Howlett, Frances Anne

Howlett, Frances Anne

Unique reference number (URN): 111798 Address: 3 Brinksway, Fleet, Hampshire, GU51 3LZ Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 16/02/2001 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Howlett, Frances Anne

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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, including those who receive additional support, demonstrate excellent attitudes to learning. They participate confidently in activities and express their thoughts and ideas in various ways. Children listen attentively and show high levels of respect for one another. They are consistently polite and confidently say 'please' and 'thank you'.

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Achievement Strong standard

Very young children show excellent independence and self-care skills. They follow familiar daily practices with confidence and demonstrate a sound understanding of personal hygiene and safety. Children are highly imaginative in their play. They confidently use new vocabulary in context, such as 'full' and 'empty', as they excitedly fill plant pots with soil, for example.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children demonstrate perseverance and growing self-belief in their abilities. All children are making excellent progress. They are developing the key skills they need for their future learning, including their readiness for school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder maintains high expectations for children's behaviour and skilfully weaves consistent boundaries into everyday activities. Daily routines, such as tidying away resources, putting lids back on pens after use and preparing for mealtimes, are embedded in the children's day and help them understand expectations clearly. The childminder provides gentle reminders and reinforces them with sensitive explanations about keeping play areas safe and free of hazards. She thoughtfully adapts her expectations to reflect children's ages and stages of development, ensuring that each child understands what is expected of them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder creates a calm and nurturing environment where children develop highly secure attachments. She consistently models respectful behaviour, which has a significantly positive impact on children's attitudes. Children show genuine compassion and naturally use words such as 'excuse me' and 'sorry' as they engage in play. The childminder praises and encourages children's kindness and achievements. This makes a significant contribution to their emotional wellbeing and sense of security.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder provides calm, sensitive support and encourages children to think of solutions when they face minor challenges. Her skilful questioning promotes positive interactions and strengthens children's problem-solving skills as they play alongside others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder recognises the importance of regular attendance in promoting children's learning. She consistently reflects on family circumstances and offers support and guidance when needed. This ensures that every child can consistently attend and benefit fully from her provision.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder works highly effectively in partnership with parents to promote children's wellbeing. She offers thoughtful advice and guidance about healthy lunch box options and encourages families to provide balanced, nutritious meals at home. During mealtimes, the childminder supervises children vigilantly and provides gentle, age-appropriate reminders, such as why they should not talk while eating.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places a secure emphasis on developing children's independence. She establishes safe daily practices, such as washing hands before snack time, and children confidently follow them without being prompted. The childminder explains the importance of washing away germs, which helps children develop a secure awareness of hygiene and personal safety. The childminder makes thoughtful adaptations to routines and support strategies to meet children's ongoing changing needs and stages of development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder promotes children's learning through rich, hands-on experiences. Children delight in harvesting fruit from bushes and trees, which deepens their understanding of where food comes from. The childminder skilfully incorporates this produce into healthy snacks and engages children in meaningful discussions about the nutritional benefits of eating well.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder expertly builds on children's interest in caring for animals to promote deep discussions about feelings and emotions. She demonstrates a remarkable awareness of each child's emotional wellbeing throughout the day and responds with great sensitivity and care.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder implements an ambitious curriculum that is sharply focused on children's individual stages of development. She uses strategies such as visual prompts, clear and predictable routines and purposeful repetition to help children understand what is happening and participate successfully. All children, including those who need additional support, make excellent progress across all areas of the early years foundation stage.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder intuitively seizes spontaneous moments in children's play and transforms them into meaningful learning opportunities. For example, as children line up animals from a familiar story, she encourages them to count and name them, skilfully weaving mathematical language and new vocabulary into each interaction. The childminder thoughtfully adapts her teaching to reflect on the individual learning needs of children and extends their thinking skills further. She guides them to group the animals into pairs, compare quantities and predict whether they will fit in the ark. All children remain deeply engaged and demonstrate sustained levels of concentration.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has an outstanding focus on supporting children's physical development as well as their personal, social and emotional wellbeing. In the outdoor environment, she inspires children to design and construct dens and encourages them to test ideas. Children of various ages eagerly search for suitable natural resources and collaborate with their friends to bring their ideas to life. These rich experiences foster cooperation, as children negotiate, adapt, and accomplish their goals together.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Through meticulous ongoing assessment, the childminder promptly identifies any emerging gaps in children's development. She communicates her concerns sensitively with parents and encourages them to seek further assessment when appropriate. The childminder responds promptly and effectively to children's emerging needs. For example, she implements targeted strategies to support gaps in speech and language development. The childminder consistently focuses on each child's ongoing progress and continually develops her professional knowledge to enhance children's outcomes. She demonstrates a clear understanding of the graduated approach and regularly reviews and adapts strategies to ensure consistent targeted intervention.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder seeks advice from external professionals when needed. She confidently explains how she would follow guidance from specialists, such as speech and language therapists, to ensure that children receive well-coordinated and consistent support. The childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of how additional funding can be used effectively to support children's individual care and development.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder skilfully promotes children's understanding of similarities and differences throughout her provision. She shares photos of children's families and encourages discussions about home life and personal experiences. As children draw pictures of their families, the childminder engages them in thoughtful conversations about their wider family members. This helps children value diversity and fosters a culture of belonging.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder provides clear, confident and highly effective leadership. She demonstrates a thorough understanding of her responsibilities in the early years foundation stage and organises daily routines with precision to ensure that all children benefit from stability, consistency and clear expectations.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder reflects rigorously on her practice and is proactive in driving continuous improvement. She thoughtfully reorganises spaces and enriches experiences so they align with children's evolving interests and developmental needs. More recently, she has strengthened her focus on outdoor learning, creating increased opportunities for children to explore, be active and develop their curiosity in the natural environment. This has had a very positive impact on children's engagement and contributes to even better outcomes for all children.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is committed to maintaining and extending her professional expertise. She undertakes ongoing professional development, including training focused on communicating with children in various ways to meet their diverse needs. This ensures that the childminder's knowledge remains current and is applied effectively to enhance children's learning and wellbeing. Partnership working is a key strength. The childminder establishes respectful relationships with parents and carers and shares detailed information that promotes continuity in children's care and learning. She works collaboratively with other early years settings and external professionals whenever required, ensuring that all children receive highly coordinated, consistent and effective support.

