Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY374292 Registered with Ofsted: 04/09/2008 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

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.

p.1

Achievement Expected standard

Children make typical progress in their learning from their starting points. They become confident communicators as they listen to questions and are given time to respond. They confidently navigate the setting and independently access resources they wish to play with. Children follow instructions and understand routines. For example, they enthusiastically help tidy up resources when it is tidy-up time. However, younger children are not given the opportunity to develop further independence during routines, such as independently washing their hands or eating with their own cutlery. This means progress remains steady rather than accelerated.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Children demonstrate enjoyment and engagement in learning. They develop confidence and positive attitudes through guided support and instructions from the childminder. For example, when faced with a tricky task of cutting pretend role-play vegetables with a knife, the childminder says, 'You can do it.' This helps children develop resilience, small-muscle control and sustained attention skills.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder acts as a positive role model. She encourages children to use polite language, share resources and take turns. The childminder generally sets high expectations for what she wants children to achieve and how she wants them to behave. Children are happy. They smile, laugh and express themselves. They are comfortable and feel safe to explore their surroundings. This supports children to meet their milestones in preparation for their next stage of learning. The childminder encourages children to be respectful and fair towards each other. For example, during a ball game, the childminder role models taking turns throwing the ball between her assistants and children.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is responsive, supporting children to understand their own feelings and manage their behaviour positively. Children develop secure and trusting relationships with the childminder, strengthening their emotional security and helping them to settle quickly. Children seek the childminder and her assistants out to play, wanting them to be involved. The childminder provides regular praise to children. This supports their self-esteem effectively. The childminder follows procedures to ensure that children's attendance is closely monitored. She maintains records and has regular contact with parents to ensure children's safety and wellbeing.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents to support children's progress in key milestones. She adapts her routines to ensure that children have the time they need to rest, play and develop self-care skills such as toileting. Children successfully learn about the importance of good health, including making healthy food choices, washing their hands regularly and drinking water. Overall, the childminder has high expectations of what children can do for themselves. However, there are times when she is too quick to help children with their self- care. This means children do not consistently learn to manage tasks, such as handwashing independently from a young age.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder gives close attention, eye contact and warm interactions so that younger children feel at home. All children are very happy and develop secure relationships with the childminder. Children are supported to express and talk about their feelings, helping them develop emotional awareness and confidence in managing their emotions. The childminder works with parents to give supportive advice and promote healthy choices, such as the types of food to provide children in lunch boxes. She sits opposite children when they are eating to reduce the risk of choking and supervises children while they are sleeping.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Communication and language development is central to the childminder's curriculum. She supports children to learn new vocabulary through role modelling and using high-quality interactions consistently. The childminder knows what children can do already and uses this to plan new learning to meet individual children's needs, based on their interests. The childminder knows how to adapt her teaching to help support children who may require additional support.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder teaches mathematics through play, supporting children to develop confidence in their counting, sequencing and recognising shapes. For example, when using Russian dolls, she supports children to organise them in size order from smallest to biggest. The childminder generally supports children's physical skills effectively. For example, she encourages children to throw or roll the ball to knock down bowling pins. However, she does not maximise opportunities outdoors to support this area of their development further. This means children do not consistently benefit from opportunities that support them to develop an active lifestyle.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder follows the child's lead in their play and skilfully helps them to extend their knowledge. For example, when children begin naming the colours of blocks, she builds on their understanding of concepts, such as 'orange like carrots' and 'green like cucumber'.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder knows the children well and has a secure understanding of their individual needs. She monitors the development of each child by observing them at play and communicating progress with parents. This enables her to typically identify emerging delays and reduce barriers by implementing targeted support. The childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of children's interests and uses these to promote children's engagement in activities. She helps children learn to embrace British values, which helps support children to be respectful of each other and celebrate what makes them unique.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of making timely referrals and working with agencies to reduce barriers to children's learning and wellbeing. She knows who to contact in her local authority to seek support for children who may need additional help with their learning and development. She understands how to use additional funding to enhance children's experiences and develop the curriculum to meet their individual needs. The childminder supports children learning English as an additional language by using gestures, key words from home languages and visual aids to support children's communication. This ensures that all children feel secure and confident to take part in learning activities.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has developed her knowledge since her previous inspection to ensure that she is secure in her understanding of notifying changes of her provision in the required timescales. The childminder also has continued to ensure that mandatory training, such as paediatric first aid, is current. The childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of her role and responsibilities. She ensures that she is up to date with early years legislation, engages in an online training programme of professional development sessions and completes her own research. The childminder is committed to professional development and reflects on her practice. However, she does not always use her self-evaluation process consistently to target areas for development and raise the quality of her provision even further.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works with families to ensure that all children's needs are met. She helps maintain consistency between home and the setting for children. For example, she develops positive relationships with parents and carers and communicates progress and care needs regularly. The childminder is knowledgeable of how to support children through transitions or who face barriers to learning. She knows how to seek advice from external professionals in order to further support their learning and development.

p.4

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

p.4

Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.4

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

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

The childminder's warm and nurturing interactions provide reassurance and encouragement, helping children feel valued at this setting. Achievements are recognised and celebrated, for example when children repeat new words, show sustained effort or succeed in achieving their goals in play. Typically, children make progress from their starting points. Children confidently navigate the childminder's home, play and explore. They show secure attachments and trust in the childminder. Children benefit from clear expectations, resources that link to their interests and responsive interactions. This helps children feel emotionally secure and ready to learn.

p.5

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

Children lead their play. They choose what to engage with and confidently manipulate toys. Positive behaviour is supported through role modelling, praise and gentle guidance. Overall, the childminder promotes children's independence. However, opportunities to strengthen independence in self-care routines are not always consistent, as the childminder occasionally completes tasks for children. Despite this, children demonstrate confidence and enthusiasm as learners. They develop a positive attitude to learning. For example, children attempt to knock down bowling pins, amending their aim and technique each time until all pins have been knocked over.

p.5

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

The childminder plans a broad curriculum that typically supports progress in the 7 areas of learning. She encourages daily outdoor access, and children delight in attempting to throw and catch a ball in the garden. The childminder prioritises communication and language. She talks to children, narrating their play and introducing new vocabulary and concepts. The childminder understands the importance of promoting children's regular attendance and works with families appropriately to ensure that children attend. Parents are kept updated on their child's development, and partnership in care routines ensure a cohesive approach that supports children to thrive.

p.5

About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

p.6

Next steps

The childminder should strengthen self-evaluation to identify more precisely areas for development and raise the overall quality of her provision even further. The childminder should further extend the opportunities for children to engage in a broader range of outdoor physical activities to further support children's physical development and skills. The childminder should be more consistent in her approach to supporting children's independence in hygiene and self-care routines so that children increasingly manage these consistently.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistant, and children during the inspection.

p.6

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. This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.6

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.7

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.7

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.

p.7

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.7

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

p.7

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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

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 .

p.8

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8