Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY430312 Registered with Ofsted: 01/08/2011 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 Strong standard

All children make excellent progress in their early learning and development, particularly in communication and language. Older children listen with intent and ask questions. Children who face barriers to their learning close gaps at a rapid pace. For instance, children learn new words, practise their pronunciation and then use them while they play. Although children's understanding of their feelings and emotions is still developing, they make excellent progress across all other areas of learning and are well equipped with the skills, knowledge and confidence they need for the next stage.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children flourish in their independence skills because the childminder teaches them to do things for themselves. Children are fiercely independent. When the childminder offers support, they decline, and they persevere until they can manage things on their own. The childminder's hands-off approach, combined with gentle encouragement, equips children for the next stage in their learning. Children are prepared for starting school; they are inquisitive, curious and self-assured.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has extensive knowledge about how young children learn. She adopts a play-based curriculum sequenced around key themes and stories. These are meticulously chosen to make sure that they give children a broad and varied curriculum that focuses on their next steps for learning. The childminder assesses children's progress and builds what they need to learn next into everyday activities and routines. She expertly weaves mathematics into her conversations. Children use prepositional language and count with confidence. The childminder has identified that helping children explore their feelings and emotions is an area for further development; however, her teaching across all other areas of the curriculum is consistently high quality, and children make rapid progress in their communication, language and mathematical development.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Interactions with children are of a very high quality. The childminder uses everyday opportunities to extend, enhance and enrich children's learning. There is a sharp focus on providing children with rich language to develop their communication skills. For example, when children see a digger, they talk in detail about what they observe. Children recognise that the workers are wearing yellow jackets. The childminder explains that this makes them visible as they work. The children then exclaim in delight that they can see 3 workers wearing helmets, and they recall that they help keep them safe. Children are making links between what they know to establish new learning supported by the childminder. The focus on children's early language development is highly successful. They talk about reflection and use words such as 'glistening' and 'shiny'. Young children are confident and competent communicators considering their age.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder supports children in managing their behaviour well. She has age- appropriate expectations, and children know what is expected of them. For example, children collaborate and help to tidy up so that they can get new toys out. As children play, they share ideas and work together to develop positive attitudes to their learning. Children demonstrate friendly behaviour, but sometimes younger children need more support to regulate their emotions and to make the correct choices. The childminder knows that this is an area for her to focus on.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Parents say that the childminder is nurturing and their children excel in the structured and stimulating environment. They appreciate practical advice that they receive. For example, the childminder produces personalised sleep charts to support routines at home. The childminder works closely with families to highlight the positive impact of regular attendance and punctuality on children's learning and development. She is flexible in her approach to support working families.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder builds responsive relationships with each child. Children develop secure attachments, which supports their wellbeing. Children approach the childminder when they need comfort and reassurance. When children face barriers to their learning, the childminder meets their individual needs so that they feel respected and valued. For example, she takes children on trips to the circus so that they can access a wide range of experiences. She teaches them how to stay safe when they are walking in the community. Children take home a travel bear, and they write about its adventures. This builds an inclusive environment and gives children a sense of belonging.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder assists children in understanding the connection between physical development and health. She provides children time to be active every day. Alongside these activities, children receive support to manage their feelings. The childminder talks to older children about their emotions. However, she has not yet extended this approach effectively with the younger children in her care. This means that they do not yet learn how best to manage their emotions. Children's care routines are adapted in line with their experiences at home to provide consistency.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses the excellent relationships she has with children to monitor their progress. She uses her observations to plan next steps that are unique to each child. This helps her identify if any children have any gaps in their learning or support needs. She then adapts her teaching with targeted interventions. Parents receive this information to foster a collaborative approach for their children. For example, they discuss and work together to decide which behaviour management strategies will work best. This shared approach provides children with consistency in their care. However, the childminder has not yet built effective relationships with all the settings children attend. As a result, there is not always a coordinated approach to supporting children's learning across different provisions.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands and applies the graduated approach when children need more support. This means that she can draw on the advice and expertise of external professionals when needed. She also understands how to make effective use of funding to identify ways to remove any barriers to children's learning and promote their individual needs. For instance, the childminder ensures that children have access to garden resources to support those who live in built-up areas. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make continual progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is very reflective and strives to improve and enhance the setting for children. She consults parents to seek their views. This helps the childminder ensure that she provides an inclusive environment that meets all children's needs. For instance, the childminder has displayed photos of the children playing with the resources on offer. They can then choose what they would like to play with from the store cupboard. Children have a voice and make choices about what they would like to do. When children ask to go in the garden, the childminder adapts her plans to accommodate their request.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has excellent relationships with staff at the nurseries and schools she collects children from. However, she has not yet established the same professional relationships with newer settings that children attend. This means that there are some inconsistencies in sharing information about children's care and development. The childminder attends briefing sessions with the 2 local authorities she borders so that she receives up-to-date information about early years. She disseminates this information to parents. For example, she has provided them with information about funding and healthy eating.

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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 show positive relationships with the childminder and each other. The childminder's home is full of conversation, laughter and giggles. The children are extremely well settled in the care of the calm and friendly childminder. She puts children's welfare and wellbeing first. This makes the children feel safe and secure from the onset. Children adore spending time with the childminder, as she gives them plenty of tickles, cuddles and attention. The relationships the childminder has built with children and their parents provide a secure base for children to grow and thrive.

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

Children enjoy playing with their friends. They develop their social skills as they collaborate to build a train track together. They take votes to decide what song they would like to dance to. Children are well integrated into their local community; they go out most days. For example, they visit toddler groups, local parks and the library. Children select books to take home and then fetch a story mat so that they can listen to the story. Children listen intently, looking at the pictures and answering questions. They develop a love of books from a young age.

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

The childminder has a sharp focus on promoting good health and oral hygiene. The childminder makes sure that children have lots of fruit and vegetables in their diet. Children peel their bananas and satsumas at mealtimes. They discuss what they like to eat and describe pineapples as 'hard' and 'spiky'. Conversations that the childminder initiates expose children to rich and varied language. This helps them become competent and confident communicators.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 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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Next steps

The childminder should build effective relationships with staff at new settings children attend to develop a collaborative approach to sharing information about children's care and learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children and read parent reviews 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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