Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2816480 Registered with Ofsted: 14/01/2025 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, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make excellent progress from their starting points, specifically in their social skills and communication and language. Children build very positive relationships with their friends. They understand how to resolve simple conflict as the childminder intervenes gently during minor disputes. This is illustrated beautifully when 2 children want to use the ride-on car at the same time. A timer is used and the child using the car immediately says, 'I'm all done, your turn', and holds the car door open for their friend.

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Achievement Strong standard

Young children become confident communicators. They develop a strong understanding of the meaning of words, and communicate clearly and confidently. Children use their words freely to explain what they would like and the childminder responds positively.

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Achievement Strong standard

Mathematics is deeply embedded into the routine. Children learn to match colours as they place coloured balls in the same coloured buckets. They confidently and accurately count out how many pieces of fruit they would like at snack time, and use numbers freely as they play and sing number rhymes.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder offers a harmonious environment, where children thrive in the homely, nurturing setting. The childminder consistently promotes positive behaviour, attitudes and consistent routines. She is an excellent role model and continually demonstrates respectful behaviour. Her gentle guidance and clear rules support children to behave well and they know exactly what is expected of them. This is seen clearly in the way that children under 3 years of age play together extremely happily and respectfully.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children benefit from clear and consistent expectations that reflect their age and stage of development. This helps them to feel safe and develop positive attitudes to learning. The childminder works closely with parents to establish clear expectations around punctuality and attendance. This ensures that children attend consistently and settle quickly into the day.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are keen to help and take on simple levels of responsibility. For instance, when they move from the garden to inside, they willingly help to carry items. This helps to boost their self-confidence and feelings of self-worth, and encourages children to cooperate positively together as they work out how to carry items together.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

When children talk together at group times, they understand the importance of listening to their friends and not interrupting. They delight in looking at their family book together and talk about their different home lives. Children show respect and understand that each child is unique and special.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is highly attentive in ensuring that she fully meets the care and wellbeing needs of every child. She works closely with parents when children first start, to clearly understand each child's character and personality; together with information about sleep routines and health information.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder and her co-minder are especially vigilant about children's safety. They manage outings extremely carefully and complete detailed risk assessments to make sure that any known hazards are minimised. Children learn about safety during the routine. For instance, they know they cannot start eating at mealtimes until all children have food and the childminder can supervise them all appropriately. Stringent arrangements are in place to keep children safe during sleep routines. The childminder is familiar with new guidance and ensures that sleeping children are fully supervised and frequently checked to ensure they are safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder forms extremely warm relationships with all children. Children show how safe and secure they feel as they approach the childminder easily when they need some extra comfort and support.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's physical development and wellbeing are promoted well. They benefit from daily opportunities to be outside and enjoy different forms of exercise, such as trips to local parks and physical activities at home. These opportunities help to keep children healthy and support their care and wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has high expectations for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Together with her co-minder, she has designed an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that prepares children exceedingly well for starting school. The childminder focuses on building the foundations of children's learning. She places high emphasis in helping children to become strong, resilient, confident and independent learners.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

All areas of learning are woven successfully into activities. For instance, children develop a good awareness of number, as they have frequent opportunities to practise counting and use numbers correctly throughout the routine. The highest priority is given towards promoting children's language skills. 2-year-olds become competent, confident communicators who speak clearly and are able to explain their wishes and needs to adults. There are extensive opportunities for children to practise independence and build their social skills. For instance, the childminder has carefully selected clothes for the dressing-up box that enable children to practise managing different fastenings and become skilled in putting shoes on.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder uses her extensive knowledge of how children learn to offer relevant levels of challenge in all activities. She has recently reflected on her provision and made many positive changes. These have significantly improved how deeply engaged children become in their play and exploration. Slight changes to the routine also mean that children have repeated opportunities to explore activities more than once. The childminder has noted the increase in their engagement levels and allows learning to become fully embedded.

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Inclusion Strong standard

All children's characters, preferences and personal qualities are cherished and nurtured. From a young age, children feel good about themselves. They understand that they have a voice and can make independent choices as adults will listen to them and value what they say. For instance, the childminder encourages children to contribute towards decisions, and she respects their differing ideas.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children who need extra help with their learning are supported extremely well. The childminder forms trusting, professional relationships with families. She quickly identifies if some children need more help than others and puts relevant, prompt action in place to make sure this happens. This makes a demonstrable difference to children's learning and the skills they achieve by the time they leave the setting and move on to school.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Although the childminder has not yet been in receipt of additional funding, she knows exactly which children are eligible. She works tirelessly to make sure this is put in place and is used appropriately to support children's learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children's progress is monitored closely. The childminder uses her accurate assessments to review each child's learning and developmental progress. She makes adaptations to activities where needed, so that every child can take part, and plans outings that support and enrich individual children's interests. These measures help to ensure that all children gain positively from the planned learning experiences, and help to accelerate the levels of progress that each child makes.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is extremely insightful and is continually reviewing her practice to make sure it offers children the very best she can provide. She makes relevant changes when needed, and uses her own expertise to monitor new arrangements and accurately monitor impact. This means positive changes are made that support children's learning and the progress they make.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder works extremely well with her co-minder to deliver a service that takes full account of what every child and family need. The childminder is sensitive in working with parents and making changes when needed, to take account of every child and parent's need. The childminder is fully aware of the issues that some families are facing. She uses her professional expertise to work with these families sensitively and ensure that the child's needs are always prioritised.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Parents and carers value the childminder's incredibly warm nature, and the combined expertise of the childminder and her co-minder. They describe this as a 'fountain of knowledge'.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

In addition to her existing formal qualifications, the childminder is highly committed towards supporting her ongoing professional development. She has completed a range of courses that help to strengthen her practice and provide children with the very best start to their learning. She has a proactive approach towards continually seeking-out opportunities to deepen her knowledge and best meet the needs of the children she is caring for.

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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 thrive in this welcoming, nurturing setting. From a very young age, children develop the important skills they need to support their future learning. For instance, 2-year-olds show

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Inspector:

impressive levels of independence for their age. They help themselves to a placemat and cutlery, and lay a place for themselves at the table ready for meals. They put on their shoes and sunhats so they are ready for going outside and follow simple instructions easily. The routines they follow are consistent, and children feel emotionally secure as they know exactly what is happening next.

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Inspector:

Children learn to play together. Any minor disagreements are very swiftly dealt with. 2-year- olds clearly understand the process of waiting and taking turns as these simple rules are explained to them. For instance, at mealtimes, children know they must not start eating until all their friends have food. They wait very patiently without needing to be reminded.

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Inspector:

Children form very secure bonds with the childminder and her co-minder. Children benefit from the extremely caring, calm and child-focused environment, where every child is encouraged and enabled to flourish. The daily affirmations that children talk about help them to form a strong sense of self and understand and value their own unique qualities. Children talk about themselves with confidence and celebrate the similarities and differences between themselves and their friends.

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Inspector:

All children, including those who may be more disadvantaged than others, achieve well from their individual starting points. The childminder carries out a detailed assessment when children first start to find out precisely what each child can already do. She then uses this information accurately to plan a programme of learning to build on these skills. Any gaps in children's learning are very quickly identified. If needed, the childminder works closely with other agencies to support children's individual learning needs.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain her work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. She should continue to focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged learners and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her co-minder 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. Jo Caswell

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:30

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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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