizes of their creations.

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Inspector:

Children make strong progress in their learning. The childminder collects relevant information about their developmental starting points and any special educational needs and/or disabilities requirements. She uses this information to plan activities that help children settle in quickly and gain new knowledge and skills. She has a high focus on outdoor play and exploring the local community and world. Children visit local farms and parks, the library and soft-play areas. This helps children to socialise and interact with children of different ages and become familiar with the world around them.

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Inspector:

The childminder is patient and caring, and interactions between herself and the children are very positive. She helps them develop a positive image of themselves and be proud of their accomplishments. The childminder has created an inclusive setting that celebrates children's uniqueness, and she skilfully uses language that promotes equality. Children enjoy attending, and levels of absence are low. This consistency allows children to revisit their learning in the setting and continue to build upon this further.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain her work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. She should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her staff and children during the inspection. She took account of written feedback provided by parents and carers.

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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 : 07:30 - 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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