Molyneaux, Lorraine

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2751161 Registered with Ofsted: 15/01/2024 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 Strong standard

Children make extremely secure progress. The curriculum is sequenced well and supports children to develop skills over time to fully support their learning and development. Children make excellent progress in communication and language. For example, children who are not yet 3 years of age are able to express their needs, initiate conversations and ask questions. For example, they ask if they can use the bathroom and introduce discussion about their favourite characters on their water bottles.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children identify words starting with the same letter as their name, show a great interest in books and have a love of songs and rhymes. Children are active learners and enjoy exploring the environment and resources with enthusiasm. They remind each other of timings when playing outside, and remember that they saw a number 5 bus on a recent outing. Children have lots of opportunities to revisit learning and establish the essential age- and stage-appropriate knowledge and skills for future success. They demonstrate high levels of confidence, have excellent listening and attention skills, and are confident communicators.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has the highest expectations for every child in her care and is an extremely positive role model. She consistently helps children to understand boundaries and gives constant positive messages about behaviour. Children demonstrate excellent behaviour for their age. For example, they independently check if their friends are OK after they have attempted climbing steps on the slide and show kindness to one another as they take turns playing a game with a dice. They are encouraged to share resources, wait for their peers, take turns when speaking and consider the needs of others. Children who are just over 2 years of age independently get out the changing mat as they prepare to have their nappy changed. Children are incredibly familiar with routines and expectations.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children have built warm attachments with the childminder. They seek her out for reassurance, invite her to join in their play and ask for a hug if they are a little unsettled. They show positive attitudes to learning and keep trying even if they find something difficult. For example, children use scissors to cut fresh herbs in the garden. Initially, they find this quite challenging. The childminder models how to hold the scissors, and children begin to use them successfully. The childminder adapts her practice to promote an inclusive approach. During snack time, she asks older children to collect the plates from the cupboard and talks to them about being kind and helpful to one another. This helps children to consider the feelings of others. The childminder promotes the importance of attendance and will telephone parents or emergency contacts to ensure that all is well at home if children do not arrive as expected.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is extremely alert to children's care needs. She is very receptive and recognises when a child may need changing or when they are tired and need to sleep. She encourages children to always be independent and sequences children's learning. For example, younger children use a potty before being encouraged to use the toilet. Most of the children she cares for are successfully out of nappies and can use the bathroom independently.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is a very calming influence. For example, she reassures children who spill water from a cup and supports them on how to move the cup successfully around the table. She reassures them that it is OK to have 'little accidents' and all can be cleaned up. This helps children to manage their emotions and build a very secure sense of emotional wellbeing. Children demonstrate they are settled and feel safe in her care.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children are supported to understand their personal safety. For example, they are reminded how to hold a knife properly as they cut up pieces of fruit for snack. Children are encouraged to be confident and assess their own risks, such as when they use steps. They begin to understand healthy lifestyles as they learn about good oral health and eat a variety of healthy snacks. Routines such as sleeping and feeding are facilitated extremely well, which means that children are able to be active learners and explore the world with enthusiasm.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has developed an ambitious curriculum that enriches children's learning and supports them in their development. She is very skilful in knowing children and understanding their development stage. For example, younger children enjoy a painting activity about 'our world' where they are encouraged to use a pipette to drop coloured water onto cotton wool pads, while older children are encouraged to identify colours, mix new colours and explore the concepts of light and dark shades. The childminder constantly reviews the curriculum to ensure it meets the needs of all children and maximises their learning in the early years foundation stage.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder prioritises children's learning in physical, personal, social and emotional development. For example, children act out working in a café. They write down orders on a clipboard and make imaginary cups of coffee, using language such as 'full' and 'empty' before asking their customers if they would like sprinkles. Children's natural interests are incorporated into activities, which helps to engage children and support them in becoming active learners. Children explore mathematical concepts through play as they sing number rhymes, count in order and complete jigsaws. Children are confident to share their knowledge with others. For example, children who are not yet 3 years of age independently identify that there are 3 children inside and one child still outside playing. Children progress extremely well through a curriculum that is targeted to meet their needs and gives opportunity to revisit concepts as they develop new skills and embed learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children's individual needs are constantly assessed, and any gaps in learning are identified with precision. The childminder understands the importance of early intervention. She uses a range of strategies and works in partnership with other professionals and parents to support children's individual needs. The childminder adjusts her teaching and adapts the environment to meet children's unique needs. Her inclusive approach consistently reduces barriers to children's learning and wellbeing. For example, she uses visual timetables to support children to understand 'now' and 'next', gives children opportunities to recap on their learning and uses points of reference to understand key concepts.

