Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2800912 Registered with Ofsted: 17/10/2024 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

Achievement Expected standard

All children, including those who may face barriers to learning, typically make positive progress from their starting points. Children confidently take part in age-appropriate activities and develop the skills they need for their next stage of learning. Babies develop their physical skills as they explore the environment, pulling themselves up and moving around low-level equipment. Older children strengthen their fine motor skills as they practise making patterns and shapes through creative activities. Children develop effective communication and language skills. During story time, they listen intently to new words, building on their growing vocabulary. Babies babble excitedly, while older children increasingly use words effectively to communicate their thoughts and ideas. Children develop early mathematical language as they count objects and identify numerals in texts. Activities such as these, help children build their understanding of number and use language

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

to describe their mathematical thinking. Regular outings, toddler groups and nature walks broaden children's experiences and supports their social development. Children develop turn taking skills, build positive social interactions and form friendships through regular opportunities to play and learn alongside others at local childminding network groups.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is a positive role model and provides calm, consistent and respectful interactions that help children understand expectations and consider the needs of others. She builds warm, trusting relationships with children and their families, creating an environment where children and their families feel valued, secure and included. Children respond positively to these relationships and subsequently, they behave well. The childminder has a secure understanding of children's interests and typically uses this knowledge to provide engaging experiences that sustain their attention and motivation to learn. For example, when children show an interest in ducks, the childminder provides opportunities for them to learn about nature and lifecycles while visiting the local duck pond.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

During daily routines, the childminder gives warm praise and encouragement. This strengthens children's self-esteem and helps them feel proud of their achievements. Children play cooperatively during shared experiences and develop an understanding of turn taking, sharing and being considerate of others. They take it in turns to use their favourite car and turn pages of the story at group time. Consistent routines help children understand what is expected of them. As a result, they are beginning to develop independence and a sense of responsibility. Children confidently help to tidy resources away and respond positively to praise from the childminder. The childminder promotes regular attendance and follows up on absences promptly, helping children benefit from consistent routines and learning experiences. As a result, children are settled, confident and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Overall, the childminder promotes children's welfare and wellbeing through caring relationships, healthy routines and close attention to children's needs. She understands that during times of change, some children may need additional emotional support to feel secure. Subsequently, children are settled and show that they feel content and confident in the childminder's care.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children enjoy social mealtimes with the childminder. She sits with the children as they eat, talking to them about what is on their plates and ensuring they are sitting safely. She works in partnership with parents and carers to support healthy eating, providing guidance on what makes a healthy lunch box. However, the childminder does not consistently follow good hand hygiene practices, including washing hands after wiping children's noses or encouraging children to wash their hands at appropriate times. This increases the risk of spreading germs and infection, and limits opportunities for children to develop positive hygiene habits to further support their health and well-being.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

During regular outings, the childminder carefully considers how to manage transitions to ensure children remain safe. In the garden area, children are taught how to stay safe and understand the rules embedded to reduce any risk. This ensures all children stay safe as they play and learn.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans and provides a curriculum across all areas of learning that builds on what children need to learn over time. Teaching reflects children's individual learning needs and any barriers they may face, supporting them to develop the knowledge and skills needed for the next stage of learning, including school.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder typically encourages children's communication and language development well. Teaching is warm, responsive and inclusive. The childminder adapts her communication and activities to meet children's individual needs, particularly for children learning English as an additional language. She talks to children about what they are doing as they play and asks them age-appropriate questions to promote their thinking. However, at times, the childminder does not give children enough time to think and respond to the questions asked. This means that children do not consistently have opportunities to develop and use their growing vocabulary.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder works with other professionals to inform teaching and ensure appropriate support is in place for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, she plans targeted activities to support children who may need additional help with their speech and language skills. The childminder works closely with parents to provide consistency between home and the setting. She shares approaches that support children's developing independence, healthy habits and social skills during important stages of their development, such as weaning and toilet training.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder is committed to providing an inclusive experience that recognises and responds to children's individual needs. She works closely with parents and carers, and other professionals to ensure children who require additional support receive appropriate and timely help. The childminder has identified further professional development in relation to special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and is keen to strengthen her knowledge and understanding to further enhance the support she provides.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder makes effective use of additional funding to strengthen children's learning and development. She works collaboratively with other professionals, including social workers where appropriate, to secure timely support and ensure children's individual needs are identified and met. Children with SEND and those known (or previously known) to children's social care, are fully included in the setting and typically make progress from their starting points. The support that the childminder provides, enables children to access learning opportunities, develop their confidence and participate fully in all aspects of the setting.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The dedicated childminder strives to provide the very best care and learning experiences for children. She is reflective in her approach, recognising the strengths of her practice alongside some areas for further development. The childminder engages positively with professional support and uses feedback to strengthen her practice. She responds appropriately when guidance changes and keeps her knowledge up to date through local childminding network groups and other professional opportunities.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works hard to establish secure partnerships with parents and carers, recognising the importance of continuity and consistency in children's care. She gathers valuable information when children first start, including their routines, interests and individual needs, which helps them to settle confidently and contributes to positive experiences from the outset. This approach enables children and their families to develop open, trusting relationships with the childminder, creating a positive culture in which children feel secure, valued and able to thrive.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of children developing an understanding of their wider community. Regular opportunities to meet with other childminders and their children, alongside visits to local country parks, enable children to broaden their social experiences, develop their understanding of the world around them and build positive connections within their local community.

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

Children experience a warm, responsive and inclusive environment where their individual needs, interests and stages of development are understood and valued. The childminder spends time at children's level, offering reassuring words and physical support when needed. As a result, children feel secure and confident to explore, play and engage with others. Routines are thoughtfully adapted to meet individual needs, enabling children to develop independence while feeling supported and included. For example, younger children explore paint safely in sealed plastic wallets, discovering cause and effect as they make

p.5

About this setting

marks and noises. Older children use paint brushes to experiment with colour mixing and mark making while learning how to manipulate tools to create circles in the paint.

p.6

About this setting

Children know what is expected of them and are encouraged to take responsibility for their environment. They help to tidy away resources and receive praise for their contributions, developing a positive sense of responsibility and achievement. Children are supported to develop social skills as they learn to share, take turns and participate in familiar routines, such as story time and lunch time. Children benefit from a range of opportunities to develop their communication and language. The childminder models language clearly, regularly introducing new words for children to hear and repeat. For instance, as children share stories, they explore different textures on the pages. The childminder encourages them to feel the objects that are 'rough', 'smooth' and 'bumpy'. These interactions support children's growing vocabulary and understanding of new words.

p.6

About this setting

Children flourish in a safe and stimulating setting. They behave well and respond positively to the childminder's encouragement and recognition of their individual personalities. As a result, children develop positive attitudes towards learning, build confidence and clearly enjoy their time together.

p.6

Next steps

The childminder should strengthen hygiene practices, ensuring they are consistently embedded in daily routines and positively modelled to support children's health, well- being and developing independence. The childminder should provide children with sufficient time to think and respond to questions, enabling them to use and extend their growing vocabulary to express their thoughts and ideas.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children 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 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): 2800912

p.6

About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:00

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

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

p.7

Exceptional

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

p.7

Strong standard

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

p.7

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.7

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.

p.8

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.

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.8

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.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8

Urgent improvement

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

p.8