Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY221814 Registered with Ofsted: 21/02/2003 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 Expected standard

Children are making typical progress in relation to their age and stage of development and starting points. Children enjoy exploring and playing with play dough that they made earlier in the week. They learn how to use different shape cutters. They extend their mathematical development as they learn the names of the shapes, such as 'circle' and 'stars'. It also supports their small-muscle development as they manipulate the cutters into the dough.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children regularly recall what they have been taught by the childminder, putting these newfound skills into practice. For example, they learn to count items and start to understand early mathematical language such as 'next to', 'faster than', 'slower than' and 'on top of'. This helps children to extend their language development as they start to use these phrases during their play.

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Achievement Expected standard

The childminder ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those facing other barriers to learning, are supported to make progress from their individual starting points. Children develop the skills, knowledge and confidence needed for the next stage of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has secure bonds with all children in her care. Children are highly confident learners. The childminder is consistent in teaching children about their behaviour and the importance of sharing. Children work well alongside each other, sharing toys and resources. Children regularly explain to each other that 'sharing is caring', recalling what they have been taught. Throughout the day, the childminder praises children, using positive reinforcement to foster and support children's personal and social development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder reviews children's attendance and works closely with parents to ensure that learning is uninterrupted, adjusting sessions to accommodate changing shift patterns. This proactive approach ensures that children receive their full entitlement and are able to engage consistently in learning experiences. Well-established routines are in place, which children know well. They do not need to be reminded to wash their hands prior to meals and eagerly find their bed ready for rest after lunch.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has a secure bond with the children in her care. The childminder takes time to reassure and settle children if they arrive upset. She gives them time to calm down, giving plenty of cuddles and reassurance. She talks to them gently, soothing them to aid their wellbeing. Children learn about their own feelings and emotions by well-thought-out activities carried out by the childminder. The childminder encourages children to talk about how they feel, helping them to regulate their feelings and behaviour.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder works closely with her co-minder to provide a balanced menu and teaches children about their own health and wellbeing. The childminder talks with the children during meals about the effect food has on their bodies. The childminder also works closely with parents of children who have severe food allergies. This helps to support children's safety. The childminder is highly mindful of children's individual routines. She ensures that they have plenty of food during the day and works with parents to ensure that children have their rest according to their individual needs. When children become tired, she is alert to ensure that they are able to go to sleep in a quiet environment, enabling them to rest.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder delivers a broad and engaging curriculum that enables children to make progress appropriate to their starting points and prepares them well for the next stage of their learning and development. She is skilled in supporting children to move confidently between activities, exploring new experiences and extending their learning across all areas. During some activities, older children's learning is not always maximised. For example, during a play dough activity, children are not supported to extend their manipulation of the dough and use the cutters more effectively.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder places a strong emphasis on building strong foundations for learning, prioritising children's physical, personal and social development. Children demonstrate confidence and independence, seeking reassurance from the childminder when needed, and are encouraged to develop problem-solving skills. For example, children work out how to reattach the front of a baby walker, using reasoning and persistence to achieve their goal. Children also develop fine motor control and hand–eye coordination through activities such as rolling balls back and forth with the childminder, as well as manipulating small objects during play.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Through purposeful interactions, careful observation and responsive support, the childminder ensures that children develop key skills and grow in confidence and independence across all areas of the curriculum.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works in partnership with parents when children first start in her care. She is alert to children's backgrounds and the languages they speak. However, the childminder does not always make full use of the information she gathers about children's backgrounds and home languages to inform her planning and further support their communication and language development. The childminder has experience supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and is aware of how to liaise with parents and external professionals to provide continuity of care and ensure that children receive the right support. Although the childminder does not have any children on roll receiving additional funding, she is aware of how to assess the impact this has on children's learning and development.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works with her co-minder in assessing children's stages of learning and next steps. She uses this information effectively to understand where children's learning is and what next steps to carry out with the children. She uses these assessments effectively to plan targeted activities that support children's progress and shares this information with parents so they can work collaboratively to extend learning at home. This approach ensures that children receive tailored support to reduce potential barriers to their learning and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works in partnership with her co-minder to review and evaluate the quality of care and curriculum she provides for all children. The childminder keeps herself up to date on training and practice to support children's learning. For example, she has recently attended training to help her to better understand children's brain development and how they learn. She has shared this knowledge with her co-minder so they can both provide high- quality care and teaching for children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents to support children's experiences at the setting. She reviews any queries parents have and feeds back to them any changes she makes. This helps parents to be kept informed of any changes and provides strong continuity of care for children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works with parents when children first start to find out all about the children to aid their settling in. She uses the starting points to assess children's progress effectively. The childminder is able to plan a curriculum that meets children's individual needs.

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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 are happy and settle quickly in the care of the childminder. They thoroughly enjoy high-quality activities that support their learning and development, demonstrating curiosity and enthusiasm. Children achieve well from their different starting points, making sustained progress in key skills, and the childminder prepares them for their next stage of learning effectively. They develop independence, confidence and age-appropriate knowledge, and they are highly confident learners who readily express their likes and interests. For example, children use play dough with shape cutters to explore shapes and develop small-muscle control. They apply counting skills during activities such as using piggy banks and rolling balls, demonstrating an understanding of concepts like 'faster than' and 'next to'.

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

All children develop a strong sense of belonging. They form positive relationships with the childminder and with their peers, learning alongside each other in an inclusive environment. Older children support younger ones, role modelling language and cooperative behaviours, which reinforces the importance of working together. Children are encouraged to share and express their feelings, building empathy and social awareness. Families are welcomed and valued in the setting, and their contributions are actively encouraged to support children's learning and wellbeing.

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

Through purposeful interactions, skilled questioning and encouragement, children develop as confident, curious learners who are enthusiastic about exploring new skills and experiences. They learn about the world around them through multicultural resources, discussions about different countries and small-world play. Children build strong foundations for their next stage of learning, demonstrating resilience, creativity and a love of learning within a safe and inclusive environment.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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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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Next steps

The childminder should continue to build strong partnerships with parents to support and value children's home languages, further enhancing their language development. The childminder should provide more challenge for older children during activities to further progress children's learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the provider 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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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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