Buckley, Kirsty Louise

Buckley, Kirsty Louise

Unique reference number (URN): 2757024 Address: 5 Discovery Way, Rotherham, S66 8SF Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 03/01/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Buckley, Kirsty Louise

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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 typically make secure progress from their starting points across all seven areas of learning, developing foundational knowledge. Younger children identify animals on wind-up musical toys and name the sounds they make, while older children use longer sentences to express their personal ideas and recall past events. For instance, children remember that 'the sunshine was in the back garden' early in the day.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children, including those with special, educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who face other barriers to learning, are well prepared for their next stage of development. They become increasingly independent in their self-care, such as during toilet training. Children who previously did not understand the concept of school now show an emerging awareness of the transition. They engage with stories about school and talk about uniforms with curiosity, helping them feel comfortable and confident about the upcoming change. Children gain the skills and understanding required for a successful transition to nursery or school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder establishes a positive environment. Expectations for behaviour are typically understood. She sets clear boundaries from the outset, such as 'no running inside' and 'be kind to one another', which typically helps children understand how to behave appropriately.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children follow well-established routines that provide a predictable structure to their day. Younger children identify and collect their coats, while older children independently put on their own shoes for outdoor play. This promotes a calm atmosphere and supports their growing independence. While younger children are learning to share popular resources, such as ride-on cars, they sometimes require support from the childminder to remember the sharing rules. Children typically accept these reminders, demonstrating a positive attitude toward the setting's expectations.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder promotes the importance of attendance and punctuality by monitoring children's wellbeing. She follows up on unexplained absences promptly to ensure their safety, continuity of care, and learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Relationships between the childminder and children are warm and nurturing. All children learn to play together and respect others, showing an increasing awareness of the needs and feelings of their friends. They call one another by name to invite them into their play, demonstrating kindness and inclusion. As a result, children develop the emotional security needed to form positive relationships.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder establishes reassuring and responsive attachments with children. She ensures that rest, eating, and toileting routines meet individual needs. Children have constant access to fresh drinking water and various fruit options for snack, supporting their physical health. To promote continuity of care, the childminder shares advice with parents regarding healthy lunch box choices to encourage nutritious meals.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder teaches children how to stay safe by ensuring they enter the setting one at a time during adverse weather. As a result, children line up and hold the childminder's hand for support. Children are supported to manage their emotions through the childminder's sensitive interactions. For example, she validates their feelings by explaining 'it is okay to be sad,' which helps them develop a secure sense of emotional wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Hygiene practices are generally promoted to help children stay safe and healthy. The childminder ensures children's noses are wiped and hands are clean before meals. When asked why they must wash their hands, she explains this is due to germs. Children show a growing understanding; for instance, children show visitors their hands to prove no germs are present. However, these messages are not consistently given during routines. As a result, children miss opportunities to fully understand the health practices being promoted.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder typically delivers an ambitious curriculum across all areas of learning. She uses assessment and observation to identify what children know, using 'flower' trackers to maintain a visual overview of their achievements. The childminder uses these to plan activities to build confidence where developmental gaps are identified. This approach ensures she meets the needs of children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder prioritises physical development by providing opportunities that strengthen fine motor skills. For instance, children use small hammers to strike pegs with precision to develop hand-eye coordination. They use spades to fill trailers with sand and larger muscle skills to pull these uphill to develop bodily control and strength.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports personal, social, and emotional development through purposeful interaction. During games such as throwing a ball into a basketball hoop, she encourages children to take turns, helping them learn to wait and respect others. She develops communication and language by introducing unique words, such as clarifying the difference between a 'parrot' and a 'toucan', to expand children's descriptive language.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder introduces mathematical concepts like filling and emptying. Younger children place objects into containers, while older children use shape sorters to solve problems. The childminder encourages some counting words during play. However, she does not yet consistently embed mathematical thinking throughout all activities, such as reinforcing numbers. As a result, children are not consistently supported to naturally weave mathematical language into their play and daily routines to further extend their knowledge.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder promotes an inclusive culture for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She uses termly trackers alongside regularly updated 'all about me' forms to identify children's individual needs. She typically takes action to reduce barriers to learning for all children. For example, she implements patient, small step approaches to potty training to help children reach this developmental milestone.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands procedures for seeking further support, including contacting the local early intervention team for specialist guidance. She has systems to target early years pupil premium funding for disadvantaged children. This includes identifying developmental gaps and providing duplicate resources for families to use at home. The childminder further uses this support to offer children new experiences they may not otherwise have, such as trips to the farm or zoo.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder completes the progress check at age two and shares this with parents and health visitors to provide a clear overview of development. She maintains regular communication with families to ensure a collaborative approach to every child's health and wellbeing. She works closely with parents to review relevant medical correspondence, which ensures she provides tailored care for children who require extra, support such as those with dietary needs. The childminder is currently completing a special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator course to deepen her expertise and ensure her practice remains highly inclusive for all children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a commitment to providing high-quality care and education. Decisions are made in the best interests of all children. She identifies the setting's strengths and takes targeted action to focus on further improvement. For example, she recently redeveloped the outdoor area to increase learning opportunities.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder prioritises professional development to improve outcomes. She accesses training, such as online safeguarding courses, to ensure her knowledge remains up to date. The childminder is currently completing a special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator course to enhance her ability to support children's needs. The childminder liaises with local childminders to support her wellbeing, share best practice and ideas that she implements into the setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Relationships with families are a highlight of the setting. To ensure families are well prepared, the childminder provides bespoke information packs before children start, clearly stating what parents can expect from the childminder. She typically uses newsletters and a teddy bear resource 'Berty Bear' to promote continuity between the setting and home. Parents and children are encouraged to share what they enjoy doing at home. The childminder uses this information about children's interests to mirror routines and support learning in the setting. Parents value the consistent care the childminder gives children. Children are happy, comfortable, and making progress.

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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 benefit from a nurturing environment where they feel safe, valued, and excited to learn. They form trusting bonds with the childminder and typically seek her out for comfort and cuddles when they feel tired or overwhelmed. The setting is generally well organised to allow children to lead their own play. For example, children follow their interests by choosing their own books, while others build physical coordination and strength as they push large trucks along the floor.

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Inspector:

Josie Cumiskey The childminder uses nursery rhymes and songs, such as 'The Wheels on the Bus', to create a language-rich environment that builds children's vocabulary. She is attentive to children's emotional wellbeing and uses sensitive questioning when children become upset, such as 'Did it shock you?' to help them process their feelings. Children benefit from a joined-up approach to their care as the childminder liaises with parents to ensure a steady routine for attendance. This collaborative effort helps children arrive settled and ready to engage, providing a secure foundation for their daily learning.

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Inspector:

Children generally show a sense of belonging and an increasing ability to play together. For instance, they respect their peers' preferences and identify which friends like to eat pears. This social awareness typically extends into their daily routines; children navigate social interactions with ease, working together to put resources away during tidy-up time. They include others by pointing out chairs for their friends at lunchtime, demonstrating genuine kindness.

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Inspector:

Children develop their physical skills through purposeful, tactile play, such as using their body weight to push and squish play dough to build hand strength. They express their ideas with confidence, for instance, by proudly sharing that their 'mummy is the best' during group discussions. Children are becoming resilient learners who celebrate their achievements with the childminder, such as the delight they show when finding the correct jigsaw piece to match an object.

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Next steps

The childminder should refine the mathematics curriculum to consistently extend children's mathematical vocabulary and thinking. The childminder should strengthen the explanations given during hygiene routines to consistently help children understand the importance of self-care and physical health.

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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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Address:

Registered person: Buckley, Kirsty Louise

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 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

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