Owen, Laura Rose

Owen, Laura Rose

Unique reference number (URN): 2836307 Address: 18 Withystakes Road, Werrington, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST9 0JD Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 23/04/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Owen, Laura Rose

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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 are typically achieving well and are prepared for the next stage in their learning. They are building a solid foundation of knowledge and skills. Children, including disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well from their starting points to reach developmental goals through individual targeted plans. Children have a positive attitude and eagerness to learn, preparing them for greater participation when they move on to a more structured learning environment, including school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Babies learn to roll, crawl and pull up to a standing position. This builds their confidence and resilience and gives them a sense of achievement, when they succeed. Older children become confident as they learn to use scissors for the first time and cut their play dough. They enjoy taking part in a spaceship counting song. They count from one to 5 and back down from 5. This helps them build subtraction skills. Babies develop their communication and language skills very well as they sing songs and listen to stories read by the childminder. Older children explore and develop language regularly during their play, sharing ideas and using new descriptive vocabulary, such as 'soft, hard', and 'squeeze', during craft activities. However, occasionally, creative activities are overly structured. This limits opportunities for children to explore materials or have the space needed to fully express their own ideas and make choices about how their artwork develops.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is calm and caring and provides a nurturing and welcoming environment, where children feel safe and secure. She has high expectations for children's behaviour and acts as a positive role model. The childminder sets clear and consistent, age-appropriate rules and boundaries that positively impact on children's behaviour. Children's personal, social and emotional development is supported well through the curriculum offered at the childminder's home and when in the community. The childminder develops strong emotional attachments with children. She has a clear understanding of how to do this and, as a result, children develop trusting relationships with her.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder supports children's behaviour well. She provides sensitive support for children's emotional wellbeing, exploring and acknowledging their feelings with reassurance. Children develop an awareness of the behaviour expectations, such as commenting that 'it is nice to take turns and share'. The childminder explains the potential consequences of behaviours, recognising that they might hurt themselves if they climb indoors. The childminder will call parents if their child is absent to check the reason for the absence and offer support if needed.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder knows the children she cares for well. She effectively uses information from parents when children start to ensure each child's care routine is tailored to meet their individual needs. Children confidently arrive and are keen to see their friends. They have warm relationships with the childminder and their peers, and children typically manage their emotions well. Children cooperate and show care towards their friends.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder understands the importance of promoting children's good health. She provides children with healthy, nutritious snacks and meals, plus access to fresh drinking water. Children are supported to complete simple self-care tasks, such as washing their hands before meals. This helps children to develop good hygiene practices. Parents appreciate the guidance and support the childminder gives them on toileting, sleeping and eating. Children learn the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle. They have regular opportunities to play and explore outside and enjoy physical exercise. The childminder encourages children to try different foods and talks to them about making a healthy choice. She provides moments to teach children about how brushing their teeth keeps them healthy.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder promotes children's personal safety and welfare well. For instance, she provides children with privacy when she changes their nappy or their clothing. The childminder helps children to learn about road safety and how to evacuate the home in the event of a fire. She collaborates well with parents to establish clear information about children's dietary needs and any preferences.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder's curriculum is well planned and supports children to make steady developmental progress. The childminder plans learning around children's needs and interests and uses regular observations to monitor progress and identify next steps. She plans activities and new experiences that will help children make timely progress across all areas of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder is highly responsive to children's play and watches carefully as children explore in their own way. She waits for the right moment to extend their play, making suggestions and asking questions to encourage their thinking. Children have valuable opportunities to develop their social skills through a variety of activities, including regular visits to local playgroups. They take part in daily singing and music sessions, where they develop rhythm through clapping and rhymes. This helps children to develop their listening skills. The childminder supports children's language skills through conversations, comments and questions. The childminder seizes opportunities to share mathematical concepts with children. For example, as children play they are encouraged to consider the size, shape and quantity of the resources they are using. The childminder ensures children have a good variety of opportunities for developing their physical skills. Children enjoy regular visits to

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

parks and use equipment to support their gross motor skills. They refine their hand–eye coordination and fine motor skills when completing jigsaw puzzles and using tools to manipulate play dough.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides children with a wide range of resources and equipment, which are arranged to allow children to make their own choices and to access equipment independently. However, the childminder does not consider how, on occasions, children have too many toys out, and this impacts on their ability to play and focus on what interests them.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder is committed to providing care and learning experiences that meet the unique needs of the children in her care. She is reflective and responsive, taking account of how children respond during activities and care routines. She adapts her approach during activities, which helps to ensure that children are supported in all aspects of their care and learning. The childminder understands that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who may face other barriers to their learning, learn in diverse ways and that different approaches are needed to help them make appropriate progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder gathers detailed information from parents about their children. She uses this information and her own knowledge of children to identify children's next steps in learning and plan appropriate experiences to support them. Effective and precise assessments enable the childminder to identify any gaps in children's learning and seek additional support if necessary. The childminder is committed to ensuring her knowledge remains current and attends a wide range of training opportunities. These equip her to embed effective strategies specially devised to support children with SEND when needed. The childminder would consult with parents and external professionals involved in children's lives to identify where best to focus any funding she receives.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has drive and ambition to evaluate and improve her overall provision. She evaluates the impact of her interactions with children and reflects on how she can enhance her practice. The childminder and her co-childminder are reflective and evaluate the experiences they provide for children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Partnerships with families and other settings that children attend are effective and enhance children's experiences. The childminder's thoughtful and reflective leadership ensures that the setting typically operates effectively, inclusively and in the best interests of all children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is passionate about her professional development. She is committed to improving her knowledge. The childminder has undertaken a wealth of research and training into supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who may face other barriers to their learning. For example, training on how best to support children with SEND has equipped her with effective strategies and systems to provide tailored support for children who require it. The childminder is proactive in seeking advice from professionals and external agencies when needed, to support the learning and development of children with SEND in her setting. She understands how working closely with the early years adviser and inclusion team will support children with SEND meet their targets and close gaps in their learning and progress.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children are happy and secure at the setting and thrive in the childminder's care. The childminder creates a calm, stimulating and relaxed environment, where children settle in quickly, and their individual needs are highly valued.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children follow their own interests and can choose from a wide range of resources at the setting. The childminder provides the children with a variety of opportunities, indoors and outdoors. Children can explore the local environment and nature. They share these experiences with a wider range of children and adults at groups in the community. The childminder demonstrates well how she values the importance of attendance and how attending regularly benefits each child's developmental progress.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

The childminder, when needed, will work closely with other agencies and professionals involved in children's care to develop a supportive approach that is adapted to children's individual needs. Each child's individual starting points are understood by the childminder, including any barriers to learning. The childminder uses appropriate adjustments to routines and activities to support children's next steps. Children are given meaningful opportunities to join in, build confidence and experience success at their own pace, which supports their growing independence. Children are very well supported to achieve their learning goals across the curriculum through a wide range of play opportunities. This, along with the childminder's highly effective support and encouragement, helps to ensure that all children achieve the desired outcomes. Children demonstrate effective language skills. The childminder models language well. Children have meaningful conversations with their peers.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

As they play, they talk to their friends about which of their towers is the tallest and which shape they should add next. Children are becoming confident communicators and developing the negotiation skills they need for life.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure that activities and learning environments are organised effectively to promote children's learning and development. The childminder should build on current teaching methods to enhance children's creativity and imagination.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her co-childminder and children during the inspection.

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Address:

18 Withystakes Road Werrington Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire ST9 0JD

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 05:30

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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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Age range of children at the time of 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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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 . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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