Mason, Emma Jayne

Mason, Emma Jayne

Unique reference number (URN): 2747072 Address: 45 Buttercup Way, Lincoln, LN6 9YP Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 20/09/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Mason, Emma Jayne

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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

All children develop their communication and language skills through meaningful interactions and experiences. They demonstrate a rich and varied vocabulary, such as their use of the word 'protein' when discussing healthy eating. Children are given time to share and process their thinking during activities, which allows them to become more confident and curious as learners.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children, including those who may face barriers to learning, achieve successfully from their starting points. Children are consistently given meaningful opportunities to revisit, retrieve and practise previously taught skills, such as repeating numbers learned when using a telephone in the role play. This practice supports effective reinforcement of learning for every child.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children are guided through each age and stage of their learning, enabling them to build on their early achievements with increasing success. Parents and carers are informed of their child's achievements, ensuring a smooth and well-supported journey through each child's early education.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder greets children warmly and individually. She responds promptly and sensitively to children's needs, ensuring that they feel valued, listened to and supported. The childminder plans a welcome time, which includes Makaton as an inclusive communication method, which children are enthusiastic to learn. The childminder creates a nurturing space where she embeds routines and boundaries for all. The use of visual supports, simple expectations and consistent routines helps children to understand what is expected of them and contributes to a sense of safety and stability.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder guides children with appropriate strategies in developing their self- regulation, particularly during times of change or difficulty. The childminder supports and guides all children to share and take turns, and she models polite language. The childminder has extremely high expectations for children's behaviour and addresses any unkind actions quickly and effectively.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder works closely with parents and carers to encourage regular attendance and establish reliable routines. Attendance levels are positive, and families are well informed about expectations through clear policies. Children demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning by showing clear levels of engagement, curiosity and perseverance across a wide range of activities, irrespective of their age or stage of development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children thrive in a safe and reassuring environment. The childminder demonstrates a thorough understanding of each child and their individual needs. She supports their health, wellbeing and overall development effectively. Children confidently engage in discussions about making healthy choices, including about food and nutrition. The childminder keeps families well informed through regular communication and sharing up-to-date guidance consistently.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder actively fosters children's confidence, independence and positive self-care habits. Children have a secure understanding of personal hygiene and confidently wash their hands at appropriate times. They recognise how this helps to keep themselves and others healthy.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder consistently prioritises children's emotional wellbeing and safety. Calm guidance, sensitive interactions and established routines, such as for sleep and nappy changing, help children to feel secure and settled. Children understand how to keep safe indoors and outdoors and can articulate this knowledge during activities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Inclusive practice is embedded across the provision. The childminder carefully adapts activities so that all children, regardless of need or ability, can participate fully, feel valued and receive the support they require. Parents and carers describe the setting as 'a special place where children feel safe, happy and loved'. They comment that the childminder offers children opportunities to develop new skills and become ready for school.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

