Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 500273 Registered with Ofsted: 30/10/1992 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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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Relationships between children and the childminder are extremely warm, very secure and highly nurturing. The childminder knows each child very well and is highly attuned to their needs. She is responsive, and when children are occasionally unsettled she knows exactly what to do to settle and reassure them as quickly as possible. This supports all children to feel safe and emotionally secure.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children thrive because of the highly individualised care that the childminder gives to all children. She knows children very well and adopts personalised routines to meet all children's needs securely. For example, the childminder sensitively manages children's individual food preferences, while fully including all children in mealtimes and snack times.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children receive excellent support to understand how to be healthy and keep themselves safe. Younger children understand that they need to wash their hands after a nappy change and develop an awareness of when they need changing. Children help to wipe the surfaces before mealtimes and understand why they need to wash their hands before eating. On the regular trips and outings, children learn about road safety and the need to take care around ponds and rivers.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children learn about the different emotions that they may feel through age-appropriate resources, such as books or crocheted toys representing different feelings. Children take part in yoga activities and relaxation sessions with the childminder. This supports children to begin to regulate their own behaviour in a very mature way.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make secure progress in all areas of the curriculum, especially in their communication and language. They have an increased vocabulary and are more confident when speaking. Children listen attentively and join in when the childminder sings familiar rhymes and songs. Children learn to count and discuss numbers and shapes, although their progress in mathematics is occasionally not as secure as other areas. All children, including those who speak English as an additional language or have special educational needs and/or disabilities, are able to express themselves and make their needs known. This supports their self-confidence and wider learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop positive self-care skills. They try to put their own shoes on and independently fasten their coats. Children develop their confidence, for example they ask for help when needed and are able to listen to and follow simple instructions. This prepares children well for their next stages, such as starting school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has well-embedded routines and clear expectations for children's behaviour that all children understand. This supports all children to behave positively. Relationships are warm, caring and respectful. Children respond well to the frequent praise and encouragement from the childminder. The childminder explains the reasons why children need to behave in a certain way. For example, at mealtimes, she gently explains that they should not drop their spoons on the floor because they will get dirty and they need to eat their food with them. Children learn to regulate their feelings and understand why certain expectations are in place.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children share resources and work cooperatively together during their play. For example, children kindly hand out a feather to each child from a pile so that everyone is able to join in with a throwing activity. Children open up a shape sorter and look around to check that other children also have a shape. The childminder is full of praise and encouragement for children's kindness. She supports children to understand the impact of their actions on other people.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder's expectations are age- and stage-appropriate. For example, older children use a dustpan and brush to tidy up crumbs after mealtimes, whereas this is adapted for younger children who use a cloth. This ensures that all children are able to take part in the daily routines.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder shares her expectations of regular attendance and the importance of punctuality. She works in partnership with parents and carers so that home routines, such as sleep times, support children to arrive on time and have access to the full curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a secure overview of the curriculum that she provides for children. She reflects thoughtfully on the provision and adapts it to meet the needs of all children. The childminder plans a range of interesting activities, indoors and outdoors, based on children's starting points. She carefully identifies suitable learning and play opportunities in each area of learning in the early years foundation stage. Activities are adapted as appropriate. For example, the childminder uses simpler language or shorter sentences to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are able to take part.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a focus on the development of early communication, social skills and physical development for younger children. The childminder talks to children, asking them to describe what they are doing or what they can see, giving them plenty of time to think and respond. She plans lots of opportunities for children to play outside in the garden or in larger spaces, such as a park or a farm, where they develop their gross motor skills. She develops children's fine motor skills well by planning activities such as completing jigsaws or playing with feathers. These carefully planned activities ensure that all children make effective progress.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children have lots of fun as they play with numbered log slices. The childminder counts out loud and puts some of the numbers in order. She discusses with children what she is doing as she matches the numbers to groups of ladybirds, using the words 'more' and 'less'. This supports children to begin to develop their mathematical vocabulary.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder uses ongoing assessment to identify children's starting points and identify what they need to learn next. Overall, the childminder has an understanding of children's next steps in learning. However, occasionally, this is not fully precise. At these times, the childminder's planning for activities does not support children's learning as effectively as possible.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses her considerable professional experience and the knowledge she has gained via additional training to identify children's individual needs swiftly and effectively. She works with parents and carers to gather lots of useful information about children's starting points when they first arrive at the setting. The childminder provides personalised care for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She adapts her practice and routines to ensure that all children are able to make the most of their time with her. For example, the childminder arrives early at a local playgroup when there are fewer other children present in order to support children to settle and become confident in a quieter environment.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder knows children very well. She talks knowledgeably about the progress that individual children have made and the positive impact of the curriculum, especially on children's confidence and communication skills. The childminder works in a positive partnership with parents and other professionals, such as health visitors. She refers children who may need additional support swiftly to other agencies. This sharing of information and advice ensures that care practices are consistent between home and the setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Overall, the childminder is reflective and is always keen to improve or refine what she offers to children and families. She has identified that her self-reflection could be even sharper at times. She visits other childminders to share positive practice and to exchange resources. The childminder has identified additional training and resources to enable her to raise the already high quality of support for communication and language to an even higher level. This ensures that the setting continues to develop and improve.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder considers carefully how she can consistently offer the best support to children. For example, she works with parents and carers to adjust children's attendance times to support children to feel emotionally secure. The childminder reflects on the learning environment and has temporarily reduced the amount of toys available to avoid sensory overload for children who were unsettled. This demonstrates that the childminder has a thoughtful, caring and flexible approach and acts in the best interests of children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder engages with a range of additional training, for example on children's nutrition. She uses her knowledge to support parents, for example by sharing healthy recipes that children have particularly enjoyed. Children now more frequently make their own healthy choices independently. This demonstrates the positive impact of the childminder's enhanced knowledge and skills.

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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 have lots of fun with this kind and caring childminder. The childminder has a sharp focus on supporting children's early communication and language. She speaks slowly and clearly to children, giving them plenty of time to think and to respond. The childminder

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About this setting

ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are included in conversations and that their contributions are valued. She adapts her practice when appropriate, such as using shorter sentences or simpler vocabulary. This ensures that all children make secure progress.

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About this setting

Children are engrossed as they explore a pop-up toy. They push and turn the buttons on the toy to try to get it to open, gently encouraged by the childminder. Children's curiosity and persistence are rewarded as the lid pops up to reveal a toy horse. Children laugh in delight as they mimic the sound of a horse's hooves in response. They then independently pick up a jigsaw piece with a picture of a horse on, bringing it back proudly to show the childminder. The childminder is full of praise for the children's achievements. This demonstrates the positive impact of the curriculum and how the childminder supports children to develop their thinking skills and apply their learning in other contexts.

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About this setting

All children are valued and their uniqueness is celebrated. Children benefit from listening to songs and hearing the childminder greet their parents and carers in other languages. Settling-in sessions are personalised to the needs of each child. The childminder works in partnership with parents to ensure that care routines are consistent between the setting and home. She ensures that parents understand the importance of predictable routines for children, such as regular attendance and punctuality. This supports all children to settle quickly and to feel safe and secure.

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Next steps

The childminder should further refine her planning to ensure that she has an even sharper focus on children's next steps in learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, parents and carers 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. Unique reference number (URN): 500273

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:45 - 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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