Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY538172 Registered with Ofsted: 23/09/2016 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 Strong standard

Children make secure progress from their individual starting points across all areas of the early years foundation stage, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who achieve highly because of the precise and targeted support they receive.

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Achievement Strong standard

The ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum enables children to develop a broad range of knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. Children become increasingly independent in managing their personal care, such as dressing themselves and attending to their own needs. They demonstrate high levels of concentration and remain deeply engaged in activities for sustained periods. Children show kindness and consideration towards one another, readily helping each other to tidy away resources and complete everyday routines. Their excellent social skills enable them to play cooperatively, demonstrating empathy, respect and positive relationships with their peers. Mathematical learning is seamlessly woven throughout the curriculum. For example, older children confidently count the fruit slices they have prepared and use their mathematical knowledge to calculate the total number of pieces of fruit, strengthening their counting and number skills in meaningful

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children consistently demonstrate excellent behaviour. They respond well to the high expectations that are embedded throughout the setting. The childminder is an excellent role model, and children naturally use good manners and treat one another with courtesy. Children benefit from support to resolve minor conflicts positively, appropriate for their age and stage of development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children respond well to the consistent daily routines and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging within the setting. They are well prepared for changes to the routine and confidently adapt to transitions throughout the day. While routines provide children with security and structure, they are also flexible and responsive to each child's individual needs and interests. For example, when children choose to play indoors, the childminder follows their lead and adapts experiences to build on their curiosity and learning. This child-centred approach helps children to feel valued, confident and secure.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children of different ages play and learn harmoniously together, forming secure friendships and demonstrating empathy towards one another. For example, older children wait their turn on the balancing beams while babies have a go at climbing.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children embrace challenge with enthusiasm and perseverance, proudly celebrating their achievements and confidently exclaiming, 'I did it' when they cut up their own fruit for snack. This helps children to develop a belief in their own abilities. The childminder positively promotes punctuality and attendance. This ensures that children are fully involved, ready to learn and settle quickly.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder has an excellent understanding of each child and their family. This enables her to provide highly responsive care that adapts to children's individual and changing needs. Children quickly form secure and trusting bonds with the dedicated childminder. They seek out her company such as engaging in imaginative role play together. These secure attachments help children to develop confidence and emotional security.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Consistent routines in place motivate children to develop long lasting healthy habits. For example, the childminder gently supports children as they are learning to use the toilet. Children learn about germs as they wash their hands. Mealtimes are sociable occasions. The children sit and eat together, and the childminder supports children to use good manners and helps them to understand the benefits of eating healthy foods. Children have ample opportunities to exercise and receive fresh air daily. The childminder's interactions help children understand their feelings, such as when young children become tired, the childminder explains they have been using a lot of energy while playing in the garden that day.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides carefully chosen activities and stories that help children to recognise, understand and express their emotions appropriate for their age and stage of development. These experiences support children to develop emotional awareness, confidence and self-regulation skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder provides a high-quality, inclusive curriculum that is individualised to support every child to do their best. She regularly takes the time to review and assess what she offers, so that she can quickly identify anything that needs altering. This careful planning ensures that every child thrives. The childminder plans her environment to meet the needs of children with barriers to learning, particularly by supporting their physical development.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder promotes children's communication and language skills and constantly builds on what children already know in a clear and sequenced way. During story time, younger children join in with animal sounds, whereas older children confidently share their ideas and engage in meaningful conversations about the story.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The highly skilled childminder understands the importance of giving children the time and space to explore their own ideas and follow their curiosity. She carefully balances this with well-timed, skilful interactions that extend and challenge children's thinking. For example, as children complete a jigsaw, the childminder encourages them to think about how the different shapes fit together. Her thoughtful questioning promotes children's problem-solving skills, perseverance and critical thinking, helping them to develop confidence as independent learners.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder is quick to identify if a child might require extra help, through completing regular assessments and observations. She takes swift and effective action to close any identified gaps in children's development and learning. The childminder proactively works with external professionals to review targets and adapt her practice. The impact of this support is regularly reviewed and adapted when needed to ensure children continue to make sustained progress.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder adopts a flexible approach to settling children and works closely with parents and carers to ensure transitions from home into the setting are smooth and reassuring. She is highly reflective and thoughtfully adapts her environment to meet the needs of the children attending. Recently, she has created a sensory room to provide children with a calm and nurturing space where they can regulate their emotions and feel ready to learn. The childminder carefully selects resources that encourage children to explore their senses and support their individual needs. These experiences help children to develop self-regulation skills, confidence and emotional wellbeing.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder understands the importance of liaising closely with parents to ensure that additional funding is used effectively to meet the unique needs of children. For example, she provides targeted resources, tailored experiences and additional support that help disadvantaged children to engage fully and make sustained progress.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The enthusiastic childminder is committed to providing children with the best possible start in life. She successfully works alongside her co-childminder and any assistants to develop a positive culture of self-evaluation that helps to provide the highest quality care and education. She is realistic as she reflects on any changes made and the impact these have on outcomes for children. She identifies where adaptations are required and responds swiftly to children's emerging needs. Parents are warmly welcomed. They are provided with meaningful information about how children learn and given activity ideas to support learning at home. The childminder routinely discusses children's progress. Parents receive regular communication and information about their children's next steps in learning.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is also proactive in establishing secure partnerships with other early years professionals working with the family and other settings that children attend. This ensures continuity and a consistent approach to supporting children. The childminder places an emphasis on supporting the wellbeing of any assistants' she works with. She is mindful of their individual circumstances and adapts working arrangements where possible. Assistants feel valued and well supported, which contributes to a positive and committed team culture. They work extremely well together, sharing ideas and creating an environment in which children thrive.

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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 flourish in the childminder's care. A meticulously planned curriculum supports children to make sustained progress from their starting points. Each child receives individualised care and their own next steps in development are consistently supported. Children play and learn in an inspiring and relaxed environment as they engage in a wide range of exciting activities. They thoroughly enjoy story times and demonstrate excellent listening and attention skills. Children listen intently and confidently join in discussions about the story. Babies make animal sounds and excitedly point to the pictures in the book.

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Inspector:

Kate Francis Children delight in taking part in a teddy bears' picnic, where they share resources and play cooperatively with one another. They engage in imaginative role play, exploring healthy foods as they prepare and share pretend picnic meals. These meaningful experiences help children to develop their social skills and understanding of healthy lifestyles.

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Inspector:

Children demonstrate excellent behaviour and respond positively to the high expectations within the setting. They are confident and increasingly independent in their everyday routines. Older children have a go at cutting their own snack with support, put on their own shoes and help to tidy away resources. These opportunities help children to develop self- help skills and resilience, preparing them well for the next stage in their learning. Children play extremely well together and form positive friendships.

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Inspector:

Children benefit from rich outdoor experiences. They develop kindness and a sense of responsibility as they help to care for and feed animals, including ducks and chickens. Children are fascinated as they observe chicks hatching and delight in helping to care for them, such as gently bathing the chicks. These first-hand experiences help children to develop an understanding of the natural world while fostering empathy and respect for living things.

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Inspector:

Children's families are highly involved in their children's care. The importance of attendance for children's learning and wellbeing is understood. The childminder has a flexible approach and offers support to ensure children's regular participation and welfare.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain her work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. She should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of all children.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, co childminder, 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

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About this setting

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

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About this setting

Local authority: Nottinghamshire County Council

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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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