Norton, Donna Lynn

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2791991 Registered with Ofsted: 09/10/2024 Registers: EYR

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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 Strong standard

Children have a natural disposition to learn. When they play in the garden, they are interested to look for insects and bugs to explore. They get down low to study items in detail and show sustained concentration and focus. Children know where the tap is to fill their watering cans and happily water the basil and peas they are growing.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children make confident, independent choices. In the garden, some children choose to explore water and bubbles, while other children prefer to be more physically active and balance on the stepping stones or bounce on the trampoline. Children demonstrate a strong sense of self. They show they feel listened to and valued by the childminder and are confident to follow their own interests.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop strong social skills. They regularly see other children at groups they visit or when they socialise with other childminders. These early experiences provide a strong foundation for children's future learning and their ability to form positive relationships with others. This is reflected in how young children play happily together, sharing resources and being mindful of each other's different needs.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children listen intently. They follow instructions with ease and are clearly very settled in the daily routine. They approach the childminder easily for comfort and reassurance, when needed, and she responds willingly with cuddles and individual attention.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder creates an extremely warm and positive environment where children feel safe and ready to learn. The childminder sparks children's interests. She puts thought into how she presents activities so that children are captivated by them and want to explore them. This encourages children to show sustained interest and gain more from each planned activity.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has a very calm and gentle character. She provides a reassuring presence for children, and she gently explains when some behaviours and actions are not welcome. Children respond to this and adapt their behaviours in response. This means any potential unwelcome behaviour is dealt with very calmly, and children consistently benefit from a positive, calm and purposeful learning environment.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder recognises the importance of children being able to explain how they are feeling. She places a high priority on supporting children's language from a young age so they have the words and ability to say how they feel. She uses books and other resources to remind children about how different emotions look so that children are supported more clearly in saying how they feel. The childminder recognises that some children prefer time in quieter, calmer spaces, and she has organised her home to provide for this.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children attend regularly because the childminder works closely with parents to help them understand the importance of arriving on time to support their learning. Routines are fully embedded and planned exclusively around the children's needs. The childminder helps children to feel emotionally secure by offering consistency so that children know what is happening next.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder cares about children deeply. She forms strong, trusting relationships with every child, and they show how happy and safe they feel in her care. They listen to her well and are excited to see and hear what she has planned for them. Children's interest and enthusiasm for activities are clear to see in the excitement they show and the way in which they approach all activities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder prioritises children's welfare and wellbeing extremely effectively. She knows each child's personal routine in meticulous detail and works closely with parents to adjust feeding and sleep routines as children grow. Children benefit from healthy, wholesome cooked meals that are packed full of nutrients. Parents appreciate the way in which children eat foods for the childminder that they refuse at home. Children look forward to mealtimes, and this instils a healthy attitude towards food from a very young age.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Sleep routines are calm and matched precisely to what each child needs. The childminder makes sure that safe sleep practices are consistently followed and works closely with parents to agree individual routines.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is highly attentive in teaching children the importance of handwashing. For instance, after nappy changing, each child washes their hands at the sink, and the childminder makes this into a fun, engaging routine. Teaching children these skills early on helps to support their future healthy development.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has devised a curriculum that 'puts children on the road to being ready for school and beyond'. It is appropriately sequenced and focused on providing children with the strong foundations they need to become competent learners.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has high expectations for every child. She uses her extensive professional experience of how young children learn to monitor the progress they make. She completes meticulous, thorough assessments and makes sure her teaching is matched precisely to what each child needs. A particular focus is given towards promoting children's learning outside so children learn through natural exploration. For instance, children experience learning in the forest, on the beach and in the countryside. They learn about nature, living things and how plants and seeds grow. These experiences enrich their learning and support them in becoming active, curious learners.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children's individual starting points are quickly identified when children first join the setting. The childminder plans challenging next steps to help support children's future learning. She shares these with parents so that learning can continue at home.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder uses training opportunities well to support the delivery of her curriculum. She has completed courses that focus on the provision for mathematics. She supports children's mathematical development well and offers many experiences for children to practise a range of skills. For instance, children sort coloured dinosaurs into matching sets. They regularly count out items and become competent in using numbers as they play.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder is fully aware of how she would adapt her teaching to take account of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She ensures her curriculum and programme of learning are personalised to each child and fully accessible. She is extremely experienced in making changes to her teaching to take account of children's different needs.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Every child is valued and respected as a unique, special individual. The childminder takes time to really get to know children. She uses her interactions with children as they play to fully understand how each child likes to learn. This in-depth, personalised knowledge enables her planning to be exceptionally accurate and precise and focused exactly on what every child needs to learn next.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder's curriculum is fully inclusive and accessible to each child. She plans activities meticulously, knowing how every child will benefit. For instance, she plans a wide range of activities in the garden that take full account of different children's priority learning needs. The precision and depth of knowledge she demonstrates of each child's learning and development is impressive and seen clearly in how activities are scrupulously planned.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children have freedom to explore activities and remain engaged for as long as they need. Some children finish quicker than others, while others are confident to continue their own exploration. The childminder gently supports this extended interest, allowing children to bring their own learning to a close when they are ready.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder monitors children's progress meticulously. She notices very quickly if gaps in development are starting to emerge and uses her extensive early years expertise to set appropriate, targeted next steps. The childminder works closely with parents to fully understand children's different needs. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are very quickly identified, and plans are written and followed to support their development.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the role, which parents value and appreciate greatly. The childminder plans her service in great detail. She consistently prioritises the needs of children and families and works tirelessly to reflect on her practice and identify further ways to improve. This means there is an ongoing cycle of continuous improvement. For example, the childminder has a particular interest and passion for children learning in the natural environment and recognises this is an area of her curriculum she can develop even further.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Parents are kept well informed about their children's progress and are encouraged to ensure that their children regularly attend. The childminder provides a routine that is familiar to the children and one in which they feel emotionally safe and secure. She frequently takes children on visits in the local community so that children meet a range of different people. They attend forest school sessions and regularly go on outings to special places of interest so children learn more about the area in which they live.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder places a high priority on her own professional development. She frequently updates her knowledge and skills by attending webinars, networking with other early years professionals and reading widely. She is very well informed about upcoming changes to early years foundation stage legislation, particularly around safer sleep practice, and has already discussed the implications of these changes with parents.

