Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2779240 Registered with Ofsted: 21/03/2024 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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Achievement Expected standard

Children show interest in the natural world and are fascinated by the snails in the garden and the cucumber they feed them. Children remember what they learn. For example, they recognise and name the seagulls out on a walk. They are also confident and curious, for example, asking about the wild strawberries they see by the path. Children who have some language delay develop confidence by playing and chatting to their friends and practising new words.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make new steps in their learning, including handling scissors and making small snips in paper, as they become more confident in developing their fine motor control. Children remember seeing their parents write in a diary at home and use this experience as a model in their own imaginative play and mark making. They learn to handle tools, such as pens and pencils, correctly.

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Achievement Expected standard

Older children learn to concentrate and join in with small-group activities, which helps them to prepare for going on to school or to pre-school. They are familiar with the routines of the setting, for example where to find their coats and boots for going outside. All children benefit from new experiences, such as travelling on the bus, which extends their knowledge of the environment around them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder establishes a positive and nurturing environment, and children demonstrate a secure understanding of routines and expectations. For example, they learn to use polite language, such as saying 'please' when at the snack table. They confidently follow daily routines, including tidying away resources and clearing up after snack time. Children hold hands with the childminder when out in the community, showing an understanding of keeping themselves safe. They listen attentively to the childminder's instructions and show motivation and interest in exploring outside, such as jumping in the puddles.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Relationships between the childminder and children are warm and responsive. She provides reassurance and comfort when children are distressed, such as when babies are teething or when children hurt themselves. She offers frequent praise, which helps to build children's confidence and sense of achievement. The childminder supports children effectively to develop positive relationships with others. She helps children to share and take turns, offering guidance when needed, such as reminding them to be kind and gentle with their friends. She tailors her approach to meet children's individual needs and stages of development, such as noticing when younger children are ready for a nap or when older children need to have some fresh air and physical movement.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder promotes good attendance and maintains clear communication with parents to ensure children attend regularly.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children develop independence and learn to manage their own care needs. For example, they learn about hygiene when they use tissues to wipe their noses and then dispose of them. The childminder helps children to become confident using a potty and managing their own clothing. She guides parents and works together in partnership. Sometimes, there is a lack of consistency in teaching children about being independent, for example supporting children who have moved on to using a toilet from a potty, particularly when at the childminder's home.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has a good understanding of how to keep children healthy and safe, including following new legislation on safer sleep and healthy eating. She is proactive in supporting families, arranging informal evenings for parents to share information and learn together. Where children need additional support, she tailors her approach. For example, she supports families in helping children to use dummies less often in order to support their social and communication development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder builds secure relationships with the children. She is sensitive to the signs when babies are tired due to teething and offers comfort. Children spontaneously hug the childminder and cuddle up when books are being shared. They learn to share with their friends, and the childminder supports children to understand their feelings. For example, she uses stories to talk about a range of feelings, particularly where children may have experienced feelings that might be overwhelming.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder prioritises children's personal, social and emotional development in readiness for their next stage in learning, including moving on to school. For example, she teaches children to manage their emotions while playing with blocks with different facial expressions. The childminder helps children to understand others' feelings, such as when she describes children as feeling 'sad' when another child is not able to share, and she helps children to regulate their feelings.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder places emphasis on developing children's language and communication skills. She uses stories and books to engage children, who enjoy looking at the pictures and chatting. She introduces songs, and the children join in with familiar rhymes and rhythms, which supports their listening skills further. The childminder is skilful in introducing new vocabulary to children, for example by providing dinosaurs for children who enjoy naming them. Sometimes, her use of questions does not encourage all children to express themselves further.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports children's mathematical learning as they count up to 5 with number songs. She also introduces some language that supports children's understanding of size, such as 'big' and 'biggest' as children build towers. Sometimes, children's interest in numbers is not further developed during routines in order to support children to problem- solve and to develop mathematical understanding in everyday life.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports children to explore the environment around them, with an emphasis on the importance of learning about the natural world. Children learn about different people in their community as they travel on the bus together. They celebrate all of their families, which further supports children to learn about themselves and the wider community.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder carefully assesses children's development and works in partnership with parents to identify what support children need. The childminder makes referrals to other professionals for guidance and advice. She is proactive in supporting individual children who may face barriers to their learning. For example, where children need additional support with speech, she refers to the speech and language therapy service. The childminder provides opportunities for children to develop listening skills and join in with songs and nursery rhymes. She listens carefully to children, praising their efforts and celebrating their achievements. Occasionally, when the childminder interacts with children, questioning can be closed; this reduces opportunities for children to reply, using more of their own words and ideas.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder monitors children's progress effectively. She shares photos and records with parents, including statutory checks for 2-year-olds, which are used to review, support and identify next steps in learning. Partnerships with parents are strong. Information is shared regularly, including guidance about children's health and wellbeing. Parents report that the childminder shows a 'genuine interest,' and they describe the provision as 'warm, caring and nurturing, with effective communication'. The childminder knows each child very well and ensures that if children have barriers to their learning, she sensitively tailors her approach to meet their needs. When children move on to school, the childminder makes sure she shares relevant information to ensure children have a smooth transition.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a clear understanding of her setting's strengths and areas for development. For example, she emphasises the importance of the children's wellbeing, personal, social and emotional development and prioritises partnership with families. She is very proactive in sharing information with parents, including arranging social events to make sure every parent can access support and guidance. Parents comment on the effective communication from the childminder, which helps them to further understand their children's learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder prioritises her own professional development and engages well with networks, training opportunities and local services, including family hubs. This strengthens her understanding of inclusion, safeguarding and emerging local risks, such as online safety. She demonstrates a secure knowledge of safeguarding procedures and maintains effective links with other settings to support smooth transitions.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder manages her workload effectively and benefits from collaborative working relationships. She engages effectively with other professionals, making timely referrals where required to ensure children's needs are met. She adjusts her provision to ensure resources are suitable for the children she cares for, and stays up to date with changes to requirements. She is ambitious for her setting, reflective about what she hopes to achieve and has a clear ethos, which guides her work.

