Link, Katy Joanne

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2799607 Registered with Ofsted: 30/08/2024 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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Achievement Expected standard

Children generally make progress from their individual starting points and develop the knowledge and skills they need for the next stage of their learning, including those who face barriers to their learning. They confidently test out their ideas, make links between what they already know and new experiences. They sustain their concentration during play as per their stage of development. Children achieve across all areas of learning, including those who may face barriers to their learning and wellbeing.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children show increasing curiosity about the world around them. They tune into sounds in the local environment, suggest what they might be hearing and confidently share their own ideas and opinions. For example, children assign meaning to their drawings and explain what they have drawn. They are typically motivated to practise physical skills to develop increasing control and coordination. For example, they eagerly jump an use balls to improve their throwing and catching. Children demonstrate an increasing awareness of number. They confidently recognise numbers, enjoy counting alongside the childminder and readily copy number names as she models counting during play.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder generally places a priority on establishing positive attitudes to attendance, routines and expectations. She carefully organises the day so that children attending different patterns of sessions experience consistency and benefit from the same quality experiences over time as their peers. For example, on days when only one child is attending, she plans visits to local groups so children continue to develop their social skills and interact with others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder establishes clear routines that help children understand what is expected of them. She uses everyday experiences to teach children to share, take turns and respect one another's play. For example, she helps children understand that everyone should have fair access to resources and that they do not need to give up equipment immediately when another child asks for it. Children develop positive relationships and increasing confidence in social situations. They are motivated to play and explore.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder establishes routines that typically reflect children's individual needs and family practices. She works with parents to review and adapt routines as children develop, such as when they are ready to reduce daytime sleep. Children settle well, understand expectations and approach daily routines with confidence.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder promotes children's welfare and wellbeing effectively. She provides nutritious meals and snacks, encourages healthy eating habits and ensures fresh drinking water is always available. The childminder regularly reflects on her practice to enhance children's health and promote an inclusive approach. For example, she has reviewed her menus, moving away from flavoured yoghurts in favour of natural yoghurt and fruit. She also carefully considers the balance of carbohydrates, protein, fruit and vegetables when planning meals, helping children develop healthy eating habits from an early age. The childminder works with parents to promote healthy lunchbox choices for those parents who choose to provide their own food.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder considers children's safety and wellbeing throughout the day. She typically carries out effective risk assessments and adapts her practice when needed. For example, she identifies the coolest room for children to sleep in during periods of hot weather, applies sun cream and encourages the use of sun hats as UV levels rise. She prepares food safely, such as cutting grapes into appropriate sizes to reduce the risk of choking. The childminder works closely with parents to review children's changing health and care needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder generally promotes children's physical wellbeing through daily opportunities to be active indoors and outdoors, alongside effective hygiene routines and support for children's developing self-care skills. She encourages children to take part in food preparation using child-safe equipment, pour their own drinks and manage age-appropriate personal care. Children develop confidence and increasing independence.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, the childminder has designed a broad curriculum that reflects children's interests and provides a balance of experiences at home and in the local community. She thoughtfully plans outings and community experiences across different days of the week so that children who attend part-time have the same opportunities to access the curriculum as those who attend more frequently. This helps ensure children benefit from a broad and inclusive range of learning experiences. While the childminder's curriculum reflects the seven areas well, she does not always consider the sequence in which knowledge and skills should be introduced precisely enough. At times, she teaches more complex concepts before children have securely developed the underpinning knowledge and skills needed to build successfully on their learning, particularly in mathematics.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder typically uses children's interests to shape her teaching. She joins children's play skilfully, extending conversations, introducing new vocabulary and modelling language that helps children communicate their ideas with increasing confidence. She shares books regularly and uses dual-language resources and technology to support children who speak English as an additional language.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder makes effective use of both the indoor and outdoor environments to support her teaching. She uses experiences, such as growing vegetables, caring for plants, and providing balancing equipment indoors and outdoors to reinforce learning through meaningful, hands-on experiences.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder generally knows children and their families well and identifies factors that may affect children's learning and wellbeing. She routinely monitors children's development and works with parents to discuss progress and any emerging concerns. For example, she works with parents to monitor children's progress in both English and their home language. This helps her identify any emerging gaps in development. Overall, the childminder provides an inclusive environment where children feel valued and included. She understands local referral pathways and how to work with the health visitor and local authority should children require additional support. She also understands how additional funding can be used to meet children's individual needs where appropriate. For example, she would use it to purchase targeted resources and provide tailored learning experiences that reflect children's needs and interests.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder typically monitors children's development through ongoing observation and assessment. She completes the progress check at age 2 and uses this alongside her observations to identify children's progress and any emerging needs. This helps her build an understanding of children's development over time, discuss their progress with parents and begin seeking timely support should concerns arise. However, the childminder has not embedded the consistent sharing of children's planned next steps in learning with parents. Consequently, children's learning is not consistently supported between home and the setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Overall, the childminder demonstrates a commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive service for children and their families. She knows children and their families well. The childminder works closely with parents to share information about children's care and progress. She values their contributions to children's learning and development. However, the childminder has not yet embedded the consistent sharing of children's planned learning with parents. This means continuity between children's learning at home and in the setting is not fully supported.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder generally engages positively with professional development and applies learning to her practice. For example, training on the progress check at age 2 has strengthened her understanding of using assessment to monitor children's development and identify when timely support may be needed. Nutrition training has also informed improvements to her menu planning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder reflects on her practice and identifies ways to enhance children's experiences. For example, she has identified plans to further develop the outdoor environment by introducing opportunities, such as a digging area, mud kitchen and additional climbing equipment to broaden children's experiences throughout the year. She responds positively to professional discussion and demonstrates a commitment to continually developing her practice.

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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 quickly settle into this welcoming home and form warm, trusting relationships with the childminder. They feel safe, secure and confidently seek reassurance, share their ideas and invite her into their play. Children benefit from the childminder's effective partnership working with their families. Children from different nationalities hear words, and symbols, such as flags from their home cultures reflected in the environment. They are happy and enjoy exploring a broad range of experiences both at the childminder's home and in the local community. This includes woodland activities, libraries, toddler groups and local parks.

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Inspector:

Anne Dyoss Children are curious learners who confidently lead their own play. They develop problem- solving skills as they persevere with challenges and become engaged in activities that reflect their interests. For example, children sustain imaginative shop role play, confidently introducing their own ideas while the childminder extends their conversations. Children are developing the knowledge and skills they need for their next stage of learning.

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Inspector:

Outdoors, children eagerly explore water through throwing, spraying and pouring. They investigate how water travels across different surfaces and notice the sounds it makes. They develop an understanding of cause and effect as they experiment with different ways of moving water. As they use spray bottles to water plants and make marks outdoors, they also strengthen their coordination and hand muscles. They enjoy opportunities to count, explore books, make marks, sing songs and investigate the natural world.

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Inspector:

Children learn to play cooperatively with others. They are supported to share, take turns and understand that everyone has opportunities to join in. They develop increasing independence through everyday routines, including dressing themselves, pouring drinks and managing their own hygiene. Children receive sensitive support that reflects their individual moods and emotional readiness. This helps them feel secure, happy to attend and confident to explore and learn. For example, children's emotional cues are understood by the childminder, who adapts her approach when they become tired or frustrated.

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Next steps

The childminder should refine the curriculum so that knowledge and skills are sequenced more precisely, enabling children to build securely on what they already know and can do. The childminder should develop more consistent sharing of children's planned next steps in learning with parents, helping to promote continuity in children's learning between home and the setting.

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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.

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About this setting

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

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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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