Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 153374 Registered with Ofsted: 03/12/1999 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 demonstrate confident physical skills. They use finer physical movements to carefully dress babies and build enclosures using LEGO. Children have fun as they jump, hop, march and spin around dancing to songs. Children confidently talk about their experiences and use words such as 'lumpy', 'dripping' and 'smooth' when exploring textures. They enjoy discussions during snack time about their favourite foods and what they have for lunch. Children make choices and know what they want and need.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children form caring friendships with each other and enjoy role play and creating scenarios, using their imaginations and creativity. For example, they imagine they are superheroes and use a red ball for fire and a blue ball for water. Children begin to recognise numbers and three-dimensional shapes. They learn words such as 'oval'. Older children recognise their names written on their bananas for snack. All children thrive at this setting, in preparation for school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder is an excellent role model for children, teaching them kindness, care and respect. Children consolidate this learning and demonstrate the ability to decide between themselves, such as who goes first when turn-taking. Children support each other and help each other make choices. For example, they hand out plates and offer choices of colours to their peers, also knowing their favourite colours. Children receive consistent and clear messages that derive from the childminder's high expectations for boundaries and routines. These consistent routines enable children to develop independence, regulate their emotions and develop positive attitudes to their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder uses a calm and positive approach when talking to children and adapts this to suit their needs and abilities. This ensures that those who may face barriers to their learning can begin to understand what is expected of them. Children mirror the childminder's gentle approach, creating a harmonious environment. The childminder helps children to begin to manage their own conflicts and develop an understanding of the impact their actions can have on others. She uses co-regulation techniques learned through training to help children regulate their feelings when they become overwhelmed. The childminder ensures that throughout her daily routines children have opportunities to release their energy, helping to regulate and manage their concentration and focus. The childminder works with families to support children's attendance and follows up absences promptly, in line with her policies and procedures.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are a priority for the childminder. She teaches children how to keep themselves safe and regularly reminds children of this. For example, children learn about road safety, evacuation procedures and when to blow things when they are hot. Children revisit safety through role play. For example, they apply sun cream to their dolls and say 'so you do not get burned'. The childminder places high importance on children's medical needs and is very responsive to these. She implements robust arrangements to ensure that she meets children's care needs and routines thoroughly. The childminder has formed nurturing relationships with children, who look up to the childminder as a positive role model. They listen attentively to instructions and invite the childminder to join their play, confidently guiding her to what they want to do. Children demonstrate superb independence with their own self-care needs, and

