Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2776373 Registered with Ofsted: 27/02/2024 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has high expectations of children's behaviour. She is an excellent role model, speaking calmly and respectfully to children at their level. Where minor disagreements arise between children, she helps them to resolve issues quickly in an age- appropriate way. For example, when children take toys from each other, she reminds them the toy was being played with, and they quickly give it back. Children of all ages are very kind and respectful towards each other.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has warm, responsive relationships with all children. She knows them all very well, and has high levels of respect for them, as they do her. She creates a friendly, homely environment, where children build trusting relationships with her and with each other. Older children are kind and helpful to younger children, understanding that younger children are still learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder is very skilled at working with all families, reminding them of the importance of regular attendance and helping them to overcome any barriers to this. Families who may have less reliable attendance, notice their children are calmer when they come regularly and keep to a routine. Children have very positive attitudes to learning. They are enthusiastic and fully engage in the exciting activities. Children are safe and happy and well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder crates a very warm and welcoming setting, where families feel happy and children feel settled. Parents and carers are confident leaving their children in the childminder's care. She is very skilled at making links with children's home experiences throughout the day, helping children to feel valued and belong. For example, when reading a story that has a dog, she pauses and says, 'I know someone with a dog at home'. Children excitedly call out that it is them, beaming with happiness that the childminder knows about their pets from her home visit. She takes time to know children and families comprehensively. She uses this knowledge to plan experiences for all children, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, that she knows they will enjoy, and be highly engaged in. For example, planning experiences that she knows children have not have the opportunity to experience before. Children's wellbeing is extremely well supported.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is highly effective in ensuring that all children learn about healthy choices. Routines ensure children play outside daily and have plenty of time to be active, and also to rest or sleep in quiet, safe places. For example, children love spending time out in the local area, meeting people from the community as they visit parks, playgroups and other childminders. They sit together at snack and mealtimes, discussing their healthy food. The childminder ensures they wash their hands regularly, including before eating and after toileting and blowing their noses, ensuring children are developing long-lasting healthy habits.

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Achievement Expected standard

Typically, children develop at an age-appropriate level, and learn skills to support their learning. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, make progress from their starting points. Children enjoy listening to books and stories and singing songs. They repeat known phrases from favourite books and make links to home when reading. They reach for the spider in the song bag, knowing it represents loved songs about spiders.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are learning to be independent. They cut their own fruit at snack time, and older children wash hands independently before eating. They have many opportunities to get outside daily, where they ride on trikes, play on the seesaw and climb. This all helps to strengthen their large muscles and develop healthy habits. They develop their small-muscle skills as they play with play dough, moulding it into different shapes. They are gaining skills needed for later learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a sound understanding of what she wants children to learn. She places particular emphasis on children's speech and language skills and developing a love of books. She understands this is key to them being successful across all areas of learning. She regularly reads familiar books with children that are appropriate for their age and stage in development, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She pauses when reading, so children can say key words. She uses books to introduce new skills to young children, such as potty training. The childminder introduces new vocabulary to children throughout the day. For instance, when playing with different coloured play dough, she asks children to 'predict' what colour the dough will turn when they mix colours. Older children repeat the words and smile with pride, when they use them correctly.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder generally meets the differing needs of all children. For example, younger children play with the measuring tape and pretend to read the numbers, while the childminder encourages older children to measure each other and see who is the tallest. However, she does not always expand on mathematical concepts to help children add depth to their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder typically supports all children well, including those with learning gaps and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She knows children well and has a secure understanding of their individual needs, so can quickly identify where extra support is required. The childminder observes children, talks with parents and carers and uses her knowledge of child development to assess how children are progressing. She understands the importance of securing specialist support where needed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations for all children and removes barriers, so all children can learn well. She signposts families to extra parenting support. She uses basic signing, such as Makaton, to support children who are not yet talking to communicate and shares these signs, so parents can use them at home. She stays up to date with current practice, such as by attending training. For example, she has recently attended a course around supporting children with special educational needs, supporting her confidence in identifying children's needs earlier and supporting parents to access funding entitlement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is keen to keep developing and improving her provision. She keeps herself up to date with current early years practice by attending regular training courses and through links with other childminders. She regularly evaluates her setting to ensure it meets the needs of all children in her care, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, making changes where needed. For example, she has recently changed her settling-in process after noticing that children were still quite unsettled in the first few weeks of starting. She now offers home visits to new families, arranges to meet them out in the community and has a number of settling sessions in her home, to enable a smoother transition. She recognises that she could provide even more mathematical teaching within her provision, and will attend more professional development in this area.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Children and families benefit from and value getting to know her well before they start attending. Children feel happy when she talks about a special toy she has seen in their home. She works closely with parents and carers, giving them ideas for healthy lunches, for instance. She supports them to help children to achieve milestones, such as toilet training.

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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 very happy in the care of the warm, welcoming childminder. On arrival, after a quick goodbye to parents and carers, they eagerly enter, excited to see their friends and become involved in the activities of the day. They feel secure, as they know the routine of their week, asking if today is the day they go to playgroup. The environment is calm, and the childminder gently gives children a warning when something is going to happen. For example, when it is nearly time to tidy up and have snack, she sings a particular song, so children can prepare for the upcoming change. Children join in with the song, happily tidy up and behave very well. When minor frustrations occur, the childminder is skilled at supporting children to resolve differences quickly in an age-appropriate way. For example, when younger children both want the same toy, she helps them to work out a way to share, so that everyone is happy.

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

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, thrive in the childminder's care and learn skills to support their later learning. Through secure relationships with children, parents and carers, the childminder ensures all children have a unique experience that follows the way they learn best. For example, children and families get to know the childminder well before they start. She visits their homes and discusses children's interests, what they can do now and where they might need support. Children enjoy that the childminder has seen their home and their own toys and reflect on this when playing, linking toys at the childminder's house to the ones they have at home. Parents appreciate the time to go through what is expected of them from the childminder, including regular attendance and informing the childminder if their child will

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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:30 - 16:30

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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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Next steps

The childminder should update her professional knowledge around developing children's mathematical learning further, adding depth to children's understanding to help them achieve even more.

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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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