Clarke, Samantha Jane

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2815212 Registered with Ofsted: 06/01/2025 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 are highly impressive in their self-care from a young age. They confidently put their shoes on and fasten them ready to play outside. Children know the routines exceptionally well. They walk to the bathroom to wash their hands before mealtimes and after playing outside. Young children are highly independent and skilful in their own abilities.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children thrive in their communication and language skills. They sing and dance along to a vast array of songs. Furthermore, they show a keen interest in stories as they listen intently and turn the pages. This supports children's developing vocabulary and literacy skills. Children are developing excellent physical skills. They strengthen their core muscles in their bodies, refining their balance as they become confident walkers. Children develop the muscles in the hands as they take part in creative activities. Children are kind and warm in their interactions with each other and the childminder. All children, including children who may face barriers in their learning, are prepared excellently for their next stage of learning, including school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has high expectations of children's behaviour. She is nurturing in her approach and has developed secure relationships with the children and their families. The childminder seamlessly instils calmness across her setting, as she listens and follows young children's interests across her expertly planned environment. The childminder is an excellent role model who plays alongside children and gently teaching young children how to take turns. As such, children pass each other different tools as they scoop rice into different- coloured containers.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder consistently helps children to learn the routines of the day. Children are confident and settled in the childminder's home. The childminder is an expert at supporting children's emotions. For example, she creates a calm reading tent for children to relax and talk about how they feel. She ensures that children's favourite stories are at hand to swiftly help them settle in the inspiring environment. This helps all children, including those with special educational needs/or disabilities, develop their positive attitudes learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder shares her expectations of children's regular attendance at her setting before they start. This helps parents to understand the importance of children's regular attendance and the procedures to follow if their children are unable to attend. This helps keep children safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places children's welfare and wellbeing at the heart of her practice. From the outset, she works with families to gather a wealth of information about children's care routines at home and their individual needs. This helps her plan individualised settling-in sessions for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to develop their trust and relationship with the childminder. The childminder consistently embeds her routines and expectations of behaviour. She uses these opportunities to remind children how to keep themselves safe, such as placing their shoes together away from the door to prevent tripping. The childminder encourages young children to use cutlery as they enjoy their healthy lunches. They know to wash their hands after mealtimes before returning to their chosen play. Children develop a deep sense of responsibility and pride as they take part in all aspects of their care.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder takes children on an abundance of planned trips in the local and wider community. Children have ample opportunities to develop their physical and social skills. For instance, younger children develop their core muscles to support their walking, and older children develop the small muscles in their hands in readiness for later learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has an excellent knowledge of how children learn and develop. She provides a highly ambitious curriculum that covers all areas of learning and consistently builds on what children know and can do. The childminder has clear intentions for children's learning in all aspects of their day. This ensures that children are prepared for their next stage, such as school, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder places high priority on children's personal, social and independence skills. She weaves in every opportunity to teach children new skills. For example, young children are encouraged to fasten their shoes before play outside. The childminder plays alongside children in the engaging activities, promoting sharing and age-appropriate conversations between children. This helps them develop their friendships and social skills. The childminder weaves in counting and uses mathematical language as children play. This helps children learn the concept of numerary for later learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder's high quality interactions with children help children to become confident communicators. Her natural but precise teaching helps children to develop their early vocabulary, as the childminder uses every opportunity to broaden their knowledge and speech. For example, young children point to a bumble bee flying. This leads to a simple yet highly effective conversation about bees.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or children who may face barriers to their learning and development, receive exceptional support. The childminder demonstrates a robust approach to identifying and assessing children's individual needs. She consistently completes an abundance of observations and assessments of children's progress to identify where there are any gaps in their learning. This helps her to swiftly identify any training to deepen her knowledge to support children's precise next steps of learning. The childminder and any assistants she works with have furthered their knowledge on how to support children's communication and language. This graduated approach ensures that any adaptions within the curriculum are implemented consistently and effectively to support children's early communication.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder completes the statutory progress check for children aged between 2 and 3 years. These comprehensive assessments help her track children's development. The childminder knows how to seek advice and make referrals to other professionals. This helps ensure that children receive the support and early help they may need. The childminder has excellent understanding of the local services available to support children and signposts parents to any additional funding that children may be entitled.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is highly reflective and committed to her ongoing improvement. She consistently reviews her practice with other childcare professionals and seeks out opportunities for professional development.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder undertakes a wealth of training to further her inspiring practice. She precisely identifies training to the evolving needs of the children. For instance, she has accessed courses to further deepen her knowledge and any assistants she may work with to enhance the support for children's communication and language. This enabled her to adapt her teaching to meet the needs of the children she cares for. Furthermore, the childminder has continued to develop her knowledge to support children with any barriers to their learning or development. This means that she is can swiftly identify any gaps in children's learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder instils her high expectations with any assistants she may work with. For example, they have daily reflections and regular meetings to discuss how new learning can be embedded into daily routines. This helps to continually improve the learning outcomes for children.

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

Children flourish in the care of the nurturing and experienced childminder. They benefit from the personalised settling-in session, which helps children make secure attachments with the childminder. This helps them feel safe and confident to learn.

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

Children watch and listen in awe as they point to the sky and naturally occurring events. The childminder uses every opportunity to develop children's early speech. Children repeat words such as 'aeroplane' and 'bumble bee', making sense of the meaning. Older children sing and dance to familiar nursery rhymes and show a keen interest in stories, as they snuggle up to the childminder, listening intently. Children who may have barriers to learning benefit from the seamless adaptions to support their speech. This ensures that all children make rapid progress from their starting points.

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Inspector:

Kelly Lane Children take part in fun, planned activities that support their physical development. They recall familiar colours as they scoop and pour rice into to different-coloured containers. Children have a choice of various one-handed tools. This helps all children to succeed in their learning as they are encouraged to predict and count how many scoops they may need until the container is full. This supports children's early mathematics. Children recall caring for a hedgehog in the childminder's garden. They carefully place grains of rice in play dough as they create hedgehogs. This helps children develop an understanding of the world around them.

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Inspector:

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They are kind, and they play very well together as they take part in fun learning activities. Children listen well to the childminder who is calm and a positive role model as children play. This promotes an harmonious environment for children to learn and develop.

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Inspector:

Children learn about being healthy as they cut their chosen fruits for snack time. The childminder teaches them how to use children's knifes safely. Children learn about the benefits of healthy eating through stories and conversations. This helps children develop healthy habits for later life.

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Inspector:

The childminder has excellent relationships with parents and promotes punctuality and attendance at her setting. This helps all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make consistent progress in their learning and development.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of 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, children and parents and carers 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 : 07:00 - 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

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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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