Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY421216 Registered with Ofsted: 27/01/2011 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, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, make typical progress from their starting points. They are becoming confident in their communication and language. For example, younger children who initially relied on babbling are now progressing to talking and singing.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are developing physical coordination and motor skills. For instance, they focus intently on tasks such as manipulating shape sorters or using brushes to make marks. Children are also gaining the independence they need for their next stage of learning, such as managing their own toileting and putting on their shoes and coats. Children are generally well prepared for school. Older children are confident in expressing their own ideas and taking the lead in their play. They are learning to manage emotions and build the resilience needed for their next stage in education.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has established a positive environment with clear expectations for behaviour. She supports children to learn to play together and to get along with others. During play, children are typically kind and considerate towards one another. They show an interest in their peers' activities and engage with one another. For example, children ask their friend, 'What are you drawing?' When conflicts arise over popular toys, the childminder uses verbal reminders to reinforce rules, such as using 'kind hands'. Children generally respond well to these prompts by choosing a different activity. This cooperation helps to maintain a settled environment.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder acts as a reassuring presence for children when they find expectations and boundaries challenging. She provides calm, gentle reassurance and cuddles to help children regulate their feelings. Older children act as positive role models to their younger friends, demonstrating how to take turns, for instance. This approach helps younger children understand the importance of patience and develop an early awareness of the needs of others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder promotes the importance of attendance and punctuality to parents and carers. She ensures they understand that inconsistent attendance can negatively impact children's progress and development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder establishes secure, responsive relationships and meets children's needs with sensitivity. She notices small cues when they are tired or hungry, offering cuddles and reassurance to provide comfort. This approach helps children feel secure.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder generally supports children well to express and manage their emotions. For example, when children take toys from others, she validates their feelings by acknowledging they are sad when asked to stop. She gently encourages them to share and wait for their turn. As a result, children develop positive social interactions and proudly tell the childminder 'They shared with me' after a toy is returned.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supports children to develop an understanding of their health and physical development. She teaches personal hygiene routines and adapts these for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. She prioritises healthy eating and provides balanced meals, ensuring fresh water is available. The childminder has a secure understanding of how to maintain a safe sleeping environment. She performs daily visual checks of the premises to ensure they are ready for play.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children learn to use tools safely, such as using safe knives to cut bananas at snack time. However, the childminder does not always provide simple explanations for safety rules, such as when children are fastened into seats with safety straps, to further support their understanding of personal safety.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a curriculum that covers all areas of learning. She understands her teaching quality and purposefully improves her practice. For instance, she prioritises training on emotional needs to adapt her teaching effectively. Using children's starting points, the childminder identifies what they know and need to learn next. She prioritises communication and language by introducing new vocabulary. For example, when children paint daffodils, she introduces words such as 'petals' and 'stalk' to help them connect with the natural world. Mathematics is typically integrated into daily play as the childminder encourages children to explore the shapes they create when making marks. Younger children demonstrate their understanding by using the word 'triangle' during these discussions, for example.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Personal, social and emotional development is supported by encouraging children to be independent. Children generally take responsibility for their play by accessing their own resources, such as squeezing paints for creative activities. The childminder plans group activities to help children learn the importance of taking turns and sharing with peers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

To support physical development, the childminder sequences skills to build on what children can already do. While older children remove lids from felt-tip pens independently, she supports younger children as they develop their coordination. This approach ensures children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known (or previously known) to children's social care and those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, are prepared for their next stage in learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has established an inclusive environment. She identifies and assesses children's individual needs through regular observations and the progress check at age 2. To ensure a collaborative approach to children's development, the childminder shares these checks with parents and other professionals, such as health visitors. She uses this knowledge to identify any gaps in learning and create next steps. The childminder is proactive in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known (or previously known) to children's social care, or those facing barriers to their wellbeing. She uses specific training to enhance her ability to reduce learning barriers. For example, she provides a steady and familiar presence, carefully validating children's 'big emotions'. By sitting with children to work through feelings together, she generally helps them build the resilience needed to re-engage with their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses small-step techniques to build children's confidence and ensure they can participate fully in all activities. She works with local schools to ensure children receive specific interventions and a joined-up approach to their emotional wellbeing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands the process for accessing early years pupil premium funding to provide additional resources and support to close gaps in learning for disadvantaged children. As a result, all children typically make progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder generally reflects on her practice to identify what works well and what she needs to improve. She keeps her knowledge current by attending training sessions, including specific training to enhance her support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. To further develop her practice, she liaises with other childminders in the local area to share thoughts and ideas for activities. This collaboration informs the childminder's own setting and the sessions she attends and contributes to at local playgroups.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder establishes regular communication with families to share information about children's daily routines and progress. Parents and carers appreciate her kind and gentle approach and feel she encourages their children's individual interests. This communication typically helps to provide a steady experience for children between the setting and home.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder maintains professional relationships with local schools, where she shares information regarding children's wellbeing and development. However, she has not embedded the way she shares information about children's learning and development with other settings they may attend. As a result, the childminder does not consistently promote a collaborative approach to supporting all children's learning, development and wellbeing.

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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 settle quickly and develop trusting relationships with the childminder, who provides a welcoming environment. The childminder uses accurate starting points to plan a purposeful curriculum for all. Children use this secure emotional base to explore and lead their own play. The childminder encourages children to be independent and persistent. For example, when children, including those with learning barriers, find tasks difficult or a toy does not work as expected, she prompts them to test their ideas and adapts her teaching to

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Inspector:

Josie Cumiskey ensure full participation. As a result, children learn to solve problems, manage frustrations and build confidence as they work together.

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Inspector:

Children show a genuine interest in books and enjoy sharing stories. The childminder uses these moments to extend curiosity and early literacy skills. By helping children to identify specific details, such as titles and characters, the childminder encourages them to begin to understand how stories are structured. Through these shared reading experiences, children start to recognise the different parts of a book and develop their appreciation for storytelling. Children are learning to be kind and cooperative. They care for one another's wellbeing, such as when children offer a toy to a peer who is feeling sad. The childminder uses clear boundaries and routines, such as a 'please and thank you' song, to help children understand expectations. She works with parents to support good attendance, helping children benefit from the consistency of these routines. Children respond well to these prompts, demonstrating developing social skills and consideration for others.

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Inspector:

The childminder prioritises children's physical needs and healthy habits. Children take pride in their self-care, announcing when they have washed their hands before eating. They benefit from fresh air and exercise through daily walks in the community. The childminder uses personal-care routines, such as nappy changing, to further support communication skills. She narrates her actions and encourages children to say 'all clean' at the end of the routine to help them gain an understanding of the process.

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Next steps

The childminder should enhance how she teaches children to manage risks and their personal safety. The childminder should develop partnership working with other settings that children attend to enhance consistency in their care and learning.

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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 : 07:00 - 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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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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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