Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY452580 Registered with Ofsted: 23/01/2013 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has close and positive relationships with all children. She considers each child individually to devise daily routines that support children's welfare and wellbeing. The childminder communicates with parents and carers effectively to understand young babies' routines and builds these into the day. She consistently models calm, kind and respectful behaviours towards children. The childminder provides timely praise when children behave well. For example, when using their positive manners and give each other toys to include them in their games. Children make space for each other when they share a whiteboard to make marks. They are proud of their marks and are keen for the childminder to see and talk about what they have created.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children listen and respond well to the childminder's guidance that she gives at a level they can understand, including for those who may face barriers to their learning. This helps children to know the behaviours that are expected of them. The childminder encourages regular attendance and punctuality to enable children to make the most of their time in the setting. Because they attend consistently, children make friends well, understand the routines of the day and what will happen next. This helps to ensure their wellbeing.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has a solid knowledge of each child to effectively assess their needs. She makes adaptations to provide activities and experiences and tailors her teaching and interactions to ensure that all children are fully included in life at her setting. In relation to development and care plans, the childminder communicates with professionals, parents and carers and other key people who may be involved. This ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or children who face disadvantage or other barriers to their learning and wellbeing, continue to make the progress they are capable of.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has received high-quality training to understand where to access support for children with emerging needs and where to refer for specialist support as required. The childminder understands how to use additional funding specifically to support the individual needs of children. She has received training to use simple signing techniques alongside her verbal interactions during routine singing sessions. This helps children to develop speaking skills rapidly. Although she does not currently have children with SEND attending, the childminder has recent experience of amending her interactions to support children who may not yet be verbal to use objects of reference, signing and facial expressions to communicate their wants, needs and feelings. This helps to reduce the barriers to learning and engagement that children may face.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder ensures she understands the needs of children and families. This helps her to make informed decisions about the running of her setting in the best interests of the welfare of all children attending. She uses effective methods to liaise with other settings that

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Expected standard

children also attend, and with other professionals when required. This ensures children receive the support they need. Regular open communication takes place with parents and carers about their children's learning progress. The childminder updates parents on any new guidance or changes to her practice to ensure the ongoing welfare of children.

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Expected standard

The childminder keeps her mandatory training current and seeks to complete other additional training that is relevant to build further on her knowledge and interests and enhance the provision for children. For example, she has completed training which supports identification of children's preferred play and learning styles. This enables her to focus on what she provides for children's learning. She evaluates her provision effectively using parents' views and her monitoring of children's progress. She accurately recognises her strengths in her approach to the promotion of communication and language development with children, because children make rapid progress in this area. She is currently developing and preparing to further enhance the provision for very young babies. The childminder has recently identified that children need consistent opportunities to practise handwashing. This has been introduced, but at this stage, is not yet fully embedded.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children generally make positive progress in all areas of learning. This includes children who may be disadvantaged or face other barriers to their learning and wellbeing. Children communicate their wants and needs confidently. They engage in interesting two-way conversations with each other and the childminder. Children make friends and play well together. They enjoy their time playing outdoors, practising their balance on wheeled toys and playing with sand. Children are curious. For example, they ask about the sand and why it is wet in places. They listen well to the childminder's explanation, then independently add more water to find out what will happen. Children learn how to take turns during play, such as when using tools or during other cooperative games.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop most of their self-help skills, such as when feeding, dressing or using the bathroom. The childminder helps children to be prepared with understanding, in readiness for toilet training. However, children do not receive consistent opportunities to practise the process of washing their hands with soap and water to help them to understand and follow this process for themselves as part of healthy practice before meals. That said, children do gain the skills and understanding they need to prepare them for their future learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder is vigilant and places high emphasis on ensuring children's welfare and wellbeing. She helps children to develop an understanding of their feelings, the emotions of others and how these may differ from their own. The childminder uses a range of methods such as stories, discussions and use of images for children to understand. This includes children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities or face other barriers to their learning. The childminder helps children to gain the vocabulary and other ways to express their emotions. For example, she uses resources in the environment to help children to look at and identify facial expressions and how they might be feeling. The childminder makes this fun. Children giggle together when they attempt to make the expressions they see.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder ensures that children eat and sleep safely. She provides suitable resources and consistent supervision at these times, during general play and other times of the day. The childminder generally promotes healthy practices with children. For example, she prepares activities and holds discussions to support their understanding of how to keep themselves safe, about eating healthily, oral hygiene and managing their self-care. That said, although children's hands are cleaned, children do not consistently wash their own hands with soap and water, including this as part of building healthy habits before meals.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder gathers useful information from parents and carers when children start. This helps her to understand children's prior learning and to decide what they are ready to learn next. The childminder finds out about children's interests and uses this knowledge effectively to prepare age and stage appropriate experiences and activities to engage all children in learning. The childminder tailors her interactions to provide each child with the learning opportunities they need. For instance, she includes shape recognition and mathematical language for size for older children and counting and turn-taking for younger children during a play dough activity. This helps children to develop their skills and strengthen their wrists and hands as they squeeze and use tools to cut and roll the dough.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder places a high emphasis on supporting children's communication and language development. Children are elated when it is time for their singing sessions. They enthusiastically join in with actions and singing at the tops of their voices with big smiles. The childminder uses familiar and repeated songs, rhymes and stories and engages children in varied conversations rich in language. As a result, the youngest toddlers develop their speaking skills rapidly. They begin to use full sentences during conversation, while older children confidently use their broad and continually increasing vocabulary.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has developed a well-thought-through curriculum and has clear intentions for what she wants children to learn over time to prepare them for their next learning. Children develop a range of self-help skills, such as dressing and undressing and managing their personal care. However, they do not consistently learn to wash their hands, using soap and water at the sink, because the childminder often uses other methods to clean children's hands.

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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 develop close relationships with the childminder. She is gentle, nurturing and attentive, and ensures she knows each child well to meet their individual needs. Children receive cuddles, comfort and reassurance in abundance from the childminder. This helps all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face other barriers to their welfare and wellbeing, to feel safe and secure in her care.

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About this setting

Children eagerly explore the play environment. They confidently select the resources that interest them. For example, toddlers choose to complete inset jigsaws. They engage well and talk with the childminder about the professions depicted on each piece. Children receive encouragement to persevere in finding where these pieces fit into the puzzle. The childminder adapts her teaching and interactions to include each child in the activities and experiences. Older children offer help and show kind and patient behaviours towards younger children. They receive timely praise from the childminder for their efforts, achievements and kindness. This helps children to remain motivated to try and to understand the behaviours that are expected of them.

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About this setting

The childminder has a flexible approach to ensure that children attend regularly. Parents and carers feel welcome and supported. The childminder uses effective methods of communication to ensure parents are informed about children's care and learning. Children build positive relationships with their peers. They have fun and play cooperatively together. Children receive consistent support from the childminder to help them to understand when they need to wait and take turns to use resources, such as rolling pins to roll out their play dough. Children often instinctively use positive manners or respond well to the childminder's gentle reminders. Children make excellent progress over time. They develop the skills and understanding they need to prepare them for the next stages of their learning, and the eventual move on to school.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure children have consistent opportunities to learn and practise the process of handwashing so that it becomes embedded as part of their routines.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and took account of the parents' written views 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. Unique reference number (URN): EY452580

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:15

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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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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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