Haigh, Sophie Chantelle

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2820081 Registered with Ofsted: 27/02/2025 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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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's wellbeing and welfare are central to the childminder's practice. As soon as children join, she strives to develop deep attachments. She is warm, caring and attentive to their needs, which has a significant positive impact on children's wellbeing. They eagerly seek her out to share their achievements, smiling proudly. All children, especially those who face barriers to learning, are introduced to new and exciting experiences that enrich their lives. Children look with great interest and fascination as they watch coloured powder bubble and fizz as water is added, totally focused on the transformation.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder helps children to develop healthy habits to an impressive standard. She teaches children about the importance of balancing times of exertion and high energy with periods of calm to reflect and relax. Children skilfully wash and dry their hands, copying the childminder who models this superbly. The childminder increases the range of healthy foods that children eat through introducing tempting meals as part of her menu. She also explains about the importance of seeking shade outside and drinking water to stay hydrated when the weather is warm and sunny.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's safety is paramount. They remain seated when eating and are closely supervised at all times. Furthermore, important information about online safety is shared with families so that safe practices can also be implemented at home.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder helps children understand their differing emotions effectively. She acknowledges how they feel, labels their emotions and suggests ways to manage them positively.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder has established superb relationships with families, who share the challenges they face at home. For instance, the childminder takes a lead on introducing children to new tastes and textures to entice them into trying new foods. She shares menu information with families so that they can continue this at home themselves.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children progress well through the curriculum, in particular those who face barriers to their learning. The childminder takes account of their personal circumstances and provides experiences that some children would not otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy. For example, children attend forest school sessions and music classes, along with trips to a local care home. This broadens children's understanding of the world around them and gives them confidence to explore.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are well prepared for the next stage in their early educational journey. They learn to be independent and follow instructions well, taking account of what is being asked of them and responding accordingly. Children are effective communicators. Conversations are evident throughout each day, and children learn to voice their thoughts and wants so that their needs are known and can be met effectively.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop a positive attitude to learning and are keen explorers. They enthusiastically pretend to make drinks for each other using an outdoor kitchen. They carefully transfer water into a cup before holding it carefully with both hands while walking over to offer it to another child. This helps motivate children to practise a broad range of skills, which will help them make positive progress in their future learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are nurtured and well respected by the childminder, who has very high expectations of behaviour. Boundaries are applied consistently so that children are clear on which behaviours are acceptable. The childminder is skilled at distracting children away from unwanted behaviour and redirects children to acceptable methods of play. This helps to foster a calm and purposeful atmosphere.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children's personal, social and emotional health is supported very well. The childminder has established effective relationships with children, who take notice of her actions as she models how to complete different tasks. With her support, children then develop the skills to be able to do these things for themselves. This includes following well-established routines such as tidying up. Children learn to cooperate with each other. The childminder promotes turn-taking and being respectful of the needs of others. She teaches children how to share and wait. The childminder engages the children in returning items to their correct place once a play activity has finished. This helps children learn that the resources will be ready for them in the right place when they recommence play after snack time.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder shares her plan for the coming week with families so that they know what time children need to arrive to enable planned outings and trips to take place. This has had a positive impact on children's punctuality and attendance levels.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans and implements her curriculum on supporting children to investigate the natural world. It is ambitious and provides interesting learning opportunities that cover all of the statutory areas of the early years foundation stage. Children have the opportunity to spend lots of time in the outdoor play area as well as exploring parts of the local community. For example, they visit a local care home to share home-made baking that includes honey. Children share with the residents their knowledge of where honey originates.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder's planning is detailed and includes different methods of increasing children's communication development. This includes sharing stories and rhymes. She is an engaging and enthusiastic play partner, and the children join in with action songs, smiling and laughing as they create a 'beehive' with their hands. While the childminder includes specific key words that she wants children to learn within her curriculum planning, she does not consistently teach children these to further extend their vocabulary.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder helps children to develop positive relationships with each other. She models how to take turns and play together in harmony. She teaches children about different emotions through regular discussions about how they are feeling. The childminder helps equip children with the skills to cope with any overwhelming feelings by suggesting different strategies to implement.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Mathematics skills are woven throughout the curriculum so that children develop an understanding through play opportunities. For example, children learn about capacity and volume by transferring water into different-sized containers. Children use their fingers to show how many 'bees' are left during an action song, gaining an understanding of how many remain after one leaves the 'hive'.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children learn to balance and move in different ways, climbing over stepping stones to reach another part of the outdoor area. They use a range of mark-making tools, drawing lines and circles, proud of their achievements and keen to share these with the childminder and each other.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children's developmental levels are assessed promptly when they join the setting. The childminder uses this knowledge to set relevant targets and delivers effective learning opportunities to help children make progress. Children who face barriers to their learning are well supported. The childminder prioritises their wellbeing. She considers their personal experiences and backgrounds before carefully planning trips to give them experiences they have not yet had the opportunity to enjoy.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Careful and continuous assessment methods are well embedded. The childminder assesses the impact that the curriculum and teaching have on children. She takes account of children's different learning styles and uses this knowledge well. She tailors her provision to meet their individual preferences, including having items to roll. This gives children first-hand opportunities to learn about cause and effect. As the wooden plank used as a ramp is raised, they can see that trucks roll quicker than when it is lowered.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has procedures in place to use any additional funding to benefit individual children. She knows how to seek professional support should she require specific advice and guidance for individual children.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has established positive relationships with each child. However, when communicating, she does not always adapt her approach to meet the differing developmental stages of children. She can, on occasion, use language that is too complex for individual children. In these circumstances, they do not understand what is being asked of them and are unable to reply.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is very motivated and has high expectations of herself and for improving her practice. She completes training to further improve her knowledge and skills in child development and uses this to continually assess and improve her teaching. For example, she has been researching and learning about schematic play and is beginning to incorporate ways in which she can adapt activities to take account of individual children's play preferences. She has also reflected on her curriculum and made recent improvements following completion of training, such as the inclusion of targeted vocabulary. The childminder is aware that her ambitious curriculum is a key strength. However, the implementation of new vocabulary is not yet consistent.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has established effective relationships with families and involves them in her continuous assessment so that their thoughts and ideas can be included. She also shares her knowledge of how children develop and learn and offers ideas to help families with aspects such as sleeping and eating healthily.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder manages her workload effectively. She is committed to continually learning and improving her practice as well as maintaining her own wellbeing.

