Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY495836 Registered with Ofsted: 03/03/2016 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

The childminder has embedded a curriculum that supports children to make age-appropriate progress from their starting points. This prepares children well for the next stage of their development and their eventual move to school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop independence in their own personal care, as appropriate for their age and stage of development. The childminder teaches younger children specific tasks, such as how to wash their hands effectively. Older children demonstrate high levels of independence when visiting the toilet and putting on their shoes and coats.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are starting to develop an understanding of early mathematics and phonics. They show an interest in numbers and are developing an understanding of shapes. The childminder has high expectations for children's learning. Older children learn to recognise rhyming words and initial sounds, preparing them well for school. Young children develop fine motor skills as they use tools and other resources to make marks and manipulate play dough.

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Achievement Expected standard

An inclusive and broad curriculum supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to make progress. Their engagement in learning is promoted through differentiated activities and effective interactions by the childminder that support and consolidate children's learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder establishes a positive and respectful environment in which children are happy, settled and confident to explore. She typically sets clear expectations for children's behaviour. The childminder is a positive role model, modelling turn-taking and sharing as she plays alongside children.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has established rules and routines in her home that children of all ages follow respectfully. This generally promotes positive behaviours among children. The childminder offers specific praise to children to reinforce these positive behaviours. For example, she awards stickers for good sitting and listening during carpet time activities. This promotes children's attention and listening skills and builds their confidence and self- esteem.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children play well alongside their friends, sharing resources and taking turns. They show understanding of how to care for toys and their environment. For example, the childminder plays music to signal tidy-up time, and children typically respond, putting away toys and resources. The childminder reminds them to say 'please' and 'thank you' as they share resources with their friends. Older children are mindful of younger children as they play alongside them and move around the childminder's home with consideration. The childminder discusses and promotes the importance of regular attendance and punctuality with parents to support the best possible outcomes for children's learning. She has procedures in place should a child not attend when expected.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a thorough knowledge of early childhood development, and she uses this to plan a curriculum that is broad and balanced and covers all areas of learning from the early years framework. She places a high focus on supporting children's communication and language skills and personal development. The childminder recognises the skills and knowledge that children need to learn at different ages and stages of their development. She ensures that she personalises her curriculum to include children's personal interests and reflect their individual needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder interacts effectively with children to extend their learning and develop their understanding. For example, when playing with extendable tubes, she encourages problem- solving and critical thinking, asking children to identify what they think will happen if they push or pull the tube. She extends their language and develops understanding, establishing with children that pushing makes the tube shorter and pulling makes it longer. This also supports children's understanding of early mathematical concepts. Children develop their early counting skills. They regularly sing songs and number rhymes and engage in purposeful conversations with the childminder, promoting this area of their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder expertly reads stories to children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She adapts her teaching, considering the age and stage of children's development. For example, she animatedly reads 'do lions sit on irons and parrots sit on carrots' before asking older children to spot the rhyming words. Younger, and less- confident children smile with pride and point when asked, 'Where are the lions sitting?' This demonstrates how the childminder effectively adapts activities to expose all children to her full curriculum. This promotes children's engagement, enjoyment and positive learning outcomes.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder plans exciting trips to a local forest school for children to develop their understanding of nature and the wider world. She ensures that she plans more than one visit across the week so that all children who attend on different days can experience the same learning opportunities and experiences.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder observes children's learning, assessing it to identify any gaps or barriers to children's learning and what children need to learn next. She plans and differentiates the activities she provides to help meet the needs of individual children at different ages and stages of their development. For example, after singing songs about frogs on a log, older children complete colour-by-number pictures, promoting their critical thinking skills. Younger children develop independence as they make choices about the materials they use to colour large pictures of frogs. This promotes their fine motor and early mark-making skills and ensures that all children can access and enjoy the activities on offer in the childminder's home.

