Wilkes, Beth Louise

Wilkes, Beth Louise

Unique reference number (URN): 2829138 Address: 43 Ealingham, Tamworth, B77 4DG Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 05/04/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Wilkes, Beth Louise

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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 Expected standard

Children make typical progress from their starting points with the childminder. They learn to become more confident and express their ideas with self-assurance. Children who were shy to begin with quickly develop the social skills that help them make friendships with others. Parents comment that they notice children becoming more confident at family events and having the courage to explore new environments independently. Children enhance their physical skills by exploring new places and accessing outdoor spaces. They learn to move with confidence and develop strength and coordination. Children are keen to engage in conversation during their play. They repeat language in stories and discuss what they are doing. Art activities enhance children's creativity. They form shapes and add colour to their creations. All these skills help prepare children for their move to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder creates a positive and nurturing environment where children feel safe and happy. She is calm and warm with the children, building trusting relationships with them. The childminder uses a soft tone to speak to children, and she helps them understand her expectations for their behaviour. Children are beginning to play cooperatively with one another. They show kindness and are developing an understanding of how to respond to challenging situations. For example, when they want to use the same resources, the childminder teaches them to share and take turns. This helps them develop the social skills they will need in the future. The childminder plans activities that include all the children so that they have opportunities to practise the social skills they are developing. She promotes regular attendance through flexible routines. She understands how this approach helps children develop positive attitudes to learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are familiar with routines and respond positively to requests from the childminder. They enjoy joining in play with one another and show high levels of engagement. Children are starting to understand their emotions and those of others. They participate in activities where the childminder helps them identify different emotions and what they look like. This helps children label their feelings and understand why they feel certain emotions at different times.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder ensures that children have daily opportunities to spend time outdoors. She often takes them to local outdoor areas, where they can move freely, access fresh air and learn about taking healthy risks. The childminder teaches children about healthy eating. She provides meals that incorporate different food groups and actively introduces new foods to children. She understands the importance of children eating fruit and vegetables and adds new foods to her menu so that children's experience of food is broadened. The childminder helps children become independent and learn skills such as dressing themselves and washing their hands. However, there is scope for the childminder to be more proactive in her response to toilet training. She is knowledgeable about toileting being a challenge at local pre-schools, yet she does not yet encourage this in children as early as she could.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder and her assistants have built positive relationships with the children who attend the setting. They give cuddles to children and warmly say goodbye to them as they leave to go home. The childminder knows children well and understands how to meet their differing needs. She ensures that routines and her interactions are appropriate for each child. She recognises when children are hungry or tired, and she responds effectively. The childminder labels emotions for children when they are upset or frustrated, helping them identify and manage how they feel. Children develop a positive sense of themselves and learn to be emotionally secure through the trusted relationships they acquire.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder implements a curriculum that meets the needs of all children. She understands how to sequence children's learning over time so that they build on their existing skills. She allows children to lead their play and positions herself cleverly so that she can engage in constant interaction with them. This allows her to observe the children closely and adapt her teaching accordingly. The childminder assesses children's development effectively so that she can identify what they still need to learn. She uses this information to plan suitable learning experiences for them so that they make progress in their development. The childminder narrates what children do and describes their actions as they play. For example, as children push cars down ramps, she says, 'The cars are going fast.' She encourages children to persevere when they encounter difficulties with specific features on the cars so that they learn to build resilience and patience. The childminder

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

encourages children to use language to develop their communication skills. She sits and reads familiar stories with them. Children describe the features of characters in books, such as 'terrible claws'. The childminder asks children questions about what they notice. However, she often uses closed-questioning techniques, which limits children's opportunities to extend conversations further and fully explore their ideas.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder incorporates mathematical concepts into children's play. For example, as they make creative eggs for Easter, she encourages them to count the stickers they use for decoration. They develop their fine motor skills as they take backing off stickers to use on their creations. Children learn to be sociable, as the childminder arranges activities so that they sit together and learn to share resources. The childminder weaves opportunities to develop physical skills into children's play. She provides small chairs so that children learn to get on and off by themselves and encourages them to improve their balance by standing on one leg. The childminder understands children's individual stages of development, which ensures that she can adapt her practice for any children who may face barriers to their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands how to identify signs that children's development is delayed. She understands children's individual needs so that she can plan learning experiences accordingly. Regular assessment allows the childminder to identify and address any gaps in children's development. The childminder has made links with her local special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) team so that she can obtain further advice where needed. She has relevant experience of supporting children with SEND in the past and confidently explains how she would adapt her practice to ensure that she meets the needs of all children. For example, she describes how she works closely with parents to find out what strategies will support children most effectively. This results in consistent care for children. The childminder has experience of devising support plans for children and has reviewed these regularly to assess whether children are making expected progress. She has

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Inclusion Expected standard

previously undertaken training on supporting children with SEND and is keen to engage in more up-to-date training to refresh her knowledge. The childminder understands how dummies can affect children's speech. She works closely with parents to reduce the use of dummies so that children's communication development is supported effectively.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder ensures that any mandatory training is up to date for her and any assistants. She has formed links with other childminders, which helps her develop her practice through shared ideas. She meets with assistants to discuss children's learning and any training that is required. The childminder has identified, for example, that assistants who are new to their role need to enhance their knowledge of child development. However, there is scope to support assistants even further through strengthened supervision arrangements. This will help identify additional support and training that would enable them to understand and perform their roles more effectively. For example, there are times during the day when assistants sit and observe children in play rather than interact with them. This has not been identified as an area for their development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is aware of what strengths she brings to her setting and has identified some areas where she can improve her practice even further. This helps contribute to continually improving learning experiences for children. The childminder's previous experience and knowledge of working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities means that she has the knowledge to implement additional strategies so that all children make the progress they are capable of.

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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 are happy and settled in the childminder's home. The childminder establishes warm relationships with children, who approach her for comfort and reassurance. She gathers useful information about children before they start with her, which helps her to get to know them well. The childminder shows genuine care and affection for the children who attend. She has a kind and gentle approach with them. This contributes to children feeling safe and secure.

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

The childminder understands the needs of the children she cares for. She is aware of their interests and arranges the environment with resources she knows they will enjoy. The childminder knows children's stages of development and plans activities that build on what they know and can do. She assesses children's development through regularly observing them during play. The childminder accurately identifies what children need to learn next and considers their individuality in her ongoing plans. Although the childminder does not currently have any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities on roll, her knowledge of children's individual needs demonstrates that she can adapt her routines and teaching to cater for these children. The childminder often takes children to local community spaces and outdoor areas. Children have a wide range of experiences in all areas of learning. For example, they visit a local community hall where they participate in different

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

activities and sit together to have food from the local cafe. This helps them learn the skills they need to prepare them for their move to school. The childminder works closely with parents to establish positive attendance patterns so that children accept these as part of their daily routines.

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:00 - 06:30

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Next steps

The childminder should consider using more open-ended questioning techniques to support children's communication and language development even further. The childminder should strengthen the arrangements for supervision so that she can identify how to support assistants even further to understand and carry out their roles effectively. The childminder should consider how to be more proactive in teaching children the skills they need for toilet training.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistants and parents 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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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. 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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