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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

The childminder has created a welcoming and inclusive environment where all children are nurtured and their uniqueness embraced. Children are inquisitive learners. They access different parts of the environment with energy and confidence, choosing resources with enthusiasm. Children are well prepared for the next steps in their educational journey and learn to manage aspects of their own self-care. They complete different tasks for themselves, such as holding a cup with 2 hands and drinking competently without spilling. They select small silver bowls and jugs in the outdoor kitchen and transfer water with great focus and attention skills.

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

Children who face barriers to their learning are well supported. Adaptations are made to the childminder's arrival processes so that children can attend on a regular basis and access their early educational entitlement. Children's development is assessed and tracked very well. There is a robust process in place to establish children's developmental levels on starting at the setting and their progress made over time. This helps children to make positive steps forward in their learning across the whole curriculum.

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

Children learn about nature and spend time within the local community, including parks and woods. They gain knowledge about the changing seasons and how these impact on the growth and decay of the natural world. Children are encouraged to observe flowers carefully to notice similarities and differences between them and use their sense of smell to appreciate their scents.

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

Children have excellent relationships with each other. The childminder teaches children about different emotions and feelings. She labels these as the children experience them and calmly implements distraction and redirection techniques skilfully so that any instances of upset are resolved swiftly.

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

The childminder works closely with families regarding attending regularly. She shares key information about planned activities and trips each week, which has had a positive impact on attendance levels.

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Next steps

The childminder should adapt her approach to meet the differing developmental stages of children to further support their understanding. The childminder should implement her curriculum more effectively to extend children's vocabulary.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday : 07:15 - 17:15

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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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children, parents and carers 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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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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