Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY246421 Registered with Ofsted: 05/08/2003 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

Children make sound progress throughout all areas of learning from the time they start in the childminder's care. Children of all ages, including young toddlers, are engaged and focused for long periods in stimulating activities. Children learn to listen to stories and rhymes. They learn to count, recognise and match different colours. Children solve problems as they sort shapes and complete puzzles. They enjoy looking at books on their own or with the childminder. They recognise their names in print from an early age and build on skills using tools for supporting their early writing skills.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children communicate well in English, in their home languages and as they learn Spanish with the childminder too. They enjoy being physically active, with ample opportunities indoors and outdoors. For example, children run freely in the garden and take on the task of learning to roll down the hill in the garden area. All children achieve well in their learning and development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder engages with parents and carers about the importance of regular and punctual attendance. She asks for parents to promptly inform her of any absences. This supports children to benefit from the varied and stimulating learning opportunities the childminder plans and in readiness for starting nursery or school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder knows children well. She supports children well to learn about the expectations for their behaviour. This is evident in how children typically play and participate in routine activities in harmony. Children take on reminders from the childminder to learn right from wrong. They learn how to express their feelings and emotions verbally or through facial expressions. The childminder uses consistent praise and recognition for different ages of children to understand. For example, she claps for young toddlers and uses verbal praise with older children.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are familiar with the daily routines. They generally take responsibility to help clear away play materials without any objections, eager to assist and help each other too. Children benefit from the familiar routine the childminder provides. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging and feel safe and secure. Children move with familiarity from one activity to another.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder generally engages with parents and carers to gather relevant information about their children's routine care, dietary and health needs. She promotes healthy eating through the meals and snacks provided, and children enjoy the food on offer. For example, they enjoy pancakes and fruit for breakfast. Children drink water frequently, learning to keep hydrated throughout the hot weather. The childminder prepares food to minimise the risk of choking. Children dine and drink under the supervision of the childminder or assistants. Meal and snack times are relaxed, where children learn to develop positive table manners, learn to use cutlery and help serve themselves. Children are very familiar of the routine for handwashing and are learning why it is important to do so. For example, they wash their hands before they have food, after using the potty or toilet or when returning from outdoor activities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children form safe and secure bonds with the childminder and her assistants. They welcome the childminder and assistants to be their play partner, and give them hugs and cuddles. Children learn to express their feelings. The childminder talks about the differences to them and how to express how they feel. This supports children of all ages to learn how to manage their feelings and emotions. The childminder supervises children when sleeping and as they enjoy outdoor activities in the childminder's communal garden or at local parks as part of the daily routine.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans an appropriate and engaging curriculum that generally reflects the development of the individual children attending. This offers children a balance of adult-led and child-led play. The childminder and her assistants share information about the progress they see in children and where they may need more support. This allows all adults to have the same approach as they engage with children. The childminder carries out regular assessments of children's learning to identify any gaps and plan the next stage in their developmental journey. Children generally progress well in all areas.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children focus for long periods during all activities, including young toddlers too. Activities flow with ease from one to another. The childminder does not rush children to stop their play abruptly. She supports children's communication and language development well. Children from a young age develop a detailed range of vocabulary. The childminder focuses on children's personal, social and emotional development to support children to feel safe and secure in her care and be confident in their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children attend the local library for a storytelling and rhyme session once a week. However, they have limited opportunities to socialise with other children, such as attendance at a community stay-and-play group. She recognises that this would support children in making new friends of a similar age, to be able to access a broader range of learning experiences, and to be better prepared for the move to nursery or school.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder assesses children's development regularly. She has an appropriate understanding of their individual care needs and stages of development. Children are doing well for the expectations for their age. The childminder adapts activities for the different ages and development stages of children attending and supports inclusion for all. She continues to observe children closely and undertakes regular assessments to monitor their progress. This enables the childminder to identify if children are not reaching expected milestones and to consider the support they may need to make progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of gathering detailed information from parents and carers when their children first start. This includes exploring and identifying if children have any additional needs or delay in their development. The childminder is willing to seek out specific training too to develop her knowledge and skills for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or with barriers to learning. She is aware of working with other agencies and professionals should she need to seek further advice about children's individual needs. The childminder knows how to guide parents to seek advice and support too.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children learn about the differences among them. For example, they explore regular celebrations and resources that support children to celebrate their own identities and those of others in the community that is very diverse. The childminder includes parents in these celebrations with their children too.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has strived well to make improvements since her previous inspection to bring about positive outcomes for children. She has taken appropriate steps to ensure that she and her assistants have a sound understanding of safeguarding children and supporting their welfare. For example, the childminder has ensured her assistants are assessed for suitability by Ofsted. She has reviewed meal and snack times to ensure children are supervised. The childminder has implemented hygiene measures into the daily routine with children. She makes ongoing improvements to support children's learning and development appropriately.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder welcomes the support of her local authority advisory team to help her raise standards and explore further training for herself. She supports assistants into their roles and responsibilities, and provides regular feedback on their performance. This allows the childminder to identify where children may need support and to plan training to fulfil their roles adequately.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Overall, the childminder has formed effective partnerships with parents and carers. Daily communication keeps them informed about their child's developmental progress. The childminder uses formal reviews periodically to keep parents informed too, such as about how best they can support their children's learning in the home. The gathering of relevant information at the time of children starting in the childminder's care is generally effective with the parents. However, it is not always robust enough to ensure the childminder has gathered a broad range of information regarding children's development at the time of starting. This does not help to inform initial planning for children's ongoing developmental journey.

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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 are happy and settled. They form secure relationships with the childminder and her assistants. Children demonstrate a very positive attitude to learning. The childminder supports children's development across all areas. She encourages children's interest in planned activities and their willingness to try new skills. Children play well together with their peers and have a deep awareness of each other. They are confident in their awareness of the daily routine. Children know where play resources are stored in order to make self- selections of their own and help to tidy away their play too.

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About this setting

Children enjoy the activities on offer and focus for long periods from a young age. They engage for long periods with story time and rhyme time with the childminder. Children recall stories from the past and eagerly use their bodies to reflect on action rhymes. They like being outdoors in the garden, using their self-decorated jellyfish windcatchers as they run, waving them in the air. Children learn to problem-solve and understand what different numbers mean in value. They complete puzzles, grading blocks to size and identifying and matching colours.

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About this setting

Children enjoy imaginative play as they busily use the well-resourced role-play areas. For example, they pretend to make drinks and food for the childminder and each other. Children access varied dressing-up clothes and props, such as being doctors and nurses. They learn to name different instruments, which are a favourite for children to learn to use. Creative and messy play feature regularly in the weekly activities. Children learn to recognise their name on display and learn to write their own names from a young age. From the outset, the childminder works in close partnership with parents and carers to promote the importance of regular and punctual attendance. The childminder ensures all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are supported to make the progress of which they are capable.

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Next steps

The childminder should build on partnerships with parents and carers to gather detailed information regarding children's development to inform planning for individual children from the start. The childminder should provide children with additional opportunities to socialise with other children and extend their learning opportunities, to gain experiences in readiness for school.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistants and children 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. Unique reference number (URN): EY246421

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:30 - 17:30

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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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