Silva Endrich, Filipa Sousa

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2736612 Registered with Ofsted: 03/09/2023 Registers: EYR

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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 builds warm and supportive relationships with children. She has a very clear understanding of how attachment underpins healthy and happy lives for the children. Children are confident and demonstrate that they belong, feel valued and included. For example, they often enthusiastically invite the childminder to play with them. They delight in showing her what they have achieved. The rules and boundaries set for children are age- and stage-appropriate and help to create a harmonious atmosphere that supports children to thrive.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder supports children to manage their emotions and develop a positive sense of self. For example, through supported interaction with each other, the childminder teaches children how to make positive friendships, cooperate and resolve conflicts peaceably. Children have a very positive attitude to one another and their learning. The childminder ensures that she promotes attendance at the setting to help children establish clear routines for their futures. She successfully works with parents and carers to help reduce any barriers they may have to attending regularly. The childminder follows up on any absences to help keep children safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is a highly effective key person for each child in her care. Her small and homely setting has allowed her to get to know the children she cares for extremely well. The childminder understands children's needs, interests and dispositions. Her carefully constructed routines support each child's individual needs very effectively. She has secured a positive emotional environment that impacts significantly on children's welfare and wellbeing. The childminder has a high focus on helping children to become aware of and manage their emotions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder's modelling and guidance help children to make healthy choices about food, drink and physical activity. For example, all children eat healthy foods, such as scrambled eggs, and drink only water in the setting. Children enjoy going out and about to take part in exciting physical activities. For example, they attend forest school sessions in local parks. Children enjoy trips to local beauty spots, such as ponds, farms and visits to the library purposefully arranged by the childminder. The childminder uses these experiences to support children's physical health and their understanding of the world around them. The childminder successfully teaches children how to keep themselves safe when in the local environment. For example, children learn not to go too near to water sources and how to use outdoor equipment safely.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop quickly in the care of the childminder. The precisely planned curriculum enables all children to experience a range of learning opportunities to help them develop well from their starting points. Children are well prepared for their next stage of learning and development in most areas. However, at times, they do not fully develop their self-care skills as the childminder sometimes does too much for them. They gain an understanding of other people's thoughts and feelings and learn how to cooperate with others. Children also learn about boundaries and how to handle frustration. They join in conversations and learn new things easily.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children learn important information about books and stories. For instance, they ably recall the structure and repeated phrases in stories, such as those about a gingerbread man and a hungry caterpillar. Children are keen investigators, show curiosity and learn how to concentrate well.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has put in place a precisely planned and thematic curriculum. This helps all children to make steady progress in their learning because it introduces children to a range of concepts and knowledge. The curriculum is well taught by the childminder, especially how she supports children's language skills. All children build impressive vocabularies and demonstrate their growing communication skills. For instance, very young children confidently recall stories they have heard, saying, 'You cannot catch me. I'm the gingerbread man!'

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder introduces numbers and shapes to children through playful activities, which supports children's early mathematical knowledge. She teaches children the social and emotional aspects of learning expertly. For example, the childminder sensitively explains to children how it might feel if a friend hurt them. Consequently, children develop advanced empathy skills for their age. However, the curriculum is not consistently focused accurately on children's stage of development. Occasionally, the curriculum is too ambitious. Some of the learning planned is beyond the developmental stage of the children, and children lose interest or do not extend their learning. For instance, at times, the childminder provides learning activities that are too advanced for children to achieve, such as learning the initial letters of their names. At these times, the childminder's teaching is not focused accurately

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

on children's stage of development well enough.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder ensures that each child's individual needs are identified accurately. She works with parents and carers to help children receive the support they need to make progress. The childminder plans learning activities so that all children can access the opportunity to play and learn. The childminder has a secure understanding of each child's progress because she regularly assesses their development and reviews what support they might need. The childminder skilfully supports children with social interactions and shared attention with each other. For example, she plays turn-taking games that the children delight in playing. Children learn to get to know one another well. The childminder offers an extensive range of outdoor learning opportunities as part of the weekly routine for all children. She uses funding to support this. This enables all children to be included in valuable learning about the world around them.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder carries out thorough assessments of children's progress and development. She knows how to make referrals to other agencies where serious concerns are identified. However, she has not fully explored advice and support available for children who have emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities. She uses early years pupil premium funding appropriately to have a positive impact on children. For instance, the childminder has purchased resources that support children's identified gaps in learning, such as communication and language games.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has an ambitious vision for high-quality childcare and education. She takes a proactive approach to the leadership and management of her setting and places children at the centre of her practice. The childminder provides regular, constructive feedback to assistants to support their work with children. She has developed effective relationships and mentoring with her co-childminders and any assistants she works with. This has supported her wellbeing and personal effectiveness.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has carefully planned professional development opportunities for herself and any assistants she works with to ensure that she provides training in mandatory subjects. Consequently, the safety of the setting is maintained. However, she has not developed a clear analysis of the strengths of her provision or the areas she needs to improve. As such, professional learning opportunities are not yet precisely matched to improvement priorities.

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

Children feel happy and safe in this unique setting. The childminder and any assistants she works with ensure that children's care needs are met very well. The daily routines the childminder creates support children to develop healthy lifestyles. For instance, children enjoy nutritious snacks, such as watermelon and oranges. Furthermore, children learn how to keep themselves clean and hygienic as they receive support to wash their hands before eating meals.

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About this setting

Type: Childminder The childminder is very skilled in supporting children's social and emotional development. The relationships between the childminder, any assistants she works with and children are very trusting. These close and warm relationships form the basis for the children's development. The childminder is a positive role model for children. She talks to children about the expectations and the consequences of their behaviour. This helps children to quickly learn social rules and customs. The interactions between the childminder and children are very warm, kind and caring. This results in all children feeling very welcome and emotionally safe in the setting.

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About this setting

Children develop secure communication and language skills. This is because the childminder focuses on sharing high-quality interactions with children. She uses a wide range of vocabulary to help children to hear and learn new words. For instance, when playing together, the childminder carefully explains to children what a whisk is and how it is used.

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Next steps

The childminder should further develop self-evaluation processes to identify the right priorities, including to further improve her knowledge of support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to ensure the best possible outcomes for children. The childminder should refine the curriculum even further to ensure it is focused accurately on children's age-appropriate learning and development needs.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistants 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. Registration date: 03/09/2023

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About this inspection

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