Smith, Amanda Leigh

Smith, Amanda Leigh

Unique reference number (URN): 2749833 Address: 2 Little Cliffe Road, Stoke-On-Trent, ST3 2DN Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 19/10/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Smith, Amanda Leigh

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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 emotional wellbeing at the centre of her practice. She builds warm, affectionate relationships with children and responds sensitively and precisely to their individual needs. The childminder intentionally structures daily routines so that even the youngest children understand what will happen next. She uses visual and auditory cues, such as ringing a bell, to signal changes in routines and actively involves children in these transitions. For example, children help prepare their sleeping area and collect items needed for routines such as nappy changing. As a result of these experiences, children begin to understand the order of their day and approach transitions with greater understanding.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Highly consistent and intentional care practices promote children's health and wellbeing. The childminder promotes healthy eating through encouraging nutritious lunch boxes and sharing guidance with parents about reducing sugar and salt in children's diets as well as supporting tailored weaning approaches.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder works closely with families to support children's individual needs. Drawing on her knowledge as a trained sleep consultant, she provides tailored advice to parents about sleep routines and changes in children's sleep patterns. The childminder is especially diligent in responding to barriers, helping children settle calmly and establish secure routines.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make steady progress from their starting points as they take part in a range of play and learning experiences. They begin to develop early communication skills and respond to songs and repeated phrases during everyday interactions. For example, children engage with their favourite books and explore wooden character spoons, making connections between the characters, the sounds they make and how they move.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children increasingly respond to simple instructions and show growing confidence in expressing their needs and interests. They also develop important early skills through everyday routines, such as pouring drinks, preparing simple snacks and exploring sensory materials.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children who face barriers to learning begin to develop the communication and confidence needed to participate in activities. As a result, children build the early foundations needed for their next stage of learning. They begin to develop social skills as they interact with adults and take part in familiar games and shared routines.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder creates a calm and nurturing environment where children understand clear and consistent expectations for behaviour. She builds warm and trusting relationships with children and responds sensitively to their needs. Children confidently seek reassurance when needed and respond positively to praise and encouragement, which helps them feel secure and willing to take part in routines and activities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder provides opportunities for children to develop early social skills. She plans visits with other childminders so that children can interact with a wider group of peers. During these experiences, children practise sharing, responding to others and taking part in simple group routines.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder establishes predictable daily routines that help children understand expectations and feel secure. Children take part in simple responsibilities, such as helping tidy away resources. The childminder promotes attendance through regular communication with parents and monitors patterns carefully. For example, she asks parents to share planned holiday dates so she can consider this information when planning children's learning experiences.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

At times, the childminder directs play too closely. This means children do not consistently have enough opportunities to lead their own play, develop sustained engagement or build their motivation to explore and extend their ideas independently over time.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans a broad and balanced curriculum. She makes purposeful use of the local area to enrich children's experiences, such as through visits to local parks, shops and community spaces where children can explore their environment and interact with others. These experiences help extend children's learning beyond the home environment. The childminder's curriculum includes some opportunities for children to learn about the wider community and differences between people, although this aspect of the curriculum is not yet fully developed.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder observes children closely and uses what she knows about their development to plan experiences that reflect their interests and learning needs. She focuses well on any barriers children may have in their learning. However, teaching sometimes becomes overly adult directed, and questioning is not always closely matched to children's developmental stage. As a result, there are occasions when children do not have enough time to explore, think and solve problems independently.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a clear understanding of children's starting points and plans activities that reflect their interests and emerging needs. For example, during sensory play, she encourages children to explore different textures, such as flour and oats, and use toy trucks to make marks and patterns in the materials. Over time, children build on these experiences as they develop greater control, curiosity and confidence in their exploration.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a clear commitment to meeting children's individual needs. She gathers information from parents about children's development, interests and family circumstances. This helps her understand children's starting points and identify where additional support may be needed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents to share information about children's ongoing development and agree on strategies that support learning at home and in the setting. When children experience language delay, she introduces resources linked to their interests, such as books and picture cards, to encourage early communication and language development. The childminder reduces barriers to learning effectively and provides support that reflects children's emerging needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses early years pupil premium funding to help reduce barriers to learning. She has purchased resources that support communication and language development and continues to consider how the remaining funding can best support children's emerging needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder monitors children's progress through ongoing observation and discussion with parents. She values professional development and draws on training, independent research and local authority networks to strengthen her knowledge and inform her support for children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a clear commitment to providing high-quality care and learning experiences for children. She knows the children and families she works with well and takes their individual needs into account when planning the experiences she provides. This helps ensure that care and learning reflect children's interests, routines and stages of development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands the importance of identifying and supporting children who may need additional help with their development. She works closely with parents to discuss children's progress and considers how to adapt experiences where children may face barriers to learning or development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder values professional development and continues to strengthen her knowledge through training, independent research, and engagement with local authority networks, as well as other childminders. She reflects on her practice and is developing plans to enhance the learning environment, including creating a dedicated play space and strengthening opportunities for play-based learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

However, the childminder's evaluation of teaching and learning does not yet fully identify all aspects of practice that require further development. As a result, opportunities to refine teaching approaches and further strengthen children's independent learning are not fully recognised.

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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 experience a warm and nurturing environment where they feel safe and cared for. The childminder forms affectionate relationships with children and responds sensitively to their needs. She provides them with timely comfort and cuddles when needed, and children confidently approach her for reassurance. The consistent routines help children feel secure. Children understand daily patterns, such as preparing for sleep after lunch, washing hands before eating and after nappy changing. They develop early self-care habits and a clear understanding of what will happen next.

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Inspector:

Children enjoy their time at the setting and show curiosity as they explore activities linked to their interests. They laugh as they interact with the childminder during familiar games, such as building towers and knocking them down before starting again. Children explore sensory materials and engage with interactive books that help develop their interest in language. They begin to practise early words and sounds through songs, stories and everyday conversation. Children make progress from their starting points, particularly in communication and language, as activities and resources reflect their interests and emerging needs.

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Inspector:

Children develop growing independence and confidence through everyday routines and play. For example, they help tidy away resources, practise pouring drinks and begin managing age-appropriate tasks during mealtimes with support. The childminder praises children's efforts, and they show pride in their accomplishments. Children build confidence to try new experiences.

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Inspector:

Children's wellbeing is securely supported. The childminder works closely with parents to understand children's individual needs, provide consistent care and identify any barriers to learning. She promotes children's attendance through regular communication with parents and careful monitoring of attendance patterns. Children attend regularly, settle happily and feel that they belong in the setting.

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen teaching approaches so that children have more opportunities to lead their play, explore their ideas and develop sustained engagement and self-motivation. The childminder should further develop the curriculum to promote children's understanding of diversity and the wider world. The childminder should refine monitoring processes so that she identifies more precisely how teaching and interactions affect children's learning, and she should use this information to strengthen practice.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder.

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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. Anne Dyoss

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Address:

2 Little Cliffe Road Stoke-On-Trent ST3 2DN

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 17:00

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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

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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