Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2746158 Registered with Ofsted: 24/11/2023 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

All children, including those with barriers to their learning, develop a range of key skills and knowledge across the curriculum and typically make steady progress from their starting points ready for school. For example, children who find transitions difficult use photos and visual prompts to help them learn how to successfully manage changes throughout the day.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Older children communicate clearly and use a growing range of vocabulary. They confidently talk about what they are doing and share their knowledge during activities. For instance, children accurately name different types of rocks and describe features of specific animals, showing their developing understanding.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Children demonstrate caring attitudes towards others. They show respect and cooperate well during play. They share resources, such as passing rolling pins to each other and ensuring everyone has a turn when using bubble wands.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Children generally show excitement for learning and are keen to participate. They develop good physical skills and use litter pickers accurately to pick up litter. Older children develop mathematical skills and early writing skills as they purposefully use pens to make marks on paper to represent how many cars they see on their walk to the park. However, younger and/or quieter children show less engagement in some planned activities and their skills and knowledge are not always fully extended during these times.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally behave well and show positive attitudes to their learning. They arrive eager to attend and quickly engage in activities the childminder has carefully chosen to interest and motivate them. Children sustain their focus for extended periods. They comment and ask questions to extend their own learning. For instance, they show interest in the different types of fruit and how grapes change into raisins. The childminder responds with a clear explanation and suggests they could leave the grapes in the sun to see what happens to them.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder embeds clear and simple routines for children. She builds secure relationships with children, and they form strong attachments to her. Parents report that their children look forward to attending and appreciate the care she goes to, to ensure there is always something to motivate their children when they arrive.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder actively supports children to manage their feelings and emotions. She talks with them about how they feel and encourages them to share their thoughts and ideas. She teaches children the importance of including everyone and helping each other, promoting an inclusive, respectful environment.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children develop positive relationships with each other. They show care and kindness, for example, older children hold younger children's hands on walks to the park and help them access toys. The childminder works with parents to promote good attendance and punctuality, helping children to build consistent routines ready for school.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder implements clear procedures to support children's safety and welfare. She generally promotes good hygiene practices, such as ensuring children wash their hands before eating and involving them in cleaning tables before snack and mealtimes. However, the childminder does not consistently promote children's independence with their self-care skills. For example, she does not always encourage children to wipe their own noses and cover their mouths when coughing.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they demonstrate an understanding of road safety as they walk to the park, holding hands, staying on the pavement, and stopping to look for cars. The childminder teaches children about healthy lifestyles. She regularly cooks healthy meals with children and talks to them about the importance of drinking water, particularly after physical activity. She provides daily opportunities for children to be active and develop their physical skills.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder knows children well and responds to their individual needs and feelings. She supports their emotional wellbeing, including through regular outdoor experiences, encouraging them to talk about how they feel and respecting their choices and ideas. She works with parents to ensure children's sleeping and eating routines are consistent, especially when helping with toilet training.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder interacts positively with children. She encourages them to share their ideas and praises their efforts. The childminder follows children's interests and adapts activities when they show curiosity to learn. For instance, she safely uses the internet with children to explore and discuss items they bring from home. She adapts her teaching to support children with barriers to learning and uses her regular assessment of children's development to plan their individual next steps. The childminder promotes children's communication and language development effectively by introducing new vocabulary, modelling clear speech, and reading enthusiastically to promote a love of books.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder places a priority on helping children learn about and take part in their local community. For example, she takes children on regular trips to the park, involves them in litter picking, and teaches them about road safety, including recognising traffic signs and understanding their purpose.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a broad and ambitious curriculum and generally sequences learning appropriately. However, at times she misses opportunities to fully extend younger and/or quieter children's skills or knowledge. For example, younger children do not get the support they need to learn how to use a rolling pin during a cooking activity. The childminder supports children's physical development through daily opportunities for active play and teaches mathematics through practical experiences, such as counting and problem-solving during snack preparation.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those with barriers to learning are typically supported well. The childminder follows clear and regular assessment and monitoring procedures to track children's progress. She identifies gaps in learning at an early stage and takes appropriate action to address these. The childminder understands when to seek additional support from other professionals and generally does so in a timely manner to help meet children's needs. She understands the importance of securing additional funding and the importance of targeting this to meet the individual needs of children.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder attends training around SEND and uses knowledge from this to implement appropriate strategies to support children's individual needs. For example, she uses a 'box of choices' to encourage children who are less confident to explore new activities and play alongside their peers.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder reviews the effectiveness of any adaptations she puts in place to ensure they have a positive impact on children's progress. She creates an inclusive environment to enable children with SEND and/or barriers to learning to take part in all learning opportunities alongside their peers. For instance, she uses individual timetables with personalised photographs for children who find transitions difficult.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of the children and families she supports, as well as the local area. She identifies children's needs in a timely way and implements appropriate interventions to support their development. She reflects on her practice and recognises her own strengths, while identifying priorities for improvement.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder maintains high expectations for herself and for children. She understands the importance of maintaining her own professional development and regularly attends training to keep her knowledge and skills up to date. She uses what she learns to improve outcomes for children. For example, the childminder recently developed her understanding of how to use the internet safely with children, and uses this to extend children's knowledge about topics of interest from home.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has established relationships with others in the local area and works collaboratively with other childminders, early years providers, and schools to promote consistency for children who attend more than one setting. This helps to support smooth transitions and promotes effective partnership working. Partnerships with parents are positive. The childminder shares information regularly and works with parents to meet children's needs. Parents comment positively on the care and support their children receive.

p.4

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

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

p.5

Register

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

p.5

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

All children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), typically benefit from the childminder's broad curriculum and the motivating environment she

p.5

Inspector:

provides. They arrive happy, separate well from their parents, and quickly engage in play that interests them. The childminder offers a range of learning opportunities that support children to develop the skills and knowledge they need for school and beyond. For example, children choose to play outside, where they explore water play using different resources. Older children experiment with the height of tubes, noticing how this can change the speed of water and objects. Children generally show enjoyment in their play and are keen to greet the childminder and their friends as they arrive.

p.6

Inspector:

The childminder forms positive relationships with children through her calm and caring approach. She interacts with them in ways that help them feel secure. Children seek her out for comfort, such as cuddles, and often involve her in their play. They bring toys and familiar items from home to share. Children show they feel safe and settled in the childminder's care.

p.6

Inspector:

Children understand what is expected of them and generally behave well. They follow familiar routines and play cooperatively. The childminder supports children to develop independence and consideration for others. Older children typically help younger children, for example by reaching for resources or assisting them with handwashing.

p.6

Inspector:

Partnerships with parents are positive. The childminder gathers information to help meet children's individual care needs. She works with parents to support children's development, such as encouraging children to try a wider range of foods. She promotes the importance of good attendance and punctuality with families to help build positive habits for school.

p.6

Next steps

The childminder should ensure teaching is always precisely matched to each child's age and/or stage of development to fully extend all children's learning. The childminder should consistently teach and support children to manage their personal needs so that children learn the independent self-care skills they need and form healthy habits.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, parents, 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. Mikaela Jauncey

p.6

About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:30 - 16:30

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

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

p.7

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.8

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.8

Needs attention

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

p.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8

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.

p.8

Urgent improvement

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.8

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