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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

In this warm, responsive and stimulating environment, children's individual needs and abilities are sensitively identified and supported. All children, including those who require additional support, settle quickly and approach activities with curiosity and confidence. The childminder actively promotes independence. She encourages children to make choices, select resources and manage age-appropriate tasks for themselves. Children form secure, trusting relationships with the childminder, who consistently offers reassurance and encouragement throughout the day.

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

The childminder provides an exceptionally rich range of opportunities for children to explore and engage in the wider community. Children thoroughly enjoy visiting a farm, where they eagerly feed and learn about the animals. They benefit from regular weekly visits to story and rhyme time at the library, fostering a love of books and language. At the local park, children confidently assess and manage risks as they challenge themselves on various equipment. They also enjoy meeting and playing with friends during visits to other childminding settings, which significantly enhances their confidence and social skills.

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

The childminder demonstrates an exceptional commitment to helping children develop a secure understanding of the world around them. She regularly takes children on outings to local charity shops, where they learn about the importance of helping others and supporting the wider community. Children build warm relationships with shop staff and learn how to behave appropriately in different social situations. These meaningful experiences foster empathy, respect and a strong sense of social awareness.

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

Children relish learning through play and participate with enthusiasm. They engage in activities that strengthen fine motor skills and develop early mathematical understanding. For example, children refine control in their hands and fingers as they twist pens and delight in watching colours appear. As they scoop soil into plant pots, the childminder introduces language such as 'full' and 'empty', and children confidently repeat and apply these words as they continue their play.

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

Children's regular attendance provides them with consistency and security. This supports their welfare and ensures that they benefit fully from their experiences in the childminder's care.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on children's outcomes and experiences.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children during the inspection.

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Address:

Registered person: Howlett, Frances Anne

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Address:

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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Age range of children at the time of 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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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 . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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