Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2789895 Registered with Ofsted: 04/07/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

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.

p.1

Achievement Expected standard

Children make noticeable progress through a well-designed curriculum. They are rapidly becoming confident talkers and are eager to share their ideas with the childminder. They are rightly proud of their achievements. Children show curiosity in their learning and develop a particular enjoyment of books, especially those based on real-life experiences. They skilfully use new vocabulary introduced by the childminder, such as 'bouncy ball', when reading a story about days at the beach.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Older children enjoy looking at books independently. They point out the mums, dads and children in the pictures and engage in conversations with the childminder, who listens attentively and sensitively models full sentences.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

The childminder promotes independence well. She understands the next steps for each child, such as learning to blow their nose independently and developing their fine motor skills. She provides dough activities to support this development. Children enjoy these experiences and demonstrate patience and perseverance as they take part.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Warm, responsive relationships are at the centre of the childminder's practice. The childminder consistently models kindness, care and respect, supporting children to share, take turns and play cooperatively. As a result, children understand what is expected of them. The childminder reinforces positive behaviour and explains concepts, such as sharing and turn-taking, in ways that are typically appropriate to children's stage of development.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are developing strong self-regulation skills. They follow simple instructions and persevere when faced with challenges, using pincers to pick up small bugs during a dough activity, for example. Simple, predictable routines promote independence and help maintain a calm atmosphere. Daily transitions, handwashing, tidying up and preparing for snack and lunchtime all enable children to manage their feelings and behaviour, while also fostering a sense of responsibility.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is aware that, at times, children require slightly different approaches based on their age or individual personalities. However, she does not consistently anticipate the next learning step to ensure that differing behavioural needs are effectively addressed.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Partnerships with parents, along with proactive engagement with the local authority, support good attendance and punctuality. This helps children establish positive habits that will benefit them when they start school.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has created a warm and inviting environment, where children are encouraged to explore and lead their own play independently. For example, children excitedly use the tough tray filled with model bugs. They independently choose the insects they want to play with, use pincers to grip them, place them into containers and confidently discuss the correct names for each bug. Children use this vocabulary naturally in their play, demonstrating their growing knowledge and language skills.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supports children's understanding of healthy lifestyles. She provides nutritious, balanced meals and gently encourages children to try new foods, helping to broaden their experiences and develop positive attitudes towards healthy choices. Children are currently transitioning out of nap time, however, when rest is needed, the childminder follows appropriate safer-sleeping guidance.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Wellbeing is prioritised throughout the setting. Children know they can approach the childminder for comfort or reassurance if they feel sad or upset. Minor disagreements are managed sensitively and promptly. Daily routines are adapted in response to children's needs, whether they require a calmer day or have the energy for more active experiences. Children enjoy daily access to fresh air in the garden, as well as outings to playgroups, libraries and museums. These varied experiences support children's holistic development and contribute to a well-rounded early education.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a secure and confident understanding of all 7 areas of the early years foundation stage curriculum. She gathers detailed information from parents and uses her own initial assessments effectively to establish clear starting points for each child. From these, she builds a rich and responsive curriculum, skilfully narrating children's play, asking sensitive, open-ended questions and knowing when to step back to promote independence. This approach enables her to identify next steps accurately and develop a clear picture of what each child needs to learn next. For example, during a play activity with floor mats, the children discovered they could manipulate the mats to create a small den. Children recognised and used the word 'triangle' to describe the shape formed in the middle. The childminder reinforced this vocabulary, prompting a meaningful conversation about shapes. Through such interactions, language develops naturally; conversations flow, new

