Ellis, Sarah Kathleen

Ellis, Sarah Kathleen

Unique reference number (URN): 2776449 Address: 120 Warmingham Lane, Middlewich, CW10 0HN Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 01/03/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: ellis, Sarah Kathleen

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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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder emphasises the importance of punctual and regular attendance. She helps parents with transport to and from her setting, if necessary, to minimise avoidable absences. The childminder confirms that attendance is consistently high, helping ensure that children's learning is optimised.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children form lasting and sustained friendships. They excitedly discuss a recent birthday party, illustrating that socialising beyond the childminder's setting is the norm and serves to enhance strong relationships even further. Children are often kind to each other because they understand the emotions and needs of their peers. For example, when one child does not have a musical instrument, children pause the activity to locate an instrument so everyone can join in. This shows incredible empathy and genuine solidarity. Children also share immensely warm and positive relationships with the childminder. There is a true sense of togetherness among all children because of these wonderful relationships.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are highly respectful of the childminder's home. They tidy up their toys and take care of the equipment without being prompted. Routines are familiar to children, and the childminder ensures that instructions and expectations are explained in age-appropriate ways so everyone understands what is expected of them. Behaviour is consistently excellent.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder helps children clean their teeth every morning after breakfast. She goes above and beyond by encouraging families to register at a local dentist, providing parents with information about nearby dental practices that accept new patients. This excellent approach elevates children's and parents' awareness of the importance of oral care.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides children with an impressive array of home-made, hot and nutritious meals. The childminder benefits from expert support from nutritionists to develop a delicious, balanced menu. She batch cooks meals to manage her time effectively and ensure that mealtimes run smoothly. Supervision of children at mealtimes is excellent, helping ensure children's safety when eating. The menu offers children a superb balanced and nutritious diet. which promotes their excellent physical health.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder teaches children how to manage their safety in dynamic and age- appropriate ways. For example, children eagerly recite, 'If we hear a whistle, we go outside with a grown-up.' This articulate summary of the fire evacuation procedures demonstrates the children's exemplary understanding of their personal safety, health and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children show that they trust the childminder implicitly. They often invite the childminder to join in their games and play, clearly reassured by her presence. Children truly thrive in their emotional wellbeing because they are happy and contented.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Every child's unique background is considered through precisely targeted learning opportunities. The childminder meticulously observes children and develops an impressively detailed summary of their abilities and needs. She swiftly ensures that all children receive the care and learning opportunities they deserve. Each and every child is helped to flourish and thrive.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder works with health visitors, parents and a wealth of other professionals. She draws on their expertise to meet children's needs. For instance, she values evaluation reports produced by health visitors during their routine checks and uses this additional professional information to inform her assessment of children's needs. Working with other professionals enhances the precision in which the childminder delivers care and learning opportunities.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder skilfully adapts and differentiates her teaching and curriculum to meet children's needs. Children who experience barriers to their learning are supported in reaching their full potential. The childminder carefully monitors progress over time to assure herself the curriculum is achieving her desired impact. The childminder accesses training and reads widely to enhance her knowledge and skills, which positively impacts the quality of the service she offers for all children in her care.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children enjoy their learning and are well prepared for the next stage in their development. They show a tremendous sense of curiosity and enthusiasm as they play. Children enjoy physical activities and exercise, which contributes to their health. They create and navigate an indoor obstacle course, climbing, jumping and balancing with impressive and assured confidence. Children dance to music, swishing different-coloured fabrics above their heads to the rhythm of the beat. This enables children to master their coordination. Along with gross motor skills, children have plenty of opportunities to practise their fine motor skills. For instance, children squeeze pipettes to move water between containers. They hold brushes, making intended marks during painting activities, expressing themselves and developing their early writing skills.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are making steady progress in their speech largely because they benefit from time and space to join in conversations and ask inquisitive questions. Friendships between children flourish, and they enjoy socialising with each other. They share, take turns and show consideration for other people's feelings in a mature manner. Trips and outings enrich children's learning. For instance, they mix with new friends and explore different toys and activities when attending weekly toddler groups. Children benefit from this varied and engaging programme of play. Enhancements in the curriculum for understanding the world will further support children's overall achievement.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans and prepares an ambitious curriculum that has a logical sequence to build on children's knowledge. She carefully links activities to children's interests. As a result, children are enthusiastic about their learning. This challenging programme of play promotes children's curiosity and extends their skills and knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder is a skilled teacher who has high expectations for children. At the beginning of activities, she checks how much children already know and then targets her interactions with clear intent to build on this knowledge. For instance, after assuring herself that children have a basic understanding of colours, she challenges them to mix coloured paint together. Children enjoy this exploration, developing their expressive creative skills. They also develop their problem-solving skills when they learn that mixing red and blue creates purple. Children copy the childminder's mathematical language, such as 'half full' and 'empty', developing their understanding of volume during play. This exemplifies the childminder's high expectations and the progress children make as a result of her good-quality teaching.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children engage in interesting conversations as they play. The childminder asks questions, and children respond with their inspired opinions and inquisitive comments. The childminder often introduces new words to extend vocabulary. She swiftly corrects mispronounced words or incorrectly formed sentences to ensure that children learn accurate information from the outset. Children become confident communicators from an early age.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum. In some areas, children make excellent progress, supported by high-quality teaching, which includes their physical, personal and social development. However, children have fewer opportunities to learn about the world around them, in particular extending their appreciation of differences and similarities between themselves and others in the wider world.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder frequently networks with other registered childminders who operate in the local area. She has built friendships with them and meets with them every week. This enables the childminder to discuss and share best practice ideas with other professionals. Furthermore, the childminder has links with health visitors, local nursery practitioners and educational psychologists. These professional links enable the childminder to reach out and offer children tailored care.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder engages in an impressive array of continuous professional development and training, far beyond mandatory requirements. She is a qualified teacher, and her knowledge of early child development is excellent. This impressive academic background, alongside regular training courses, contributes to the childminder's effective teaching. As a result, the childminder's service meets the needs of all children who attend.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder invests heavily in fostering positive relationships with parents. She shares daily updates of children's care routines and experiences. Termly development summaries provide parents with information about children's progress. This open communication benefits children as they experience complementary care and learning between home and the setting. The childminder knows what she does well and has identified some broad areas to develop and improve. However, the childminder does not include the views of parents and children in her development plans to enable her to fully reflect the views of those who access her setting when identifying priorities to improve.

