Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2793160 Registered with Ofsted: 22/07/2024 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder creates a harmonious environment where children understand what is expected of them. She teaches routines consistently and promotes kindness, respect and cooperation throughout the day. Children respond positively to her calm and nurturing approach. They know the routines of the day well and confidently move between activities. During music sessions, children willingly share instruments, include others in their play and work together. Children remain engaged throughout the activity and participate with enthusiasm. The childminder uses everyday interactions to encourage children to listen to one another, take turns and show consideration for others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder consistently reinforces positive behaviour and helps children understand their responsibilities within the setting. Children support the childminder to tidy away resources and care for the environment. They work together to keep the setting tidy and take responsibility for shared resources. The childminder works closely with parents to establish consistent routines between home and the setting. As a result, children develop positive attitudes to learning and to each other. They cooperate well, take responsibility for their actions and contribute to the harmonious atmosphere within the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places children's welfare and wellbeing at the heart of her practice. She creates a warm and nurturing environment where children feel safe, secure and valued. She knows children well and works closely with parents to understand their individual needs, interests and routines. The childminder follows children's individual sleep routines and implements safe sleeping practices that support children's safety and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder promotes healthy lifestyles through well-established daily routines and a strong focus on healthy eating. She provides healthy snacks and uses everyday opportunities to help children learn about healthy choices. She follows current guidance to help ensure children eat safely. Children enthusiastically join in with songs about fruit and vegetables and confidently identify different foods. They recall songs they have learned previously and find the matching fruit and vegetables as they sing. The childminder encourages children to try unfamiliar foods and celebrates their willingness to have a go. As a result, children develop positive attitudes towards healthy eating from an early age.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children benefit from regular opportunities to learn within the setting and the local community. Visits to local playgroups, duck ponds and playgrounds help children build confidence, develop social skills and learn about the world around them. Frequent outdoor play supports children's physical health and wellbeing and helps them develop coordination, balance and physical confidence.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder consistently promotes good hygiene habits. Children learn about germs through songs and discussion and wash their hands before eating. The childminder uses warm interactions, eye contact and meaningful conversations to support children's emotional

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Expected standard

wellbeing. As a result, children develop healthy habits, feel emotionally secure and are well supported to learn and develop.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop age-appropriate knowledge and skills across the areas of learning. They communicate confidently during play and daily routines and use an increasing range of vocabulary to express their ideas, interests and experiences. Children listen attentively to stories and discussions and enjoy sharing their thoughts and ideas. Children are excited about books and enjoy sharing them with the childminder. They develop early mathematical understanding by counting objects, recognising shapes and responding to questions about quantity and number.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children build the knowledge and skills needed for their next stage of learning. They develop physical skills through indoor and outdoor experiences that build coordination, control and confidence. Children learn about healthy lifestyles and confidently identify different fruits and vegetables. They participate successfully in group activities and demonstrate the social skills needed to play and learn alongside others.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children access learning opportunities alongside their peers and make progress from their starting points. They develop the communication, mathematical, physical and social skills needed for future learning. As a result, children are well prepared for their next stage of education.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans learning around children's interests and what they need to learn next. She places a strong emphasis on communication and language. The childminder plans experiences that build on what children already know and enjoys using their interests to introduce new learning. She uses observations and assessment to understand what children know and what they need to learn next.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, the childminder uses effective teaching strategies to support children's learning. She introduces and reinforces new vocabulary through conversation, stories and play. She chooses books that spark discussion and help children develop a love of stories. For example, children discuss where characters might travel and what might happen next in a story, helping them to develop their imagination and confidence in sharing ideas. The childminder develops children's language and thinking through meaningful conversations, comments and open-ended questions. She also promotes early mathematical understanding through everyday experiences. For example, she encourages children to count the apples in a song, helping them to develop counting skills and mathematical language.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder follows children's interests while maintaining a clear purpose for learning and adjusts experiences to support participation and engagement. For example, she incorporates children's favourite characters into activities when developing their understanding of shapes. This helps children engage confidently and develop their understanding of early mathematical concepts. As a result, children make progress from their starting points and develop the knowledge and skills needed for their next stage of learning. However, the childminder does not consistently provide opportunities for children to lead, initiate and shape their own learning. For example, children do not routinely help to prepare fruit at snack time or pour their own drinks. This means children do not always achieve the highest levels of independence as learners.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder knows children well and works closely with parents to understand their individual needs, interests and circumstances. The childminder monitors children's development and typically adapts activities and routines to support participation. The childminder uses her knowledge of children to put strategies in place when concerns arise. She considers children's individual needs when planning experiences and adapts support to help them do their best.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works in partnership with parents to discuss children's progress and development. She understands the purpose of additional funding, including early years pupil premium funding. The childminder can explain how this funding could be used to support children's individual needs and help remove barriers to learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

