Johnston, Victoria Louise

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2806172 Registered with Ofsted: 13/01/2025 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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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children are very happy in the childminder's care. They settle quickly when they arrive in the morning. The childminder places a high priority on children's welfare and wellbeing. For example, she communicates effectively with parents to plan a shared approach to supporting children through developmental stages, such as toilet training. She works extremely well with parents to help them support their children with their health and hygiene. For instance, they discuss ways in which they can support children who are tired so that it does not impact on their play and learning. The childminder is highly responsive to the needs of children and families. For instance, she teaches children how to look after their teeth and how to brush them when children are reluctant to do this at home.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder has clear procedures in place to support children's health and safety. She implements her procedures consistently and these are embedded in practice. From a young age, children know that they need to wash their hands before eating or after using the toilet or having their nappy changed. She shares her policies with parents and provides detailed information to parents about healthy eating, as well as key messages about food safety. She checks with parents regularly to ensure she uses the correct car seats for children's height and weight.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder supports children with barriers to their learning extremely well. For example, she works with parents from the beginning to understand adaptations that she can make to her day to support children further. Examples of this include adaptations to the times that children arrive. The childminder does not currently care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, she ensures she keeps her knowledge and skills up to date and has recently completed training on the graduated approach. She liaises with parents swiftly when she has concerns about children's learning. She uses the assess, plan, do review approach to ensure her interventions are working. For example, to promote communication she provides a language-rich environment. Books, songs and communication help children to develop their language skills. With focused support, children make rapid progress and begin to use one- and two-word phrases. She advises parents

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Inclusion Strong standard

how they can support their children at home and signposts them to other professionals.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder supports children who are known to children's social care and those who are disadvantaged. She provides any additional support required to ensure children's needs are effectively met.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder attends a wealth of professional development opportunities to keep her knowledge and skills up to date. These are precisely linked to her areas of priority. She has reflected on key messages from training. This has given her a clear understanding of her strengths and areas for development. She accurately identifies areas where she can improve further. For example, following recent training, the childminder has slowed down her

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Expected standard

day and provided more time for children to enjoy activities at home. She is aware she needs to review how the groups she attends contribute to her high-quality curriculum intentions.

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Expected standard

The childminder places safeguarding at the heart of her provision. She has thorough risk assessments in place to ensure children are safe. The childminder liaises with other childminders in the area to share information and updates and to update her own knowledge. This includes regular discussions about safeguarding to ensure she keeps her knowledge and skills up to date. She shares incredibly detailed information with parents on a regular basis to ensure children's safety. This includes detailed information about online safety.

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Expected standard

The childminder works exceptionally well with parents and uses a range of effective methods to communicate. She shares all her documents with parents. This includes any assessments or individual plans for children's next steps. Parents are fully involved in the whole process. Children benefit from a consistent approach to support children's learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children make steady progress. However, occasionally, minor weaknesses in teaching impact on children's engagement. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make impressive progress. Older children communicate confidently and recall past events with the childminder. They recall visits to the local park they have enjoyed and plan a picnic together. Younger children develop their vocabulary rapidly. They thoroughly enjoy looking at books together. They have favourite books and beam as they sit on the childminder's knee and look at books together.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically engage well. They demonstrate impressive focus and concentration with activities they choose. For example, children are highly engaged as they explore sound and rhythm. They have a superb sense of rhythm for their age. They experiment with how they can change the sound using cymbals. Three-year-old children count objects accurately and recognise quantities and numbers. They show a strong mathematical knowledge. Skills such as these support them well for their future learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children develop positive relationships with the childminder and their friends. They arrive happily, greet each other with enthusiasm. They eagerly await other friends arriving and show disappointment when the childminder explains they are poorly.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder teaches children about her expectations. She usually reinforces these effectively. For example, she gives children consistent messages regarding handwashing. Children anticipate this and go straight to the bathroom after having their nappy changed. However, she does not consistently reinforce her expectations about tidying up the toys. Sometimes, when children are busy or running late, she asks children to tidy up but does not reinforce this. This leads to confusing messages for children. In addition, when toys are left on the floor, it distracts children later.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Overall, children develop extremely positive attitudes to their learning and usually approach tasks with huge enthusiasm. They focus well as they retrieve items for the toys' picnic and pack their picnic bags. The childminder is on hand to provide support and encouragement to help them maintain their levels of engagement.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder works with parents carefully to understand and overcome any barriers to attendance. For example, when children are consistently tired on arrival, she takes time to understand the cause before making tweaks. This thoughtful and considered approach helps children to settle quickly.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder's curriculum is well thought out and highlights the skills that she wants children to learn. She observes children and identifies precisely what she wants children to learn next. She provides focused activities to help children develop their skills further. For example, she provides opportunities for children to develop their communication skills. When younger children are interested in the play fruit, she labels the words of all the fruit until children begin to say the names of fruit, such as banana. These inclusive strategies help all children to progress from their starting points.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a wealth of opportunities for children to develop their mathematical skills. For example, she demonstrates counting as children play and encourages older children to do the same. The childminder plans a wealth of activities outside of her home, such as playgroups and music and movement sessions. However, on occasions, children have to leave activities they are highly engaged in to attend the sessions. For example, children are incredibly focused using a drum kit to explore rhythm and sound, which they are reluctant to leave. During the session they attend, some children lack confidence and do not participate fully throughout. They are eager to get home to continue the drumming.

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

Children thoroughly enjoy their time in the childminder's home. Children greet the childminder with enthusiasm and settle quickly. They benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum across all the areas of learning. They thoroughly enjoy creating a band using the childminder's drum kit and piano. They generally progress rapidly and develop a broad

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About this setting

Unique reference number (URN): 2806172 range of skills that support them in the next stage of their learning. Children are keen to attend and this helps them to develop positive habits for their future.

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About this setting

Children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they wait in the childminder's house on the step until the childminder is ready to put them in their car seats. They understand that they must hold the childminder's hand when they are outside of her home. Children behave well and know the routines. For example, they sit on the bottom step of the stairs and get ready to go outside. Children have time to try and do things for themselves. Older children get their shoes and put them on independently. They demonstrate pride in their achievement and beam with delight at the praise they receive.

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About this setting

Children are very happy in the childminder's care. Younger children enjoy cuddles with the childminder and have the confidence to express their desires. At snack time, they confidently tell the childminder what they want from their packed lunches and when they have finished, Children develop superb relationships with each other. Children greet their friends with enthusiasm when they arrive. During the inspection, they work alongside each other to set up a picnic for the toys. They learn that they need to give others a turn on the equipment they are using.

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Next steps

The childminder should review how all the routines support children's learning to a consistently high level. The childminder should make her expectations clear at all times, including tidy-up time, to help children to consistently follow all routines and expectations.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, parents 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. Type: Childminder

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:00 - 18:00

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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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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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