Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY363921 Registered with Ofsted: 08/11/2007 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 engage well with activities that are well matched to their individual next steps in development. They receive frequent praise, such as 'high fives', for their efforts. Children are happy and curious within the nurturing environment and make consistent progress.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop impressive independence and persevere with tasks they find tricky, building on the skills and knowledge they have gained. For example, they put on snowsuits and independently put on and take off their wellington boots. Children also try hard to recognise numbers on the weighing scales. As a result, children develop secure foundations in mathematical concepts from an early age.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children demonstrate excellent communication and language skills. They confidently chat back and forth with their friends and the childminder about their play. For example, as they measure flour to make dough, they excitedly tell others that they have made 'more'. Children have a broad vocabulary and confidently use language to share their thoughts and ideas with others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder sets high expectations for children's behaviour and reinforces these through effective teaching, embedded within everyday routines. Children are extremely respectful and wait patiently for instructions. For example, as they get ready to go outside, they wait for everyone to get themselves dressed before moving on.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has created a highly nurturing environment in which children are treated with respect and care. She sets clear expectations for children's behaviour that are tailored to each child's age and stage of development. The childminder recognises the importance of children's regular attendance and monitors this closely. She teaches children how to interact positively with others and supports them by acknowledging their efforts to share. For instance, the childminder quickly recognises when children need support and expertly explains how to take turns as they make patterns with blocks together.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder enthusiastically celebrates what children know and can do. For example, she encourages children to clap for one another as they remember parts of the story. This gives children a sense of pride in their achievements. Children play games, such as making 'tea' in the home corner, collaboratively. They get on extremely well with others and develop amazing social skills.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder has secure attachments with all children. She is highly responsive to their varying needs and changing circumstances. For example, the childminder quickly identifies when some children require additional support to regulate their emotions. She works closely with parents to implement consistent strategies at home and the setting. This collaborative approach helps children to develop essential skills for managing their emotions, which supports their future learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder's well-structured plans motivate children to develop positive and long- lasting healthy habits. For instance, children take great pride in preparing their own drinks and cereal at breakfast time and independently wash their hands. This provides children with a strong foundation for managing their self-care needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides clear and consistent strategies to support children's wellbeing. She acknowledges children's feelings and helps them to name them. For example, she skilfully refers to the 'sad fish' during shared storytelling to support children's emotional understanding. In addition, the childminder recognises when children need further reassurance. Children feel confident in seeking the childminder out to help calm themselves. The childminder's gentle and consistent approach, underpinned by clear rules, promotes mutual respect. This helps children to feel safe, secure and develop a deep sense of belonging.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder expertly builds on what children already know and can do. She knows each child well and adapts her teaching to support their individual learning needs. As a result, children gain high levels of independence, curiosity and sustained concentration. For example, they sit for extended periods sharing books, which supports the development of early literacy skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder's curriculum is consistently of high quality. Her high expectations for children are embedded across the provision, including during routine times of the day. For instance, she uses setting up for breakfast as a valuable learning opportunity. The childminder skilfully asks children for their ideas and provides opportunities to extend their thinking. Children confidently talk about colours. For example, when the childminder asks them to find something grey, they excitedly point to the fridge.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder's sharp focus on developing children's communication and language ensures that children make excellent progress in this area. For instance, she explains the meaning of words such as 'consistency' and 'oxygen'. Children gain a wide vocabulary and use this confidently to share their own ideas in play. For example, they excitedly tell their friends how they will add a carrot onto their snow dough figure.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder provides a wonderful breadth of exciting activities to support children's physical skills. For instance, children jump with joy as they whizz around dancing to music. This helps them to build strong leg muscles, and they develop good control over their movements. In addition, the childminder supports children's hand muscle strength with activities such as rolling and poking dough.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is extremely proactive and continually reflects on, and evaluates, her setting to ensure that children have the very best experiences. This includes making adaptations to her plans to keep children engaged and excited. For example, children's

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Expected standard

recent interest in 'Incy Wincy Spider' has led to spotting frozen webs and talking about spiders. The children enthusiastically recall that spiders have '8 eyes'. This supports their ability to develop lifelong learning.

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Expected standard

The childminder actively develops her own skills through training courses and webinars, and implements new ideas from training to further enhance outcomes for children. For example, after consulting with local schools about children's development in early literacy, she undertakes relevant courses and works closely with teachers to ensure that she is offering children the best start in their learning. This effectively supports children to make rapid progress.

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Expected standard

The childminder has strong partnerships with parents. She builds warm and trusting relationships with families. The childminder keeps parents fully informed about their children's daily experiences and ongoing progress. She also shares practical ideas to support children's learning at home. For example, parents value the home safety tips that the childminder has shared with them for their children. This approach supports continuity of care and learning for all children.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder identifies children's needs quickly and accurately, including any emerging or changing needs. For example, she recognises when children require additional support to manage their emotions and behaviour. The childminder works closely with parents and ensures that they are well informed about their children's progress. The childminder provides clear and detailed developmental records that help parents to understand their children's achievements, emerging skills and next steps. Furthermore, she shares effective strategies with parents to support their children's emotional needs at home. This shared understanding strengthens continuity between home and the setting and helps children to feel secure and confident.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder generally provides effective support to reduce barriers to children's learning. Recent training around early years development has helped her to improve how she assesses children's progress and how she delivers a graduated approach for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is an area that she intends to explore further.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands the importance of effective partnership working. She maintains clear and open communication to support children's education, care and wellbeing. For instance, the childminder describes how she has previously supported families known to social care by attending multi-professional meetings and contributing detailed developmental reports. This collaborative approach helps to secure positive outcomes for children.

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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 settle quickly in this welcoming and homely setting. The childminder knows children well. She builds warm and positive relationships with children and their families. This helps children to develop a secure sense of belonging. For example, children happily welcome visitors and eagerly show them what they have been doing. Children interact confidently with the childminder and their peers. They move around the environment with ease, exploring the exciting and varied activities on offer. For instance, children jump with joy as

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Inspector:

Mandy Cooper they take part in their morning dance together. They demonstrate that they feel safe, secure and valued.

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Inspector:

Children understand the routines of the setting extremely well. They help themselves to drinks and follow simple instructions when setting up the breakfast table. Children respond positively to reminders about using polite manners. They communicate happily with one another and are confident when speaking to adults.

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Inspector:

The childminder provides a rich and varied range of engaging experiences with a focus on promoting children's communication and language development. She places a high importance on helping children to develop good social skills. The childminder ensures that children benefit from daily outdoor learning opportunities. To enhance this, she regularly takes children on outings, such as visits to the local park and playgroups with other childminders. The childminder uses these experiences to help children to develop key skills and broaden their understanding of the world around them.

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Inspector:

The childminder closely monitors children's engagement, offering timely and sensitive support when needed. She plans purposeful outings to deepen children's understanding of the wider world. For example, she takes children on regular visits to a local care home. The childminder is passionate about children learning alongside older people and explains that this helps children to develop an understanding of community life. Furthermore, she has previously supported children in contributing their work to community projects, such as a local garden. These experiences further enhance children's understanding of the world around them.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure continued improvement by refining her knowledge of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities 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 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.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 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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