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

words are introduced and children practise using them in the correct context.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Physical development is a particular strength of the provision. The childminder helps children to develop dexterity and flexibility in their hands. For example, during a dough activity children have opportunities to roll, pat, squeeze and cut the dough while creating animals and cakes. This will help to build the muscles in their hands, which will assist them when they start to learn to hold a pencil. Through this activity, they also learn the vocabulary that matches their actions.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder is aware that individual children require slightly different levels of support and challenge. However, she does not consistently plan the next steps for each child to adapt her teaching to maximise every possible learning opportunity within her setting.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder ensures she gathers detailed information from parents at the start of each child's journey with her. She uses this information to understand what children can already do and to plan a curriculum that builds on their existing knowledge and skills. This approach supports all children to make progress from their individual starting points.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

She adapts resources, activities and interactions to meet each child's needs. For example, children at the setting are in the early stages of developing speech. When children pretend to make a banana milkshake with dough and say, 'nanna shake', the childminder sensitively models the correct sentence structure and pronunciation so the child can learn it correctly.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder currently does not have any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in her setting. However, she demonstrates secure knowledge of adaptations and of the graduated approach. She understands how to assess children's needs, plan appropriate activities, implement these plans and then review their impact. She has attended SEND training and maintains links with the local authority to keep her knowledge current.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder is reflective about her practice and continually considers how to improve the experiences she provides for children.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is committed to providing high-quality education for all children in her care. She builds strong and trusting partnerships with parents and carers, ensuring a consistent and familiar experience between home and the childminder's setting. This consistency enables children to thrive and feel secure.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is a highly reflective practitioner, who continually develops her knowledge of her setting, the early years foundation stage and the individual children she supports. In addition to completing all mandatory training, she seeks out further professional development that will benefit both her and the children. For example, she has a clear understanding of children's individual needs as they transition out of nap times and is introducing more opportunities for them to engage with older children in the community. She shares clear policies with parents, underpinning her approach to high-quality education and care.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder also prioritises her own wellbeing. She creates a balanced timetable that offers flexibility, regular outdoor play and opportunities for calm, focused learning. The childminder ensures risk assessments are carried out when needed, and she remains attentive to the children's developing needs.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

She has an accurate understanding of her setting's strengths and continually identifies areas for development, making thoughtful adjustments to ensure the best possible outcomes for all children.

p.4

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

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

Children enjoy their day in this organised and nurturing setting. They are familiar with the layout of the childminder's home and know where to find their favourite resources. This enables them to make independent choices and confidently share what they have learned. The childminder is kind, patient and knowledgeable. Children benefit from high-quality interactions, thoughtful and insightful questioning that deepens their understanding, and plenty of time to think and process their ideas.

p.5

About this setting

Children are given many small responsibilities and frequent opportunities to make decisions. This helps them take ownership of their learning, follow their interests and feel that their voices are valued. For example, when the children set up a tea party, they decide where they will sit, which adults and toy animals to invite, which cakes to serve and when it will be time to tidy up. The childminder skilfully supports this play by asking open-ended questions and narrating their actions, sensitively modelling key words when needed. The children play enthusiastically together, even using a toy giraffe to feed the other guests at the tea party.

p.6

About this setting

Children access daily outdoor play as well as a wide range of trips and visits in the local area, including the park, the library, singing sessions and a playgroup at a local primary school. These experiences help children mix with others beyond the setting and develop important social skills, such as sharing resources.

p.6

About this setting

The childminder promotes punctuality and attendance in partnership with parents and offers flexible timings wherever possible. Children enjoy relaxed and positive mealtimes with the childminder, where they learn about different fruits and vegetables and link these experiences to activities based on a book about fruit. The childminder teaches the correct names for the foods they eat, supporting their language development and widening their vocabulary.

p.6

Next steps

The childminder should continue to develop practice to support more precise curriculum planning. The childminder should continue to anticipate the needs of individual children to ensure precise gaps in learning and behaviour are identified and addressed.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, and children during the inspection.

p.6

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. Unique reference number (URN): 2789895

p.6

About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.7

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.7

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.7

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.

p.7

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.8

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

p.8

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.

p.8

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

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 .

p.8

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8