Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 960287 Registered with Ofsted: 01/01/2001 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder places a clear emphasis on promoting regular attendance and punctuality. She works closely with families and demonstrates flexibility in meeting their individual needs, which supports children's regular attendance. The childminder is in the process of strengthening her record-keeping systems in this area to ensure that they are consistently accurate, detailed and monitored effectively.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children have warm and trusting relationships with the childminder. She gets to know them from the very start, giving them time and attention as they settle into her care at their own pace. For example, babies who are unsettled cuddle closely into the childminder for reassurance when visitors enter the setting. The childminder has close relationships with families, which help children to feel secure and confident.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder supports children's behaviour effectively, both within her own setting and by regularly taking them to social groups. This broadens their opportunities to interact with a wider range of children. These experiences help children to build important social skills, such as turn-taking, sharing and showing consideration for others. This demonstrates the childminder's commitment to promoting positive relationships and cooperative play.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder considers each child's age, stage of development and individual needs and adapts her approach and expectations. This allows all children to successfully follow the setting's routines and expectations.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder meets children's individual needs through a flexible, home-from-home approach. She creates a welcoming, clean and safe environment where children feel secure and emotionally supported. The childminder places importance on children's welfare and wellbeing, adapting routines to ensure that they feel comfortable and happy. She understands the changing needs of children and provides cuddles and kind words whenever needed. The childminder works closely with parents to agree on approaches to care, such as nap times and preferred food choices. Parents comment on the supportive approach between home and the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder develops secure relationships through her detailed knowledge of each child in her care. She ensures that children feel safe, settled and have fun in her care. The childminder recognises that behaviour is a form of communication and supports each child to attempt to find the root cause. She will then encourage the child to recognise, express and manage their emotions through supportive interactions. The childminder adapts her behavioural expectations and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, so they too achieve a strong sense of belonging.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder follows safer eating and safe sleeping guidelines. She promotes healthy eating during social mealtimes and supports children with oral health.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder gathers information about children from the start. She plans her provision based on children's individual needs and development. The childminder quickly identifies any developmental concerns and discusses them with parents. She then regularly shares with parents about their children's progress and next steps.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder is proactive in working with families, professionals and external agencies. For example, she works closely with the early years special educational needs coordinator from the local authority. The childminder utilises their support to ensure effective next steps for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder creates play plans and delivers interventions linked to speech and language programmes. She uses the graduated approach to inform next steps for individuals with barriers to learning. The childminder takes children to sensory groups to build their confidence and social skills within a welcoming environment.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children with SEND make steady progress in line with their individual needs due to the tailored adaptations that she introduces to allow them to succeed. The childminder also considers how additional funding could be used to maximise children's outcomes. She reflects on how to provide targeted experiences that strengthen their personal, social and emotional development.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children do not always receive the support they need to make progress through the curriculum. The childminder talks to the children constantly. However, babies would benefit from word modelling and repetition, in order to aid their development of language. Babies are confident in communicating their needs through sounds and actions, and the childminder is kind and sensitive in her responses.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children make progress from their starting points across the curriculum. This supports children's learning through play and everyday routines, enabling them to develop secure foundational knowledge. For example, babies use blocks to learn to build a tower and explore what happens when they knock it down.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children develop social skills and an awareness of the world around them as they enjoy lots of outings from the setting. They benefit from visits to museums, parks and other outdoor environments to develop their understanding of the world around them. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make significant progress and are prepared for the next stage of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder does not demonstrate a clear understanding of curriculum design or how to sequence learning. Teaching is reactive rather than intentional. There is limited modelling of language or opportunities to extend children's vocabulary or early mathematical knowledge. Assessment is informal and does not consistently advise planning for children's next steps. The childminder needs further training to develop a purposeful curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder knows the children well and provides a warm and engaging play environment. She focuses on personal, social and emotional development, physical development, and communication and language as priorities for the children in her care. The childminder talks to the children and encourages them to look at the world around them when they are out. However, this can be further developed by modelling words and narration while children play.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder reads books to the children while they are cuddled up on her knee, helping them develop a love of stories and rhymes. Children enjoy regular outings in the community that help them to learn about the world around them. They gain valuable social skills when they attend toddler groups and soft-play centres. This supports children to learn important life skills and how to socialise with others. For example, the childminder takes children swimming when she can do so one-to-one to encourage physical exercise and life skills.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Since the last inspection, the childminder has ensured that all insurances and policies are in line with current requirements. Although she needs to implement a system to ensure that these are easily accessible and that records of attendance, accidents and injuries are up to date. The childminder has completed all required training. However, the childminder does not accurately identify areas for improvement in her practice. As a result, gaps remain in her knowledge and understanding. For example, she has not updated her training to align with the curriculum, which would strengthen how she supports children's future learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Children are settled and secure, and they enjoy their time with the childminder. She is committed to meeting the individual needs of all children and to ensuring that decisions are consistently made in the best interests of the children. The childminder has positive relationships with the children and their families. Parents praise the communication and support given by the childminder. They recognise and value the progress made by their children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder is effective at identifying concerns quickly and makes appropriate referrals to external agencies.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. The childminder supports children and their families through an extended transition programme to help them manage this important change.

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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 warmly welcomed into a safe, happy home environment. The childminder understands each child's needs and builds trusting, secure relationships with them and their parents. This supports their regular attendance. Parents speak highly of the care their children receive and the support she gives to children with special educational and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

The childminder promotes a continuous focus on developing children's personal, social and emotional skills. She is a successful role model and encourages children to be kind, polite and respectful towards others. They develop their ability to share, take turns, wait and play with other children in different social groups to further extend their social skills.

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

Children enjoy regular trips out, which helps them to learn about the world around them. They enjoy painting, building dens, going swimming and learning basic mathematics concepts. The children enjoy cuddles and sharing cosy stories with the childminder to develop their love of reading, as she encourages them to look at pictures and help turn the pages. They enjoy their learning and engage with the resources available. The childminder sits alongside the youngest children, supporting them to explore new toys. However, the childminder should update her curriculum training so that she creates and delivers explicit teaching opportunities.

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

The childminder talks to the children throughout the day. For example, during lunchtime, she talks to the children about what they are eating and how their morning has been. The childminder can enhance this by tailoring language to children's individual ages and stages of development.

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

All children make steady progress from their starting points. The childminder reduces barriers to learning by adapting activities to meet children's individual needs, including those with SEND. For example, she provides sensory support and consistent routines to help children with SEND manage anxiety and sensory overload. This supports the children to engage more confidently in a range of situations throughout the day.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure that records relating to children's attendance, accidents and injuries are accurately maintained and consistently shared with parents 29/03/2027

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Action Completion Date

enhance professional development to improve understanding of the quality of education to ensure the best possible outcomes for all children 29/03/2027

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Action Completion Date

The childminder should strengthen knowledge around the organisation of documentation and record-keeping to ensure that all required records are maintained accurately and easily accessible. The childminder should undertake updated curriculum training to improve the standard of teaching and raise the quality of education to a consistently high level, particularly for younger children and babies.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:30

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About this setting

Local authority: Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

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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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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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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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