Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY549347 Registered with Ofsted: 25/09/2017 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

Overall, all children make progress in this setting. They become confident communicators. Older children engage in conversations and share information that is important to them. For example, they take delight in telling the childminder about their experiences at nursery that morning. Children express and share their ideas clearly, such as making decisions about what they would like to play with. Babies receive lots of encouragement to practise their early walking skills. They are confident to take their first steps, reassured that the childminder is close by to support them.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children gain effective mathematical skills. They explore capacity with sensory materials and talk about 'empty' and 'full'. Older children count as they play and use language such as 'too many'. Children are eager to try new tasks and keep going when things are tricky. For example, younger children concentrate intently when using spoons to scoop chickpeas into bun cases. Older children develop their coordination as they carefully place different-sized bangles on their arms. Due to some minor weaknesses in practice, some children do not consistently gain all of the skills they need to be fully ready for the next stage of their learning. For example, older children do not have opportunities to practise some independence skills, such as walking in the community, as they are in a buggy at school pick-up times.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has clear expectations for all children's behaviour. She adapts these according to children's ages and stages of development. The childminder provides children with lots of positive praise and encouragement. She explains what children have done well, such as when they have shared resources. Children show high levels of self-esteem and demonstrate pride in their achievements. When they tidy the chickpeas off the floor, they say, 'We did it.' The childminder supports children to understand how they are feeling. For example, she comments when children appear to be tired or hungry. Children have lovely attachments with the childminder and her assistants. They cuddle up to them and climb onto their knees.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

All children behave very well in this setting. Overall, they have positive attitudes to their learning. However, sometimes, children show some frustration when they have to leave their play for routine times, such as lunchtime. The childminder teaches children to share, take turns and consider the feelings of others. She models positive manners, and children freely say 'please' and 'thank you' during their play. The childminder recognises the importance of monitoring children's attendance. She shares her expectations with parents and carers. The childminder follows up quickly if children do not attend when they should.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has kept her knowledge up to date of how to keep children safe when they eat and sleep. Children enjoy healthy, home-made meals. They tuck in eagerly, and even very young children confidently feed themselves very capably. The childminder ensures she supervises children closely when they eat. She makes sure food is chopped up appropriately to prevent children from choking. The childminder encourages younger children to sleep flat on mattresses on the floor with individual and clean bedding. The childminder or her assistants sit with children as they sleep. This helps to keep children safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children have lots of opportunities to play in the fresh air. The childminder takes children regularly to local parks and large spaces. She uses these experiences to encourage children to run freely and practise their larger physical skills, such as climbing and balancing. The childminder teaches children some independence skills. For example, children learn to wash and dry their hands. The childminder reminds them to drink water regularly to stay hydrated. However, the childminder does not adapt her practice to consider that some younger children cannot reach their water bottles independently. She carries out some self-care skills for older children that they can do themselves, such as wiping their noses. This means that some children do not gain the independence skills they need in preparation for the next stage of their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans a curriculum around children's individual interests, stages of development and next steps in learning. She focuses on developing children's language and social skills. The childminder adapts her language for different children. For example, she provides a commentary as older children play and introduces new vocabulary. When younger children explore pushing cars down guttering, the childminder emphasises the words 'fast' and 'slow'. Children then later repeat these words as they play. The childminder places an emphasis on developing children's mathematical skills. She weaves mathematics through all of children's play. For instance, when children explore coloured chickpeas in a large tray, the childminder encourages them to count, recognise colours and talk about their sizes.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children show a love of books in this setting and develop their early literacy skills well. The childminder reads children their favourite stories. She is an effective storyteller and pauses to involve and engage children. Children listen with interest. They join in with familiar phrases and recognise and discuss characters. Overall, children benefit from a structure and routine to their day. This helps them to understand what to expect. However, the childminder does not consistently organise some transition times effectively. For example, children have to leave their play to accompany the assistants on the school run or to tidy up for lunch. At these times, some children are not as engaged in their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder generally adapts her practice to include all children in activities. She uses her knowledge of what individual children need to learn next to help all children make progress. The childminder monitors children's development to identify any gaps in their development. She makes referrals to other agencies, such as speech and language therapists. During this process, the childminder puts effective strategies in place. For example, she emphasises key words and slows down her speech until children gain more specialist support. Overall, the childminder adapts activities to include all children. For example, when reading books, she uses puppets to engage younger children in stories. When children are having their lunch, the childminder gives older children knives, forks and open cups, and younger children practise feeding themselves with spoons. The childminder is experienced in working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). She