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

Children are naturally curious from the moment they arrive. The childminder encourages this inquisitive mindset, knowing how well it prepares them for future learning. Children are excited to explore activities. They move around the childminder's home and garden with ease and know exactly where their favourite resources are stored. This helps them to feel settled and safe.

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

Children benefit from extremely secure, trusting relationships with the childminder. The childminder has a nurturing character and is very in tune with children's different needs. She promotes their social skills well. Younger children learn to share and take turns from an early age, helping to instil this positive behaviour. Children's language development is given high priority. Children hear many words as they play. The childminder sings songs and rhymes. She reads stories, and introduces new vocabulary during focused activities. For instance, during an activity in the garden, the childminder reinforced the different names of the minibeast pictures they could see. Children attempt to copy these words and show really positive progress in building and extending their vocabulary.

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

Children's levels of understanding are good. For instance, when the childminder asks them to find their shoes and splash suits, they immediately go and find them. As the childminder has been working hard on supporting children's independence, they immediately attempt to put them on by themselves and do not wait for help. This shows how keen children are to support their own learning. Children demonstrate a real 'can-do' attitude and a strong determination to do things independently. These skills support them well for future learning.

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

The childminder identifies children's needs swiftly and strives to provide a fully inclusive experience. She works closely with families to identify any known barriers to children's learning or other factors that may make them disadvantaged. The childminder goes above

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About this setting

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

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Facts and figures used on inspection

and beyond in her role to make sure every child reaches their full potential and is prepared well for their journey on to school.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of all children, including those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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. 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. 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 .

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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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