Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2793199 Registered with Ofsted: 10/07/2024 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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Achievement Expected standard

Generally, children make progress from their starting points and develop skills and knowledge across all areas of their development. Through activities and routines, they are supported well to build on their skills. This prepares them well for their next stage of learning. Children develop a love of books from an early age. They explore books independently and listen to stories with interest, often asking questions to find out more. They begin to understand a story structure and that print carries meaning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are curious and demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning as they engage in role-play activities, investigate and explore resources. They demonstrate determination as they persist, even when challenges occur. For example, children select paper and crayons to draw pictures and make marks. Children quickly learn how to problem-solve as they realise they must twist the base to release the crayon tip. Overall, children become increasingly independent, develop positive relationships and mostly participate positively in daily activities and experiences.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is a positive role model. She demonstrates respectful behaviour, kindness and good manners. Typically, children naturally use polite language, such as 'please' and 'thank you', when communicating with the childminder and each other. This helps them build positive relationships as they learn how to interact appropriately with each other. The childminder works in partnership with parents to promote regular attendance, which supports children's wellbeing, learning and development. Children enjoy their learning experiences and being in the childminder's home.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Mostly, children behave well and generally listen to what the childminder tells them. However, there are times when some messages the childminder gives children are not fully consistent, such as not climbing on the sofa or standing on books. As such, children can sometimes become confused and persist with behaviours they have previously been asked not to do. On these occasions, children are not fully supported as they learn rules and boundaries.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder supports children's wellbeing through an appropriate structure for the day. Children quickly become familiar with daily routines, which helps them transition well through activities. They feel safe and secure as they understand what is happening next. This helps prepare children for their next stage of learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Typically, children demonstrate a developing sense of emotional security in the childminder's home. They have established secure attachments with the childminder and seek her out often for comfort, support and play. The childminder is responsive and swiftly attends to children's spoken words and unspoken cues. This gives children reassurance, helping them feel confident as they learn and play. Overall, children's health and care needs are supported well. The childminder enables children to embed important routines, such as washing their hands, resting and engaging in regular physical activity. As such, children develop strength and coordination and embed foundations that support their wellbeing and welfare. Children learn about healthy foods and how these contribute to leading healthy lifestyles. For example, children repeat phrases such as 'red foods are good for your heart' as they prepare their home-made pizzas for

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

lunch. The childminder teaches children how to safely use knives as they chop their bananas at snack time and learn the skill of pouring their own drinks. In addition, the childminder talks to children about the importance of drinking water and explains that juice is not good for their teeth. This helps children make healthy choices as they develop healthy lifelong habits.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder's curriculum is ambitious and helps children build on their skills. There is a keen focus on supporting children to develop their independence skills and learn to do things for themselves. This is a strength of the childminder's practice, as children demonstrate increasing skill to confidently carry out tasks without adult support. Children become self-reliant, which builds their confidence.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, the childminder plans activities around children's interests, which mostly keeps them engaged. Children participate in a dough activity where they build hand muscles as they squish the dough. The childminder incorporates children's next steps as she encourages them to make the first letter of their name. However, the childminder does not always adjust her teaching to ensure all children remain focused and motivated to learn. For instance, on occasion, some children lose focus and leave the area where adult learning is taking place. During these times, some children are not fully supported to engage in learning experiences.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children have ample opportunity to make-believe by pretending during their play. For example, children engage in role-play hospitals, where they write prescriptions and take each other's and the childminder's blood pressure. Children learn cause and effect as they repeatedly press the pump to move the dial on the blood pressure band. This helps children learn how their actions influence outcomes.

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Inclusion Expected standard

On the whole, the childminder provides an inclusive environment where all children feel cherished and valued, with their individual characters celebrated. Resources and activities reflect a diverse range of cultures, families and communities. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported to feel welcome, with their home language recognised as part of their identity. The childminder works in partnership with parents to understand key words and phrases in the children's home language. Typically, in the rich language environment the childminder has created, all children become competent communicators.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder observes, assesses and monitors children's development regularly. This helps her to identify any emerging needs at the earliest opportunity. The childminder understands the benefits of recognising additional needs in a timely manner, to enable appropriate support for early intervention. She attends training courses to ensure she is well-equipped to support children who may face barriers to their learning. The childminder understands where she can seek appropriate advice and guidance to ensure that effective support is given for children who require additional help.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Overall, the childminder prioritises getting to know children and their families well to enable her to offer bespoke care and learning to each child from when they start. This helps children settle in, feel understood and part of the childminder's home.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

On the whole, the childminder is passionate about her roles and responsibilities. She keeps herself updated with current guidance and accesses professional development opportunities online and from the local authority. This keeps her knowledge updated and positively benefits the care and education that the children receive. The childminder reflects on the service she offers and successfully identifies strengths and further areas she wants to enhance. For instance, she has plans to develop areas of her home to ensure larger spaces for children to play all year round. The childminder generally seeks feedback from parents through regular discussions, which helps her to evaluate her practice and identify any areas to further improve. She seeks to continually strengthen the services she offers.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works in partnership with other professionals, such as other childcare providers, to ensure any transitions are managed smoothly with limited impact on children. She establishes a two-way flow of communication to ensure parents are kept updated about their child's day, activities and the progress they are making. This supports effective continuity of care.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents are satisfied their children are well cared for and receive valuable experiences that help them make progress in their learning and development. They describe the childminder as supportive and friendly.

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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 demonstrate a sense of belonging in the childminder's welcoming home. They feel valued in the warm, inclusive and nurturing environment. Children are comfortable and enjoy the company of the childminder and each other. They have developed positive relationships with their friends and are increasingly engaging in cooperative play. Children are developing their ability to share resources, take turns and play together with growing confidence. This supports their personal, social and emotional development and helps them learn to resolve minor conflicts independently.

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

The childminder effectively promotes good attendance, ensuring children benefit from consistent routines and continuity in their learning and development. This supports them to feel secure and safe in their environment. Children enjoy the outdoors and have ample opportunity to explore the community they live in, which supports their understanding of the world around them. They often visit the local library, parks and shopping centres. The childminder encourages children to recall previous events and lived experiences. For example, she asks children if they can remember going on the train the previous day. Children delight as they relive this experience and share their thoughts. Consequently, children strengthen their memory, develop their communication skills and make connections between experiences and new learning.

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

On the whole, all children learn and play in an environment that is stimulating and supports them to make progress. The childminder knows the children and their families well and effectively meets the children's individual needs. Mostly, children demonstrate positive behaviours towards each other and follow directions and instructions well. The childminder promotes good manners consistently, which becomes embedded in children's interactions. Children confidently seek reassurance from the attentive childminder and learn and play in

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About this setting

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

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Facts and figures used on inspection

an environment that is respectful. This helps prepare them for future learning and their next step in education.

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Next steps

The childminder should further adapt teaching during planned activities and play to ensure all children remain fully engaged and included in learning opportunities. The childminder should consistently reinforce strategies used to fully support children's behaviour and their growing understanding of rules and boundaries.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children and 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. 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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