O'Rourke, Terri Ann

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2813322 Registered with Ofsted: 31/12/2024 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder consistently promotes positive behaviour. She models kindness, respect and consideration towards others, using positive interactions and gentle reminders to reinforce these values throughout the day. As a result, children behave exceptionally well, showing kindness and respect towards others and responding positively to the expectations in place. The childminder uses specific praise to recognise children's positive behaviour and achievements. This helps children to feel valued and develop a sense of pride in their achievements.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has embedded consistent routines that children understand and follow confidently. This gives children a sense of security and helps them to anticipate what will happen next. Transitions between activities are smooth and very well managed. This allows children, including those with barriers to learning, to move between routines without unnecessary interruption to their play and learning. This supports children to remain engaged, develop their independence and make the most of learning opportunities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder places importance on children developing independence. She encourages children to complete tasks for themselves, demonstrating how to use equipment and resources. This helps children to build resilience and have a positive attitude to learning. The childminder promotes regular attendance, swiftly following up any unexplained non- attendance. This supports children to attend consistently and benefit from the learning and development opportunities provided.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder gets to know children in her care very well, and they develop warm, trusting relationships with her. They are happy, settled and confident in the childminder's care. Children readily approach her to share their thoughts, ideas and feelings, knowing she will listen attentively. Children demonstrate high levels of wellbeing and are confident in their abilities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places particular emphasis on helping children to develop their self-care skills during everyday routines and tasks. She helps children to manage risks, for example when using tools and equipment, to help them understand how to keep themselves safe. Children develop the skills and confidence to complete everyday tasks, such as preparing their own snacks. This supports their growing independence and prepares them well for the next stage in their learning and development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder promotes healthy lifestyles through offering healthy snacks and talking to children about the healthy choices they make. She promotes hygiene through ensuring food areas are clean and safely prepared and ensures children wash their hands before meals.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children form positive relationships with the childminder and their friends. They learn to consider other children's ideas and feelings and work together during activities. They develop an understanding of the importance of sharing, taking turns and listening to others. For example, when children want to continue playing musical statues, they discuss having 'one more go' before moving on to another activity. They find solutions that allow everyone's views to be heard and respected and develop effective social skills.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop their language and communication skills through frequent, meaningful conversations. Children recall past experiences and develop their imagination to recreate familiar situations. For example, during shop role play, children discuss different ways to pay and use language linked to their experiences. Children develop an understanding of mathematics. However, their progress is not as rapid due to minor weaknesses in the curriculum and teaching.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are physically active and spend lots of time outdoors. Children become increasingly independent and confident managing tasks for themselves. For example, they prepare their own snacks and tidy away activities before mealtimes. This helps children take responsibility for their environment and a sense of achievement in what they can do independently.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, the childminder has implemented an effective curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. She gathers information from parents and uses her own observation and assessment to identify children's interests and plan purposeful activities. For example, she has created an area in the garden where children can build their own tracks and use them for their cars. As they play, children develop their language as they describe the planks as 'long' and 'big'. However, the childminder does not consistently identify and build on opportunities to introduce and model mathematical concepts. This means that children do not always benefit from opportunities to extend their understanding of mathematics.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports children's language and communication skills effectively. She models language and engages children in meaningful conversations. For example, the childminder encourages children to remember the foods they prepared for their lunch yesterday, and they excitedly recall which fruits they cut and which are their favourite to eat. These interactions help children to engage in back-and-forth conversations and promote positive interactions.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder takes children to the local woods, where they explore nature, and to her allotment, where they help care for and tend to plants. Children develop their hand strength as they make 'cloud dough'. They press and squeeze the ingredients together, mixing while describing the texture as 'soft and squidgy'. This supports children to develop the control they need for early writing and future learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder generally uses her observations, assessment and discussion with parents to identify when children may need additional support in their learning and development. When concerns about children's progress are identified, the childminder implements targeted support that is tailored to children's individual needs. For example, when children find managing their emotions difficult, she sensitively tunes in to their needs. She provides appropriate support to help them to develop self-regulation and effective calming strategies. This helps children to recognise and manage their emotions and develop confidence in regulating their behaviour.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder typically uses additional funding to purchase resources that support children's individual needs. For example, she has purchased a chair hammock to provide children with a comfortable, calming space to use when they need support to regulate their emotions or during quieter periods of the day. This helps children to feel secure and access the support they need to engage positively in their learning and play.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder regularly reflects on and reviews the progress children make to help close gaps in learning. This helps all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make expected progress from their starting point.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder keeps her professional knowledge up to date through regular online training. Recently, she has refreshed her mandatory training and is currently completing forest school training. This helps her to maintain a clear understanding of current guidance, helping to ensure she can provide safe, effective and enriching experiences to meet children's needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works in partnership with parents, helping to ensure children's individual needs are understood and supported. Parents report that the childminder keeps them well informed about their children's learning and development through an online application and daily discussions. They describe the childminder as kind, caring and fun and value the 'home-from-home' feel of her setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder regularly reflects on the quality of provision she provides. She identifies strengths and areas for development and uses this reflection to make improvements. Overall, the childminder supports children's learning and development effectively. She has embedded effective strategies to help children understand and regulate their emotions through consistent support and guidance. However, she does not consistently make the most of opportunities to teach children about early mathematical concepts to extend their understanding further.

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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 enjoy spending time in the childminder's home and are happy and settled in her care. They form warm and trusting relationships with the childminder, who sensitively tunes in to their individual needs and helps them to form friendships. When minor disagreements arise, the childminder uses thoughtful conversations to help children listen to and respond to each other's views. This helps children to develop positive social skills and to recognise and value their own and others' feelings, ideas and opinions.

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About this setting

Type: Childminder Children have lots of opportunities to be physically active and spend lots of time outdoors. Children play collaboratively, readily including others in their play themes. For example, during role play, they invite the childminder and their friends to buy items from their shop. Children confidently recreate real-life experiences as they say, 'That's £30' and tell their friends, 'Your card didn't scan'. This helps children to develop their communication and social skills as they negotiate roles, share ideas and cooperate with others. Children also demonstrate an increasing understanding of everyday experiences through their imaginative play.

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About this setting

The childminder teaches children how to use tools and equipment safely and confidently. For example, children understand how to use knives safely when cutting fruit for their snacks. When children ask for help, the childminder provides appropriate guidance and teaches them the skills they need to complete tasks independently. For example, she demonstrates how to peel an orange and then encourages children to have a go themselves. Children show a clear sense of pride and achievement as they successfully manage tasks independently, building their confidence and developing their practical skills. This helps to prepare children for their next stage in learning.

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen the mathematics curriculum so that children develop a broader understanding of early mathematical vocabulary and concepts.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the 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. Registration date: 31/12/2024

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 08:35,Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 15:00 - 18:00,Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 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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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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