Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY421718 Registered with Ofsted: 27/01/2011 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 explore the play environment and make independent choices about what they would like to play with. Children use mathematical language as they play. They talk about size, shape, position and use numbers. They are learning to take care of themselves. For example, children confidently help to set the table for dinner and pour their own drinks. They delight in helping the childminder to clean up spills using a dustpan and brush. Children enjoy looking at books and listen well to them being read. They take turns in choosing nursery rhymes to sing. Typically, children communicate well. They learn and use new words in the correct context and express their wants and needs. However, they are not consistently developing their thinking skills. For example, they are not always given time to think about how to respond to questions that they have been asked.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder understands the importance of children attending regularly. She monitors children's attendance and takes prompt action to contact parents if a child is late or does not attend a booked session. This helps ensure that children do not miss out on their early education.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is a positive role model. She is calm and kind in her interactions with children. Children go to her for cuddles and reassurance as needed throughout the day, such as when they are tired. The childminder promotes and rewards children's positive behaviour through praise. At mealtimes, she uses gentle reminders to encourage children to use manners and to say 'please' and 'thank you'. When the childminder praises a child for fixing a broken toy, other children copy this. The other children say 'well done', and they hug their friend as they say 'thank you'.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder supports children during physical play to understand how to stay safe as she reminds them that they need a mat and lots of space if they want to roll over or they could bump into someone and get hurt. However, during routines and activities for active play, children are not learning about why it is important to be physically active.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has established positive relationships with the children in her care. This helps children to feel happy, safe and settled at the setting. The childminder supports children to express their feelings and emotions. When children become upset that they need to wait for a turn with a toy, she reassures them. The childminder uses stories about emotions to help children understand their feelings. She supports children to learn the words they can use to express their feelings in an appropriate way.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supports children's physical development by providing outdoor play, regular trips to the park and movement sessions. Children enjoy moving like different animals. They jump like a frog, balance on one leg like a flamingo and slither across the floor like a snake. Children are developing their strength, balance and coordination skills. Children line up to wash their hands before eating. The childminder supports them to understand why they need to use soap to clean the germs off their hands. She provides children with a freshly prepared balanced diet that takes their individual dietary requirements into account. She encourages children to eat a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables. However, the childminder does not consistently support children to understand why it is important to make healthy choices about the food they eat.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a secure understanding of child development and uses this knowledge as she completes ongoing assessments of children. These assessments help her identify what each individual child knows and can do. She uses this information to provide meaningful activities and experiences around children's interests, supporting children to develop the skills that they need to learn next. All children enjoy the learning experiences on offer. They remain engaged and curious in their learning. Children concentrate as they fill and empty containers. The childminder introduces mathematical language, such as 'full' and 'empty' and 'top' and 'bottom'. She supports children to predict and count how may scoops of oats it will take to fill the different-sized containers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder implements a curriculum that is focused on supporting all children to gain the skills they need to be ready for the move to school. She encourages children to work together to problem solve. She helps them think about what they can use to build a ramp and how to make a ramp high enough, so they can send items down it.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

As children use their imagination to make pancakes, the childminder supports older children to include the younger children in their play and to share and take turns with equipment. When a child drops a pancake that they are making, the childminder introduces new language and vocabulary such as 'splat', which children copy. However, the childminder sometimes asks too many questions in quick succession. She does not give children the time they need to process what they have been asked and to respond.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder completes regular developmental assessments of the children in her care. She uses the information gained to identify each individual child's progression and any emerging gaps in their development. This helps her to swiftly recognise when there are any barriers to learning and when children may need additional support and interventions to help them make progress. If she has any concerns about a child's development, she talks with parents and seeks appropriate support from outside agencies and professionals. The childminder has completed recent training about how to identify development delays and how to make referrals in line with the local authority guidance. She understands the importance of taking swift action and how to provide targeted support to ensure that all children make progress from their starting points.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents of the children she cares for. This helps her learn about any changes in their circumstances that may cause a barrier to children's learning. The childminder is aware of the different factors that make children eligible for additional funding. She knows how to apply for any funding that children are entitled to and how to use additional funding that children receive effectively to support their individual needs and developmental progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is a reflective practitioner. She has links with other childminders, and she regularly undertakes development opportunities. This helps her identify where she needs to develop her practice and knowledge. The childminder has recently attended training that has helped her strengthen her focus on embedding mathematics into her interactions and teaching. Overall, the childminder uses what she has learned to enhance her practice. However, the childminder's interactions with children do not consistently support their thinking skills and their communication and language.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has established effective partnerships with parents and other settings that children attend. She maintains a two-way exchange of information to ensure that children's individual care and learning needs are consistently met. The childminder understands the need to work in partnership with other professionals to reduce any barriers to children's learning and development. Parents praise the warm and caring environment that the childminder provides for their children. The childminder keeps parents informed about their child's learning and development and how they can support their child at home. She gives parents information about a range of subjects, such as oral hygiene and online safety, and helps them understand the support available to them locally.

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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 childminder's home. They know where to find toys and are confident to independently access them. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. They invite the childminder to join in with their play. They pretend to make pancakes and cakes, cooking them for the childminder to eat. When they take the food out of the role- play oven, they warn the childminder, 'Be careful; hot.' Children take books to the childminder and cuddle up to her as she reads to them. The childminder talks to the children about what they can see in the pictures. She encourages children to think about what happens next or what they would do if they were the character in the story. Children engage and listen with interest as the childminder reads to them.

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

Children are developing relationships with each other and play well together. The childminder knows what makes each child in her care unique. She uses what she knows about their personality, interests and development stage to remove any barriers to learning and motivate individual children to learn. When children struggle to share, she gives them additional focused attention and support during activities. Children are learning to take turns with toys and equipment.

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

All children make progress from their starting points. They develop new skills and gain new knowledge. Children confidently recall and talk about how insect hunting is easier after the rain. They share that is because there are more insects out on damp days than on sunny days, as the insects avoid being in the hot sun. Children are developing their self-care skills. They enjoy helping to prepare their own meals. The childminder supports and encourages them as they learn new skills, such as how to butter bread. She praises them as they concentrate and focus on using the knife safely to spread the butter evenly on the bread.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:45 - 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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Next steps

The childminder should provide children with time between questions so that they can process information, think and respond. The childminder should further support children's understanding of how and why to make healthy choices about food and exercise.

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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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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

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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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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