Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2792683 Registered with Ofsted: 27/06/2024 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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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder knows the children and families in her care extremely well. She creates a welcoming, safe space for children, helping them to feel loved and valued. Children demonstrate security and show happiness in her care as they laugh and smile together. She gathers a wealth of information from parents and carers when children start, and this continues throughout their time at the setting. This ensures the childminder is keeping up to date with changes to care routines. The childminder has formed robust partnerships with parents and offers impactful advice and support throughout big changes in their lives. These include aspects around sleep, new siblings and family deployments. This impacts positively on children's development, as well as supporting family life. Parents report on the tremendous support they have received and say that the childminder 'genuinely cares' about children. Subsequently, this reduces barriers to children's learning and/or wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places a keen focus on helping children to develop healthy habits for their future. She works closely with parents to ensure packed lunches meet her high expectations and nutritional guidelines. This has led to improved eating habits for children, positively impacting their physical health. The childminder provides opportunities for children to access fresh air daily and understands the importance of this in supporting their wellbeing. Children learn about the importance of oral hygiene and the childminder has recently booked children a visit to the dentist. This provides meaningful, real-life experiences for children.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically develop well across all 7 areas of the curriculum. This means that children, including those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, gain the skills they need for their next stage of learning. Children develop their smaller physical skills when using pipettes to squirt water onto ice. They show focus and concentration when manipulating dough into moulds. Children are confident communicators. They ask questions and engage in back-and-forth discussions with the childminder. They confidently talk about their favourite dinosaurs and home experiences. Children demonstrate their early maths skills as they count and use language such as 'bigger' and 'small'. Further review of the curriculum for mathematics is planned to help to expand children's learning of various concepts, including shape, measure and weight.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has established clear and consistent boundaries and routines for children, such as using 'kind hands'. This helps them to feel secure and know what is expected of them. The childminder recognises the importance of adapting her high standards to suit the individual needs and ages of children. This ensures all children are set realistic expectations that encourage them to achieve. The childminder is kind and gentle in her approach to children when reminding them of rules. This supports respectful and trusting relationships between them. As a result, the environment is calm and children focus well on their learning. The childminder is an excellent role model for children. She encourages and supports turn- taking through play. This helps them to build their self-confidence and resilience, supporting their emotional wellbeing.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children help to tidy and the childminder explains what is happening next, such as when it is time for lunch. Routines are consistent, helping children to transition smoothly between activities. The childminder praises children for their efforts and children take pride in their achievements. They enjoy sharing what they have created and seek out the childminder to share moments of pride.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder promotes regular attendance and follows up absences swiftly. This helps families to develop positive habits for the future.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans a curriculum that generally delivers broad and varied learning opportunities across the areas of learning. She plans activities based on children's interests and next steps in learning. This supports children's focus and engagement. The childminder reflects on her curriculum to ensure all children can access inclusive learning opportunities. For example, adjustable trays help younger children to reach activities and support their core muscles when standing. This reduces barriers to children's learning and/or wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder encourages children to lead their own learning. She uses her interactions during spontaneous learning moments to check what children know and can do. However, she does not always use these moments to further extend children's knowledge and skills. This does not help children to consistently build on their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder promotes communication and language well. She narrates what she is doing and talks to children about things that interest them. She recognises the importance of incorporating stories, books and rhymes into her daily routines to support children's language and comprehension. She uses open-ended questions to prompt children's thinking and provides time for children to respond. This helps them to connect their ideas and thinking.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder develops children's use of mathematical language. She encourages children to count objects through their play, building their counting skills. However, the curriculum for mathematics is not fully sequenced or embedded enough to widen children's knowledge, particularly around shape, weight and measure.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder gathers detailed information about children's learning, interests and routines before they start. This helps the childminder to form precise starting points for children. The childminder uses effective assessment to track and monitor their progress, including the progress check at age 2. This quickly helps to identify any emerging gaps in children's development. She understands the importance of early identification and implementing strategies to support learning when needed. She demonstrates her understanding of inclusive practice and knows how to adapt her curriculum and provision to meet the needs of individual children. This reduces barriers to children's learning and/or wellbeing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder regularly reviews the impact of the support she provides. She works closely with parents and carers, sharing tips or strategies that help children progress with their development, including speech, sleeping and eating. This helps to provide consistency in children's learning between home and the setting. However, the childminder has not yet established effective procedures when working in partnership with other settings that children attend. This does not fully support children's transitions and the sharing of information regarding children's development in a timely manner.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder keeps her professional knowledge up to date and demonstrates her understanding of how best to use additional funding that families may access. She recognises that this should be used to achieve the best possible impact on children's learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a clear vision of her setting and makes decisions in the best interests of children. She maintains her knowledge and shows dedication to raising the quality of her practice. She has recently completed a refresher on the early years foundation stage. This has helped her to gain a deeper knowledge of how to weave learning through activities she sets out for children. This typically helps children to gain high-quality learning experiences. The childminder targets her training to ensure she is meeting the needs of individual children in her care. For example, she has booked to complete training on supporting emotions, to deepen her understanding of how to help children to self-regulate.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder helps children to learn about their community and has formed partnerships with local childminders. They attend weekly toddler groups together, helping children to socialise in larger groups. Parents and carers comment on the progress children have made with their social confidence and interactions. They value the childminder's consistent sharing of information and know how to support their children's learning at home.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder reflects on her practice and environment regularly. She places priority on her own wellbeing and plans a shorter working week. This enables her to maintain a healthy work–life balance.

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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 benefit from the welcoming home-from-home environment the childminder has created. They demonstrate confidence as they introduce themselves and engage enthusiastically. Children develop secure relationships with the warm and caring childminder. This helps them to feel safe and secure in their environment. They settle quickly and happily explore the calm, playful and organised space. Children know that their opinions and thoughts will be heard by the attentive childminder and subsequently develop a secure sense of belonging.

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

Children enjoy the fun activities the childminder sets up for them based on their interests and next steps in learning. They confidently make choices and lead their own learning. For example, they develop their hand muscles as they choose to mix and grate chalks with water to make paint. Children show curiosity, motivation and positive attitudes towards their learning and exploration. They have fun trying to melt the ice when freeing their favourite dinosaurs. Children typically develop their knowledge across the curriculum, including those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Although the childminder does not currently care for any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, she shares her knowledge and understanding of how to implement and acquire support when needed.

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

Children develop independence through consistent routines. They wash their hands before eating, attend to their own toileting needs, help to tidy and prepare resources. This helps children build fundamental skills for their future learning. Children's safety and welfare is

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 18:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Wiltshire promoted well. Furthermore, children's attendance and punctuality is monitored. This helps children and parents to begin to develop positive habits for the future.

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Next steps

The childminder should enhance her interactions to deepen and consistently build on children's learning. The childminder should continue to develop the curriculum for mathematics, introducing more concepts such as measure, weight and shape. The childminder should reflect on how to work more closely with other providers who are involved in children's learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children and parents who shared their views 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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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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