Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY386066 Registered with Ofsted: 23/02/2009 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 develop highly effective independence skills, enabling them to confidently manage their self-care and express their needs, thoughts and feelings effectively. Older children develop high levels of confidence to speak in front of small groups of their peers. They optimistically pronounce complex words, such as, 'Pterodactyl' and 'carnivore' in their responses to questions.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop their literacy and early writing skills in readiness for starting school. They show an interest and understanding of numbers as they explore different quantities. Children learn to work out totals as they add quantities together. Younger children learn the names of different farm animals and the noises they make.

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Achievement Strong standard

Overall, children are well prepared for their next stages in learning and make successful transitions into school. They know they must remain seated at mealtimes and learn to manage their toileting needs.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children have a clear understanding of the childminder's high behavioural expectations and show impressive self-control. For example, whenever children are excited to join activities they resist the temptation to explore resources and wait for their friends to join before starting activities. Children play cooperatively and learn to negotiate with each other to resolve their minor conflicts. The childminder's positive approach to behaviour is embedded across the provision as she models this well for her assistants.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has well-established routines. Children know when it is time for them to eat, sleep, play and go outdoors. Children are keen and curious learners who show a willingness to try new things and not give up when they find things difficult.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder understands the importance of incorporating flexibility within her routines to meet individual children's needs. This includes accommodating changes in individual family circumstances so children can maintain high levels of attendance. She adopts an inclusive approach to childcare. This ensures all children, including those who are experiencing disadvantage, or who may face other barriers to their learning and/or well-being are supported.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder promotes children's understanding of healthy lifestyles impressively well. She embeds robust hygiene routines and fosters children's deep understanding of their physical well-being. Children know what foods are good for their teeth and bones. They understand the importance of good oral hygiene. The childminder teaches children healthy eating habits and provides a variety of healthy meals. Children learn how to plant and grow seasonal fruits and vegetables in the childminder's garden. They know that fruits contain seeds which makes them different to vegetables. This successfully promotes their positive attitudes towards eating a balanced diet.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children enjoy spending their day playing in the childminder's garden. They develop their physical agility as they energetically play and explore. Children thrive in the well-resourced outdoor environment, making rapid progress in their physical development, movement and coordination. They are emotionally secure and demonstrate high levels of self-esteem. The childminder and her assistants use purposeful praise to celebrate children's uniqueness, while a strong focus on the 'language of feelings' empowers children to express emotions and assert preferences confidently.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder prioritises children's safety and maintains good oversight of the learning environment. She ensures children remain fully supervised at all times, including when they are sleeping and eating. She is vigilant towards identifying any hazards so children are kept safe in her care.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children are settled in the homely setting and eagerly engage in activities. The childminder is committed to inclusive practice and ensures this ethos is fully integrated into the work of her assistants.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder understands common barriers to children's learning. The well-established parent partnership relationships she maintains enables her to sensitively offer additional support for children. Hence, all children have fair access to all the activities she provides. This effectively reduces any barriers to learning children may face. The childminder ensures children learn about what makes them unique and other cultures through celebrations, books and creative expression. For example, children enjoy listening and dancing to cultural music. They play with ample multicultural resources that reflect the diverse local community.

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Inclusion Strong standard

There were no children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) on roll at the time of the inspection. Nevertheless, the childminder fully understands what steps are required to provide targeted support for children who have SEND. She is knowledgeable about the use of common intervention strategies, such as, visual timetables and communication exchange cards to support children with SEND. This helps to ensure any children who attend in the future with communication difficulties are supported.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder maintains expert knowledge of local agencies offering family support. She knows the process to follow to make referrals. This ensures children's welfare and wellbeing will be prioritised should any children experiencing disadvantage attended her provision moving forward.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a broad, engaging curriculum covering all seven areas of the early years foundation stage. Activities spark children's interest and curiosity. Children enjoy learning about space, dinosaurs, plants and animal life cycles, developing their knowledge of dinosaur names and the solar system. The enthusiastic storytelling of the childminder and her assistants capture children's attention, fostering a deep interest and enjoyment in books, including both factual texts and stories.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, the childminder has high expectations for what children need to learn and when. Babies thrive on rich back-and-forth interactions that build their early communication skills. Children learn to count objects and recognise numbers and shapes. The childminder prioritises outdoor learning and children benefit from activities linked to understanding the world, nature and growth cycles.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder and her assistants typically support children's language development well. They consistently comment on children's actions and name objects. Older children learn to respond to questions which helps the childminder determine what children have learnt and know. Nevertheless, sometimes the childminder's assessment strategies for younger children are not adapted closely enough to individual children's developmental stage. For example, she asks questions about concepts that children don't have sufficient knowledge about which makes is harder for them to respond.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is committed to providing a high-quality learning environment for children. She forges strong partnership working with parents, underpinned by clear and meaningful communication. This enables her to promptly recognise and respond to children's needs when family circumstances change. Particularly, when children experience disadvantage or other barriers to learning and/or well-being. Parents express their high praise for the childminder and report their children are very well prepared for starting school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder manages her assistants effectively and ensures they consistently reflect her warm, supportive interactions with children. Her assistants are enthusiastic and enjoy working with children. The childminder plays an active role in supporting her assistant's wellbeing and morale. This includes organising out-of-work social gatherings to strengthen relationships.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

To drive ongoing improvements, the childminder uses observation, modelling, and coaching to help her assistants deepen their professional knowledge. While these efforts successfully supports aspects of their development, the overall existing supervision process needs strengthening to a more rigorous approach. This would better identify specific areas of improvement to enable the quality of her assistant's practice to remain at a consistently high level.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a clear vision for improvement. For example, she has invested in the purchase of a hen coup to extend learning opportunities outdoors. She envisages this will provide rich hands-on experiences that will deepen their understanding of the world and living things.

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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 progress well at this provision because the childminder recognises and responds to their individual needs and abilities. She has high expectations for children's readiness for school and future learning. Children develop important self-help skills, such as putting on

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About this setting

their shoes and organising their belongings, enabling them to take increasing responsibility for their personal needs. They follow the daily routines well and learn to consider the feelings of others. Children grow in confidence to assert themselves as the childminder encourages them to express their preferences, wishes and feelings throughout their play.

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About this setting

Children thrive in the warm, nurturing environment created by the childminder. They feel safe and emotionally secure, which allows them to explore, and try new things. The childminder and her assistants value each child's unique personality, helping them build strong self-esteem.

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About this setting

The childminder fosters a strong sense of community where every child is recognised, valued and fully included. She remains attentive to any changes in children's home circumstances that may present barriers to their learning or wellbeing. She takes proactive steps to ensure they continue to participate and engage fully in the provision. Children build positive relationships, play cooperatively and demonstrate that they feel a genuine sense of belonging. They seek each other's company and interact confidently with the childminder and her assistants. The secure attachments formed highlight a noticeable culture of inclusion throughout the setting.

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Next steps

The childminder should sharpen methods for the assessment of younger children so it accurately determines what individual children already know and need to learn next The childminder should strengthen existing supervision arrangements to more effectively identify individual assistant's areas for professional development, so the quality of their practice is raised to a consistently high level.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and her assistants 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. Unique reference number (URN): EY386066

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About this inspection

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

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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