Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2802039 Registered with Ofsted: 13/09/2024 Registers: EYR

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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 is highly skilled and attentive to the children's changing needs. She is a very positive role model, and her calm, patient interactions with children help them form incredibly close bonds with her and their friends. This builds children's confidence and supports them as they develop their social skills and learn to interact with others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has high expectations for all children, including those who may face barriers to learning. She has well-established routines that support children as they develop their independence and learn skills in preparation for school. Children demonstrate that they know the routines very well. For example, they comment that they need to wash their hands before eating and help to set the table for lunch.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Physical development is a high priority within the setting. The childminder takes the children to parks to take managed risks as they play on large play equipment. She introduces fun games to help children learn how their bodies move. For instance, there is lots of laughter as they practise moving like sharks in the water. The childminder offers children a range of opportunities to be active and spend time outdoors. They demonstrate very positive attitudes to their learning, remaining highly engaged and motivated.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder understands the importance of working with parents to maintain regular attendance and recognises the benefits this has for each child's development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder creates a nurturing, safe and fun environment where children feel settled. There is a real focus on meeting the children's emotional and physical needs. The childminder ensures children receive individualised settling-in procedures so that they feel confident and comfortable in her home. She is particularly adept at recognising the children's needs and is quick to offer a reassuring cuddle when needed, as children learn to interact with others and express their feelings. The childminder teaches children about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. For example, she uses mealtimes very effectively to talk to the children about nutritious foods and the importance of brushing their teeth.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder has an excellent knowledge of how to provide all children, including those who face barriers to learning, with an inclusive environment where children feel safe to explore and learn about the world around them. For instance, she takes the children to explore the local area, visiting the beach, library and places of interest; this helps them to develop their confidence and social skills as they learn about their community.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is highly skilled at supporting children in taking care of their personal hygiene. For instance, children sing a song to help them know how long to wash their hands. She teaches the children how to respect one another and understand their own and each other's feelings. For example, they talk about personal space and begin to understand why one of their friends may feel upset. This consistent approach supports children's

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Expected standard

independence and helps to develop life skills that underpin children's overall physical and emotional wellbeing.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children have a wealth of experiences to develop their skills across all areas of learning. They develop their communication and language skills as they hear a wide range of vocabulary through discussions with the childminder and by reading stories. For instance, children learn about water displacement as they place one jug inside another and push it down to see the water cascade over the sides. However, on occasions, children are not always given sufficient time to answer questions and think about what they wish to say.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children, including those who may face barriers to their learning or wellbeing, are making progress from their starting points. They are inquisitive, busy learners who are excited to join in with the wealth of activities on offer. However, at times the selection of resources is a little overwhelming, resulting in children having too much choice and not maximising their learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Mathematics is incorporated into children's daily experiences. For example, they count the gems as they sort the treasure and look for large rocks and small stones in the garden. The children develop their fine motor skills as they practise picking up gems with tongs and learn to squeeze the trigger of the spray water bottle.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a clear focus on what she wants children to learn. She uses her knowledge of children's ages, developmental stages, and interests to design a well- balanced curriculum. This ensures that she supports all children, including those who may face barriers to learning, to make the progress they are capable of.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The children have a wealth of opportunities to develop their communication and language skills. The childminder reads stories with the children and makes good use of repetition to ensure they hear the correct pronunciation of words. This helps children to develop their speech. However, on occasion, the childminder does not give children sufficient time to think about what they wish to say when she asks them questions.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Creativity is a real passion for the childminder. She imparts this to the children, who thoroughly enjoy using a range of media and materials to explore colour and texture. For instance, they learn how to mix colours using acrylic and block paints. Although at times the selection of resources offered to the children can be slightly overwhelming, resulting in too many choices and limiting their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports children in developing their listening and attention. For instance, they play games such as going on a treasure hunt in the garden. They find items on their list, such as feathers and snails. The childminder makes effective use of these activities to teach the children about the natural world.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder consistently monitors children's progress, enabling her to quickly identify any gaps in learning and development. At present, the childminder has no children with special educational needs and/or disabilities on roll. However, she is fully aware of how to support any children who may have barriers to learning. For example, she understands the importance of implementing targeted plans and support to ensure all children make the progress they are capable of. The childminder has a good understanding of the importance of working closely with parents and other professionals to ensure all children receive the support they need to thrive. However, she has not established effective partnerships with other settings children attend to ensure continuity of learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of updating her knowledge to ensure she has a solid understanding of the support and care individual children may need. She is aware of the procedure for checking whether families are eligible for any additional funding. The childminder understands the importance of using any funding she receives to support children and help to minimise the impact of any disadvantage the child may face.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has built positive relationships with parents. She makes effective use of face-to-face discussions and electronic updates on daily activities to support home learning. Parents speak highly of the home-from-home environment the childminder provides and value the support and regular updates on their children's progress. The childminder works closely with external professionals to ensure that children who may face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing receive appropriate support. However, opportunities to work with other early years settings where children attend are not as secure, to ensure there is a focus on continuity of learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of reflecting on her practice to continually improve the service she provides to children and their families. For instance, she conducts environmental audits to ensure she meets children's changing needs. The childminder is committed to updating and extending her own knowledge and skills through professional development. For example, she is fascinated by how children learn through repeated patterns of behaviour, such as lining up resources. She plans to undertake research and training to further develop this interest to ensure she continues to provide high-quality teaching experiences for all children. The childminder values the support and guidance she receives from other professionals, such as sharing best practice with associates and receiving support from the local authority.

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

Children are content and very happy in the childminder's home. They confidently investigate and explore the wide range of activities on offer. For example, the children skilfully thread beads onto pipe cleaners to make bracelets, developing their fine motor skills. The childminder makes effective use of activities to support children in recognising colours and developing their mathematical skills, as they count the beads and talk about their sizes and shapes. The children make independent choices about what they want to play. However, some planned activities offer too many options, which can be overwhelming for the children. As a result, these activities have less impact on learning.

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

The children know the daily routines and are eager to help by taking off their shoes when coming in from the garden. They know they need to wash their hands before eating and that after lunch, they have quiet time while the younger children nap.

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

Children develop new skills and grow in confidence as they gain a sense of belonging. They engage in conversation with the childminder while filling buckets with sand. There is great excitement as they turn the bucket over before lifting it, ready to reveal their sandcastle. Children take pride in their achievements and enjoy exploring the sand's texture, feeling it beneath their feet as they stamp on the castle, flattening it to the ground. They chatter throughout the day and join in conversations enthusiastically. However, they are not always given enough time to think about what they want to say, to enable them to further develop their thinking skills.

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

The childminder nurtures children's curiosity and supports them in developing a positive attitude to learning. Children's behaviour is appropriate for their age and stage of development. They are learning to share with friends, for example, by taking turns with the watering can. The children are kind and caring, and they recognise when friends are sad. They receive consistent messages and plenty of support as they learn to recognise and manage their emotions.

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Next steps

The childminder should work more collaboratively with other settings that children attend, to promote two-way information sharing and enhance children's learning. The childminder should continue to strengthen the implementation of some activities so that children are not overwhelmed by the choices on offer. The childminder should provide children with more time to think and respond to questions asked to maximise children's learning.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 16:00

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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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children and read parent feedback forms 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

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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