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Needs attention

The childminder implements strategies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children with other barriers to their learning to engage in all activities. For example, she uses floor cushions as carpet spots for children, specifically to support children with SEND, helping them to sit, encouraging focus and attention skills during group carpet time activities. The childminder ensures all children have a cushion so that no children feel left out, promoting a sense of belonging.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

While the childminder has undertaken risk assessment of her home and garden, she does not always act swiftly enough to replace damaged equipment such as the trampoline and allows children to continue to access this, albeit with her supervision. This does not always ensure children's safety and wellbeing when playing outside.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder knows children well and understands which children need a cuddle or reassurance at different times throughout the day. The childminder helps children to learn about their emotions and feelings. For instance, she uses books and different facial expressions to talk about how characters in books might be feeling and why. The childminder supports children to learn to wash their hands before meals and after using the toilet. This promotes good hygiene skills and children's personal wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder promotes healthy eating with families and children, offering healthy fruit snacks and packed lunch ideas, promoting foods that are good for children. Mealtimes are typically social occasions. The childminder sits with children as they eat, talking about the events of the day and forthcoming trips and visits. Children learn how water is good for them, and the childminder explains the need to stay hydrated during the hot weather. This typically promotes children's understanding of healthy lifestyles.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder teaches all children about road safety when out and about in the local community, such as when visiting the local forest school or the library. Children enjoy opportunities for outdoor play in the childminder's garden, where they can be active, explore and play games with their friends. This supports children's social skills and promotes their physical development.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder does not consistently follow procedures to implement risk assessment to remove any hazards or risks to children when playing in her garden, especially for the trampoline. This is a breach of early years requirements.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder is reflective about her provision and she recognises her strengths and areas of her practice that she can develop further. The childminder ensures she is up to date with mandatory training, such as first aid and safeguarding. She has completed specific training to develop her understanding of how to assess and support children's communication and language skills. This has developed her understanding and knowledge in this area, promoting positive outcomes for children.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder builds positive partnerships with parents. She works with parents to gather information about what children already know and can do when they arrive, to help identify their next steps and personal interests, helping them to settle quickly and make progress. She uses home-setting books that she sends home each week to facilitate a two-way flow of information-sharing with parents. Parents feel their children are happy and safe in the care of the nurturing childminder. They describe her service as 'home-from-home away childcare'.

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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's safety is not always fully supported when playing outside. The childminder does not undertake risk assessment consistently to ensure the maintenance of some play equipment. This does not always ensure children's safety and wellbeing. That said, children enjoy the time they spend playing outside in the fresh air, closely supervised and supported by the childminder. They develop coordination and balance skills as they navigate their way across stepping stones, building core strength and confidence.

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

Children behave well and play happily alongside each other, sharing resources and toys. The childminder is a positive role model. She recognises and praises children for showing patience when awaiting their turn to add pieces to a jigsaw. This promotes children's social skills well, building self-esteem and confidence.

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

Children build positive relationships with the childminder. They happily chat away to the childminder, confidently making suggestions about the things they want to play with or the songs they would like to sing. This demonstrates that children feel safe and secure in the childminder's care and are confident in expressing their opinions and ideas.

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

Children engage in a range of activities planned for them by the childminder to reflect their individual needs and personal interests. For example, children eagerly sit in their carpet places, anticipating what object the childminder will take from the 'Tap, tap box'. Children clap as the childminder removes a frog, and they excitedly sing one of their favourite rhymes, 'Five Little Speckled Frogs'.

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

Children enjoy their time in the childminder's home. The childminder knows the children she cares for well. She adapts her curriculum and her weekly timetable of trips and events to ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers to learning, can fully participate in all the learning opportunities on offer. The childminder recognises the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. She works in partnership with parents promoting this, identifying how any absence may lead to missed learning experiences and therefore gaps in children's learning.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following action by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure that procedures for risk assessment are robust and consistently implemented so that any hazards posed to children are identified, removed or minimised, to effectively maintain children's safety and wellbeing 31/07/2026

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00,Saturday : 07:00 - 19:00

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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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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.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this.

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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

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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