Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2801494 Registered with Ofsted: 09/12/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR

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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 make positive progress and show enthusiasm and curiosity. They independently select magnifying glasses outdoors and explore their surroundings.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children who face barriers achieve well. Individual learning plans are delivered for specific children, and targeted support is provided well. Tasks are broken down into small steps, helping children develop skills such as feeding themselves. With consistency and repetition, children soon develop the strength and coordination to do this unaided. They show good skill at drinking from an open cup, using 2 hands to keep it steady while they bring it up to their mouth and take sips.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children communicate effectively, requesting help and drawing attention to things they notice, such as an aeroplane. Children begin to problem-solve when asked open-ended questions, thinking about where they might fly to on holiday and what they would take with them in a suitcase.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are prepared for their next stage of learning and eventual move to school. They follow instructions well, beginning to respond appropriately to more complex instructions that involve more than one step, for example, 'get the bag, find your shoes and put them on'. Children respond well to an increase in the level of difficulty and demonstrate a 'can do' approach to learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children develop positive attitudes to learning. The childminder is enthusiastic and encourages children to participate in the varied and interesting activities available.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder delivers consistent and clear messages regarding her high expectations. Any small instances of upset from children are met with empathy and understanding. The childminder and assistants acknowledge children's frustration, give clear reinforcement of expectations and offer suggestions about alternative approaches. For example, they sing songs when children wait in line to wash their hands to give a focus. Children respond positively to these suggestions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are shown a visual representation of the daily structure, and the childminder explains what will happen that day so that children are aware of the routines. These are implemented consistently, and children manage transitions well.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Relationships between children and the childminder are positive. Children seek comfort when bumping their finger and, after a cuddle, are soon quickly reassured and confident to move on to a different play activity.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children learn to develop positive social skills and form effective relationships with each other. The childminder encourages children to work together, highlighting the fun children can have with other children. The childminder promotes attending on a regular basis and provides assistance to families who face challenges in accessing the setting. This helps children to attend on a regular basis and access important learning opportunities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder helps children feel valued through thoughtful adaptations that support their sense of belonging. Secure relationships help children feel safe and confident to express their needs, such as when they are tired or need to use the toilet.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Healthy lifestyle practices are well promoted. Outdoor play is a key part of the routine, with children moving confidently as they climb, run and slide. A nutritious menu supports children's health, with a wide range of fruit and vegetables offered daily. Families are grateful for this support as children transfer this to home, eating a wider range of meals that contribute to their overall health.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Care practices meet children's needs effectively, with privacy provided during personal care. High-quality handwashing is consistently modelled, and children receive support to develop a robust technique.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Emotional development is prioritised. The childminder labels feelings, implements distractions and uses redirection to prevent frustration. Younger children show growing confidence as they feed themselves, and calm rest times help them regulate emotions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children form positive relationships with each other, supported by consistent encouragement to share and play harmoniously. The childminder provides help to families when toileting, giving information about how to manage this transition effectively and offering to take a lead when this is helpful to families.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Understanding what to wear in different weather is a part of the curriculum. Staying hydrated and wearing sunscreen is promoted well. Personal hygiene routines are well established, with children washing hands independently and singing to reinforce why it matters. Safe sleeping provision is in place.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans experiences around what she wants children to learn. Whilst these are, in the main, sequenced well, there are occasions when activities are introduced on an ad-hoc basis. At these times, learning is an isolated experience and it is not continued or enhanced further. This means that children cannot revisit the learning, which minimises its impact.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder builds mathematical learning into daily routines. Children count jars on a page in a book and join in counting shovels of sand outside, adding in the next number name within the sequence. They explore capacity as they fill and empty containers, and staff introduce language such as 'bigger than' and 'smaller than', helping children make important learning links around comparison. Children's emotional development is prioritised. Children gain confidence through receiving specific praise, and they learn to share when the childminder models turn taking and supports them to share in small groups. They increasingly play cooperatively, spontaneously offering toys to others, supporting future friendships. Emotions are taught through familiar stories, helping children link feelings to characters. Positive behaviour is supported through consistent strategies, including gentle redirection.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children show positive levels of focus while developing physical skills such as climbing steps and sliding. They build independence by finding and putting on their shoes. Staff encourage them to complete parts of a task by breaking them down into smaller steps. This helps boost their confidence and motivation.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Language skills develop through daily stories and songs. Children join in enthusiastically and learn new vocabulary.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Trips to farms broaden children's understanding of the world. They learn about harvesting and explore fruits and vegetables first-hand.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Assessment procedures are robust, with specific targets for children regularly reviewed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

