Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2795382 Registered with Ofsted: 18/07/2024 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

All children make progress, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They are extremely prepared for the next stages in learning and development. For instance, children build their confidence and social skills each week when they join other childminders and children and experience interacting with different adults and children. This supports children to prepare for the environments they will experience when starting nurseries and school.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop key skills for later learning including independence. For instance, toddlers learn to attend to their own toileting needs and know how to wash their hands before eating snacks without adult help or prompting. They are confident to ask for things that they need and share their ideas. Children develop a love of books and counting which supports their early literacy and mathematical skills. They develop high levels of social interactions and notable speech and vocabulary.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has high expectations for all children's behaviour and behaviour is extremely positive. The childminder consistently reminds children of the rules she has in place and supports children to follow these. Children are extremely responsive to her prompts and show they understand what is expected of them. For instance, they know to stop speaking when they have food in their mouths.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder consistently teaches children how to interact positively with each other. For example, she prompts children to help them begin taking turns with toys and work out whose turn it is next. She reminds them to say 'please' and 'thank you' to each other. Children show impressive levels of kindness independently at other times. For instance, they help each other to get their shoes, coats and hats on when going outside making sure everyone has what they need.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children learn to regulate their behaviour. The childminder consistently puts effective strategies in place in the setting and at home to support children who find this challenging. For instance, toddlers learn to take themselves to the 'calm space' to lay down and calm themselves. They do this quickly and independently when they are starting to find waiting difficult. The childminder also supports children to resolve conflicts and find resolutions, such as using sand timers to take turns with toys. She encourages children to work this out for themselves and only intervenes when necessary. As a result, children are very quick to work out ways to play harmoniously together. Children are extremely happy in the childminder's care and develop a positive view of learning which supports regular attendance and focus in their play.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children have daily access to the outside area where they enjoy playing with the stimulating toys that have been chosen to follow their interests and next steps. For example, the childminder has prepared water play for children who enjoy this so they can build their strength and co-ordination while pouring and filling items such as jugs. This supports children to spend time benefiting from the fresh air and other health opportunities the outside environment offers. The childminder builds children's self-worth and confidence to make their own choices. She allows children to take resources outside that they ask for which values their ideas and interests.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children learn why we have to brush our teeth and how different foods and drinks supports our physical health. They talk about who attends a dentist and how often they brush their teeth each day which develops their overall ability to keep themselves healthy and establish healthy habits. The childminder provides nutritional snacks, such as fruits, and supports parents to provide healthy lunches. She works closely with parents and outside agencies for children who struggle to develop healthy eating habits and positive food choices to reduce barriers to their development. For example, children build their range of better drink choices and start to have milk and water instead of juice. The childminder continues to offer information and foster the positive eating habits of all children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder consistently works hard to develop enriching and caring relationships and bonds with children. She provides a bespoke settling in procedure that offers parents and children a flexible approach. For example, children who struggle to leave parents spend more sessions with their parents present until they become familiar with the childminder and the setting. This supports the wellbeing and happiness of all children. The childminder is highly responsive to children's needs. For instance, she adapts the timing of the day to fit in short naps for children who have not slept well the night before to ensure they are settled, happy and able to play. She offers additional cuddles of reassurance and tells the other children they might need more help that day. Children respond positively and offer their own cuddles to help.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has put in place a highly ambitious and effectively planned curriculum that covers all areas of the early years curriculum. She focuses on promoting learning in important areas that are essential for children's later learning, such as communication and physical development. She also closely links planning to children's next steps in learning and development and interests. This means children receive targeted planning that meets their individual needs and secures their on-going progress, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children build an abundance of key personal skills, such as confidence and resilience and show a keenness to do things for themselves. For example, they try to cut fruits and keep persevering until they succeed. Toddlers try to put on their own shoes saying 'I can do it' showing determination. The childminder focuses on building children's physical skills. They learn how to balance on blocks and beams inside and develop co-ordination through dancing and using balance bikes. They learn how to take risks safely and challenge themselves on slides and equipment in the local park.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder effectively weaves mathematics into children's learning. For instance, she encourages children to count the legs on 'spiders' they have made from play dough. She prioritises building a wider range of mathematical knowledge and vocabulary by teaching children to recognise shapes and where there are 'more or less' items. Children display these skills independently as they count their steps and talk about the cup being 'full of tea'.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has highly effective systems in place to support children and close gaps in learning and development. She closely monitors children's development and identifies relevant next steps and any areas where children need more support and interventions.

