Down, Susan

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY253223 Registered with Ofsted: 11/03/2003 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 Expected standard

Typically, all children make progress across the areas of learning and are ready for their next stage of development. Babies pull themselves up as they begin to strengthen their leg and core muscles in preparation for walking. Children demonstrate their balance and stability as they twirl around happily dancing to music. Children act as role models to each other as younger children join them and older children encourage them to twirl. They laugh and twirl together. Children develop friendships with their peers. They use language confidently and communicate well to each other and the childminder. Babies babble and point to what they want next, and older children use back-and-forth discussions with the childminder. They learn new words such as 'petal' and 'stem' when completing a craft activity to decorate a flower. Further reviews by the childminder on how to fully target activities to align more closely to children's next steps will help children to consistently build on what

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Achievement Expected standard

they know and can do. This will raise their achievement further.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has placed a focus on enhancing clear expectations for children and adapts these to ensure that they reflect children's age, abilities and needs. She has attended training on how to manage behaviour effectively in the setting and has adapted her policies to reflect this. The childminder recognises the importance of helping children to understand consequences of their actions through gentle discussions around how others and themselves feel. This helps children to begin to develop empathy.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children engage well with turn-taking as they help each other to build towers. They invite their peers to join in with their play and build resilience as they learn to tolerate the younger children. This helps to foster their relationship building and social interactions. The childminder is a positive role model, and children develop warm, trusting relationships with her. This means children feel valued, safe and secure in their environment.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder encourages children to use their manners throughout daily routines. For example, they all enjoy singing the 'please and thank you' song together before they have their snack. Children proudly show off their stickers as they use the potty independently. The childminder uses positive praise to help children develop their self-confidence and self- esteem. Continuity in routines, such as washing hands, story times and settling for rest periods, help children to feel settled and ready to learn. The childminder works with parents to ensure regular attendance and supports them with routines at home, when needed.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides an inclusive environment that promotes children's welfare, emotional wellbeing and sense of belonging. Babies and children seek reassurance when needed, and the childminder is attentive to children's needs. She adapts routines based on children's individual needs, including settling, feeding and sleep times. This helps children, including those who face barriers to their learning, to feel valued and to receive the support and care they need. The childminder fosters children's awareness of their emotions through daily discussions about how children are feeling. Children use words such as 'happy' and 'sad' as they begin to link their feelings and emotions. Clear expectations of behaviour help children to develop their understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including helping to clear a safe space before they enjoy dancing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children develop awareness of how to lead a healthy lifestyle through routines. For example, they use the water container independently to wash their hands, put their tissues in the bin and begin to attend to their own toileting needs. This helps children to acquire early independence in their self-care needs. The childminder has recently signed up to local programmes to help widen children's awareness of oral hygiene. Children enjoy healthy snacks, and the childminder works with parents to share healthy lunchbox expectations and safety around foods. This includes chopping foods correctly and knowing those that may pose a choking risk. However, the childminder does not always promote opportunities to extend children's understanding of healthy eating. Discussions about healthy foods and choices could be developed further to deepen children's learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder uses her vast experience and knowledge to implement a varied and balanced curriculum, which helps children build on their knowledge and expand their interests. This supports children to make progress, including those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. She knows children well and plans activities that she knows they will enjoy. The childminder ensures that age-appropriate resources are freely accessible to children. Children's self-confidence and positive relationships with the childminder encourage them to share their ideas and freely express their needs. For example, children ask confidently for their favourite songs. However, the childminder does not consistently focus on children's individual next steps when planning activities. As a result, learning is not always planned precisely enough to help children to make the best possible progress in their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder uses her interactions well and naturally incorporates counting, size, shape and measure. For example, children use their fingers to represent numbers, they count to 10 confidently and use language such as 'tall' and 'biggest'. The childminder provides an environment where children hear a range of vocabulary, and she uses her daily routines to support this. This includes plentiful stories, singing and interactions. However, at times, the childminder asks questions but does not allow children enough time to process what is being asked of them, before she eagerly helps them with the answer. This means, children do not gain the time to process, think and consolidate their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder creates an inclusive and welcoming environment. She uses effective assessment and monitoring procedures and works with parents from the start. The childminder collects relevant information about their children's needs, abilities and development. This helps the childminder to identify any emerging gaps in children's development and learning. She values children's individual needs and recognises how children develop at their own pace. The childminder regularly monitors children's next steps and shares these with parents to support learning at home. However, she does not always use children's individual next steps consistently when planning activities. Consequently, the childminder sometimes misses opportunities to build on what children already know and can do.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Although there are currently no children with special educational needs and/or disabilities attending, the childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of how to seek support should needs arise. She has identified she would like to undertake relevant training to refresh and deepen her knowledge of special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder demonstrates her understanding of how she would use additional funding to positively impact on children's learning and development, when needed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Partnerships with parents and other settings children attend support open communication and the early identification of any emerging needs. The childminder reflects on her practice and adjusts where necessary to reduce barriers to learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates effective leadership. Any assistants she works with benefit from regular supervisions and daily discussions. This ensures that routines, policies and teaching are ongoing. This creates a nurturing and safe learning environment for children. Parents comment on how the childminder is 'patient and caring' and value the support they receive with things, including potty training. They welcome the termly newsletter and daily handovers reporting how these provide a detailed overview of what their children have been doing and how they are progressing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder uses self-reflection to help her to understand the setting's strengths and areas for development. For example, on completion of recent training, she has updated her safeguarding and behaviour policies to reflect new guidance and knowledge. However, the childminder has not yet identified through her self-evaluation that activities sometimes miss opportunities to build on children's individual next steps in learning and that routines, such as mealtimes, could better promote healthy lifestyles.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Children benefit from trips out into the community to explore their wider world. These include parks, nature walks and visits to the library and shops. The childminder has formed positive relationships with local schools and other settings children attend. This helps to support children's transition into school and to other settings.

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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 demonstrate they feel safe, secure and supported in the childminder's home-from- home setting. They enjoy playing, interacting and talking with the childminder. This shows children form positive relationships, supporting their emotional wellbeing and sense of belonging. Children play together and alongside their peers, demonstrating age-appropriate interactions. For example, babies watch and approach others as they play, and older children work together and take turns independently to build towers. Children develop their social interactions and turn-taking skills.

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About this setting

Babies move freely around the environment as they explore the activities on offer. They show curiosity as they take puzzle pieces out and attempt to put them back in, supporting their finger grips and strength. Children sing along happily to the background music that is playing while they explore safari animals. They laugh together as they make a gorilla noise. Children enjoy the activities that the childminder links to their interests. Overall, children, including those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, make steady progress in their learning from their starting points. This helps to prepare them for their future learning.

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About this setting

Children demonstrate their confident independence skills. These include putting on their shoes, hats and jackets ready to go outside. They enjoy making choices about what they want to do next and self-serving their own snacks. Families are welcomed and actively involved in their child's learning. The childminder promotes attendance well, and children attend the setting consistently, helping to shape future habits for parents and children in preparation for school.

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Next steps

The childminder should plan activities that more precisely target children's individual next steps to extend their learning further. The childminder should refine her teaching to give children more time to respond to questions, helping them to enhance their thinking skills. The childminder should strengthen her skills to make the most of opportunities throughout daily routines, including mealtimes, to help children learn about healthy choices for their future.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and the 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. Unique reference number (URN): EY253223

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:00 - 18:00

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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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