An extremely well-planned, sequenced and high-quality curriculum is delivered confidently by the childminder so children make key progress in all areas of learning. Key physical skills are taught, where children show increasing core strength, progressing from maintaining brief balance with support to walking along a beam independently. The childminder ensures that the curriculum is accessible and inclusive so every child can participate and make progress.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder's exciting weekly plans are informed by children's interests and next steps, with themed weeks offering a rich and focused context for learning. The childminder reviews these plans regularly with her co-childminder, alongside assessing what each child knows and can do. This ensures that the childminder continues to respond effectively to children's differing starting points and support their ongoing development. Interactive emotion cards and mirrors are introduced and modelled by the childminder at appropriate levels, which encourages ongoing communication and self-awareness.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children develop early mathematical skills through innovative and interactive sensory play. Thoughtful adaptations, such as colour and visual prompts, ensure that every child can recognise and match numbers at their level, making learning accessible and engaging for all. The childminder addresses children's misconceptions, for example in shape recognition, sensitively to ensure accurate learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder intentionally develops and extends children's vocabulary, particularly in scientific learning. For example, she explores the life cycle of a butterfly with children and introduces terms such as 'chrysalis' alongside 'cocoon'. The childminder builds children's early subject-specific language to support their ongoing understanding, curiosity and love of language.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder is dedicated to promoting an inclusive environment, which is at the heart of her practice. She supports all children very effectively, helping them to overcome challenges and thrive in their learning and development. Through tailored support, regular reviews and a nurturing approach, the childminder ensures that every child feels valued and is able to make progress at their own pace.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder carefully tailors activities, routines and the learning environment to enable all children to participate fully. She adapts teaching strategies, breaks learning into manageable steps and ensures that resources are inclusive and accessible. The childminder proactively removes barriers to children's learning. This supports every child to make secure progress from their starting points.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Warm and trusting relationships are central to the childminder's practice, alongside consistently high expectations. The childminder has undertaken key training in the graduated approach and uses this to monitor and support children's individual needs. The childminder works closely with families and other professionals to share information, adapt strategies and help children succeed at home and in the setting.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Communication with parents and carers and relevant professionals is effective and consistent, ensuring that children's needs are fully understood and met. Parents comment positively on how the childminder provides individual guidance and support to them as families through bespoke settling-in plans, which has had a direct impact on how safe and secure children feel.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has a clear and accurate understanding of the quality of her provision and adopts a reflective approach to her practice. Through regular monitoring and evaluation, the childminder identifies key strengths and any areas for further development. The outdoor environment focus is to further promote managing risks as part of children's physical development. The childminder should continue to build on her practice by engaging in further professional learning opportunities to sustain impact.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder keeps up to date with current early years practice, including the latest nutritional information and sleep advice. She maintains well-organised and up-to-date records, including attendance, risk assessments and safeguarding documentation, which are reviewed on a regular basis alongside her co-childminder.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Partnerships with parents and carers are open and positive. Parents value the daily communication and detailed information they receive about their child's progress, individual needs and next steps in learning. They report feeling well supported and confident in approaching the childminder to seek guidance at any time.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has developed effective links with the local school, supporting smooth transitions and helping ensure that children feel secure and well prepared. Parents highlight the key opportunities for mathematics and science activities offered by the childminder, which have had a positive impact on children's continued progress in school.

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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 enjoy a welcoming, enabling and purposeful environment. The childminder uses this to encourage children's exploration, independence and sustained engagement in their play. The curriculum is well sequenced and flexible. It builds on what each child already knows and can do. During a discussion on growing plants, children respond to questions and prompts supporting the retrieval of facts and extending their thinking. Children develop effective communication and language skills. The childminder introduces and models rich vocabulary, encourages conversation and responds sensitively to their attempts to try out new words and help further develop their meaning. This helps to broaden their understanding and confidence in speaking.

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

Children demonstrate high levels of emotional security as the childminder forms warm and trusting attachments with children. This enables children to feel safe, confident and ready to explore. Children are always enthusiastic about coming. Parents and carers mention how their children love sharing what they have done in the setting, especially when they have been baking. Children show increasing confidence in managing their own needs, building relationships and developing positive social interactions. Children are able to focus on tasks together, such as the sensory number-matching activity. They build their physical skills through planned and spontaneous opportunities that strengthen large and small muscles, indoors and outdoors. Children benefit from daily outdoor experiences that enhance physical development and awareness of the natural world. The childminder plans local outings further to support children to learn about their surroundings and gain an increasing

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

Children respond well to the childminder's consistent guidance, showing cooperation and respect for daily routines. The childminder supports children to resolve disagreements, such as taking turns with equipment. She encourages children to discuss their feelings and find solutions together. Children's health and wellbeing are promoted through daily routines and supportive care that encourage healthy lifestyles. The childminder works in partnership with families to promote nutritious eating. She supports children to develop positive oral hygiene and other self-care skills.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain her work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. The childminder should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her co-childminder, children and parents and carers 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 the 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:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:30

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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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