Hughes, Nicola Louise

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2773500 Registered with Ofsted: 26/03/2024 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 Expected standard

Children benefit from environments that enable them to flourish. They access high-quality resources, equipment and play experiences. Children thrive and develop skills to become school ready. They choose the activities they want in turn. This allows them to finish what have chosen, creating a sense of accomplishment. Children freely chat and comment on what they see and want. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities indicate their wants and needs by showing cues. Children access a range of books to further develop their language and book-handling skills. They benefit from the childminder using puppets and props to bring stories and characters to life and modelling storytelling in a clear and purposeful way. Children independently access the books and 'retell' the stories. However, some children do not benefit from support to sharpen their listening and attention skills further.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Relationships between children and the childminder are positive. Children typically show an understanding of what is expected of them. For example, they sit at the table for mealtimes and snack times, displaying positive table manners. They use their manners where applicable. For example, children say 'please' and 'thank you' when the childminder helps them. The childminder has established routines, such as children taking their shoes off in the house and tidying the resources away before choosing something else. Children know they are not allowed to climb on the furniture.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

At times, the childminder does not consistently help children to understand the rules without becoming upset and frustrated. She has identified making her approach clearer and more embedded to help children to have a clearer understanding of her expectations. The childminder gives children opportunities to regulate their emotions. For instance, she encourages them to take themselves away to look at a book or enter the sensory tent to calm down.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder emphasises to parents and carers the importance of attendance. Typically, children are encouraged to attend daily to ensure that they access their full entitlement to education. The childminder understands child development well and applies this to her expectations of the children. She actively encourages older children to be role models for younger children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children receive support to develop their independence and to manage their own personal care. The childminder has high expectations for all children. For example, children learn how to peel and prepare their own fruit. Healthy routines, such as safer eating, effective resting periods and keeping safe in the environment, are embedded into the childminder's daily practice. The childminder shares these with parents and carers. She asks them to provide a balanced and nutritious packed lunch for their children each session. The childminder encourages children to drink water to stay hydrated. This teaches children healthy habits from an early age. However, the childminder does not consistently ensure that children wash their hands before mealtimes. This does not further develop children's independence and understanding of positive hygiene.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a solid understanding of safer sleep practices in line with current guidance. She meets children's needs by providing a safe environment to rest. The childminder has very close bonds with children. They approach her for comfort when needed and seek her out to celebrate and be praised. For example, young children cheer alongside the childminder when they begin to sing nursery rhymes.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has embedded a focus on developing children's communication. She models clear language and encourages them to copy words, emphasising pronunciation and context. For instance, children choose to paint large paper flowers in the garden. The childminder reinforces the colour and the shapes and provides a running commentary of what children are doing. Children respond by saying they have painted a 'red' flower' and it has 'circles'.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder is clear about what she wants children to learn. She delivers experiences and opportunities that are fundamental for children to become independent, curious and able. Children are guided through the seasons, cultural and national celebrations and learning experiences that help them to learn about the world around them. The outdoor area provides a solid platform for children's learning, particularly so for physical development. They have access to multiple wheeled vehicles, can confidently climb frames and safely manage the slide. However, children are not fully engaged during some focused activities. For example, during story time, the childminder does not consistently encourage active listening, so children do not focus on the book being read to them. As a result, children do not learn explicit skills to make progress to their age-related expectations and to prepare them even more for school.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder prioritises inclusion as part of her offer. She has a thorough understanding of each child. The childminder is able to adapt her style of teaching and care levels to match individual children. As an example, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are highly valued and supported. She quickly tunes into their preferred style of communication cues. For example, children collect their shoes to indicate they want to access outdoors. As a result, children feel understood and build trust with the childminder. In the main, the childminder plans to use additional funding to enhance children's experiences and safety measures.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder regularly accesses training to equip her with a knowledge of how best to support children with SEND. She has an effective understanding of the approach to support children with SEND. The childminder describes how she would make referrals and work with professionals as necessary. In general, the childminder has an inclusive ethos of preparing children for different life experiences and people's characteristics. Her vision and aim is to help children to be kind, aware and considerate of others. The childminder ensures that children access their full entitlement to early education. Her flexible approach allows children to change days and sessions, making their early years experience as fulfilled as possible.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a clear vision for her provision. She is able to identify what makes her unique, what she wants the children to achieve and what her strengths are. These include staging vibrant, enabling and high-quality outdoor areas, purposeful resources and valuing each child as an individual. Typically, children achieve well in each area of learning of the early years foundation stage. The childminder is proactive in improving her provision and offer. She is focused on working further with parents and carers to promote children's learning and parental engagement. This includes offering stay-and-play sessions to help parents to support their child in their child's learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a vision in helping the local community and parents to access play opportunities for their children. She plans to bring these ideas to life in the near future. The childminder uses allocated funding to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those that face barriers to learning by making her provision safe and stimulating. She prioritises attendance for all and supports families with flexible childcare and options. This improves the outcomes for children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Children benefit from the childminder's continuous professional development as this equips her with strategies and ways to support children, particularly those with SEND. These regular training and professional development opportunities improve the childminder's practice and delivery.

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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 welcomed into this safe, secure and nurturing childminder's home. They quickly settle and embark on their play and learning, as they confidently access a wealth of resources and activities. The childminder has established effective relationships with the children and their families. She knows children in depth and is able to scaffold learning around their interests.

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

Children access their outdoor areas with glee and enthusiasm. They have ample opportunities to role play, be creative, develop their physical abilities and learn an abundance of real-life experiences, such as gardening, climbing and road safety. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported to access all areas while being kept safe and stimulated. Toddlers precisely navigate their way up and down steps. They explore the outdoor environment with increasing confidence. Imagination, awe and wonder is at the heart of the childminder's vision, allowing children's understanding of the world to grow.

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

Children develop their independence from a young age. For instance, children dispense their own cereal and pour their own milk at breakfast time, followed by finding and putting on their own shoes. The childminder is keen to develop further opportunities to build on children's existing skills, including personal care routines.

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

Children benefit from the childminder gathering information from parents and carers to establish what their likes and dislikes are. This enables the childminder to tailor her curriculum and learning experiences around the children. Children receive ample opportunities to rest and regulate when needed. The childminder provides calming and relaxing opportunities, such as gentle foot pressure massages to soothe and provide regulation. This encompasses all children who respond positively, helping children to regulate their emotions while strengthening their wellbeing. Children's needs are met. For

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Manchester instance, the childminder understands children with SEND's ability to communicate is differently.

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Next steps

The childminder should sharpen explicit teaching opportunities to develop children's listening and attention, outlining her expectations for all children. The childminder should develop a more consistent approach to dealing with undesirable behaviour, embedding her expectations for children to follow. The childminder should introduce more frequent opportunities to wash children's hands to increase levels of hygiene, helping children to become even more independent and know how to keep safe.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the 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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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. 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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