Tonkin, Samantha Marie

Tonkin, Samantha Marie

Unique reference number (URN): 2746897 Address: 18 Austen Way, St. Albans, AL4 0FW Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 08/09/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Tonkin, Samantha Marie

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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 childminder places children's welfare and wellbeing at the centre of her practice. She follows clear routines that keep children safe, healthy and emotionally secure. The childminder visits children and their family at home before they start, investing time to understand their individual needs and routines. This establishes strong bonds with children and early partnerships with parents so that she precisely meets both their needs from the outset. The childminder knows each child extremely well and is highly responsive to their changing needs. She makes all necessary adaptations to positively support children's wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides children with excellent support to be incredibly independent individuals from a young age. They put on their own puddle suit and wellington boots prior to going outside and confidently help to prepare their own nutritious meals. The childminder maintains a strong awareness of local community trends and proactively promotes children's health, with a particular focus on developing good oral health habits. In addition, she provides parents with oral hygiene packs for use at home and guidance to support a consistent approach. The childminder provides children with an abundance of opportunities to be physically active and assess their own risks. The childminder teaches children to understand their own and other's emotions to prepare them to regulate their behaviour. Children learn about complex emotions, such as feeling nervous or delighted, and make clear links to their own experiences and feelings.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children achieve well from their starting points. Any children that face barriers to their learning are supported well so that their learning gaps swiftly close. All children gain skills that will prepare them for their next stage in learning. They are highly independent as they manage their own outer clothing and self-care. Children develop secure motor skills. They build strength and coordination in the inviting outdoor environment. Children persevere to squeeze the trigger on a water spray bottle and spray the childminder's window. They carefully observe the droplets as they slide down the glass. This secures their understanding of cause and effect.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop their communication and language skills. They are able to express their needs and preferences. Children swiftly develop a broad range of vocabulary and use this in context. They are interested and engage in focused activities with the childminder. They talk about what they have previously learned and their feelings. They enjoy looking at books and use these to find out information, developing early literacy skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder provides an individual approach to children's behaviour. She recognises that children may need different strategies to support their understanding of rules and expectations. Her structured routine and clear explanations support children to understand behavioural expectations and routines. Children know to tidy away the activities they have finished playing with, and they safely climb into their booster seat in readiness for meals. The childminder encourages children to understand the importance of respectful behaviour towards others and good manners. She teaches this through effective modelling. The childminder acknowledges and praises children for their efforts and achievements. She gives children 'high fives' for actively joining in with songs and excitedly jumping up and down in tune to the beat.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder plans activities to specifically support children to develop good social skills. She regularly organises meetings with another childminder and the children they care for. This supports children to develop kind and respectful relationships within larger groups. The childminder works in partnership with parents to help promote consistency in managing children's behaviour in the setting and at home. She recognises that families have varying needs that may impact their routine and supports them accordingly. The childminder swiftly takes sensitive action to ensure children's welfare in the event of non-attendance.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder knows the children she cares for very well. She implements an ambitious and carefully sequenced curriculum that consistently builds on children's knowledge and skills over time. The childminder carries out regular observations and assessments to identify children's next steps in learning. She embeds new knowledge by repeating and thoughtfully adapting engaging activities to secure children's understanding. This motivates children to have a positive attitude and eagerness to learn. Outdoors, children have fun at the colour mixing station. They show friendly relationships as they share resources. The childminder encourages children to recall how to make a new colour by combining 2 different colours together. Children have fun as they experiment mixing drops of food colouring in water. The childminder consistently praises children for their achievements. This sustains their engagement and boosts their self-esteem.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports children to develop control and coordination as they use a jug to pour the water into spray bottles and different-sized containers. She consistently models mathematical language that increases children's awareness of capacity, weight and measurement as well as broadening their vocabulary. The childminder frequently asks children questions, although she does not always give children time to process and respond to what she asks. This does not consistently enable children to practise their language skills and express their thoughts and ideas.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Although the childminder is not currently caring for any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or those that face barriers to their learning, she has significant previous experience. For instance, she has cared for children who speak English as an additional language. The childminder explains her proactive approach in obtaining and using words in children's home language alongside visual supports to promote independent choice and engagement. Furthermore, she uses clear language, songs, facial expressions and meaningful interactions during daily routines, including nappy changes. These approaches significantly enhance children's understanding, strengthen their sense of security and support them to communicate confidently.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates confidence and a secure knowledge to swiftly identify any barriers to children's learning through her secure knowledge of child development and regular assessments. The childminder regularly completes training to build on her knowledge and skills. She has not acted swiftly to complete relevant training to specifically support children with SEND to complement her secure practice. This reduces opportunities to further strengthen and extend the support for children with SEND should they attend in the future.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands how to put appropriate support in place, such as working in partnership with parents and professionals. She understands the importance of agreeing and implementing strategies to ensure timely and coordinated support and planned adaptations to make a sustained difference to children's experiences.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is reflective of her practice and has a sound understanding of the strengths and areas of development. She makes decisions about children's care and learning based on the needs of all children to ensure that no child is overlooked. She completes regular training and liaises with a network of other childminders. This enables her to share ideas and gain new knowledge. The childminder has identified that there is scope to complete specific training to enhance her knowledge of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities should they attend in the future, although she has not acted swiftly on completing this. This will provide her with an enhanced understanding of how she can provide strong targeted support to enable every child to reach their full potential.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has established effective channels of communication with other early years settings that children attend. She engages regularly with children's key persons to support a shared approach to children's learning and care. This supports children's continued progress. Partnerships with parents are secure. The childminder keeps parents fully informed about children's progress and specific ideas to support their learning at home. Parents talk highly of the childminder. They appreciate her professional yet patient and warm approach towards their children.

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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

All children, particularly those who struggle to separate from parents, are supported to feel safe and secure. They welcome the nurturing childminder's reassuring cuddles and engagement in their chosen play. This supports them to swiftly settle and be ready to explore the enticing environment and rich range of activities, both indoors and outdoors. Children make independent decisions about what they would like to play with. They enjoy carefully securing a baby doll in a toy buggy and take them for a walk around the childminder's home. The childminder promotes the importance of regular attendance for

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About this setting

Unique reference number (URN): 2746897 children and makes adaptations to meet children's individual needs. This includes working in partnership with parents to establish routines that support children's emotional wellbeing.

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About this setting

The childminder invests time with parents to find out what children know and can do. She uses this information along with her own observations and assessments of children to establish what each child needs to learn next. The childminder fully considers children's unique interests and needs. She builds on these through an ambitious curriculum that prepares children for their next stage in learning and introduces them to new meaningful experiences.

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About this setting

Children benefit from a varied range of community outings that provide them with real-life learning opportunities that extend their understanding of the wider world. For instance, they visit an aerodrome where they observe how aeroplanes and helicopters take off and land. Children learn about the purpose of a wind sock to identify wind strength and direction. Children show a secure sense of belonging. They confidently share their personalised photo books, recalling experiences with their friends and the childminder. They speak warmly about their friendships, demonstrating a strong sense of belonging and secure relationships.

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Next steps

The childminder should provide children with time to process and respond to questions to enable them to express their thoughts and ideas. The childminder should take action to complete additional training and professional development to enhance knowledge and skills to further improve outcomes for all children.

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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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Address:

Registered person: Tonkin, Samantha Marie

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Address:

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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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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