Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2664150 Registered with Ofsted: 30/12/2022 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

Children have a secure sense of belonging and thrive well within an environment that supports their needs. They make individual progress, particularly in their communication. Children's vocabulary is developing, and they can express themselves with simple words. However, while children are making progress, the lack of consistently tailored next steps limits some children's ability to reach their full potential.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children use their knowledge and skills to sustain motivation and enthusiasm by building blocks, pouring water through funnels, pushing cars back and forth and watering plants to enhance their skill set. Children demonstrate confidence and achievement through experiences that allow them to explore their interests in a safe, stimulating and accessible environment that adapts to their needs.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children progress well from their starting points and next steps, and prepare for school through the curriculum. Opportunities are available to support their development. Younger children showcase their skills by holding crayons firmly and balancing. Older children hop, jump and ride to develop their gross motor skills. They use measuring equipment to build sandcastles and make marks using wet sand and paint. Children run around, gradually gaining awareness and control. Generally, children learn to express themselves and develop their communication and language well. Children's listening and attention skills are developing effectively. They show an interest in talking and playing alongside their peers during focused group times. Children demonstrate confidence when selecting and looking at books independently.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder sets consistent and age-appropriate expectations for children's behaviour. As a result, children understand boundaries and respond to guidance, demonstrating respectful and cooperative behaviour. Generally, established routines, such as handwashing, particularly at arrival and mealtimes, help children anticipate what is happening next, such as eating together. This allows their social skills to develop and gives them a sense of belonging.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children join in tidying the table and receive support to learn to collaborate, share and engage in positive interactions with others. They work together, while the childminder uses praise, modelling and gentle reminders to support age-appropriate behaviour. By encouraging turn-taking, sharing and cooperation, she further enables children's personal and social development and understanding to develop.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Generally, children display positive attitudes to learning and have secure attachments to the childminder. They are engaged and motivated, showing increasing concentration. The childminder supports children to manage their emotions and behaviour, as appropriate for their stage of development. She creates a calm and consistent environment, typically where children are ready to learn. In addition, the childminder supports children's attendance. She reminds children of the importance of punctuality to ensure that children benefit from the full curriculum.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder prioritises children's welfare and wellbeing in the setting. Care practices are tailored to meet the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. The childminder creates a calm and nurturing relationship with children in their environment that emphasises their safety, individual needs and security. The childminder adopts a responsive approach to meet individual children's needs, offering continuity of care and positive support.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has established a supportive key-person system. This ensures that she meets all children's interests and learning needs in an inclusive environment. The childminder supports children's emotional security. For example, the childminder encourages children to express themselves through gestures, facial expressions and visual aids. As a result, children demonstrate secure attachments to the childminder, who knows them well. She also offers one-to-one support to individual children who are less vocal.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder meets children's needs and keeps their care routines flexible. She ensures that their dietary needs are met. Because of this flexibility, even the youngest children have adapted to routines. All children demonstrate confidence and independence when moving around the environment. The childminder supports children to be independent and confident in care routines. For example, she helps them with handwashing, assists with toileting and gets the fruit bowls. Water is accessible to children, and the childminder understands the importance of offering support and guidance to all children to develop individually.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a balanced curriculum based on how children learn. She plans and delivers learning experiences that build on children's existing knowledge and skills. This supports children's steady progress across all areas of learning. The childminder's teaching is responsive and adapted to each child's learning and developmental needs, as well as the requirements of the early years foundation stage. Overall, the childminder uses observations to shape activities and interactions. However, she has not placed an emphasis on further assessing children's learning and tailoring their next steps in learning more precisely. This means children may not make the rapid progress they are capable of, and some learning opportunities are not fully maximised for their unique needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder engages children in purposeful play and provides appropriate support to extend children's communication and language in the setting. She models clear language, introduces new vocabulary and engages children in conversations. The environment is carefully planned to foster children's physical, personal and emotional development.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports children in managing their emotions through visual aids and early reading, as well as through sharing books and storytelling. When children pour and measure, the childminder encourages them to develop their mathematical skills. She encourages children to express their ideas. The childminder uses effective teaching strategies, including modelling, questioning and encouragement. These methods deepen children's understanding. Activities are well sequenced, and children have opportunities to revisit and practise skills over time. Overall, the teaching approach supports all children in making progress and developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for their next stage of learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children thrive in an environment that meets their individual and physical needs. The childminder establishes systems to quickly identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, she has not consistently implemented clearer systems to track children's progress to further support their developmental journey.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works with external agencies to support children's speech and language development, minimising barriers to their learning. This helps children to progress through the curriculum and participate in activities. With the consent of parents and carers, the childminder offers one-to-one support to meet each child's specific needs. For example, she implements sensory experiences and visual aids to foster children's sensory needs and learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder provides a supportive system for children who require extra help, enabling more tailored approaches to their learning and development. Through regular progress monitoring and individualised support, children gain greater confidence, improved skills and more positive learning outcomes.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder creates an adaptive environment where all children feel included and valued. She engages in ongoing training and collaborates with professionals to enhance her knowledge and skills. This helps her to shape the support, opportunities and experiences available to children. Her commitment fosters a sense of belonging and creates a nurturing atmosphere, which helps all children to thrive.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of the setting. She understands her responsibilities in meeting the requirements of the early years foundation stage and children's individual needs. The childminder has appropriate knowledge of statutory safeguarding duties. She ensures that policies and procedures are implemented consistently to keep children safe. The childminder recognises the setting's strengths and regularly reflects on her practice to identify areas for improvement. She typically evaluates how the curriculum and teaching specifically benefit children's learning. The childminder recognises the need to implement targeted changes to further enhance children's outcomes.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Partnership working is key. The childminder engages positively with parents and carers, sharing information about children's progress and wellbeing. As a result, parents are well informed and able to support children's learning at home. The childminder also works collaboratively with external agencies, including professionals, to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This ensures that they receive appropriate support when needed. This enables children to make progress and access learning opportunities suited to their needs. The childminder pursues ongoing professional development to expand her expertise and skills. She also reflects on her practice by regularly monitoring children's progress to identify areas for improvement, such as introducing a sensory room and offering more outdoor opportunities to support children's physical development.

