Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2800024 Registered with Ofsted: 28/08/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR

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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

All children, including those who face barriers to learning, consistently make excellent progress from their starting points. Children have high levels of curiosity. They approach activities with high levels of engagement and interest. Children spend extended periods of time at activities of their choosing. They can sustain their attention and concentrate at tasks for significant periods of time. For example, they persevere as they use magnets to pick up toy worms and feed the birds. Children show excellent understanding for their age, and young children recall events from home. Children with barriers to learning show progress from starting points.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children's communication and language development thrives as their individual abilities are nurtured. They communicate confidently in a variety of ways, including through speech and gestures. Children learn to be kind and independent during routines, such as snack time and going outside. For instance, children are developing independence in putting on their shoes and outdoor clothes. This helps children develop the confidence they need for their next stage of learning. This means children are very well prepared for the next stage of learning to start pre-school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children thrive in the respectful culture created by the childminder. The childminder provides a calm and predictable environment. Behaviour expectations are clear and consistent. She builds warm, trusting and secure relationships with children. They feel highly confident to express their thoughts and communicate their wants and needs. The childminder, through careful observation, offers just the right level of support to help children move to the next stage. This enables children to explore independently and have a positive attitude to their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Daily routines, such as tidy-up times, help children develop responsibility and independence. For example, even the youngest children are encouraged to feed themselves. They independently clean their hands and faces and use a dustpan and brush to sweep up crumbs. Children settle quickly and move between activities, mealtimes and rest times with minimal support. The childminder uses gentle explanations to help children understand expectations and manage feelings. This means children show kindness and growing patience with younger children.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder communicates daily with parents, both verbally and via online platforms. She works closely with them to ensure a consistent approach to meeting all children's needs, including those with barriers to learning. The childminder talks to parents about the importance of regular attendance for children's learning, routines and emotional security. This promotes consistent routines and strengthens children's wellbeing and behaviour over time.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The dedicated childminder knows each child extremely well. She works very closely with parents when children first join the setting. The childminder gains a very detailed understanding of children's routines and care needs. She adapts her practice to suit each child. For example, all children's individual starting points, including those with barriers to learning, are skilfully weaved into her curriculum. This means children build on what they know and can do. The childminder provides a warm and nurturing environment. For example, children have family photos they can access and share throughout the day. This helps children to be emotionally secure and form attachments. The childminder has established an inclusive environment for children that considers barriers to learning and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder consistently promotes healthy lifestyles. She provides nutritious home- cooked food and follows nutritional guidance. The childminder closely monitors children's allergies and intolerances, ensuring children are safe at mealtimes. Care routines, including feeding, sleeping and toileting, are discussed with parents and then sensitively tailored to each child's stage of development. This means children have consistency, which promotes predictability and security for children. The childminder has an excellent understanding of safe sleep procedures.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder offers a rich experience of outdoor learning opportunities. She provides a wide range of opportunities to promote children's physical and emotional wellbeing. They have daily visits in the local community, including local parks, playgroups and local attractions.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has built a carefully considered and well-balanced curriculum. She provides purposeful activities linked to children's experiences. For example, she prepares scavenger hunt checklists for children linked to the area they are visiting. The childminder supports children extremely well with high-quality interactions. She is very responsive to what they say and uses purposeful questioning to extend children's thinking. For instance, the childminder enriches children's play with dolls by suggesting they wash different body parts of the baby.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder captures children's full attention during activities. The childminder naturally uses all opportunities to help children build on their mathematical learning. For example, she builds children's understanding of shape and size through water play. She promotes communication and language effectively through modelling, repetition and clear pronunciation. For example, she introduces descriptive vocabulary, such as 'squidgy', which younger children eagerly repeat. The childminder provides a wealth of opportunities to be physically active. She encourages young children to pull themselves up, while older children balance across stepping stones.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder ensures children of all ages and stages of development are consistently well supported. She makes regular assessments to identify precise next steps and uses this information to sequence and plan her curriculum. This supports her to build children's skills over time and ensures all children make progress from individual starting points.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder is highly committed to offering exceptional support to children with barriers to learning or special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder has excellent relationships with families. She collates detailed information when children start with her. She has an excellent knowledge of child development and has secure procedures in place to identify gaps or delays in children's learning and milestones.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder provides an inclusive environment and has high expectations for all children. She adapts her curriculum effectively to ensure all children can access it. The childminder knows children well, and with this information tailors the support she provides. She quickly identifies any emerging needs or barriers in children's learning, through meticulous observations and ongoing assessments. This means that the childminder can identify any additional needs and take swift action. She works closely with parents where children need additional support, such as when beginning to walk. This ensures a consistent approach and supports children's ongoing development. All children make excellent progress from their starting points.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder fully understands how to access external support for children when needed. She also maintains highly effective communication with other professionals and settings. This ensures continuity of learning for the children.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates dedication to improve her practice. She is committed to continuous improvement and targets areas she would like to further develop. The childminder rigorously reflects on her practice to identify strengths and provide high-quality care and education for the children in her care. She ensures that all policies and procedures are meticulously maintained and routinely reviewed.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has successfully established and developed positive partnerships with families. She keeps them fully informed about their children's day, achievements and next steps in learning. Parents speak highly of the childminder and the care their children receive. Parents appreciate the childminder's 'warm, nurturing, patient, calm and kind nature'. They appreciate her open communication and feel involved and reassured.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Partnerships with other professionals are meaningful. The childminder works closely with advisory teachers and health professionals to support the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She seeks advice to assess children's needs and create support plans.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has well-established relationships with local childminders. She recognises the importance of a supportive network where she can share good practice. The childminder identifies any professional development that would benefit children's learning and development and enrols in online and face-to-face training.

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

Children thrive in the childminder's calm, well-organised and purposeful environment. Children demonstrate that they are incredibly happy, emotionally secure and confident. This is because well-established routines and extremely positive relationships are well embedded. This helps children feel valued and develop a sense of belonging. The childminder knows children and families extremely well. Tailored settling-in periods are used to gain information about children. This informs her of their individual needs and starting points.

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

Children have regular observations and assessments to identify any gaps in their knowledge or potential barriers to learning. The curriculum is designed to ensure it encompasses all learning needs and builds on what they know and can do. All children have access to a full and varied curriculum based on children's interests and stages of development. As a result, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well from their starting points.

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

All children independently explore the rich environment that the childminder has thoughtfully provided. For example, even the youngest children engage in mark-making opportunities. Children enjoy expressing themselves and use language to communicate their thoughts.

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About this setting

Registration date: 28/08/2024 Younger children join words together and use nonverbal cues to communicate their wants and needs. The childminder adapts her support so younger children receive help safely. Children follow instructions readily and understand expectations. They demonstrate excellent behaviour and respond well to gentle corrections.

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About this setting

Children benefit from a wonderful range of experiences that fully capture their interest in learning. For example, children visit the vets, dentist and local charity shops, alongside visits to the castle and local parks. The childminder uses these experiences as a platform to deepen children's understanding. Consequently, all children develop the confidence, independence and skills they need for their next stage of learning.

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About this setting

The childminder has thoughtful and positive engagement with parents. She works closely with the children's families and communicates the importance of attendance and punctuality to parents.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. She should focus on creating a transformational impact on children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children and 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. Register(s): EYR, CCR

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,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

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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