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Inclusion Strong standard

She informs parents immediately when there are barriers to learning and develops a consistent partnership approach where they work together to put strategies in place. For example, she shares with parents the techniques children use to calm themselves, such as simple breathing strategies. Parents follow these at home, helping children pause and settle when they become over excited. For children with speech and language delays, she shares daily updates on words that children are starting to say so parents can repeat these at home and gives parents lists of new words that children need to start saying next so they can introduce them. This close collaboration swiftly addresses barriers to development and supports children to make progress and close gaps.

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Inclusion Strong standard

She works with outside agencies and professionals to ensure effective care is put in place. For example, she works with health visitors and specialists, such as dieticians, to ensure the strategies she is using, and advice given to parents, are relevant. She reviews the progress and impact of interventions asking for further advice if needed. This supports her knowledge and ability to positively and impactfully meet the needs of the children in her care.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has a constant drive for improvement and self-development. She uses local networking and childminder groups for ideas and asks for feedback on what they feel she could improve. This significantly supports the development of her provision and reduces her workload by learning from others. She reflects on what is working well and where she could better meet both families and children's needs. She selects impactful training to build her knowledge and develop her practice. For example, she has conducted training on the different ways children learn so she can successfully adapt activities for each child. This has improved the focus and enjoyment for children and the range of learning they will engage in across the early years curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder proactively builds positive interactions and works effectively with other settings children attend and parents to ensure consistency in care and learning. She shares next steps with other settings and supports with issues children are having. For example, she takes children who are less confident in their nursery setting to local groups to build their confidence with bigger groups of adults and children. She works with health visitors and other professionals for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The childminder is motivated to learn from others and seeks advice and support. Children benefit from this fully embedded collaborative approach that maximises progress for every child. Also, the childminder has a thorough understanding of how best to support transitions to other settings, such as when children move to schools, and how to adapt and enhance this for children with barriers to learning. For example, she will meet with the key

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

staff from the school to go through the child's next steps and development, as well as, successful strategies she has already put in place for children. She plans to invite the teachers into her setting so they can observe children and start to build a clear picture of their needs to better support them as soon as they start at the 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 are settled and happy in the highly nurturing care of the childminder who prides herself on providing a 'home from home' environment. Children feel safe and secure and explore the setting with confidence. They learn how they can keep themselves safe and explain to the childminder what they need to do so they do not hurt themselves. For instance, they tell the childminder that they should not stand on the table because they may fall off when she asks what they talked about 'last week'. They build the confidence to say what they want to play with and display independence in their choices for play. They are valued by the highly responsive childminder who listens to them and quickly attends to their needs. She consistently follows their interests showing their ideas and preferences are respected and understood.

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

Children go to the childminder for cuddles and leave parents confidently. They are happy to join the childminder and their friends. They develop positive and caring relationships with the childminder and other children. They learn how to speak to each other kindly, using 'please' and 'thank you' and foster positive social interactions. For instance, children know to answer and respond when children or adults talk to them. All children make progress and flourish. They benefit from an ambitious and targeted curriculum based on their next steps and individual needs. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported with targeted and effective interventions. Gaps in learning and development are closed, or quickly closing, for children. For instance, children with speech and language delays quickly develop age-appropriate speech and start to use vocabulary beyond the expected level for their age.

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

Children benefit from attending the setting regularly. They enjoy their time with the childminder and parents comment on how excited children are when it is a day they are in the setting. Children learn the behaviours expected of them and follow the embedded rules. For example, they listen for the 'tidy up song' and then pack away the toys, working together until all items are put away. They learn how to work as a team and build an understanding of the importance of their place in the group.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure continued improvement in her already successful work with parents to support children's health and healthy eating to realise a transformational impact on all children's achievement.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children 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 foundation stage.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:30 - 17:30

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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

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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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