Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY376616 Registered with Ofsted: 03/07/2008 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

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.

p.1

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Overall, the childminder has high expectations of all children. She reminds children how to share and praises them when they do this. Older children show consideration and kindness to younger children. For example, when they get their water bottle to have a drink, they bring the younger children theirs. The childminder tells the children 'good job' and, 'Thank you for being kind,' often.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Typically, the childminder reminds children of the rules to help them learn about the impact of their actions on others. For example, the childminder revisits the reasons why some mark-making resources are suitable for older children only and not younger children. Older children recall the rules and follow these. Generally, the childminder encourages all children to tidy away. They learn helpful and respectful habits. Older children know where toys belong and begin to become more independent in such tasks.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder promotes all children's attendance, including those who may face barriers to their learning. She considers children's patterns of attendance to ensure that all children benefit from the outings she provides. The childminder recognises the positive impact regular attendance has on children's social skills so they are better prepared for future learning.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder implements policies and procedures that promote all children's health and welfare. This includes children who may face barriers to their learning. For example, she considers the nutritional value of children's packed lunches and works in partnership with parents on this. The childminder is mindful of some children who need more encouragement to eat. In such circumstances, she teaches children about healthy food choices through play. The childminder observes children to respond positively to this as children show enthusiasm to try different foods. Children feel safe and confident to do this because of the warm and trusting relationship they have with the childminder.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Generally, children become more confident in mastering self-care skills. They begin to learn about how to keep themselves healthy and maintain their welfare. For example, they take turns to wash and dry their hands before snack. Children know this embedded routine, show patience and wait their turn. The childminder risk assesses all children's play areas, including while on outings, to ensure children's welfare. She creates spaces for children to explore and take age-appropriate risks while staying safe. For example, the childminder minimises trip hazards for children who are beginning to walk.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

Overall, the childminder assesses children's learning and shares children's next steps of development with parents. She identifies any areas that children may need additional support in. If required, the childminder knows which external professionals to contact for advice. This means she can access early intervention for children who may have special

p.2

Needs attention

educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) appropriately.

p.3

Needs attention

Generally, the childminder makes suitable adaptations for all children, including those who may face other barriers to their learning. She considers children's home life, background and stage of development. For example, the childminder prioritises maintaining secure attachments with children and regular communication with parents. In collaboration with parents, the childminder keeps up to date on life events that may impact children's emotional wellbeing and adapts her practice to meet children's individual needs. Overall, this helps to ensure children feel safe, settled and ready to learn in the setting.

p.3

Needs attention

The childminder is in the process of deepening her knowledge on ways to support children with varying SEND through training. She shows commitment to ensuring she has a broad understanding of how to support all children who may require additional support in the future.

p.3

Achievement Needs attention

Younger children do not make sufficient progress in their communication and language skills from their starting points. These children do not expand their vocabulary as well as they could. For example, younger children do not have enough opportunities to practise formulating their speech or hear new words through back-and-forth conversations with the childminder. This means these children are not as well prepared for their next stage of learning.

p.3

Achievement Needs attention

Older children benefit from listening to the childminder narrate what they are doing. For instance, they repeat key words back to the childminder and begin to use them in their play. Older children make more progress in their speaking skills than younger children. Generally, all children, including those who may face barriers to their learning, make progress in their physical development. Younger children who are beginning to walk learn to pull themselves up onto low furniture. They develop their balancing skills while they stand. Older children gain confidence in their throwing skills. They throw small beanbags into a basket from a short distance and show great excitement when they succeed.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder's curriculum is not ambitious enough for all children, including those who may face barriers to their learning. The communication and language curriculum for younger children is not implemented effectively. Gaps in the childminder's knowledge on how to sequence children's communication and language mean that the childminder does not build on the knowledge and skills children need next sufficiently.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder does not provide younger children with frequent opportunities to engage in back-and-forth communication. Occasionally, the childminder faces younger children away from her at song time. This means she cannot assess what these children know or tailor her practice accordingly. At other times, the childminder uses complex sentences with children who are in the early stages of understanding language. Although the childminder sometimes reads children stories, children do not typically have independent access to books. This negatively impacts on children's early enjoyment of books and their language comprehension.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

