Armitage, Charlie Justine

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2821769 Registered with Ofsted: 05/04/2025 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, including those who have additional needs and may face other barriers to their learning, make steady progress. Children's vocabulary is increasing and some children, including those who speak English as an additional language, are using full sentences. Children are typically well prepared for the next stage in their education and learn important self-care skills. However, children do not learn how to drink from an open cup, which is a gap in the curriculum for physical development.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children generally behave well and are beginning to learn to share and take turns with adult support, which is typical for their age. Children are learning social skills and good manners as they sit down to breakfast and tidy up together. They sometimes remember to say 'please' and 'thank you' and are learning to ask for help when they need it.

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Achievement Expected standard

Some children enjoy looking at books by themselves for a short period. They do not always pay attention to stories that are read to them, but their listening skills are developing and they generally follow instructions well. For example, they help to sort the colourful bears and the cups when they have finished playing with them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children enjoy their time with the childminder, who has created a warm and caring environment for children. The childminder has high expectations for children, and these are applied consistently. However, occasionally, explanations of unwanted behaviour are not given. The childminder is a good role model and generally treats children with respect. Children are learning to be kind to each other and adults. For example, children ensure that visitors can find their chair. However, there are infrequent incidents, such as books being stood on and thrown. Any such incidents are managed quickly and effectively.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They focus on activities that interest them, such as filling and emptying toy diggers. They are well supported to aim for a goal, such as managing to put on their socks and shoes prior to going outside. Children receive well-targeted praise when they complete or accomplish a new skill, such as threading beads or picking up small bears with pincers. Children attend regularly and there are no concerns regarding punctuality. The childminder understands the importance of checking children are safe and well if they do not attend the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children begin to develop independence in most elements of their self-care. The childminder supports parents with potty training and works in conjunction with them to ensure a coordinated approach that brings about success. For example, parents can borrow the childminder's potty if a child seems to prefer it. Children are provided with lots of time and attention to help them learn to dress and undress. For example, the childminder demonstrates how to put on shoes in readiness for outdoor play. This supports children to try hard and persevere, which are key skills for later learning. Children are provided with a healthy and hearty breakfast of cereal, fruit and yoghurt. Children are closely supervised as they eat and fruit is chopped small to minimise the risk of choking. Packed lunches are provided by parents and discussions take place to ensure these contain healthy foods and sufficient portions for children's development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The playroom is clean and well organised. Children wash their hands if they are dirty and after using the toilet. However, children do not wash their hands prior to eating, which means they are not consistently learning healthy habits. The childminder has recently introduced some teaching about oral hygiene, and this is an area she is currently developing further.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a sound knowledge of the early years foundation stage and has completed some training in how to support children across the seven areas of learning. The childminder plans on a day-to-day basis, using the children's interests and her observations of what they know and can do, to shape the activities on offer. Teaching is inclusive in nature, and all children can access all activities.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

All the key areas of learning are included in the curriculum. There is a strong focus on mathematical development, which is explicitly taught. Many young children can recite some number names in sequence. Some can identify hidden plastic numerals, which they match to the written figures 0 to 10. They learn about mathematical concepts and mathematical language as the childminder repeats 'empty' and 'full' as they load and unload dumper trucks and diggers laden with biscuit 'rubble'.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children enjoy favourite rhymes and songs, which support their communication and language development. They join in with actions to 'The Wheels On The Bus', and contribute their ideas to new verses featuring them riding on the bus. Songs are used as a helpful distraction for the children during times of transition, such as while waiting for breakfast to be prepared, and this is generally effective. However, story time is not as well managed. Children become distracted and do not engage well as a group. While some children sit comfortably with the childminder and listen well, others do not benefit from the activity as they do not pay attention.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has an appropriate knowledge of child development. She ensures that children's needs are identified and assessed swiftly and additional support is sought, if required. For example, children who need some extra help are closely monitored to ensure they are making progress. Open and transparent discussions with parents are held to encourage early help. The childminder knows the children well and plans for their interests. This supports their welfare and wellbeing. For example, children with a fascination for wheels have access to vehicles of all shapes and sizes to play with.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children that need additional help to regulate their strong emotions are provided with thoughtful and effective support. For example, a tepee in the corner of the playroom provides a safe and secure place for children who need a bit of time and space to co- regulate. This helps them feel safe and ready to join or rejoin play. This is a new addition to the childminder's setting and is proving effective in helping children settle and emotionally balance.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Disadvantaged children's needs are being met and monitored. Any additional funding is spent on resources to support children's needs and help them catch up with their peers. For example, puzzles and books have been chosen to support children's developing speech and language skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has developed and enhanced the provision well since registration. She keeps up to date with new information, such as updates from the local authority and other childminding groups. This ensures that all the requirements of the early years foundation stage statutory framework are met. The childminder has a sound knowledge of her leadership role and her responsibilities as a registered childminder. She has attended all mandatory training, which includes a paediatric first aid course and safeguarding training. She understands her duty to protect children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder ensures her service is inclusive and is committed to providing quality care and education for all children. She understands the importance of effective partnership working with parents. Observations and assessments of children's learning, including the progress check at age 2, are shared with parents. This keeps them up to date with children's progress and the childminder and parents discuss any concerns openly. This supports a consistent, coherent approach to children's care and education, which promotes children's welfare and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Children with special educational needs, those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those that face other barriers to their learning are well supported. All children thrive in the childminder's 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 feel safe, secure and included in the childminder's setting and attend regularly. They are settled and comfortable in the attractive environment the childminder has created. The current cohort of children are all 2 years of age. They are learning about forming friendships and generally enjoy playing alongside each other. Children show concern when their friends are upset. They learn to use good manners and say 'please' and 'thank you', sometimes without prompting. The childminder enables them to make some choices in their play. For example, in the garden, they choose from a wide range of possible activities, such as chalk drawing on the walls and digging for numbers in the sandy biscuit 'rubble'. Those that need some extra help or guidance are well supported.

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

Children are making expected progress for their age of development. They express their preferences and interests and the childminder provides for these, as she knows the children well. Children clearly feel happy in the childminder's care. They sit on her lap to read a story and take her hand when they want to show her something. They are learning to follow instructions and are largely cooperative and helpful. For example, they help to tidy up after activities, carefully putting things back into the right places.

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

Children, including those who are learning English as an additional language, learn new words and hold conversations with the childminder, telling her about their achievements. They are growing in confidence and show pride in their work. They tell their friends 'I did it' when they complete an activity. Children are able to lead their own play at times. For example, children demonstrate their imagination as they 'fly' around the garden, flapping their 'wings'. Children are generally well prepared for the next step in their education. With

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About this setting

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

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About this setting

Local authority: Oxfordshire effective support from the childminder, who works in partnership with parents, children are making progress with toilet training and dressing themselves.

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Next steps

The childminder should develop children's attention skills, especially at story time, to encourage children's love and respect for books and stories. The childminder should give children opportunities to drink from open-topped cups to develop this skill. The childminder should encourage good hygiene by ensuring that all children wash their hands before mealtimes.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, co-childminder 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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