Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2777677 Registered with Ofsted: 15/03/2024 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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Achievement Strong standard

Children make rapid progress through all areas of learning and development within the curriculum. Children become remarkably confident communicators. They learn new words daily, building a vast vocabulary. This supports children to further build on all other areas of learning, including their social and emotional skills. Therefore, children are extremely well prepared to start school. They are given abundant opportunities to build on what they know and can do, especially in areas of self-care, such as serving up their own food, washing up their dishes and cutlery, dressing and undressing, and managing their own hygiene from a young age.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children quickly become resilient and confident. They take pride in mastering new skills and taking on responsibilities as they get older. All children make excellent progress from their starting points, including those that may have barriers to learning. This is due to the highly effective and well-sequenced curriculum and teaching.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder has developed stringent policies and procedures to support children's welfare, mental health and wellbeing. She embeds these effectively in creating a safe and welcoming space for children and families. Parents praise the childminder for her home- from-home environment. They feel confident that their children are safe and supported. The childminder has extensive knowledge and experience of child development and attachments. She supports all children to build confidence and strong bonds with herself and any assistant she works with. All children experience the same nurturing and caring support. This includes any children with barriers to learning or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder consistently embeds good hygiene practice, as well as teaching and opportunities for children to develop healthy lifestyles. This includes self-serving from healthy choices, going on regular walks, brushing teeth and washing hands regularly. The childminder also provides a wide range of healthy meals and snacks, sending home carefully planned menus. She also provides information to parents on healthy eating and lifestyles. The childminder is highly passionate about teaching children how to stay safe. For example, when on walks, she stops at curbs for children to decide whether it is safe to cross the road or not. The childminder closely follows safe protocols for sleeping, weaning and feeding.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has used her expert knowledge and experience to create a highly ambitious curriculum. She evaluates the impact of the curriculum on children's development and makes necessary changes. The childminder plans learning opportunities to suit children's individual needs. She works with parents and professionals to share information, which she uses to provide activities and resources that allow children to master their next steps in learning.

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Expected standard

The childminder provides exciting and stimulating environments. The abundant resources entice and enchant children. The childminder and any assistant she works with consistently weave high-quality teaching and interaction. Using encouragement and challenge, children become engrossed in water play, dropping a stone to see if it sinks or floats and learning the word 'splash'.

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Expected standard

The childminder takes all opportunities to promote communication and language. She asks questions and makes comments that support children to find solutions. She understands every moment is a teachable one for new knowledge and vocabulary, including mathematical language. Children's social and emotional skills are nurtured with patience and kindness. Her areas give children the choice to play with others or to have quiet times. This includes children who face barriers to their learning.

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Expected standard

The childminder provides many opportunities for children to build social skills, both in building friendships within the setting and when frequently going to the park, farm, zoo or library. There is a wealth of opportunity for children to build physical skills too. Children tackle climbing up the slope and descending down the slide at the park, balancing on wooden blocks and navigating push bikes in the garden.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally behave well. The childminder and any assistant she works with act as strong role models for kindness and respect for others and environments. Children generally have positive attitudes to learning and engage well with activities. They often help tidy away resources, and older children support younger children with this. The childminder plans each aspect of the day and embeds consistent routines. These are typically received well by children, who feel secure in what is happening now and next.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is receptive to children and gets to know them well. Therefore, she has a good understanding of children's individual needs and circumstances. At times, children come into conflict when they want to play with the same toy. The childminder is typically quick to step in to support children with sharing and turn-taking, as children are learning these concepts. The childminder supports children's emotional development using stories and characters to teach emotional regulation. She also provides spaces for children to have quiet time. The childminder understands the importance of children's punctuality and attendance. She monitors and reviews these, encouraging children and their parents to attend her provision via information-sharing on the activities that she plans for children. Parents appreciate the updates, so they know what their children will be enjoying and learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder generally promotes inclusion at her setting. She ensures that all children are valued and can participate fully in experiences. She adapts activities to engage children in play and learning, depending on their stage of development. The childminder and any assistant she works with adjust their language and use effective strategies such as listening, pausing and commenting to support children's understanding and to help them develop confidence and a sense of belonging, as they feel heard and supported.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder monitors children's progress through ongoing observations and review. She uses her extensive knowledge and experience of how children learn to identify when additional support may be needed. The childminder generally seeks mandatory training for herself and any assistant she works with, as well as some training related to children's individual needs. She recognises that she can further extend training to increase her knowledge and support in a wider range of areas to support children's learning and development. The childminder builds close partnerships with parents, to work effectively with them to support children's individual needs and developmental targets. Parents appreciate the childminder's knowledge, as well as her sensitive approach to supporting them.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder knows how to access the advice and guidance from outside professionals, following these closely at her setting to support all children. This includes children with barriers to their learning and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is generally self-reflective of her practice. She tends to reflect with any assistant she works with about what went well and what could be adapted further. The childminder is supportive of any assistants, encouraging and empowering them to use the same high-level teaching and interactions that she uses. This results in assistants feeling secure and stating that their work-life balance is maintained. This also ensures consistency in the standards of care and education.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has some short-term plans for developments in place. She recognises that she can develop longer-term evaluations to identify strengths and areas for development in her provision. She typically makes sure that she and any assistant she works with complete mandatory training as well as some training related to children's individual learning and development needs. She recognises that she can seek further training so that herself and any assistant she works with feel even more confident and knowledgeable in a wider range of areas relating to the care and education of children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has built strong parent partnerships. Parents praise the childminder for her warmth and homely environment. They notice clear developments in their children's confidence, communication and knowledge in all areas of the curriculum. Parents praise the childminder for her meticulous plans, healthy menus and clear consistent communication to share what children enjoy and learn each day.

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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 settle quickly and form close bonds with the warm and supportive childminder. They attend regularly and arrive excited, ready to explore. Children build strong friendships with other children and seek them out to share experiences. Older children love to support younger children to access activities or to put wellies on for outdoor play.

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

Children feel safe and valued with the childminder and any assistant she works with. This is due to their nurturing and encouraging nature, as they sensitively respond to children's emotional needs. Children behave well. The childminder acts as a strong role model to

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About this setting

Type: Childminder demonstrate her expectations for behaviour, such as sharing, turn-taking and kindness. She is generally quick to support children when they want to play with the same toy as their friend. Children feel secure in the consistent routines each day, as they know what is happening now and next. They generally have positive attitudes to learning and enjoy helping to tidy up and set up activities.

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About this setting

Children become confident explorers from a young age, as they are encouraged by the childminder and any assistant she works with. They soon develop the confidence and curiosity to approach new situations. Children make choices about what they want to play with and move happily between activities while sharing positive interactions with the childminder, for example building and crashing down towers of blocks. This results in all children building on their knowledge and skills across all areas of development, including children who face barriers to learning.

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Next steps

The childminder should consider further professional development opportunities for herself and any assistants she works with. The childminder should consider longer-term evaluations to identify strengths and areas for development.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and any assistants she works with during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspector viewed written feedback from parents 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: 15/03/2024

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 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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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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