There is an embedded culture of inclusivity. The childminder captures knowledge about children's backgrounds and developmental levels prior to starting. From settling-in visits, children develop positive relationships with the childminder. She is attentive to children's needs, giving full attention and being an effective play partner, helping children settle quickly.

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Inclusion Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make typical progress. Children's development is continuously reviewed so targets remain relevant and challenging.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Additional funding is spent on inviting specialists to enhance children's balance and coordination skills. This positively impacts children facing barriers, helping them make effective progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Activities are adapted to children's differing needs. For example, when learning about sea creatures, some children learn the word 'crab' while others learn more complex facts about its shell.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children's uniqueness is embraced, and important festivals are included in the curriculum. Families share cultural items with children, encouraging celebration of heritage and cultural awareness.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder engages positively with other professionals and attends regular meetings so that she is able to effectively support the children and their families.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is dedicated to children and families. She understands their strengths and areas for development, reflecting regularly and implementing improvement plans.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder supports her assistants well. Workloads are discussed during regular meetings and support offered when required. The childminder checks on her team's wellbeing and has created a harmonious and supportive culture.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents value the childminder's clear communication about children's progress, including trying new foods and toileting. They are well informed about next steps so learning can continue at home.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder prioritises children who face barriers to learning. She has effective links with some professionals and attends regular meetings to discuss progress and next steps. This ensures coordinated support is delivered to children and individual learning plans are delivered on a consistent basis. This process supports children to make positive progress. However, while the childminder works closely with some professionals, when children join her setting, she does not always make prior contact with other care providers to gain specific information about the child's experiences within a group-based setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder values her own professional development, and that of her assistants, and she completes regular training. This keeps them all up to date with relevant topics around child protection and the safe preparation of food. There are also plans in place to complete additional bespoke training to support children in language acquisition.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Feedback from families is carefully considered. The childminder is developing a parent support network, offering events that help families connect, which has been positively received.

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

Children are happy and keen to learn. They explore the indoor and outdoor environments with confidence. The curriculum is broad and challenging. The childminder is clear about what she wants children to learn and implements consistent daily routines so that children are prepared for the day ahead.

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

Children engage in different play activities with enthusiasm. They use cotton wool and paint brushes to paint, finding out what colour is made when others are mixed together. This exploration helps children develop a love of learning and be motivated to find things out for themselves.

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

The childminder is kind and nurturing. She has positive relationships with children who approach her for cuddles when they need reassurance. With this provided, children are soon settled and return to play. Children develop positive relationships with each other. The childminder helps children play harmoniously together and children laugh and smile as they roll a small ball to each other.

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

Children's uniqueness is celebrated. Key festivals are celebrated and families bring in clothing from home so that other children can share in their culture. This helps children feel important and valued.

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

Children gain independence and are prepared to continue their educational journey at school. They are confident to try and complete things for themselves. The childminder gives encouragement and praise when children locate or put on their own shoes, or feed themselves competently with a spoon. This helps children feel able to achieve well now and in the future.

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

Children who face barriers to their learning are well supported. For example, targeted support is provided to develop children's physical development so they gain the strength to walk, at first aided by attentive staff and ultimately independently. This intervention helps to close gaps in children's development. Additional help is provided when families face barriers to attending on a regular basis.

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Next steps

The childminder should deliver a curriculum that is consistently sequenced to a high standard so that all learning opportunities can be maximised.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 06:00 - 18:00

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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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Age range of children at the time of inspection

The childminder should establish prompt contact with all providers where shared care exists so that information about individual children's experiences within a group-based provision can be obtained.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistants, 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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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

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

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