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Inclusion Expected standard

recognises that she has not focused her professional development on gaining a deeper understanding of her role and local processes to support children with SEND even further. She has therefore enrolled on a level 3 qualification in special educational needs and/or disabilities coordination. The childminder acknowledges that this will support her when she cares for children with SEND in the future.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has focused her professional development on improving her knowledge to meet the actions set at the last inspection. She has attended training to extend her knowledge of how to provide a curriculum that meets the needs of individual children. The childminder and her assistants now hold valid paediatric first-aid certificates. The childminder monitors the work of her assistants and provides them with feedback. She has not provided her assistants with a greater range of training and targeted support. This does not help to extend their knowledge and teaching skills further.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder knows the priorities in the local area, such as promoting children's oral health. She addresses this in her setting and provides toothbrushing packs. She plans activities to develop children's understanding of dental hygiene. The childminder shares some information with other settings that children attend. For example, she follows some of the topics children are learning about at nursery and provides the same books. However, the childminder does not share more precise information about children's development to help complement children's learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder shares lots of information with parents and carers about their children's progress. She provides ideas and activities to extend children's learning at home. For example, the childminder sends home suggestions around sensory play and using play dough. Comments from parents are very positive. They very much appreciate the care and education the childminder provides for their children in a home-from-home setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is mindful of her own wellbeing and makes sure that her own and her assistants' workloads are manageable. She has fellow childminders and her assistants to call on for support, if needed.

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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 feel safe, comfortable and happy in this setting. They benefit from the childminder's calm, nurturing and supportive approach. Children play in an enabling environment in which they thrive due to the childminder's constant attention. They are engaged and motivated in their play, which is planned around their interests, next steps and stages of development. Children choose their play independently and show enjoyment during activities. They are aided by resources being accessible and labelled. This helps them to make independent choices about what they want to play with. Children particularly enjoy developing their

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Inspector:

imagination. They pretend to cook in the play kitchen and show an understanding of safety, saying the oven is 'hot'.

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Inspector:

Children receive support to think of others. They share resources through the childminder's guidance and learn to work out a solution together. All children play well together. For example, they begin to understand how to take turns pushing balls down a ramp. Children demonstrate perseverance and trial and error as they play. For instance, they carefully empty and fill different containers with chickpeas. Children concentrate and try hard not to spill any. They have lots of opportunities to investigate, especially when playing in the childminder's garden. Children explore sensory resources, such as the mud kitchen, sand and water.

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Inspector:

Children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they receive gentle and clear reminders about not climbing on the sofa and to not put things in their mouths. Children benefit from the childminder carefully organising the premises to keep them safe. They benefit from lots of outings in the fresh air, where they learn about the world around them. Children develop their social skills through mixing with others. They visit the local allotments to grow pumpkins and observe the chickens. Children enjoy picking fruit and vegetables to bring back to the setting to enjoy.

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Next steps

The childminder should support children more carefully to develop their self-care skills to prepare them fully for the next stage in the learning. The childminder should plan transition times more carefully to ensure all children are engaged in purposeful learning at these times. The childminder should focus professional development more precisely for herself and any assistants she works with to extend knowledge further. The childminder should share more precise information with other settings children attend to complement their learning further.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke to the childminder, her assistant and children during the inspection. She also viewed written comments from parents and carers.

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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. Melanie Vincent

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:00 - 18:00,Friday : 07:00 - 17:00

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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

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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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