Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 501789 Registered with Ofsted: 21/06/2001 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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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The nurturing childminder places the highest priority on children's welfare and wellbeing. Children thrive in a welcoming environment where they feel safe and secure. They attend 'settle sessions' with their parents when they start. This helps the childminder to gain a wealth of knowledge about children to help them settle quickly. Although the childminder works term-time only, she keeps in contact with the families during the holidays. This helps to ensure a smooth transition back into the setting. Children are secure in themselves and eager to explore their surroundings.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Care routines are well established to help children develop an understanding of healthy lifestyles. Children thoroughly enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as organic foods, throughout the day. The childminder takes children on a variety of trips to local parks and farms, and she has created an engaging and inviting outdoor environment. This encourages children to build a love of the outdoors and get regular fresh air and exercise. Children access a variety of physical activities, such as obstacle courses, to help them release their energy in a safe way. The childminder works closely with parents to promote children's individual needs in relation to healthy eating and oral health. All children are given a dental pack when they start at the setting. This develops children's knowledge of healthy oral hygiene. The childminder ensures all children sleep in a safe environment that is in line

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates a positive culture around continuous professional development. She is highly responsive to the individual needs of the children in her setting. For example, the childminder regularly attends courses to enhance her skills and knowledge based on the individual needs of the children in her care. She has used this information to strengthen her practice, such as introducing literacy bags to develop children's language and love of books.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is highly proactive in adapting her provision so that children in her care benefit from the environment she provides. She works closely with other professionals to gain information that underpins her practice to support children's individual needs. The childminder has excellent relationships with parents. They receive high-quality guidance and support. For example, the childminder provides parents with a wealth of information about keeping children safe. Since the last inspection, the childminder has taken action to improve her procedures for risk assessments. She makes sure that all environments and resources are checked on an ongoing basis to ensure children are safe.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are making steady progress in all areas of their development. They are confident to communicate their needs, and the childminder supports these well. They show independence in making their own choices through play. For example, children choose resources from the role-play area to bring over to another activity to further extend their imaginative play. Overall, children are developing their communication and language skills. The childminder works closely with parents and other professionals to help support children's individual needs so they continue to make progress in this area of development.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children's physical skills are developing well. They manipulate materials using scoops to pour and plastic knives to cut, developing their small physical skills. In the outdoor area, children develop their large muscles by engaging in obstacle courses and climbing trees. Children are making progress to prepare them for the next stage of their development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder provides a welcoming environment for the children where they feel secure in exploring the environment around them. She creates warm and welcoming relationships with children. They lovingly cuddle up on her knee to listen to stories as they calmly prepare to transition to sleep.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children behave extremely well. The childminder talks to children in a calm manner and uses positive language. Children happily find objects in sensory trays, and the childminder praises their achievements. This helps children to develop their sense of belonging.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder provides a consistent routine for children to help them develop their understanding of what is happening and what is coming next. During play times, the childminder engages children in exciting experiences, which helps them to develop positive attitudes to learning. However, although she focuses strongly on children's individual needs through planned activities, she does not always consider how to enhance children's learning in other parts of the routine, such as mealtimes. For example, children do not always have the opportunity to practise the skills they have learned in other situations, such as independent self-care. The childminder has well-embedded procedures in place to support children's attendance, and she ensures this is managed safely and consistently.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder carefully considers her curriculum to ensure that she focuses on children's next stage of learning. She regularly assesses their development and shares this information with parents so that learning can be continued in the home environment. Children benefit from activities that capture their curiosity in all areas of learning and help them focus. They laugh with excitement as they squish and mould the fine sand into different shapes with the support of the childminder. She has experience of planning and adapting experiences that support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children are exposed to a vast vocabulary. The childminder talks to children about the 'green avocados' as they role play and encourages children to engage in books. Through activities, the childminder provides opportunities for children to hear and practise new language. However, occasionally, the childminder does not provide children with enough

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

time to respond and allow them to further their language skills. The childminder skilfully includes opportunities for children to learn different mathematical ideas during their play. For example, as children explore in the ocean sensory box, the childminder encourages them to find different shapes and match them together. This helps children learn about similarities and differences.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder creates an inclusive environment where all children feel included. She works closely with children and their families to identify their individual needs and plans for these accordingly. When children need a little extra support, the childminder works with other professionals to obtain information and support to help children in both their care and learning. For example, the childminder has worked closely with specialists to gain advice and activities for children to develop their speech and language, and to support with feeding.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has a regular two-way flow of communication with parents so that they can continue to support learning at home. When the childminder's setting is not a child's main setting of care, she ensures she communicates with other settings to enable them to work together to meet children's needs. The childminder is currently working with children to help develop their social skills with others and then feeds back progress to the parents and other settings.

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Inclusion Expected standard

During children's play, the childminder teaches children about the world around them. For example, children engage in books with her about different types of families and talk about the similarities and differences. This helps children learn about respect for others.

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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 demonstrate a sense of belonging in the warm and welcoming environment that the childminder creates. They confidently make decisions in their play and access the environment independently. The childminder takes into consideration children's safety and wellbeing during care routines, in particular sleep times. Children cuddle into the childminder as she provides calming experiences to help them smoothly transition to sleep. All equipment is checked to ensure children are safe and secure.

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

Children engage in a wide variety of experiences that develop their curiosity and engagement in learning. Children's eyes light up and they giggle happily with the childminder as they explore the 'under-the-sea' themed resources. They show 'can-do' attitudes as the childminder supports children to learn how to open and close beaded bracelets. Children demonstrate an eagerness to learn and to develop their skills.

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

The childminder demonstrates an appropriate knowledge of the importance of developing children's language and communication skills. Children have regular access to books that they share with the childminder. They listen to stories intently, communicating with the childminder through gestures and some words. Overall, children access some activities that help them to progress in their language development. Children access a well-resourced environment, enabling them to develop a variety of skills. The childminder places a high priority on supporting children's wellbeing. Children relish nutritious, home-cooked meals and healthy snacks. They develop skills such as feeding themselves and are learning about healthy lifestyles.

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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 consistently support children's language and communication skills in her interactions with them. The childminder should use moments throughout the daily routine to further enhance learning and provide children with opportunities to practise learned skills.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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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