Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2770511 Registered with Ofsted: 08/03/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR

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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 Expected standard

Children make expected progress across the areas of learning and development. They communicate confidently with adults and each other, join in with familiar songs, identify animals and colours in stories and express their needs and ideas during play. Children develop the communication, social and self-care skills needed for their next stage of learning. They also develop increasing confidence, independence and positive social skills. Children cooperate well with one another and confidently manage simple tasks during daily routines.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children benefit from a range of experiences within the local community, including playgroups, walks and dance sessions, which support their confidence, physical development and understanding of the world. Adaptations to the environment and experiences help children participate alongside their peers and support their individual development needs. Children develop the skills needed for their move on to nursery and school and demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children behave well and benefit from warm, nurturing relationships with the childminder. They feel safe, secure and confident within the setting because routines and expectations are clear and consistent. Children use good manners, cooperate with one another and respond positively to gentle reminders and praise. For example, children willingly help tidy away resources, share toys and say 'please' and 'thank you' during routines and play. The childminder supports children sensitively when they become upset, acknowledging their feelings and offering reassurance and comfort. This helps children develop positive social skills, emotional security and an understanding of how to manage their feelings and behaviour appropriately.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Daily routines help children develop increasing independence and confidence. Children respond positively to routines and expectations throughout the day. They confidently collect their own plates, pour their own drinks and help with small tasks during snack time and play. Children independently manage simple self-care tasks, such as wiping their noses and helping prepare for routines throughout the day. Established routines, such as tidying away resources and preparing for snack and sleep times, help children feel secure and understand what happens next. The childminder promotes the importance of regular attendance through close communication with parents and carers and follows up absences appropriately to support children's wellbeing and consistency of care.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder encourages children to join in with activities, routines and group experiences, helping them develop positive attitudes towards learning and social interaction. Children show confidence when exploring familiar routines and experiences.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are happy, settled and emotionally secure in the childminder's care. Warm and responsive relationships help children feel safe, valued and reassured. The childminder knows children well and responds sensitively to their individual care and emotional needs. Personal care routines are managed respectfully and support children's comfort, dignity and emotional wellbeing. Calm and consistent sleep routines help children feel secure and comforted. Reassurance, praise and nurturing interactions help children develop confidence and positive emotional wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are supported to develop healthy lifestyles and self-care skills through daily routines and experiences. The childminder teaches children about keeping themselves safe during outings and everyday activities, such as learning about road safety and how to safely approach animals. Allergies and dietary needs are managed appropriately, and children are supervised carefully during mealtimes. Children also develop independence through daily routines, such as pouring drinks, collecting plates and managing simple self-care tasks.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Hygiene routines are not consistently embedded, as children do not always wash their hands before eating. The childminder sometimes encourages children to respond to questions while eating, which does not fully support safer eating practices. Opportunities to strengthen children's understanding of healthy and safe routines are occasionally missed.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has developed a curriculum that focuses on supporting children's communication, confidence and readiness for their next stage of learning. Children enjoy a broad range of experiences, including story times, sensory play, imaginative play and regular outings within the local community. These experiences help children develop social skills, confidence and an understanding of the world around them. The childminder uses observations appropriately to identify children's next steps and adapts activities around children's interests, starting points and stages of development. As a result, children are engaged, motivated to learn and eager to join in with activities and routines.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder promotes communication and language effectively through songs, stories and regular conversations. For example, children confidently join in with familiar songs and identify animals and colours during story sessions. The childminder models language clearly and sensitively repeats words back correctly to help support developing speech and vocabulary. Children enjoy imaginative play experiences, such as caring for dolls and recreating familiar routines from home, which extends children's language and imaginative thinking. The childminder also adapts experiences and resources appropriately to help children access activities and learning opportunities.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is sometimes overly adult-directed. Children are not always given enough time to think, respond or sustain their own ideas during play and activities. Adult direction occasionally interrupts children's engagement and reduces opportunities for children to lead their own play, problem-solve and develop sustained concentration independently.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder creates a welcoming and inclusive environment where children and families feel valued and supported. She gets to know children well and uses information gathered from parents and carers to help meet individual needs and support smooth transitions into the setting. This helps children access routines, activities and experiences alongside their peers and feel secure within the setting. Positive relationships with families help ensure children's care, routines and development are supported consistently.

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Inclusion Expected standard

There are currently few children with identified additional needs attending the setting and no children known, or previously known, to children's social care. Therefore, the childminder's experience of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is still developing due to the current cohort of children attending. That said, the childminder demonstrates an appropriate understanding of identifying and responding to emerging concerns about children's development and well-being. She works effectively with parents and other professionals to help children access additional support where needed. For example, she discusses concerns sensitively with parents, uses observations to monitor children's progress and understands appropriate referral procedures and the importance of parental consent. The childminder uses observations and discussions with parents and carers to help identify next steps and review the support provided.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses additional funding appropriately to help reduce barriers to learning and development. She adapts resources, experiences and the environment to help ensure all children can access activities alongside their peers. For example, she uses funding to provide additional experiences and adapt resources to support children's individual developmental needs. Positive partnerships with families and outside agencies help ensure children receive consistent support and are included fully in the setting

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a reflective approach to her practice and understands the strengths of the provision and areas for further development. She works with local authority advisers and accesses online training and professional development opportunities to help strengthen her knowledge and practice. The childminder also engages with local authority support and development opportunities to help review and strengthen the quality of her provision. This supports ongoing improvements to children's care, learning and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder organises the provision effectively to help children feel safe, secure and settled. Established routines, appropriate risk assessment procedures and effective collection arrangements support children's safety and wellbeing. The childminder understands her safeguarding responsibilities and follows appropriate procedures to record and report concerns. She promotes regular attendance and maintains close communication with parents to support consistency in children's care and routines.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Positive partnerships with parents contribute well to children's wellbeing and development. Parents speak highly of the care provided, the communication they receive and the range of experiences available to children. They value the childminder's flexibility, support for transitions and the trusting relationships she develops with children. The childminder gathers information from parents when children first start to help understand children's individual needs, routines and interests. She shares observations and information about children's progress regularly, helping to support consistency between home and the setting. The childminder uses additional funding appropriately to help reduce barriers to learning and development. She adapts resources, experiences and the environment to support children's participation and individual developmental needs.

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

Children are happy, confident and settled in this welcoming setting. They separate from their parents and carers with ease and quickly engage in play and familiar daily routines. Warm and nurturing relationships with the childminder help children feel safe, secure and valued. Children behave well, use good manners and play cooperatively alongside one another. Daily routines support children's growing independence. For example, they confidently pour their own drinks, help at snack time and manage simple self-care tasks independently.

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

Children enjoy a broad range of experiences that support their learning and development. They enthusiastically join in with songs, stories, imaginative play and outings in the local community. Visits to playgroups, parks and other activities help children develop confidence, social skills and an understanding of the world around them. The childminder supports communication and language effectively through regular conversations, language modelling and encouragement for children to express their ideas.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:00 Children feel emotionally secure because the childminder knows them well and responds sensitively to their individual needs. Positive partnerships with parents help ensure consistent support for children's care, routines and development. Children develop the skills they need for their eventual move on to nursery and school. However, at times, adult direction interrupts children's play and limits opportunities for them to develop their own ideas, problem-solving skills and perseverance independently.

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Next steps

The childminder should give children more time to think, respond and develop their own ideas during play and activities. The childminder should provide more opportunities for children to develop independence, problem-solving and perseverance. The childminder should embed consistent hygiene and safer eating routines so that children develop secure habits that support their health, safety and wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children 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. Local authority: Stoke-on-Trent

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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. 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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