Romans, Helen Elizabeth

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2766902 Registered with Ofsted: 08/01/2024 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 are making steady progress. They gain suitable skills to help them prepare for the next stage of their education and their eventual move on to school. Overall, gaps in their learning are closing effectively, particularly in their communication. Older babies show their understanding by following the childminder's clear instructions well. Children develop their language, expressing themselves confidently. Their confidence grows in other areas too. Children listen to stories and join in with repeated wording, showing their knowledge of their favourite books. They learn to make themselves understood, retrying and copying the childminder's pronunciation of words. Children count items well and develop their mathematics skills appropriately. Children generally gain suitable attitudes to doing things for themselves and taking on challenges. They start to develop their independence skills and get their boots on to go outside.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder forms close relationships with children and they enjoy being in her provision. She gets to know children very well. She works closely with parents to support children's regular attendance. She appreciates the importance of monitoring and encouraging this, so that children can benefit from consistent routines and the useful experiences that she provides. The childminder organises her routines well. She involves children in these, building their confidence and sense of belonging. She clearly explains things to children, giving them easy instructions and explanations to help their understanding and cooperation. Children learn about others' needs. For example, children listen to the childminder, and move from activities outside, when she explains that younger babies are starting to get tired and need to go in.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder supports children's behaviour effectively. She shows how well she knows them, offering them clear and prompt support before they get too frustrated. This helps them share toys and take turns with resources. She helps them use their developing language to discuss their needs with her and each other, building their social skills beneficially. The childminder generally supports children to have positive attitudes to learning. At times, she offers them some challenges and effectively encourages them to do things for themselves. Children like to 'help' the childminder and get a bowl and a cup for their snack.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder knows children well and builds close bonds with them. She helps children manage their emotions, including children that need particularly perceptive support. She has focused on emotional support closely, helping to close gaps in this area of children's development. She offers quick proactive support that helps children understand causes to their frustrations and learn ways to manage their feelings. This enables children to play appropriately with others and develop early friendships.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supports children's care needs effectively, liaising with parents to follow children's home routines. She ensures that children are comfortable and happy in her home. She has suitable equipment and effective procedures to ensure babies and children sleep safely and get the rest they need. She encourages children to make healthy eating choices and generally helps them understand their bodies and needs, such as teaching them hygiene practices. At times, the childminder does not adapt her support promptly when children find some self-care skills a little difficult, to help children persevere and achieve.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder offers help to babies that is age-appropriate. She gives them extra attention to ensure they are safe as they explore. She puts on their wet weather suits, so that they stay comfortable as they play outside when the ground is wet. She gives older babies lots of encouragement and praise as they manage to negotiate steps independently. The childminder gives children plenty of opportunity to explore physically and be active in the fresh air.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder knows how children learn and designs her curriculum with care, making sure she gains new ideas to help her provide for children's learning needs. She offers close and effective support for their communication. The childminder seeks training to help her assess children's skills in this area in greater depth. She uses new ideas from her training to provide beneficial targeted programmes of support to develop children's language skills. Children build their vocabulary and the clarity of their speech well. They gain confidence to express themselves and make their needs known. The childminder helps children interact, discuss ideas and communicate with each other, building their personal and social development effectively. Children use their growing language at story time, pointing out and discussing items in the books. The childminder builds on this further teaching them new words and terms. Children also practise their counting skills and learn mathematical

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder evaluates her curriculum and makes effective changes to help benefit the children. She outlines next steps in each child's learning. She plans arrangements to support these. Generally, she ensures that these are used to help children progress in many areas. However, occasionally she does not quickly adapt her teaching or the use resources and activities effectively to help children achieve. For example, children eagerly try out their skills on plastic stepping stones in the garden. When children struggle with this new skill the childminder does not quickly offer techniques or adjust the challenge, such as bringing the steps closer together to help children extend their skills further.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder observes and assesses children's progress. She outlines gaps in children's development. She has an inclusive outlook, wanting the best for all children. She effectively supports children in her care who have barriers to their learning and wellbeing. She seeks training to gain new knowledge, using this to introduce additional activities and support to help reduce these barriers. In this way, all children develop in the communication, social and emotional areas effectively. The childminder is aware of the importance of using any additional funding children may be entitled to wisely to ensure all children have the same opportunities to learn and progress. The childminder appreciates the importance of partnership working. She is mostly successful in linking with others. Generally, children benefit from consistent support, particularly between their home and the childminder's provision. The childminder liaises

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Inclusion Expected standard

closely with parents and provides them with beneficial advice and ideas to help them continue children's learning at home. She generally supports a concerted approach to closing gaps in children's development. She understands to seek advice and support from outside professionals promptly if children are struggling to achieve, particularly if they have persistent gaps in their development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder shows dedication to her provision. She evaluates her practice and its effectiveness to make sure she continues to provide the best she can for children and families. The childminder meets with other childminders, sharing ideas, keeping up with changes to guidance and legislation and using these to enhance her practice. She seeks training to help her develop her teaching and help her close gaps in children's skills. She uses new ideas from courses to benefit her curriculum. For example, she takes children to play cafés to provide them with opportunities to explore a wider range of open-ended materials, encouraging children to think and explore in new ways and develop their ideas further.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has suitable relationships with parents. They are very positive about the support that she provides and how well their children are achieving at her setting. The childminder shares lots of useful information with parents, regarding her provision, children's experiences and their progress. She supports them work together to help gaps in children's development to close. However, the childminder has not successfully forged links with other settings children attend. This means she has not gained information on children's experiences elsewhere to inform her future planning and help to provide a consistent approach for children across all aspects of their lives.

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

Children are valued and well cared for at this childminder's provision. They thrive in the welcoming environment she provides. She is kind and caring, which supports their wellbeing. Children form close relationships with the childminder. They are happy and relaxed here and show that they feel safe. Children warm to the childminder's caring manner and thrive on the individual attention she gives them. Older babies build their confidence quickly and are easily comforted and reassured with a cuddle from the childminder when

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Inspector:

Rachel Parker they start to get tired. Children enjoy her joining them in activities and seek her out to show her things they have created. They beam proudly as the childminder gives them praise for their achievements. Babies and children show a beneficial sense of belonging and enjoy their time at the childminder's provision.

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Inspector:

Children make steady progress in their development. They eagerly explore the stimulating areas the childminder sets out and achieve useful skills. The childminder stays close by but allows them to explore in their own way. Older babies and children then follow their interests and ideas. This motivates them effectively and encourages them to practise new skills and learn. Children relish investigating the sensory materials the childminder sets out in her garden, testing out their ideas. Young children and older babies build their confidence with new materials and experiences. They develop their coordination and dexterity as they use utensils and pots to scoop, pour and mix the materials.

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Inspector:

Children benefit from plenty of outings with the childminder in the local and wider area. They develop their knowledge of the world on regular trips to wildlife parks. They build their physical strength and coordination using equipment during visits to local play parks. They develop their confidence with new experiences and their play ideas on trips to play cafes. They also build their social skills when meeting with larger groups of children, as the childminder regularly meets with other childminders and their children.

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Next steps

The childminder should adapt her support and teaching more readily, breaking down challenges to help children achieve skills quickly and consistently. The childminder should improve the information she gains from other settings children attend, to inform her planning and support a fully consistent approach for children.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children during the inspection and took into account parents written views.

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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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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 17:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Bath and North East Somerset Council

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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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