Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2792223 Registered with Ofsted: 17/07/2024 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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Achievement Strong standard

Children thrive in this rich and engaging environment. They demonstrate sustained focus on their learning and show an eagerness to explore the opportunities set out. Children make excellent progress with their fine motor skills. They use rollers to make patterns in sand and practise using scissors, building strength and coordination in their hands. Outdoors, they confidently use a range of equipment, developing their balance and coordination as they walk along beams and balance on stepping stones. Children communicate confidently and use a wide range of language. They engage enthusiastically in story sessions, using props to recall familiar words, identify animals and imitate animal sounds. Through meaningful play, children develop their early mathematical understanding as they compare the sizes of blocks. They predict which are bigger or smaller, and work out how to balance and stack them.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children are extremely well prepared for their transition to school. They develop an understanding of what school will be like through discussions about school routines, uniforms and their new experiences. Children are well supported to develop the independence, confidence and emotional resilience they need to make a positive start at school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder consistently promotes children's resilience and confidence. She actively encourages them to persevere and keep trying, using positive praise to recognise their efforts. This successfully enables children to have positive attitudes towards their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder acts as a positive role model and has high expectations for children's behaviour and attitudes towards their learning. She responds promptly and sensitively when difficulties arise and provides clear guidance to help children learn how to play positively alongside their peers. Children quickly develop these skills, and as a result form successful friendships and play harmoniously together. The childminder promotes positive mealtime behaviours, encouraging children to use good manners, such as 'please and thank you', and communicate their needs confidently.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Routines are well established and inclusive, with children showing a clear understanding of what is expected. Everyday routines, such as snack time and tidying away toys, help children develop a sense of responsibility. Children respond positively to guidance and show pride when completing simple tasks independently. Effective attendance systems are in place. The childminder maintains a daily register and follows up absences appropriately. She understands the importance of regular attendance in supporting children's learning and development.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder provides a broad and rich curriculum that supports children to make significant progress in their learning and development. She meticulously plans a range of

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Expected standard

activities that precisely support children's individual learning needs. Regular communication with parents and carers provides information about children's interests and experiences at home, which informs planning and next steps. Her responsive approach enables children to build on what they already know through purposeful play.

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Expected standard

The childminder uses her expert knowledge to provide high-quality interactions. She effectively adapts activities to meet children's individual needs and provides additional learning experiences for children who are more advanced. She ensures that learning opportunities are appropriate for each child's age and stage of development. The childminder provides an abundance of opportunities to help children think critically. She gives children time to think, respond and solve problems, such as working out how to open containers to access toys. Children's emotional skills are nurtured with patience. They learn to play alongside each other as the childminder gently guides them to take turns. Experiences such as attending local playgroups provide further opportunities for children to develop social skills.

