Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY376196 Registered with Ofsted: 01/08/2008 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 may have barriers to their learning, make excellent progress in their communication and their physical and social skills. Older children exude confidence and are eager to complete tasks independently. For example, they competently do up zips and buttons when putting on their coats to go outside. They articulate what they are going to do and use rich descriptive language when discussing activities with others. Babies delight in using simple words and sounds to express themselves and are eager to engage with their peers.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children master the skills they will need as they move on to the next stage in their education. They demonstrate strength and coordination as they lift a parachute up and down with their arms. They listen with interest when non-fiction books are read aloud. Later they recall the facts they have learned from the book while chopping up different fruits.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder creates a warm and nurturing environment where all children feel safe and settled. She carefully embeds consistent routines throughout the day, so children feel reassured and know what to expect. The childminder creates photo albums, which children delight in looking through and which reinforce a feeling of inclusion and belonging for all children.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder maintains extremely high expectations for children's behaviour. She sensitively guides children and helps them to make positive choices through careful explanation and role modelling. She consistently reminds children to use kind words and to take turns. Children demonstrate their understanding by showing care and respect for one another and passing a toy to a friend when they have finished playing.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children build resilience and perseverance as they engage enthusiastically in a wide range of learning experiences. This is fully supported and promoted by the childminder, who actively encourages all children to keep trying when they encounter obstacles, regardless of their age or stage of development. She consistently acknowledges and praises children's efforts, which encourages them to keep trying.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder works in close collaboration with parents and carers to establish regular attendance and encourage consistent routines. This helps to embed positive habits before children start school.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder skilfully delivers a highly engaging and well-sequenced curriculum that is precisely tailored to meet the individual needs of children. Children are motivated and sustain their focus for long periods. Activities stimulate their senses and fully encourage them to be actively involved in their learning. Children make continuous and sustained progress in all areas of learning as activities carefully build on their knowledge and skills.

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Expected standard

Mathematical concepts are explored and embedded through first-hand experiences. For example, children learn about size by testing which objects fit inside a container when playing in water, accurately identifying which ones are 'too big'.

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Expected standard

The childminder creates stimulating weekly plans around children's interests and their individual next steps. She works closely with her co-childminder and assistants to offer a rich and varied range of activities, carefully selecting themes they know will excite children and promote their engagement. Children practise and extend their physical skills when using tools to chop up different fruits. They demonstrate dexterity as they squeeze lemons in their hands and show delight as they pick out seeds and pips to examine.

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Expected standard

High regard is given to promoting children's communication and language skills. High-quality interactions enrich children's vocabulary and introduce them to a broad range of complex words, which ignite their interest and motivate them to find out more. For example, they persevere in repeating new words, such as 'papaya' and 'guava', which leads on to a lively discussion about which fruits are their favourites. They take turns with their friends and listen with interest to the ideas of others.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supports settling-in procedures by gathering important information from parents before children start. This helps the childminder to develop a clear understanding of children's individual needs, interests and home routines. She follows children's usual patterns for sleeping and eating so children feel secure in her care. Rigorous sleep- monitoring procedures are in place to ensure children's safety.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder builds warm and caring bonds with children. Children explore the learning environments happily and confidently. The childminder teaches children how to take care of their own needs. For example, older children independently wash their hands and get tissues to wipe their nose. The childminder responds sensitively to children's individual care needs. She supports children appropriately when they are ready to move on to toilet training. However, the childminder has not fully considered how some care practices impact on children's wellbeing. For example, the organisation of nappy changing in the main playroom does not fully promote children's privacy. Additionally, some children are not able to feed themselves comfortably when sat at a high table.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children enjoy the nutritious meals that are provided. They enjoy preparing fruit kebabs and show awareness that fruit and vegetables are healthy foods. The childminder supports children's oral health through planned activities and offers useful guidance to parents. Children enthusiastically engage in physical activities. They shriek with laughter as they hop around the room like a rabbit. Children have space and freedom to run, jump and climb outside. They learn how to use large play equipment safely.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder ensures that children's unique characteristics are understood and valued. She adapts play activities so that all children are fully included and can enjoy the learning experiences alongside their peers. For example, sensory activities are placed at a lower level for the younger children so they can fully explore the materials using their senses. The childminder offers sensitive support and models how to use tools and resources with the less confident children. This helps all children to feel reassured and able to join in.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands how to support every child to enable them to make progress from their starting points. When barriers to learning are identified, she works closely with parents and carers and involves other professionals to ensure the right support is in place. Parents are fully involved in children's learning, and information is shared so parents can further support children's development at home.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has attended appropriate training to develop her knowledge of the graduated approach and uses this to regularly review and support children's individual needs. The childminder typically organises group activities to promote inclusion. However, at mealtimes, some children struggle to use their cutlery appropriately, as they are not positioned at a comfortable height at the table.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a clear understanding of the provision. She regularly reviews the curriculum and the learning environment to ensure they meet the needs of all children attending and makes appropriate adaptations where needed. She identifies areas for further improvement by observing and listening to children. She recognised that children particularly enjoy outdoor experiences so has converted a garden building into an outdoor classroom. In addition, she is creating a large digging area to further enhance children's physical skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder's ability to self-evaluate is generally effective. She accurately identifies her strengths but does not always fully consider outcomes for children when evaluating the care practices. She is mindful of her own training needs, and those of her assistants, and relevant online training courses are completed to further develop knowledge and understanding. This has helped to support the childminder's understanding of the importance of early intervention and working with parents and other professionals to access support, and additional funding, when required.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has established positive partnerships with feeder schools. This helps to support smooth transitions when children start school. Parents receive regular verbal updates, and the use of daily communication books ensures parents feel involved in children's care, learning and development. In addition, parents have the opportunity to discuss the statutory progress check for children at the age of 2, which the childminder completes, helping them to understand the progress children are making.

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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 are warmly welcomed into this inviting and nurturing setting. The childminder and her assistants know children well and help them to settle quickly. Children feel reassured as the childminder talks to them and takes interest in what they say. Children are encouraged to make their own choices. They confidently explore the learning environments indoors and outdoors. Children show excitement and are keen to explore sensory experiences. For example, they delight in touching, smelling and tasting different fruits.

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

Children's individual needs are recognised and understood as the childminder works in close partnership with parents and carers. She is proactive in working with parents to reduce any potential barriers to children's learning and development. Children who speak English as an additional language are well supported and quickly develop fluency and extend their vocabulary. Daily communication and consistent sharing of information help all children to make sustained progress from their starting points. The childminder offers advice and support to establish consistent routines at home and in the setting. Regular attendance is encouraged so that all children fully benefit from the wide range of learning opportunities and experiences on offer.

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

Children show high levels of motivation and engage extremely well with their learning as they benefit from a well-sequenced curriculum that prioritises communication and language, personal, social and emotional development and physical skills. Children are skilled communicators as they become immersed in a language-rich environment where a love of books, storytelling and singing is fully promoted. Children develop positive relationships with their peers and are supported effectively to regulate their emotions. They show respect for

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:15 - 17:30,Friday : 07:30 - 17:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Leicestershire one another and their environment as they willingly join in with tidying-up routines to keep play areas safe and inviting for everyone to enjoy. Older children are helped to have smooth transitions into school, as the childminder establishes positive links with local schools. Children securely develop the skills they will need to succeed in the next stage of their education.

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Next steps

The childminder should review some care arrangements, such as nappy changing and mealtimes, to further promote children's privacy and ensure children are consistently supported when eating. The childminder should develop systems for evaluating the provision further, so that practice consistently promotes the highest standards of care for all children.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her co-childminder and assistants, children and carers 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 the 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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