Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 254995 Registered with Ofsted: 25/07/1996 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

Children make very positive progress across all areas of learning during their time with the childminder. They show high levels of focus in the activities they engage in. For example, children use their imaginations to pretend they are firefighters. They build their communication and language skills as they talk about who the firefighter is and where they are going in their pretend fire engine. Children extend their conversations and build on their ideas. For instance, children confidently discuss how they would call 999 and what they would do if there was a fire.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children are extremely well prepared for their next stage of learning. They regularly attend the local school and build effective relationships with the teachers and surroundings. Children talk about hanging their coats on their pegs and what they will do when they arrive. This supports a very smooth transition to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children behave consistently well. The childminder has embedded high expectations. She shares these with children, parents and carers from the outset. This helps children have consistently positive attitudes to learning and to each other. For example, the childminder embeds manners in her practice. Children frequently say 'please' and 'thank you' and take turns with each other during play. For example, the childminder asks children to wait patiently to use resources. Once it is the children's turn, they say 'thank you' to each other and share. To support this, the childminder praises children and uses positive reinforcement for managing behaviour. Children openly talk about how they are feeling, and the childminder gives children time to share how they feel. This means children consistently manage their feelings during the routine.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children have deep bonds with the childminder, and this is reflected in how well she knows them. The childminder works collaboratively with parents to promote and embed attendance and punctuality. From when children start, she shares the importance of attendance and punctuality for children's learning. The childminder works closely with families to overcome any barriers they may face.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children eagerly listen and respond to the childminder. They show high levels of concentration as they sit and listen carefully to the childminder read a story. The childminder then uses her knowledge of each child to engage them in the book. For example, she encourages younger children to feel the texture of real bread and lettuce, linking to the story they are reading.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder offers a wide range of support to help children develop an understanding of their bodies and how to stay healthy. Children discuss why they need to wash their hands before eating after being outside. Children practise brushing their teddies' teeth and talk about the importance of keeping their teeth clean. The childminder consistently supports children's independence in their own self-care. Children practise fastening the zips on their coats and putting their shoes on. They are able to blow their own noses if needed and feed themselves at mealtimes.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder works closely with parents and carers to support children's care routines. For example, when children begin to toilet train, she mirrors the practices the family uses at home. This helps keep a consistent approach for the children. As a result, the childminder develops a thorough understanding of each child's needs and adapts routines effectively to meet each child's level of development and need.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder responds quickly and effectively to each child's individual needs. She remains calm and offers comfort for all children, supporting their emotional development. This helps to build effective relationships and attachments with all children. For example, the childminder introduces calming breaths for children who feel overwhelmed. Parents speak highly of this approach and talk about how they have implemented it at home.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is highly responsive to each individual child and their families. For example, children with grandparents who are blind make cards with rice on. They talk about how they will be able to feel the textures of the card and how happy their grandparents will be when they do so.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has created a broad curriculum that incorporates her high expectations for all children. She is highly responsive to children's individual needs. The childminder extends children's learning skilfully by developing children's ideas and enhancing practice during their play. This means that children make consistently quick progress. Children's language development is embedded in the curriculum. The childminder consistently speaks to children and extends their understanding. For example, when reading stories, children discuss the size of bears and use words such as 'bigger' and 'smaller'.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder purposefully interacts with children during all aspects of the routines, including care routines and tidy-up times. She focuses on children's social development during mealtimes. Children talk to each other about what food they have in their lunch boxes, who made their lunch and if what they are eating is healthy. The childminder swiftly adapts teaching to meet the discussions that children have and extends learning by asking open-ended questions, encouraging children to consider new ideas.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder uses observations and assessments of each child to skilfully plan for their unique needs. This means any barriers to learning are identified quickly and actions are put into place. This ensures that all children thrive from their starting points and make consistent progress. Children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills. They practise balancing outside on beams, taking turns to walk across them. Children praise each other when they have completed it, along with the childminder. This gives children a sense of pride and achievement. Children practise using their fine motor skills as they attempt to tie their own shoelaces. The childminder takes time to model how to tie them before giving children the chance to have a go themselves.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder is able to share and identify how she would make adaptations for any children who face barriers to their learning. She says she will work closely with other agencies to ensure that any adaptations are in place for children to fully access her curriculum. For example, she supports children with speech delays very effectively. The childminder identifies their needs quickly and works with a number of professionals to support children in reaching their full potential. The childminder attends regular training to develop her knowledge even further. As a result, she adapts practice and learning opportunities effectively to ensure that all children are able to consistently access them.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder regularly shares information with parents and carers. She values their input and uses it to enhance practice. For example, the childminder works closely with parents to support children's understanding of English. They learn new words together and celebrate their ability to speak two languages.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder consistently monitors children's progress and uses her in-depth knowledge of each child to review and assess their level of development. She then embeds children's next steps in learning. For example, the childminder focuses on number recognition in children's play and enhances areas of learning to support their mathematical development. This supports the individual needs of each child.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is ambitious for all children that attend and strives to make a difference for all. For example, during quieter times, she uses children's interests to focus their learning. The childminder takes children to see animals and creates individual learning experiences.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder acts quickly when she identifies any areas for improvement, and this has a very positive impact on children. She is a highly experienced practitioner, and high-quality practices in relation to children's care and learning are extremely well embedded in the setting. However, the childminder currently places less emphasis on reflecting, extending, and developing her own skills and knowledge, as well as on finding ways to further enhance her practice in the future to ensure excellence for all children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents and carers speak extremely highly of the childminder. They say their children feel part of a family with all those who attend. Parents describe the positive impact the childminder has had on their children's transitions to school. They comment on how their children's communication skills are enhanced and developed while they are in the childminder's care.

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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 thrive in the warm, welcoming and safe environment that the childminder creates. As children arrive, they greet each other warmly, demonstrating their relationships. The childminder knows the children extremely well. She works closely with parents and carers to gather a wealth of information about each child. This helps the childminder to meet all children's needs while in her care. This is then reflected in a well-thought-out and effective curriculum.

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About this setting

Unique reference number (URN): 254995 Children excitedly discuss how they have learned about road safety and how to cross the road. They talk about the red and green men and how they have to wait for the green one to cross. Children recall how this will help blind people to know when it is safe to cross. This shows how the childminder has developed children's understanding and extended their knowledge of the world around them. Children show pride in unique story books they have each created. The childminder links these books to World Book Day. She encourages children to make their books individual to themselves and their families. Children confidently talk about what is in their books and share them with each other. This supports children's self-confidence, creativity and identity.

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About this setting

Children are extremely eager to learn. They actively listen to the childminder and behave consistently well during their play. They demonstrate kindness towards one another, sharing and taking turns during play. The childminder provides a wide range of opportunities for children to learn about the world around them. For example, children attend the library weekly, as well as local soft-play and role-play centres. The childminder uses these experiences to help children build positive relationships with other children and their local community. The childminder ensures that parents understand the importance of their children attending regularly and being punctual. This helps children to attend consistently and make consistent progress, preparing them for their next stage in learning.

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen arrangements even further for self-reflection and evaluation of the provision to securely embed a highly consistent focus on continuous improvement.

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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. Type: Childminder

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 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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