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Inclusion Strong standard

There is constant communication with parents to understand children's changing needs. The childminder is proactive in forming partnerships with other professionals. For example, she invites specialist teachers to the setting to share strategies that can be used consistently both at home and in her care. This provides individual care and continuity for every child.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder fully understands the importance of spending funding, such as the early years pupil premium, to have maximum benefit to children's learning and development. She carefully considers how the funding can enhance children's learning and reduce any barriers to learning that children may face.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder constantly reflects and evaluates her provision to identify strengths and areas for development. She undertakes further reading and attends professional development opportunities that develop her knowledge and skills. She has made links with other childminders, attends network meetings and completes online training. The childminder implements things she has learned. For example, she has developed an outdoor kitchen where children explore mathematical concepts. They use large wooden scales to weigh items, use measuring jugs and place items in size order. Through opportunities like this, the childminder has identified that children are enjoying learning about mathematics much more and are using mathematical language within their play. The childminder adapts the provision in the best interest of children.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder invites parents to be part of assessment and welcomes their views. She shares communication through newsletters, daily verbal feedback and photo albums. The childminder is part of a scheme at the local library that invites childminders and parents to consistently loan books. This helps children's early literacy skills across the setting and home. The childminder has produced a range of home learning packs that children take home with a range of fun activities and resources. This allows parents to extend children's learning at home and provides consistency for children. The childminder is proactive in reducing barriers to children's learning and wellbeing, which supports children to engage and acquire a thirst for learning.

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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 active, confident and motivated learners and demonstrate high levels of achievement. They are supported through constant encouragement and develop a 'can-do' attitude, which helps them to build confidence and attempt new things. Children enjoy singing 'Five currant buns'. They giggle with delight as they subtract buns and identify how many are left.

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

Children receive extremely high levels of care. They understand that they can go to the childminder if they are upset and regularly go to her for a reassuring hug or a gentle word of encouragement. Children demonstrate they are happy and feel safe at this setting. They develop positive relationships with their peers and the childminder. Children show that they are able to express themselves and feel relaxed and happy in the childminder's care.

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

Children develop positive social skills. They learn about feelings and emotions, which helps them to understand the needs of others. They enjoy using slides in the garden to see who can go the fastest and cooperate with one another as they play board games. Older children enjoy being given small responsibilities and are positive role models for younger children. Children who are not yet 3 years of age talk about the letters in everyone's name and enjoy identifying words that begin with the same letter.

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

Children enjoy their learning. The environment is filled with the constant 'chatter' of children as they talk about their day, instigate discussion, use language in the correct context and enjoy familiar rhymes and stories. Children are naturally inquisitive and explore the setting with excitement. Children acquire a love of nature. For example, they work together to plant

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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:30 - 17:30

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About this setting

Local authority: Lancashire strawberries and place them in the greenhouse, and correctly identify a robin as they play with resources.

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About this setting

Children achieve extremely well at this setting. They access a range of activities that enhance their learning. For example, children attend forest sessions where they learn about how to keep themselves safe as they toast marshmallows. They attend yoga sessions where they learn about breathing techniques to help them to stay relaxed and calm. This setting helps children to thrive and flourish.

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Next steps

The childminder should drive continuous improvement and deepen her expertise in maximising learning opportunities across different environments, such as the beach, to further enrich and extend children's understanding of the world.

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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.

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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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