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

they remind their peers of these. For example, they remind children to sing the song 'Once I Caught a Fish Alive' when they are washing their hands, ensuring they are cleaned properly. Children thrive in the responsibility of small tasks. For instance, they put their finished foods in the recycling bin, set the table, pour their own drinks and know where things belong. Consequently, children are highly motivated and have a secure sense of belonging and self- worth.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children benefit from opportunities to explore healthy eating and oral hygiene. For example, children discuss how on occasions they brush their teeth in the morning when arriving. The childminder provides parents and carers with updated policies relating to new nutritional guidance, sharing healthy eating expectations and ideas for lunch boxes. The childminder ensures that children have daily fresh air and exercise, supporting their physical development and wellbeing. She is committed to supporting children's emotional development. Children begin to label their own emotions and those of others as they listen to stories and point, commenting the giant is 'cross' or 'sad'.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder uses her vast knowledge and experience to provide children with a curriculum that is designed to sequence their learning and development, based on their individual abilities. She has excellent knowledge of what children can do and what they need to learn next. The childminder understands the importance of embedding high-quality learning experiences from a young age. This enables children to face new experiences with confidence and resilience. All children, including those who may face barriers to their learning, are well prepared for their next stage.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has high expectations for children's learning and uses teachable moments to extend and guide their learning. For example, children independently explore story bags. The childminder facilitates this and provides each child with various props, encouraging them to interact with the story. Children confidently recall parts of the story, supporting their language and comprehension of what is happening. The childminder skilfully weaves in mathematical development as children explore. They excitedly hold up 5 fingers when the childminder says 'show me a quick 5'. She models language, such as 'solid', 'thinner' and 'heavier', when children investigate the process of making dough. The childminder's consistent dialogue widens children use and understanding of language.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder places focus on children's personal, social and emotional development. She ensures that children can express their needs and feel safe in their environment. Children form caring and respectful relationships with the childminder and their peers. The childminder links with other childminders and their children to all enjoy 'rhyme time' in the forest. This supports children's social interactions within larger groups. It also provides opportunities for children to develop their larger movements through climbing and manoeuvring uneven surfaces safely. Parents comment that their children 'never stop learning' in this setting.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder promotes inclusion very effectively throughout daily routines and activities. This means every child is deeply valued and can access a fully inclusive environment. The childminder prioritises getting to know children and families from the start. She uses robust and effective assessment and monitoring procedures to regularly track children's learning. This helps her to act swiftly on any emerging gaps.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Each child has a 'play plan' that provides a targeted overview of what they need to learn next. The childminder adapts activities carefully to ensure that they are age-appropriate and based on children's individual needs. This helps to ensure children who may face barriers to their learning can participate, supporting their independence and confidence. The childminder proactively researches information and strategies specific to children's individual needs. This positively impacts on the care and quality of learning children access. This helps children to feel safe and secure, supporting a real sense of belonging.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has built very supportive and trusting relationships with parents and carers. She works in collaboration with local schools and other settings that children attend and maintains readiness to work with external agencies, to support children's needs when required. This consistent sharing of information ensures that children's transitions are well supported and provides continuity in children's learning.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates dedication, passion and commitment to her role in continuously raising the standard of care she provides to children and families. She monitors her own professional development, helping to identify gaps in her own knowledge and to refresh areas when needed. This helps her to maintain high-quality care and education. For example, recent training on emotions has supported the childminder to embed strategies within daily routines, helping children to broaden their emotional intelligence. The childminder understands the importance of self-evaluation and regularly reflects on her practice and provision. She has recently adapted her feedback forms that she sends to parents and carers, providing a less formal version that incorporates children's voices. The childminder makes decisions based on the best interests of children.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has established professional relationships with external agencies, other settings that children attend, local childminders and schools. She recognises the impact this has on her own wellbeing as well as forming a supportive network. Parents report on the secure, trusting and supportive relationships they have built with the childminder. They refer to the childminder as 'positive and caring' and comment on how their children's experiences are 'truly magical'.

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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 creates a highly nurturing and engaging environment for children. It is rich in language. Children demonstrate confidence and high levels of motivation. This is evident through their focus and attention on activities. The childminder organises the environment so children can access all areas of their learning. She ensures that activities are reflective of children's interests and provides children with time to explore and embrace new learning opportunities. This helps children to make sustained progress from their starting points in development.

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About this setting

Children develop and build an abundance of learning, such as pouring and measuring as they refer to their ingredients list to make dough. Children recognise the number 3 and link it to their ages. They know what ingredients they need next, and they show kindness when taking turns. The childminder uses targeted interactions to facilitate children's learning and helps children to think of ways to do things for themselves. For example, she encourages children to ask their peers to hold the spoon while they pour the oil onto it, ready to add to their mixture. This helps children to think critically and become independent learners. Children excitedly add red colouring to the dough. They talk about Lunar New Year and the importance of the colour red. This widens children's knowledge around culture and diversity. The childminder helps children to revisit and recall experiences consistently. Children talk

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About this setting

with the childminder about bringing the dough back from their forest trips so it does not harm the animals. This helps to create a respectful culture.

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About this setting

Children demonstrate they feel safe and secure in the childminder's warm and welcoming home-from-home setting. Children have a wealth of confidence as they explore their environment and collaborate together creating scenarios in their imaginative play. They have built secure relationships with each other and show care for younger children.

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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 and children during the inspection. Parents shared their views with the inspector.

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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): 153374

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About this inspection

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

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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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