Thelan, Hannah Louise

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2769903 Registered with Ofsted: 04/01/2024 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder and her assistants have created a respectful and calm environment which supports all children to learn how to behave appropriately in a positive setting. They are positive role models to children, demonstrating both how to build harmonious relationships with others and also how to complete tasks, encouraging children to copy what they observe. The childminder and her assistants expertly support children to learn to manage their feelings and behaviour using impactful teaching. They also use sensitive behavioural reminders to reinforce the desired behaviours. Children are supported to share resources, take turns and demonstrate kind and respectful behaviour towards peers and adults. They work together to complete tasks and create role-play scenarios. The childminder works with parents to promote regular attendance, to teach children the importance of attending and taking advantage of the learning opportunities on offer. She works with parents to identify

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

any barriers to attendance and works with them to come up with solutions. For example, she also supports children's transitions to other settings by helping with settling-in sessions if parents are unable to attend, to ensure the children still get to attend.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children demonstrate a deep understanding of the setting's routine and confidently explain what happens next throughout the day. For example, they know that snack time follows outdoor play and handwashing. This shows that the childminder has established a well- structured and embedded routine that helps children feel safe and secure. The childminder prioritises children's wellbeing and ensures that policies, procedures and practices are rigorously reviewed, strategically adapted and effectively amended as required to ensure they continue to meet the needs of the children. For example, she has reviewed the updated guidance on healthy eating and safer sleep and made necessary adjustments in preparation for the changes to legislation that is coming into effect.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder and her assistants take time to get to know children and their families extremely well. They use this knowledge to best support the whole family and respond to their changing needs. For example, they signpost families to local support as required, and provide advice and support to parents on topics such as healthy eating, the importance of providing children with opportunities to be physically active and hygiene procedures like teeth brushing.

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Achievement Expected standard

The childminder and her assistants provide all children with a wide range of experiences and opportunities to acquire and practise the skills they need to develop in all areas of their learning and development. This helps to ensure all children have the essential age- and stage-appropriate knowledge and skills for their future success and to progress to the next stage of their learning. Children confidently demonstrate key learning behaviours, such as perseverance, a positive attitude, and pride in their achievements, which are consistently promoted by the childminder and her assistants. Children's communication and language development is prioritised to help them to be able to access the full curriculum and, as a result, children demonstrate enjoyment in acquiring and using language to interact with their peers and adults.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder and her assistants have carefully constructed a well-balanced and ambitious curriculum for all children. They make effective use of the local community and outdoor environment to provide meaningful opportunities for children to learn about the world around them. They build on what children already know and can do, enabling them to deepen their knowledge and practise new skills in different contexts. For example, children learn about nature and caring for living things as they water plants they are growing. This helps children develop a sense of responsibility while strengthening their physical skills and understanding of the natural world.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

New vocabulary and skills are taught explicitly through a range of effective teaching approaches. As a result, children acquire a broad vocabulary, communicate their ideas clearly, and readily apply new knowledge during play and everyday interactions. Activities are tailored to children's individual interests, and practitioners skilfully follow children's lead during play. This results in high levels of engagement, sustained concentration, and positive attitudes towards learning. There is a strong focus on developing children's love of reading. Children enjoy regular story times and frequent visits to the local library. Consequently, they show enthusiasm for books, listen attentively to stories, and develop early literacy skills that prepare them well for future learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder and her assistants work in partnership with parents to gain in-depth knowledge about each child. They use this information to provide individualised support that helps children make good progress from their starting points. The childminder and her assistants have high expectations for all children and access training to enhance their knowledge of how to support children across different areas of learning. They use this knowledge to plan a curriculum that is responsive to children's needs. However, systems for recording and reviewing the support provided for children with additional needs are not sufficiently robust. While the childminder and her assistants know children well and adapt their practice accordingly, there are no formal support plans that clearly identify children's individual targets, the strategies being used, and the impact of these interventions over time. As a result, it is more difficult to demonstrate how support is tailored to children's changing

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Inclusion Expected standard

needs or to share this information effectively with other professionals and settings. This limits the consistency of approaches used to reduce barriers to children's learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands her setting's context, including the strengths and areas for development. She is highly reflective and takes appropriate action to drive improvement and/or maintain high standards of education and care for all children. When improvements are needed, her actions are timely and effective. For example, she reflects on outing risk assessments and takes action to make necessary adjustments. The childminder builds strong connections with the local school and preschool and works in partnership with them to support children's transitions on to the next stages of their learning journey. She uses her knowledge of these settings to plan activities to teach children skills that will help support them with their transition. For example, introducing a similar tidy-up time to teach children how to follow this part of the routine of the new setting. The childminder ensures both her and her assistants receive continuous professional development. They attend regular

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

training and use research to keep their knowledge up to date, for example, they have made necessary changes in preparation for the updated guidance around safer sleep.

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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 demonstrate that they feel happy and safe and they are highly engaged in their play both indoors and outdoors. They choose activities that interest them and use available tools and resources to enhance their own play and practise their emerging skills. Children work together to create role-play scenarios, for example, in the garden they create a shop role play where they talk about the items on sale and how much they cost. The childminder and her assistants use a variety of teaching methods to extend children's play and learning. They create a language-rich environment which supports children to acquire and use language to be effective communicators. Children are curious and inquisitive and explore all activities on offer to them. They figure out ways to complete tasks together, such as building a road for the light-up cars, and persevere to complete the task. Children demonstrate enjoyment in completing tasks and welcome praise for their efforts, for example, using the

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

Children are supported by the childminder and her assistants to understand and follow the behavioural expectations. As a result, they are kind, take turns and share resources well with their peers. The childminder and her assistants carefully plan a curriculum that aims to support all children to make good progress in all areas of their learning. They use the outdoor learning environment and local community to enhance children's experiences; they go on regular outings in the local area and use the resources to enhance children's learning and development. For example, they use a local forest school area to provide children with opportunities to deepen their knowledge of nature through first-hand experiences in the outdoor environment. They also support children to develop their love of reading in the local library and develop their social interaction skills at local stay-and-play sessions.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 19:00

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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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Next steps

The childminder should ensure children who require additional support are provided with more formal support plans that clearly demonstrate the tailored support each children requires and how this is regularly reviewed to meet the changing needs of the children.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and her assistants 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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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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