In contrast, the childminder builds on older children's speaking skills more effectively. For example, she supports older children to hear and learn new words by naming objects. Generally, older children listen and repeat these words back, which builds on their vocabulary further. Overall, the childminder broadens children's knowledge of mathematical concepts. She counts out loud alongside children so they can hear numbers and she asks children to find the 'big' or 'small' dinosaurs. The curriculum facilitates children to learn about the natural world. For example, they plant a sunflower and learn about what it needs to grow. The childminder teaches children about the similarities and differences of people around them. This promotes children to be respectful and develop a positive sense of self and others.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder identifies that she needs to improve areas of her practice to ensure all children make expected progress in their learning and development. However, she has not sought to broaden her knowledge and ensure all children receive high-quality teaching and learning opportunities sufficiently. Although the childminder is working towards strengthening her knowledge on how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities further, she has not engaged in targeted professional development to bring about change to her curriculum swiftly enough.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder works in collaboration with parents. Generally, she follows children's routines from home to offer children consistency in their care. The childminder offers parents advice on weaning, eating and sleeping. This helps promote children's wellbeing and a smooth transition from home into the setting. Parents welcome this and the positive impact such advice has had on their children's development.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has a support network of other childminders around her. This supports her wellbeing and helps her to consider any areas of practice to develop next. The childminder is mindful of ensuring she uses her time efficiently. For example, she uses a digital app to share children's learning and development with parents. The childminder finds this helps to ensure assessment is not overburdensome.

p.4

Leadership and governance Needs attention

Typically, the childminder shares updates on children's next steps of learning with parents as well as their progress checks at age 2. This supports parents to further children's learning at home.

p.4

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

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

All children are not as well prepared for their next stage of learning as possible. Inconsistent implementation of the curriculum, particularly for younger children, means they do not make as much progress in their communication and language skills as older children. For example, older children engage in frequent conversation with the childminder and have opportunities to practise speaking. This is not typically the case for younger children. Gaps in the childminder's knowledge and understanding of how to implement an ambitious curriculum mean younger children do not develop age-appropriate skills in their communication and language.

p.5

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

Children arrive seamlessly and show they feel safe and secure. Younger children shake their legs up and down and reach out to the childminder to show their excitement. Older children wave goodbye to their parents and immediately choose what they would like to play with. All children have positive relationships with the childminder and each other. They are eager to see the childminder and greet their friends with big smiles. All children, including those who may face barriers to their learning, settle quickly because of the friendships they enjoy.

p.6

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

Children begin to develop problem-solving skills. They play cooperatively alongside their friends and attempt to throw a beanbag into a basket. When the basket moves further away, older children show resilience and determination to get it in. They show a 'can-do' attitude and celebrate when they succeed. Through this, children improve their hand–eye coordination and spatial awareness.

p.6

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

Generally, children communicate their needs to the childminder, who knows them well. When children are ready to move on to something else, they feel heard and know their voice is important. Overall, children respond positively to requests to help tidy up. They listen to the childminder asking them to put toys back into 'the magic bag'. Children are curious about the 'magic' and show motivation to follow the instructions and tidy away.

p.6

Next steps

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

p.6

Action Completion Date

implement an ambitious curriculum that successfully builds on all children's communication and language skills to ensure they obtain age-appropriate skills needed for their next stage of learning 15/09/2026

p.6

Action Completion Date

improve knowledge and understanding of how to deliver high-quality teaching and learning opportunities so all children make expected progress 15/09/2026

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder during the inspection.

p.6

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

p.6

About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:00,Saturday,Sunday : 09:00 - 15:00

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.7

6

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.

p.7

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.8

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.8

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.

p.8

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.8

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.

p.8

Urgent improvement

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 .

p.9

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 .

p.9

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9