While the childminder takes part in a range of training opportunities, she has not yet focused training on special educational needs and/or disabilities. This means opportunities to further strengthen the quality of teaching and support for children with additional or emerging needs are not yet fully developed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder adapts her support thoughtfully, for example when supporting younger children to move from a highchair to sitting at the table with their peers when ready. As a result, children are included in all aspects of the setting and benefit from care and learning experiences that take account of their individual needs. Overall, children feel valued, supported and able to participate alongside their peers. This helps to ensure that children receive the support they need to participate fully and make progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder reflects regularly on her practice and uses this to maintain the quality of care and learning she provides. Overall, she understands the strengths of her provision and has identified areas she wishes to develop further. For example, discussions with families about children's food choices at home prompted her to review aspects of her provision and strengthen opportunities for children to learn about healthy lifestyles and nutrition.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder maintains her professional knowledge through training and ongoing reflection. She applies this learning to her daily practice and understands the importance of continuing to develop her expertise. The childminder works closely with parents and values their views. She shares information about children's learning and wellbeing and works in partnership with families to provide consistency between home and the setting. She also maintains positive links with other settings and schools to help ensure children experience smooth transitions.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands the needs of the children in her care and makes decisions with their wellbeing and development in mind. She has identified further professional development in special educational needs and/or disabilities as a priority and recognises how this will strengthen her practice further. As a result, children benefit from a well- organised provision where the childminder has an accurate understanding of what is working well and what she wants to improve further.

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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 very happy and motivated to learn in this setting. Children develop secure relationships with the childminder and confidently share their experiences, seek support and engage in play. They move between activities with confidence and increasing independence, demonstrating that they feel safe, settled and valued. The childminder promotes the importance of regular attendance and helps children establish positive daily routines from an early age.

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

Children access a broad curriculum that supports learning across all areas of development. The childminder gets to know children well and plans experiences that build on what they already know and can do. Children enjoy regular access to books and confidently select stories to share with the childminder. They listen attentively, talk about what they see and hear and use an increasing range of vocabulary during conversations and play. Children develop early mathematical understanding through practical experiences. For example, they build towers, talk about their size, shape and height as they play. Children also recognise shapes and respond to questions about quantity and number during everyday experiences.

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

Children take an active role in daily life at the setting. They help to care for growing fruit and vegetables and are encouraged to try new foods. Children confidently follow hygiene routines and wash their hands before meals, singing songs about germs as they do so. They show curiosity about the world around them and enjoy learning about healthy lifestyles through meaningful everyday experiences. The childminder promotes safety through close supervision and well-established routines. As a result, children are happy, confident learners who engage positively with the opportunities available to them.

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Next steps

The childminder should continue to develop her expertise in special education needs and/or disabilities to strengthen the support and learning experiences provided for children with emerging and additional needs. The childminder should provide more opportunities for children to lead, initiate and shape their own learning, helping them to develop greater independence as learners.

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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.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 17:00

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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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