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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 happy, confident and secure in this warm and nurturing setting. They build trusting bonds with the childminder that help them to feel safe and ready to learn. Children settle quickly and show a sense of belonging. Children enjoy a curriculum designed to reflect their interests, developmental needs and progress from their starting points. They are active and curious learners, who engage in a variety of meaningful experiences. For example, children explore sand using different tools. They develop their coordination as they balance on stepping stones and take part in real-life activities, such as watering plants. These opportunities help children to build their knowledge and skills over time.

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

Communication and language are central to children's experiences. They receive encouragement to work with their peers, share ideas, make choices and have conversations. Children enjoy stories and are supported to retell events. This helps to build children's confidence and understanding in speaking. Children benefit from the childminder identifying barriers to children's learning and/or wellbeing early to bridge gaps in their learning. Children behave well and show positive attitudes to their learning. They understand routines and expectations. Children respond well to the consistent guidance provided by the childminder. They show positive attachments to the childminder, who encourages their learning, taking turns, sharing and cooperating with others. This helps to develop their social skills.

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

Children's emotional wellbeing is supported effectively. Individual children receive support to develop their personal skills, enabling them to flourish. For example, children express how they are feeling using emotion cards. The childminder is attentive and responsive, ensuring that children feel listened to and valued. Children develop independence in their daily routines. They receive support to make healthy choices, such as selecting fruits and drinking water. Their overall attendance is positive. The childminder works closely with parents and carers to ensure that children are benefiting from the full curriculum by being punctual.

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Next steps

The childminder should continue to further assess children's learning to support their next steps in line with their learning and development.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistant and parents and carers 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

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday,Saturday,Sunday : 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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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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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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