Wilks, Michelle

Wilks, Michelle

Unique reference number (URN): EY459799 Address: 21 Bell Meadow, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 9NB Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 15/07/2013 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Wilks, Michelle Elaine

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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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder promotes a caring environment, where children fully adopt and demonstrate the expectations for behaviour. They are highly familiar and confident with the routines of the day, such as tidying up before going outside. Children display high levels of kindness and respect for their friends. They are very well supported to manage their feelings, resolve conflict and work collaboratively together during activities. For instance, they are taught to understand why another child may be behaving or approaching in a certain way. They learn that everybody is different but everybody is equal, and how to approach this in their daily interactions. Children ask adults to join in with their games and squeal with delight at the attention and involvement they contribute to their play experiences. This harmonious culture contributes to high levels of engagement and positive relationships for all.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder recognises the importance of ensuring that children attend their sessions regularly. She prepares children well for the routine of going to school as well as applying their social skills in a variety of situations. For example, she attends a local toddler group, where children mix with others from the local community. Children become familiar with other people and environments and what is expected of them, leading to manners and positive experiences, when they move on to nursery or school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder and her assistants have a highly secure understanding of how to promote children's welfare and wellbeing. For example, they expertly weave in important opportunities for children to talk about their feelings and emotions. They read books together and consider how the characters feel. This encourages highly meaningful discussion. The adults discuss people in the community who can keep us safe, such as the fire and rescue service. Children learn that they can dial '999' from a phone, and the danger that fire and smoke might cause. This helps children to understand personal safety and who trusted people are, if they are worried.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places a high value on ensuring that children have a solid understanding of healthy and active lifestyles. Children enjoy nutritious snacks and evening meals. They take part in a wide range of activities that encourage physical development and keep fit. For example, they visit a range of parks and soft-play entertainment centres, so that children can practise agility and balance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children develop very good self-care skills around personal hygiene and manage their personal needs well. Very young children use the toilet with support and are reminded to wash their hands. They understand about privacy and dignity and ask for tissues when needed. Routines are clear, consistent and help children to feel secure and settled.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are very well prepared for the next stage in their learning. For example, they know to put on their own shoes and coats, and to have a go at fastening things themselves. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and who speak English as an additional language are well considered. For example, they benefit from planned activities that enable them to fully participate. Children sort objects into coloured bowls. They hear and recognise the name for the corresponding colour in both English and other languages spoken in the setting. Other children who require additional intervention with their communication development receive the effective support and resources needed to help them to achieve, such as simple signing modelled enthusiastically by the adults. All children make consistent progress from their starting points. However, during independent playtimes, the occasional high noise levels in the setting mean that children are not yet consistently

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Achievement Expected standard

developing their listening and communication skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder's curriculum provides meaningful opportunities for children to explore and learn about the natural world. She has plans to develop the outdoor area, to provide children with rich learning experiences about growth and changes in the natural environment. These experiences ignite children's curiosity, deepen their understanding of the world around them and foster a lasting appreciation for nature.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The experiences offered to children incorporate the prime areas of learning, such as the development of basic skills in physical development, social and emotional development and communication and language. The childminder and assistants also weave in important skills to help promote a love of learning for reading, mark making and early mathematics. Overall, the intended curriculum is delivered well.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children enjoy creative activities, but some are structured in ways that reduce opportunities for them to experiment and express themselves. For example, when shapes are pre-cut, children have fewer chances to practise using tools or develop their own imaginative ideas. Therefore, the childminder should provide more consistency in allowing children to have their own ideas and independence in creative tasks.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder provides a stimulating home-from-home environment. For example, she ensures she is aware of unique family situations, which may need careful management and support. This helps any child with possible barriers to their learning to access the full curriculum and make continued progress in their learning and wellbeing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder and her assistants work successfully together to discuss children's individual needs and progress. They assess children's learning and development, including completing the progress check at age two years. The childminder shares information with parents and helps them to seek support from outside agencies, when there are concerns about a child's development. This helps to ensure children receive the specialist help they require.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder completes training to help support her inclusive practice and understands the potential impact that funding can make on children's learning and development. She describes how the additional support offered for children that may face difficulty can be effectively and appropriately used, to ensure all children have the same opportunities and to fully maximise their progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is reflective in her ongoing practice. For example, she has recently reviewed her risk assessment procedures, when taking children on outings. This practice is shared with her assistants to ensure a consistent approach to children's safety.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder also continuously evaluates her curriculum and teaching to ensure that children are engaged and learning well. She completes relevant training to build on her skills and shares ideas with her assistants to develop their ongoing skills and practice. This reflective approach helps her to provide a consistent curriculum that supports children's learning and enables them to make secure progress. The childminder is still developing a fully consistent approach to ensuring her curriculum planning reflects children's own ideas and creativity.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has sound knowledge of how to assess children's development. She implements an ambitious curriculum and plans children's next steps in learning well. The childminder provides excellent opportunities for parents and carers to contribute to their children's learning. She works with other external professionals, such as the health visitor and local authority advisory service. This helps to contribute to the ongoing progress that children make.

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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 access to a safe and stimulating environment, where they show they are extremely well settled and cared for by the childminder and her staff. The childminder's nurturing and considerate interactions enable children to feel secure and confident to explore their surroundings. Children can choose from interesting and engaging activities, both indoors and outdoors, where they enjoy and learn important life skills to prepare them for the next stage in their learning.

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

The childminder and her assistants plan and create a wide range of learning opportunities. For example, children explore ice and water. They investigate how they can release animals that live in cold climates, such as the snowy owl. Children use their initiative to solve problems, cooperate with others and learn key vocabulary as they go. The childminder and her assistants have an in-depth knowledge of children's individual learning needs. Their use of skilled interactions means that children make sound progress from their starting points. Children demonstrate high levels of social skills, are considerate towards others and are very adept in offering help to their friends. The adults support younger children, or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to manage their approach to their peers, when sharing and turn-taking. The childminder continually checks on children's wellbeing. Children

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

behave impeccably well and understand the rules and boundaries. This is well promoted as adults precisely model the expected behaviours and actions.

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

The childminder has high expectations for every child and places a strong focus on attendance. Children enjoy coming to the setting, and parents value the nurture and family approach provided. Children's individual learning needs are well supported through the childminder's knowledge of what they know and can do. The childminder's understanding

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Address:

Registered person: Wilks, Michelle Elaine about their individual circumstances and any barriers to their learning ensures the curriculum and the support given can be tailored to their needs.

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Next steps

The childminder should review the noise levels during children's independent play activities, to support their listening, language and communication skills. The childminder should provide a consistent approach that encourages children to try out their own ideas and develop even higher levels of creativity and imagination.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and her 2 assistants 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 inspection

We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this. Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR

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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

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 .

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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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