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

Children are settled and happy in the childminder's care. They are pleased to see their friends and enjoy playing with them imaginatively, making cups of tea and play food. Children learn how to share with their friends and name emotions, which helps them to regulate how they feel. They enjoy the care of the childminder and her co-childminder together and become familiar with the routines of the setting, such as sitting around the table for lunch together. Children are encouraged to enjoy healthy eating and learn about the importance of understanding their bodies, such as feeling tired before nap time or staying hydrated.

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

Children are interested and curious about the world around them. They learn how plants grow by planting sunflower seeds and are captivated by watching snails move on a windowpane. Where children's development in speech may be delayed, they are very well supported, and the childminder makes sensitive adjustments for children to access the curriculum, for example adjusting the tone or pitch of her voice. Parents value the communication, guidance and support the childminder provides to them and their children.

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

Children enjoy learning about their local community, using the bus to visit parks and other local places of interest. They learn how to stay safe, with routines such as holding hands and talking about road safety. Children pour their own drink and prepare food at snack time, which supports them in readiness for moving on to pre-school or school. They learn how to manage their own clothing and about the importance of hygiene with handwashing.

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

Children develop physical skills when playing with construction equipment and tools such as pencils and scissors. The childminder provides equipment to match children's different stages of development and identifies the next step children need to take. Younger children play with blocks, and older children learn about measure when building towers.

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Next steps

The childminder should enrich her understanding of how to provide consistently high- quality opportunities for children to develop mathematical and problem-solving skills.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 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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Children numbers

The childminder should develop further consistency in developing all children's independence as they progress with managing their own personal needs, particularly when in the childminder's home. The childminder should further strengthen her skills in developing children's communication development.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and her co-childminder 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

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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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