Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2794959 Registered with Ofsted: 11/09/2024 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 progress and achieve expected standards for their age and stage of development. They are confident, curious and eager to learn. Demonstrating consistent levels of concentration and engagement in a wide range of activities.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children also develop physical skills through active play indoors and outdoors. They show increasing coordination and control when using play-dough tools, tweezers and scoops in the tuff tray and outdoor resources. Children move around the environment with confidence and enjoyment and benefit from regular opportunities to be physically active.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children engage well in activities. They are beginning to demonstrate positive social skills, including taking turns, sharing resources and playing cooperatively alongside their peers. They follow routines and demonstrate growing skills across the areas of learning. Overall, children make progress from their starting points, reflecting the childminder's generally appropriate support and understanding of their development. Children gain the age- and stage-appropriate skills they need for their next stage of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder supports children to understand what happens during the day through calm and consistent routines. She acts as a positive role model. She speaks respectfully and uses simple, clear language to support children's understanding.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder encourages children to be polite, take turns and be kind. She praises children for their efforts, to reinforce positive behaviour. She provides clear guidance during play and everyday activities and uses praise, encouragement and distraction. Children respond well to this approach and show willingness to join in with activities and cooperate during routines.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Daily routines help children begin to understand daily expectations and develop their independence. Children respond to guidance and are beginning to take part in these routines by completing simple tasks with support. These experiences help children become familiar with expectations and contribute positively to daily routines. The childminder is in the early stages of strengthening structure to the children's day, which will further support preparing children for school. Occasionally, children become disengaged when learning is not correctly matched to their age and stage of development. The childminder uses songs to support transitions between learning. For example, they sing a tidy-up song. This prepares all children for what is coming next.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder promotes regular attendance, which helps children settle into familiar routines and supports continuity in their learning and development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder establishes routines that support children's welfare and their mental and emotional health. She encourages children to develop positive hygiene habits and independence through well-established daily routines. For example, children wash their hands before eating and use the potty or toilet in privacy. The childminder reminds children that 'toilet time is private time'. This helps children understand the importance of personal hygiene, respect for their own privacy and develop an early awareness of keeping themselves safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supervises children closely during mealtimes, helping them to develop appropriate habits. She promotes healthy food choices and supports children's understanding of a balanced diet through a weekly menu, which is shared with parents.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children also benefit from regular opportunities for physical activity, both indoors and outdoors. They enjoy active play and develop confidence in their movements through a range of physical experiences.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supports children to calm down when they feel upset. She removes children from the activity offers a distraction and talks to them using a calm tone about what has made them feel that way. This helps children to manage their feelings independently.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Overall, children feel safe, comfortable and well cared for in an environment that supports their health and wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans a curriculum that reflects children's interests, starting points and next steps in learning. She uses ongoing observation to understand what children know and can do and incorporates learning opportunities into everyday play and routines. The curriculum focuses on supporting communication and language, personal, social and emotional development, physical development and some early mathematical understanding through a range of play-based experiences.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports learning by joining children's play, modelling language and introducing new words like froglets and tripod tweezers. As well as using familiar activities to reinforce key skills. For example, children practise early mathematical concepts through activities, such as dominos and matching animal pictures. This helps to build confidence in recognising numbers and counting.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder follows children's interests to maintain engagement and uses a range of resources, both indoors and outdoors, to support learning. Children benefit from opportunities to be active and explore, including regular use of the outdoor environment and experiences in the local community that support their physical development, social skills and confidence. However, opportunities to build on younger children's communication are not yet fully embedded. At times, interactions move on too quickly. As a result, younger children do not consistently learn new words during play and routines.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder generally promotes inclusion effectively and ensures that children feel valued and able to take part in all aspects of the setting. She typically adapts her interactions to support children's communication and engagement, although this could be stronger for the youngest of children who use gestures rather than words to communicate. She uses some Makaton signs to help children understand and participate confidently in activities.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder monitors children's development through ongoing observation. She works closely with parents, and other settings children attend discussing children's needs and next steps to help maintain continuity between home other settings and the setting.

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Inclusion Expected standard

There are currently no children with special educational needs and/or disabilities attending the setting. However, the childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of how to identify, assess and meet children's emerging needs. She understands the procedures for monitoring concerns, making referrals and accessing additional support. The childminder generally recognises the importance of early intervention in reducing barriers to learning development and wellbeing. She is aware of the need to work closely in partnership with parents and other professionals, to ensure children receive timely and effective support that enables them to achieve their full potential.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder helps children learn about different cultures and traditions through experiences in the local community and planned activities, including celebrations and festivals. As a result, children feel included, develop confidence and form positive relationships.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder leads the setting with a clear focus on providing a calm and nurturing environment where children feel safe and secure. She reflects on her practice and considers how routines, activities and interactions support children's learning and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder uses her knowledge of children's development and ongoing observations to inform what she provides for children. She plans activities through the story of the week, alongside children's interests and what they know and can do, helping to support their engagement and progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a commitment to developing her practice and has accessed relevant training, including areas such as supporting children with Autism. This reflects on her approach to developing her practice and improving outcomes for children. The childminder attends local childminder groups to share support and expertise.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents speak positively about the childminder and describe her as approachable and supportive. They value the regular communication they receive about their child's development, daily routines and care, which helps them feel informed and reassured. Parents report that their children are happy and settled in her care.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Overall, the childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of her strengths and areas for development and maintains a provision where children are supported to learn and develop appropriately.

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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 welcomed into a warm and nurturing home environment where they feel safe, secure and valued. The childminder develops positive relationships with children and responds sensitively to their individual needs. This helps children settle quickly and develop confidence in their surroundings.

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

Children benefit from familiar routines throughout the day that help them understand expectations and support their emotional wellbeing. The childminder plays alongside children during activities and daily routines, providing encouragement and reassurance. Her calm and caring approach helps children feel comfortable, confident and eager to participate.

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

Children enjoy a range of experiences that support their learning and development. They engage enthusiastically in activities, such as play dough, roleplay, puzzles, stories, and outdoor play. Children show enjoyment as they explore resources, develop new skills and learn through play. They are supported to make choices about their play and confidently join in with activities alongside the childminder.

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

Children benefit from opportunities to be active both indoors and outdoors. They explore the garden with curiosity, learn about natural resources like rosemary and pinecones and how to transport water safely. Regular outings in the local community, including visits to parks, and a variety of playgroups, which helps broaden children's experiences and support their understanding of the world around them. The childminder promotes regular attendance, which helps children establish familiar routines and supports continuity in their learning and development. Children enjoy their time with the childminder. They engage in a wide range of experiences, including cooking, that help them develop skills across all areas of the early year's curriculum. Children are keen and motivated to attend. Their parents and carers welcome the flexible approach that helps them to bring children at their agreed times. This helps to remove barriers children face and supports them to achieve from their different

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

As a result, children are happy, settled and confident. They demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning, enjoy spending time with the childminder and participate well in daily routines and activities.

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen support for younger children to help develop their communication and language skills. The childminder should consider strengthening structure within children's daily routines to build on their preparation for school.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:30 - 17:00

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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 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

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 .

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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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