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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's safety is given the utmost priority. The childminder knows what may present a possible risk to children. Her risk assessment procedures are robust, encompassing all possible hazards in her environment. She is cautious and careful to ensure children's ongoing welfare.

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

The childminder is passionate about offering children the best start in their lives. She understands that children's early years are key to establishing important skills in preparation for life beyond her care. Children prepare very well for school. They acquire and master personal attributes, such as independence, resilience and confidence, which help them thrive when they eventually leave the childminder's setting and move on to school.

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

Children are settled, and they benefit greatly from the strong and secure relationships with the friendly childminder. This helps children blossom because they are happy. The childminder is exceptionally calm and relaxed in her approach to children's care. This creates a wonderful foundation for children's learning because their emotional wellbeing is nurtured and cherished. Quite simply, children are happy, safe and secure.

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

Children are keen to learn. They approach difficult tasks with eagerness and demonstrate perseverance when they encounter a challenge. For example, during water play, children ponder and predict which objects will sink or float. They test their hypothesis with a range of different items, cheering when they correctly identify which objects will submerge. Children's critical-thinking and problem-solving skills are well supported through challenging programmes of play. They make steady progress in their learning because they have fun and show impressive resilience and an excellent attitude towards learning.

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Next steps

The childminder should extend opportunities for children to learn about the wider world around them, particularly the differences and similarities between themselves and others. The childminder should extend her self-evaluation procedures to include the views of parents and children to ensure that improvements fully reflect all those who access the provision.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children 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: ellis, Sarah Kathleen

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Address:

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

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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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