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Expected standard

The childminder fully supports children's communication and language. Stories are brought to life through props as children recall the words for animals, such as 'snake' and 'monkey'. Children use complex language to communicate their feelings, needs and wants. Children develop mathematical understanding through meaningful play. They compare the sizes of blocks and explore shape, rotating and assembling pizza slices to create a whole pizza. These experiences develop children's problem-solving and mathematical thinking.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of promoting children's welfare and wellbeing and has appropriate policies and procedures in place to support this. She builds warm, responsive relationships, knows children's individual routines and responds promptly to their needs for comfort and reassurance. Children confidently seek support and settle well in her care, helping them feel safe and emotionally secure. Settling-in sessions help children become familiar with the environment and develop secure relationships before they start. The childminder gathers key information about children's routines, allergies, preferences and individual needs to provide appropriate support from the outset.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder promotes children's safety effectively. She completes risk assessments and maintains a safe environment. She supervises children closely and provides clear guidance to support safe play and use of equipment. For example, she encourages children to ride cars on suitable surfaces and models how to use cutters safely. This supports children to develop confidence and independence in a safe environment.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder promotes children's independence and healthy routines effectively. Children are offered a range of fresh fruit and accessible drinking water and are encouraged to make choices and prepare their food using child-friendly knives. They confidently follow positive self-care and hygiene routines, including washing and drying their hands independently before eating. The childminder supports children to develop independence with toileting while consistently maintaining their dignity and privacy. Through role play, she also supports children's understanding of oral health, encouraging them to talk about brushing their teeth and using toothpaste. However, she does not yet consistently explain how healthy choices and self-care routines benefit children's bodies and wellbeing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder promotes an inclusive environment where children feel valued, included and supported to participate fully. She works closely with parents and carers to identify any barriers to children's learning and development and discusses concerns openly to agree appropriate strategies. For example, she works collaboratively with parents to support children with developing independence during routines such as toilet training.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder typically ensures activities are accessible to children of different ages and abilities. She considers how experiences can be adapted so that all children can participate. The childminder reflects on the activities she provides, considering whether any barriers may have affected children's engagement and how these can be removed. She uses practical strategies, such as simple language and clear instructions, to support children to understand and participate successfully. The childminder maintains effective communication with parents, who share information about children's appointments and involvement with external professionals. She also works collaboratively with other settings children attend, sharing relevant information and supporting consistency in children's learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a clear passion for her work. She leads the setting with clear purpose, providing a well-organised, nurturing environment where children make secure progress. She regularly reflects on her practice, considering how routines, activities and interactions support children's learning and wellbeing. This reflective approach enables her to make informed improvements and ensure that the provision continues to meet children's individual and changing needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a positive commitment to ongoing professional development. She ensures that mandatory training is complete and has carried out some additional training. However, she does not consistently seek other professional development opportunities to embed her knowledge and develop her practice even further. The childminder develops secure partnerships with parents and carers from the outset. She offers settling-in sessions and provides reassurance as children become familiar with the setting. Parents receive daily feedback about their children's experiences, learning and development. The childminder also encourages children to share their achievements with parents, helping them recognise and celebrate their progress. Parents contribute information about their children's interests, ensuring that experiences remain responsive and personalised. Parents speak highly of the childminder, describing her as professional,

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

accommodating and flexible. They value the safe, caring and supportive environment she provides, where their children thrive.

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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 experience a warm and inviting home-from-home environment. They arrive happy and settled and benefit from nurturing relationships with the childminder. Children are confident in the childminder's care. They readily engage in play and confidently welcome visitors. Children enjoy an inviting environment where they feel comfortable to explore, make choices and develop their independence. They enjoy a range of activities and remain engaged as they follow their interests and develop new skills. For example, they learn colours as they sort toys into categories and scoop balls into small, coloured pots. Children confidently recall colours such as 'red' and 'yellow'.

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

Children are developing their thinking, problem-solving skills and understanding of everyday safety. They confidently engage in imaginative role play as they make their own pizzas. They think about how they will cook their pizzas and share their ideas. Children consider how to keep themselves safe when handling hot food and recognise that they may need to use oven gloves. The childminder uses themes such as 'Under the Sea' to develop children's communication and language, introducing new vocabulary such as 'starfish'. Children create their own starfish to add to an underwater display, supporting their creativity, imagination and sense of achievement.

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

Children develop resilience and confidence as they play and learn. When children say, 'I can't do it,' the childminder encourages them to persevere and try again, using positive praise to recognise their efforts. She supports children to share and responds promptly and sensitively when difficulties arise. Children learn to play cooperatively and develop positive relationships with others.

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

The childminder uses the local community to broaden children's experiences. Children visit local parks and libraries and take part in experiences such as strawberry picking. They visit lavender fields and enjoy collecting natural materials, such as wildflowers, which they use in further activities, including flower pressing. The childminder appropriately risk assesses outings to ensure children's safety. These experiences help children develop their social skills and understanding of the wider community.

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Next steps

The childminder should further support children's understanding of how healthy eating and self-care routines can benefit their bodies and wellbeing. The childminder should access further professional development opportunities to strengthen and embed her knowledge, ensuring consistently high-quality practice across all areas.

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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.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:30

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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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