Bowers, Holly Mae

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2784559 Registered with Ofsted: 16/05/2024 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 Strong standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning or wellbeing, feel confident, happy and safe in the childminder's setting. This means that they are open to exploring all the wonderful learning opportunities available to them. Children take pride in their achievements and beam as they are praised for their efforts. Children demonstrate high levels of focus and engagement in their play. For example, children work hard to build a tall tower using construction resources. They show resilience and persistence. Children make rapid progress in all areas of learning, but particularly their communication and language skills. They competently talk to each other and explain their answers to the childminder. For example, children explain why babies need bibs.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children are very well prepared for school. They communicate effectively with adults and demonstrate increasing independence in their self-care. Children learn to recognise their own names and numbers when they are developmentally ready. Children are sociable and get on very well with other children. All children achieve very well against their starting points.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children build extremely close and secure attachments to the nurturing and kind childminder. She has created a positive and calm environment where children feel safe to try new things and to play with others. Children follow the kind and respectful behaviour modelled by the childminder and are kind and respectful to each other. For example, children pass water bottles to each other at mealtimes. Children are extremely well behaved. They understand the high expectations of the childminder. She explicitly teaches children how to negotiate with each other when playing. As a result, children play very well together. They learn how to manage their feelings and begin to understand how to regulate them. For example, children recognise that being tired can make them easily annoyed.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children develop a growing responsibility for their own actions; they eagerly participate in helping to keep the environment safe and tidy. They show an extremely positive attitude to their learning and listen carefully when adults explain how to use new resources. Children develop high levels of focus on activities they are interested in, such as matching coloured balls to their container.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has established secure routines that children feel familiar with and help them to express their best behaviour. She has an attendance policy with clear procedures to follow up poor attendance, and as a result, attendance is excellent, enabling children to build positive relationships that support learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are prioritised. This is a strength of the setting. All children are highly valued as individuals. The childminder knows the children's characters and family circumstances incredibly well, and as a result, she puts in the individual support to ensure the best outcomes for each child. The childminder works closely with parents and carers to ensure continuity of care and fully supports parents when needed. Parents speak very highly of the childminder and appreciate how happy their children are at the setting. The childminder follows the care routines of the parents wherever possible. Children form positive attachments with the childminder and reach out to her for comfort and snuggles.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides a nutritious menu and has a secure understanding of healthy eating. Children learn how food can keep them healthy and about making healthy choices for themselves. They are independent in feeding themselves and competently cut their food using knives. The childminder fully supports children with allergies and has strict food preparation routines. Children know to drink lots of water in hot weather and to keep themselves safe by wearing hats and staying in the shade. The childminder supports them in understanding how to keep safe on the many trips they take in the local community.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has developed a highly ambitious curriculum that is based on the children's interests and their experiences. She continually reflects on the curriculum and makes refinements and adaptations to suit the children in her care. The aim of the curriculum is to ensure that children are ready for school. She supports children to become independent in their personal care and to have the skills to get on with other children. The childminder encourages children to be confident to ask for help if they need it.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children benefit hugely from the frequent trips organised by the childminder. They regularly visit the local farm and forest and occasionally meet up with other childminders and their children. The childminder is highly skilled at developing children's communication skills and increasing their vocabulary. For example, children describe the ingredients in their spicy soup.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder uses every opportunity to support children's learning and understanding. For example, she explains how the construction resources need matching together, and children follow her instructions. Children develop a strong understanding of mathematical concepts as the childminder explicitly teaches them to count. For example, she helps children count the number of arms on a starfish. They enjoy group singing time where they learn to count backwards and forwards with familiar songs. Children learn about different beliefs and cultures through exploring a variety of different festivals through the year.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder knows the children incredibly well and uses continual assessment and observations to tailor her teaching to the individual needs of each child. Therefore, the curriculum lends itself to fully supporting disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those with other barriers to learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has extremely secure procedures in place to identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), or other barriers to learning and wellbeing, when they first start with her. She gathers detailed information from parents and carers and uses her wealth of experience and knowledge of how young children develop to fully understand any gaps in their learning. She has a clear plan of action to ensure children with SEND or other barriers to learning receive targeted support to help them make excellent progress from their starting points.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder gets to know the children extremely well and uses observation and her professional knowledge to set targets that are reviewed regularly. She works closely with parents and offers support and ideas to ensure a continuity of care and learning. The childminder ensures that transitions are handled carefully and invites staff from the next setting to visit and observe the child in her setting. She works tirelessly so that children with SEND and other barriers to learning or wellbeing have the support they need. For instance, she works closely with other agencies to ensure that children's needs are formally recognised.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder makes adaptations and adjustments so all children can play and learn alongside their peers. For example, she uses cushions to support children sitting on the floor. She works closely with parents to find the best ways to support children with extra funding, for instance purchasing specific resources or attending more sessions with her.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder works with a co-childminder, and together they have a clear vision for their setting, which they feel they are achieving well. They work incredibly well together and use each other's strengths to give children wonderful experiences and positive attitudes to learning. The childminder ensures that any improvements needed are addressed immediately. For example, she purchases resources based on the interests of the current children. The childminder is very perceptive to the changing needs of the children in her care and adapts accordingly, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or barriers to learning or wellbeing. She uses extra funding in consultation with the parents and carers to ensure that gaps in a child's learning or wellbeing are fully supported. The childminder takes full advantage of the children's nap time by using it to carry out professional reading and research to enhance her already secure

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

understanding of children's development.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has built up extremely positive relationships with the children's parents, and they work well together to ensure the best outcomes for the children. She has a secure understanding of the family circumstances and gives extra support when needed, for example when parents are working away from home. She also works well with other settings and has been proactive in getting extra support for children with SEND. The childminder works closely with the local school to ensure transitions are smooth for all children.

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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 are warmly welcomed at this nurturing, home-from-home environment. They settle quickly as they happily go to greet their friends and explore the wealth of lovely activities available to them. Children develop extremely close attachments to the childminder and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. For example, they readily turn to her for cuddles. They have a strong sense of belonging and self-esteem, which helps them to develop the confidence to explore and be curious about their surroundings. Children thoroughly enjoy the range of activities to support their learning. For example, they chat

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Inspector:

Clare Eyre happily with each other while washing the toy cars, developing their small hand muscles as they squeeze sponges. Children eagerly participate in the trips they take to local woods and farms. They have lots of opportunities to develop their large-muscle skills when running and playing outdoors.

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Inspector:

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning or wellbeing, are valued and cared for as individuals. Adjustments are put into place to ensure they can play and learn alongside their peers equally. Children respond well to the childminder's high expectations, and behaviour is impeccable. Children are kind to each other, and the childminder ensures that they understand how to take turns and share. Any intervention to support behaviour is gentle and with understanding. Children have many opportunities to develop their communication and language skills. For example, they explore the word patience as they wait to take their turn.

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Inspector:

Children are well prepared for their next stage of learning, and independence is a high priority for the childminder. Parents and carers are extremely happy with their children's learning and care. They say their children flourish socially and emotionally. Children at the setting have excellent attendance, and the childminder ensures that parents are aware of the importance of regular attendance and prompt punctuality. The childminder has secure systems in place for non-attendance.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain her work and carry out further professional development to ensure continued improvement and high standards. She should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her co-childminder, and children and read written feedback from 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 : 08:00 - 06:00

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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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