Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY300166 Registered with Ofsted: 10/08/2005 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

Children typically make suitable progress from their individual starting points. They develop increasing independence and confidence as they learn to manage simple tasks for themselves. Older children safely prepare their own fruit and take increasing responsibility for their personal needs. Children develop knowledge and skills across the areas of learning and increasingly make choices and engage with others. They use what they learn during everyday experiences and become more confident in doing things for themselves. These skills help to prepare them for their next stage of development and eventual move to school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children generally develop appropriate communication and language skills. They listen and respond during everyday interactions and begin to use new words as they play. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities develop ways to understand familiar routines and communicate their needs. They make progress from their individual starting points and increasingly take part in experiences alongside others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally behave appropriately for their ages and stages of development. The childminder has established familiar routines and clear expectations that help children understand what is expected of them. She models positive behaviour and uses simple language to reinforce this. For example, she models gentle use of hands and reminds them to use 'nice hands'. This helps children begin to understand how their actions affect others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children have warm relationships with the childminder and generally show positive attitudes to learning. They confidently choose what they want to do and respond well to praise and encouragement. The childminder considers children's individual needs when supporting behaviour. Children who benefit from sensory experiences have opportunities to regulate. The childminder gives clear warnings before changes, such as telling children when sensory equipment will be put away and encouraging them to choose what they would like to play with next. This helps children manage transitions and regulate their emotions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder monitors attendance using individual registers and looks for patterns of absence. She discusses concerns with parents and offers flexibility where families experience barriers to regular attendance. The childminder understands the importance of disadvantaged children receiving their full entitlement and considers practical solutions, including flexible sessions and support with transport where needed.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder knows children's individual care needs and provides a warm and nurturing environment. She gathers information from families about sleep, weaning and care routines and generally uses this to provide continuity between home and the setting. Children form secure attachments and confidently seek comfort and reassurance when they need it. This helps them feel emotionally safe and secure. Children develop an understanding of healthy lifestyles and increasingly learn to care for themselves. They are encouraged to wash their hands before eating and older children safely prepare some of their own food. The childminder provides a range of healthy choices and encourages children to try different foods. For example, children choose and mix different fruits to make sugar-free slush drinks. This makes healthy choices enjoyable and helps children develop positive attitudes towards food and healthy eating.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder adapts care routines to reflect what children need. Sleep arrangements reflect children's usual routines, individual bedding is provided and regular checks help ensure children remain safe. Intimate care is carried out sensitively to maintain children's privacy and dignity. The childminder helps children understand how to keep themselves safe and adjusts the day when necessary. For example, she limits time outdoors during high UV levels. This supports children's physical health, safety and wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a broad curriculum that builds on children's interests and what they need to learn next. Communication and language, physical development and children's personal, social and emotional development are central to what she provides. Observations and assessments help her understand what children know and can do and identify what they need to learn next. This helps her provide experiences that build progressively on children's developing knowledge and skills. For example, babies have opportunities to crawl, pull themselves up and negotiate obstacles. This helps them develop the strength, coordination and confidence they need for early walking.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching generally builds on children's interests and what they already know. The childminder introduces new words and mathematical language as children explore. For example, children learn about colour and change as they make slime and combine different materials. This helps to develop their vocabulary and early mathematical understanding. The childminder gives children time to become involved in their play and responds to their ideas, helping them become confident and motivated learners. Children are encouraged to enjoy and share books, developing their interest in stories and early reading. However, at times, the childminder does not consistently adapt activities to support children's different ages and stages of development. This means some children do not always remain engaged and fully benefit from the intended learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder identifies children's individual needs through information gathered from families, ongoing observations and assessments. When she identifies a concern, she considers what children can already do, introduces appropriate support and observes how they respond. When concerns emerge about children's communication, she works closely with parents to support referrals. She introduces objects, such as a cup or nappy, alongside simple language to help children understand familiar routines. The childminder considers what is working and what further support children may require.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Typically, the childminder considers the wider circumstances of children and families when identifying potential barriers to learning and wellbeing. She understands how additional funding could provide targeted resources and experiences that reflect children's individual needs. She adapts her approach to help reduce barriers and knows how to seek appropriate support should children be known to children's social care.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder generally provides appropriate support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and is developing her expertise through relevant training. However, relationships with other professionals are less developed. Information is sometimes relayed through parents rather than shared directly. This limits opportunities to jointly review children's support and provide a consistent approach.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder generally understands the strengths of her provision and where she needs to improve. She reflects on her practice and makes changes to improve children's experiences. The childminder maintains oversight of her provision and regularly considers the ongoing suitability of household members.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder takes responsibility for her own professional development. Recent autism training has helped develop her knowledge of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She recognises where she needs to develop her knowledge further and has sought additional training to help her do this. This supports her to make appropriate changes to her practice. She manages her workload effectively and works flexibly to meet the needs of children and families.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder builds positive relationships with parents. Parents value her flexibility and regular communication. She adapts how she shares information so that families understand and contribute to their children's care and learning. However, the childminder does not yet develop effective relationships with other professionals and settings. She generally relies on parents to relay information from professionals and has limited communication with other settings when children share their care. Consequently, this limits how well information is shared and how consistently children's learning, development and support are continued between those involved in their care.

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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 happy and settled in the childminder's welcoming and nurturing home. They form warm, trusting relationships with the childminder and confidently seek her for reassurance, affection and encouragement. The childminder knows children and their families well. She takes time to understand children's individual personalities, interests and routines. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are welcomed and included. The childminder recognises emerging needs and works closely with families to understand how best to support them. This helps all children feel safe, valued and develop a secure sense of belonging.

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

Children are curious and enjoy learning through play. They confidently make choices about what they want to explore and the childminder generally follows their interests. She talks to children as they play, introduces new words and encourages them to have a go. This supports children to develop their communication skills and confidence to express themselves. Children enjoy a range of experiences indoors, outdoors and within the local community. For example, they grow their own vegetables and flowers and learn about what plants need to grow. Children enjoy learning alongside others of different ages and develop positive relationships with each other. They become increasingly confident in joining in and sharing experiences with others.

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

Children typically develop appropriate knowledge and skills for their future. They are encouraged to become increasingly independent and take responsibility for simple tasks, such as putting away their belongings. In the main, children understand the expectations and familiar routines of the setting and develop positive attitudes towards others. They learn about healthy lifestyles and how to keep themselves safe. The childminder promotes good

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 06:00 - 18:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Blackburn with Darwen attendance and works in partnership with parents to support children to attend regularly. This helps children benefit from consistent learning experiences, develop secure relationships and make sustained progress over time. These everyday experiences help children manage aspects of their own needs and make appropriate choices. The childminder builds children's confidence and independence over time, helping to prepare them for their next stage of learning and their eventual move to school.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure activities are consistently adapted to children's different ages, stages and individual needs so that all children remain engaged and fully benefit from the intended learning. The childminder should develop effective relationships with other professionals and settings involved with children so that information is shared effectively and children's learning, development and support are consistent.

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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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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. 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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