Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2794872 Registered with Ofsted: 19/07/2024 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 and is committed to creating an environment where all children feel unique and valued. Children happily interact, take turns and share resources. Children's consistent attendance and punctuality are promoted highly effectively through secure parent partnerships and established routines. She prepares children well to understand and cope during times of transition, including to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children show the utmost positivity to their learning. They approach activities with joy and curiosity. They consistently demonstrate how they feel safe and secure with the childminder through the harmonious and respectful environment she provides. The childminder places an incredibly high priority on helping children to manage their own feelings and those of others. Her highly nurturing approach to developing respectful relationships is strengthened by her role modelling. As a result, children show kindness, empathy and concern for others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children demonstrate they feel secure within the familiar and well-established routines throughout the day. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who face other barriers, benefit from bespoke planning that supports them to risk-assess their play and manage their self-care. As a result, children develop social skills, thrive and have fun.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has embedded a very effective culture of inclusion. She works highly effectively with parents and carers and other settings to share information and ensure that children's needs are fully met. From the outset, the childminder forges positive working relationships with parents and makes assessments that quickly identify any delay in children's development. This helps to ensure the childminder has a thorough understanding of children's individual needs from the moment they start at the setting.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder works closely with external professionals, including therapists, health visitors and the local authority. She forms very secure and effective partnership working. This means that all those involved in the care and education of children actively contribute to ongoing reviews. The childminder has completed training in autism and speech and language to strengthen her ability to support children with emerging delays. She rigorously monitors children's progress and evaluates the effectiveness of any equipment or interventions.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Parents comment on her commitment to supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and describe the childminder's guidance for families as invaluable. The childminder ensures that parents are supported to gain the full funding they are entitled to and uses funding well in order to have the most beneficial impact on each child's development.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children, including those who face barriers to their learning, make steady progress from their individual starting points. From a young age, children learn skills to promote their independence. They put on their shoes and know how to clean their hands before they eat. They persevere to obtain new skills, such as drinking out of an open-top cup. This helps children to prepare for routines they need for school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children thoroughly enjoy participating in a selection of activities and experiences. They develop positive attitudes and acquire knowledge that prepares them for the next stage of learning. For example, children develop secure communication and language skills. They show a love of books and embrace the opportunity to fill in familiar words when listening to well-known stories read aloud. They eagerly participate in songs using actions and musical instruments. Children use mathematical language as they problem-solve, matching objects to numbers and shapes.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are welcomed into the childminder's provision and settle quickly. The childminder arranges a robust and personalised settling-in process to meet the needs of each individual child. This supports all children's emotional wellbeing and helps those with special educational needs and/or disabilities to adjust to the setting at their own pace. The childminder builds warm, trusting relationships with the children, helping them feel safe and confident from the outset.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder takes time to listen to children and responds sensitively to their cues by providing comfort whenever it is needed. Children welcome the childminder's nurturing cuddles. She helps children to recognise their own and others' feelings. Children show they feel secure in the predictable structure of the day and demonstrate increasing skill in managing tasks such as drinking water from cups and washing their hands independently. The childminder recognises more can be done to help children embed consistent dental hygiene routines.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Mealtimes are calm, and the childminder joins the children at the table to ensure they are well supported. She engages successfully with parents to embed healthy eating habits and promote nutritious snack ideas for home. Visits to the park enable children to build on their physical skills and assess risks under the close supervision of the childminder.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a clear view of what she wants children to learn and how to prepare them for their next stage of education. Children access a range of tailored learning experiences that help them to build on what they already know and can do. The childminder adapts her teaching to meet the needs of individual children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She regularly uses assessment to identify the progress children make and any areas where children may be falling behind. This means that teaching is designed to help children progress from their starting points.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports communication and language well with opportunities for children to hear and use ambitious vocabulary. Toddlers and babies have daily opportunities to build confidence and practise communication in meaningful ways. They sing songs and repeat new and interesting words as they play. Children learn to count and recognise quantities. They develop their fine motor skills as they create pictures and use collage materials.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans opportunities for children to develop physical skills, including walks and trips to the local park. However, the childminder has not developed the curriculum fully to provide a wide range of opportunities, in particular using the outside environment, that stretch children's thinking or extend their knowledge of the wider world.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder considers children's interests in her planning and ensures that children have opportunities to learn new skills and extend their knowledge. She provides tailored plans for each child and robustly gathers information before children attend the setting. Generally, she uses what she knows about each child to provide learning opportunities that capture their curiosity while introducing new skills and concepts. This ensures that children are motivated to take part and are supported to build on what they already know, helping them to make steady progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has effective links with external agencies and other childminders, who network together to share ideas and practice. This supports her own wellbeing and provides a collaborative working approach that contributes to children's learning and development. Typically, the childminder is reflective and undertakes a variety of professional development opportunities. However, the childminder recognises there is scope to enhance her outdoor environment and curriculum further to extend children's knowledge of nature and the wider world.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents comment on the warm and caring environment the childminder provides. She engages with parents regularly. They appreciate the 'keeping in touch' sessions she provides during holiday periods and report that their children have made notable progress, particularly in their speech and language development. Daily conversations, including about how to access funding, ensure their children's care is prioritised and achievements are celebrated.

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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 in this welcoming and homely setting. From the moment they arrive, children settle quickly into familiar routines that help them feel secure. Children and babies interact confidently with the childminder and with their peers. They move around the environment with ease, exploring activities that interest them and demonstrating that they feel safe, secure and valued. The childminder knows the children well. She builds warm, positive relationships with them and their families, which helps children feel a deep sense of belonging.

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About this setting

Unique reference number (URN): 2794872 Children benefit from an engaging environment that reflects their interests and offers opportunities to develop their confidence, independence and early skills. For example, during a sensory activity using dried corn and yellow paint to represent pollen, children explore honeycomb shapes and create a natural, imaginative play scene with hand-crafted bees made of cardboard. They listen well during stories and group times, showing patience and respect for others. Children develop early mathematics by counting and comparing quantities during play. Learning is enjoyable, purposeful and matched to what children are interested in and what they need. Children develop independence and the skills required to move on to the next stage of their learning. They confidently use language to describe what they see, talk about their experiences and share their thoughts and feelings.

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About this setting

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, enjoy their learning and make substantial progress from their starting points. Children play harmoniously alongside their peers in the inclusive environment. Extremely positive relationships are well embedded. The childminder sensitively manages conversations she has about children's progress and wellbeing with parents to help maintain a respectful and trusting partnership. Parents value the childminder's warm and nurturing approach. They appreciate the advice she gives on accessing funding and the importance of regular attendance.

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Next steps

The childminder should continue to develop her curriculum by expanding the range and depth of outdoor learning experiences offered, ensuring that children have increased opportunities to acquire knowledge and skills over time.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, parents 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. Type: Childminder

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:00

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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

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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