Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY334744 Registered with Ofsted: 11/05/2006 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has developed inspiring relationships with the children she cares for. She knows children exceptionally well and responds sensitively to their individual needs. As a result, children feel safe and valued, and they confidently express themselves. The childminder promotes a calm, respectful and positive environment. Her expectations for children's behaviour are clear, consistent and well understood by all children. The childminder seamlessly models kindness and respect through her nurturing interactions. Children mirror the childminder's kindness as they play harmoniously together. They are thoughtful and often help each other throughout the day. For example, when preparing to play outside, children not only gather their own water bottles but also those of their younger friends.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder consistently embeds her routines and expectations of behaviour. This helps children to develop a deep sense of responsibility. The childminder encourages children to care for their environment by supporting them in tidying away resources independently. Through her calm and respectful approach, the childminder promotes positive behaviour, preparing children well for the next stage of their learning. The childminder works closely with parents and carers to promote the importance of punctuality and regular attendance. She understands the impact that consistent attendance has on children's learning and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder works collaboratively with parents and carers from the outset. She gathers a wealth of information about children's individual needs, including their routines at home. This helps her form excellent relationships with children. As a result, children are extremely happy and invite the childminder into all aspects of their chosen play.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is highly effective at supporting children in recognising, expressing and managing their emotions. She provides calm guidance and models appropriate emotional responses through natural conversations with children as they play. This helps children develop their emotional understanding and empathy, particularly towards younger children. The childminder helps children understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, she reminds children that water can make steps slippery as they confidently climb the steps on the slide in the garden.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places a high emphasis on children's physical development. For instance, younger children persevere as they push ride-on cars to whizz down a small slope. Older children move and carry plastic stepping stones, setting them out ready to balance along. This helps children to develop strength and core stability. The childminder remains vigilant and makes adaptations during play to support children who may face barriers to learning. This helps children develop resilience and a very positive sense of wellbeing. Through daily routines, the childminder teaches children the benefits of healthy eating and staying hydrated as they play.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children are prepared well for their next stage of learning, including children who speak English as an additional language. Young children speak with confidence and meaning in their imaginative play. Older children recognise letters that are meaningful to them, such as their names. Children show a keen interest in stories. Children show great pride in choosing a story to take home to share with their parents and carers. Children expertly manage their independence and care needs. They skilfully put their coats and boots on, ready for outside play. Children take themselves to the toilet and know to wash their hands without being prompted.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children demonstrate significant physical development skills as they climb, slide, and pull their own body weight up on the various apparatus available in the garden. Overall, children develop their concentration well when accessing the well-planned activities. They use language such as 'heavy' and 'light' as they count the scoops of rice into weighing scales. This supports their early mathematical knowledge. However, younger children do not consistently benefit from the learning intentions in planned activities, as the childminder has not precisely considered what it is she wants them to learn.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has developed an ambitious curriculum. Overall, she has a secure assessment and tracking system in place. This helps her plan to meet the individual needs of children, including those who speak English as an additional language.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder places a focus on children's communication and language development. She skilfully weaves high-quality interactions into practice, modelling language and asking purposeful questions. The childminder also takes every opportunity to introduce counting into children's play. These experiences support children's language development and early mathematical understanding. However, at times, the childminder does not adapt her teaching sufficiently for the youngest children during planned activities. For instance, sometimes, she overly focuses on teaching the older children. This means that she does not consistently build on what younger children already know and can do.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations for children's personal, social and emotional development. She ensures that children have frequent opportunities to develop their self- help skills and manage their personal care needs. Children develop their gross and fine motor skills through a wide range of activities indoors and outdoors. They are physically active in the garden and strengthen the small muscles in their hands, such as through mark making in sand trays. The childminder regularly takes children into the local community, including toddler groups and library sessions. She uses these experiences to help children develop their social skills, gain confidence and understand the wider world.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations of all children's abilities. She works alongside parents and carers and completes regular observations and assessments. This enables her to monitor children's progress and quickly identify any emerging needs. The childminder recognises the need to strengthen her understanding of how to rapidly support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, she has not considered how to further deepen her knowledge.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates an understanding of how and when to engage the support of other professionals and external agencies. This includes how to seek any additional funding that children may qualify for. The childminder understands how to use funding. For instance, she will use it to identify targeted training or provide resources to reduce any barriers to children's learning, promoting children's individual needs. Overall, the childminder understands how she will adapt the curriculum and plan targeted activities to ensure that children with SEND make progress in their learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is experienced and highly reflective in evaluating her provision. She has a secure understanding of her strengths and the areas that require further development. Overall, the childminder engages positively with training opportunities and uses this learning to inform changes to her environment and practice. This includes adapting her provision to better support children's engagement and wellbeing. For instance, the childminder has reduced the amount of resources for children to help develop their focus and concentration skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder recognises that she has not yet fully explored wider professional development opportunities that would deepen her understanding of how to respond swiftly and effectively to the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Despite this, she knows how to seek advice from external professionals and how to access additional funding that children may qualify for to further support their learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents' and carers' written feedback is extremely complimentary. They describe the childminder's setting as a 'home from home', with effective routines that help children feel settled and secure. Parents say that their children have developed significantly in confidence and social skills.

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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 very settled in this nurturing childminder's home. The childminder prioritises building and maintaining secure relationships with children and their families. This enables her to develop her curriculum around the needs of the children she cares for. As a result, children thrive and thoroughly enjoy their time in the childminder's care.

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

The childminder observes children carefully to identify any barriers to learning. She supports children's communication and language development through purposeful interactions, narrating play and introducing new vocabulary. For example, during sensory activities,

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Inspector:

Kelly Lane children explore rice and small-world resources while learning language such as 'scales' and 'chopsticks'. Children also develop an understanding of emotions as they discuss how toy animals might be feeling as they hide them in containers of rice. Children show curiosity and enjoyment as they play alongside their peers. They form positive relationships and demonstrate a deep sense of belonging within the setting.

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Inspector:

Children benefit from a well-planned outdoor environment that the childminder uses to support their physical development and imaginative play. The childminder skilfully follows children's ideas and ensures that resources are easily accessible. For example, children enthusiastically dress up as firefighters and police officers, using ride-on vehicles and role- play equipment to create their own narratives. They make siren sounds, take on different roles and work together as they move around the garden in ride-on cars.

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Inspector:

The childminder establishes clear routines and expectations, which children follow consistently. She helps children move confidently between activities. The childminder encourages children's independence by providing carefully organised resources. She encourages children to tidy up toys independently. This helps children to develop responsibility and pride in their environment. The childminder also works in partnership with parents and carers to promote the importance of regular attendance, ensuring that children benefit fully from the planned curriculum.

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Next steps

The childminder should consider how to strengthen planned activities to support children's next steps in learning more effectively, with a particular focus on the youngest children. The childminder should engage in further professional development to enhance their knowledge and skills in promptly identifying children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure that they achieve the best possible outcomes.

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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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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:15 - 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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