Keogh-Clarke, Samantha

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2753143 Registered with Ofsted: 06/02/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR

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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 Strong standard

All children's achievements, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning, are extraordinarily high. Children feel safe, secure and completely at ease in the childminder's company. Exploration and curiosity are underlying features of everything they do. Children develop superb physical skills due to the daily trips out where they can fully explore their own capabilities under the careful eye of the childminder. For example, children climb gates and kick balls. Younger children feel at complete ease to develop their language skills, initially babbling and then adding new words to their repertoire at a rapid rate.

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Achievement Strong standard

Older children are well prepared for their next step in learning, whether that is pre-school or school. Their curiosity leads them to explore numbers well above 10. They are motivated to learn to write their name and to find out about the beginning sounds in their own name and the names of people they know. They are incredibly engaged and focused on activities and enjoy their learning immensely.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has established a wonderful culture of exploration, curiosity and high engagement. She has built up secure and trusting relationships with the children, which means they are confident to explore the exciting activities available to them. Children are eager to participate in activities independently, with the childminder, and with other children. Children learn to respect each other and their differences as they play together. The childminder gently supports children to share resources and gives lots of praise as children do this. Children's behaviour is exemplary. They fully engage in what they are doing and focus for long periods on activities they are particularly interested in because they are specifically taught how to focus. For example, the childminder shows children how to use a counting finger when matching number stickers to dots. Younger children focus on the ball when playing golf, which helps to develop their hand–eye coordination skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder recognises the importance of regular attendance to support children to fully settle. She supports parents and carers in recognising the importance of this when transferring to nursery. Every child is taught and cared for as an individual. This means that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning, build consistently positive attitudes to each other and their learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are at the heart of the setting. The childminder recognises that relationships built with both children and their families are central to children settling and being able to learn. Parents and carers speak glowingly of her care for their children and say their children love her. The childminder is highly skilled at developing secure and positive relationships with the children, sensitive to their unique characteristics. This means that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning, build the same positive relationships and receive the individual care and understanding they need.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder fully understands the health needs of young children and teaches them the importance of being active. She teaches them clearly how to stay safe. For example, she gives verbal guidance on how to climb down carefully from the climbing frame, standing close by for support if needed. Children talk about healthy options as they eat their lunch, and they know that broccoli and green foods help them to grow strong. They help to set up the table for lunch and show lovely manners, saying 'please' and 'thank you'. Children are also taught the importance of rest, and they snuggle down on the sofa for stories after lunch and focused learning activities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Established routines mean that children learn to understand the importance of hygiene. They automatically wash their hands before lunch. They are taught clearly to respect the privacy and dignity of other children in their personal care routines.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has developed a highly ambitious curriculum that fully challenges children. The curriculum covers all areas of children's learning and development and is very well sequenced. The childminder has incredibly high expectations, and children fully rise to these. She makes references to prior learning and experiences and helps children to build on this prior knowledge. She wants the children to be able to express themselves using language, to have manners and be social. She teaches them to share and develop the confidence to explore. The childminder prioritises the children's social and emotional learning as the foundation and stepping stone to confidence and curiosity. The childminder commits to parents and carers that she will teach children their colours, shapes, numbers and words for textures before they leave for their next stage of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder is a highly effective and perceptive teacher. She uses every opportunity to enhance children's learning. For example, she introduces children to the word 'dissolve' as they watch foam dissolve in water. She fully engages with children as they make connections and takes their learning that little bit further, for example by supporting children to realise that adding more water does not stop items from sinking. The childminder is extremely adept at addressing misconceptions as they occur. For example, she explains that sharks have fins not legs and counts them with the child. The childminder supports each child as an individual, so all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning, fully access the curriculum.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has a great deal of knowledge, experience and understanding of how young children learn and develop. She knows the children she cares for incredibly well and works closely with parents and carers when they first start to gather information about what they like and can already do. She allows children to settle fully into the environment, as she recognises that children only begin to show their capabilities when their emotional wellbeing is high. There are secure procedures in place to identify children with barriers to their learning. The childminder has a clear plan of action to ensure that children who are disadvantaged or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive targeted support to make rapid progress from their starting points. She frequently monitors and assesses progress. This helps to ensure that any gaps in their learning are quickly identified and addressed so that children with SEND or other barriers to learning make rapid

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder is highly skilled at adapting activities to support children with SEND. She develops and adapts resources to best support all children, including those with SEND or other barriers to learning, so they can access the same learning as their peers.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is fully aware of the strengths of her setting. She recognises that children develop high self-esteem, confidence and independence in her setting. She successfully fulfils her commitments and aims in preparing all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning, for the next stage of their learning. She also identifies areas in which she and her practice could grow. For example, she is interested in further professional development to enhance her own deep understanding of how children learn. The childminder has a sound knowledge and understanding of her own responsibilities and fulfils them with passion and commitment. She is highly reflective in her practice and makes continual improvements as and when the need occurs.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder consistently and automatically puts the best interests of the children first. She is utterly professional in her conduct with parents and carers and is considerate of their needs too. The childminder works in extremely close partnership with parents; she supports them with ideas for extending their child's learning at home. Where possible, she liaises closely with other settings, such as schools or pre-schools, to ensure full continuity of care.

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

Children have a fabulous time at this knowledgeable and experienced childminder's setting. They are clearly settled and happy because the childminder knows them extremely well and values them as individuals. Children benefit hugely from her knowledge of their likes and dislikes as she plans activities they thoroughly enjoy. For example, children practise playing golf in the garden. They have lots of opportunities to play outdoors and to explore their environment. For example, they visit the local park and enjoy challenging themselves on the climbing frame. Children are incredibly well motivated to explore and find out about things that interest them. They are curious about how things work and ask questions, which the childminder answers thoughtfully, expanding their knowledge and understanding. For example, children learn how to put utensils on and off hooks on the mud kitchen. Children make rapid progress from their starting points and are very well prepared for their next stage

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

of learning, as the childminder ensures that they have the necessary tools, confidence and independence to make that step.

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

Children build secure and trusting relationships with the childminder, which helps them to feel safe and confident to fully access the learning activities available to them. They have an excellent understanding of the routines and actively participate in setting these up, showing familiarity with these embedded routines and confidence in their own abilities. Children behave extremely well because they are taught clearly how to recognise and accept the differences in each other. For example, older children know that younger children like to repeat activities frequently and to be respectful of their need to do this. Children receive lots of praise and support from the childminder, which builds on their self-esteem and gives them pride in their own achievement and understanding.

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

Children attend well because they enjoy coming to this wonderful setting. The childminder has procedures in place to promote regular attendance and works closely with parents and carers on all aspects of children's care.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain her work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. She should continue to develop her own extensive knowledge of how children learn to realise a transformational impact on all children's achievement and wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children and viewed written feedback from parents during the inspection.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:30 - 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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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. 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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