Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2790904 Registered with Ofsted: 15/08/2024 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 Expected standard

Children happily explore the purposeful environment and confidently follow their own ideas in play. They demonstrate curiosity as they pour and tip water and explore how water moves. Children develop their physical skills as they have a go on the see-saw, developing their balance and coordination. They confidently share their ideas with the childminder and initiate games, demonstrating secure relationships and positive attitudes to play. Younger children are beginning to explore cause and effect. Children engage well in group activities. They join in tapping out the rhythm to songs, and eagerly anticipate which object is coming out of the box next.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children's personal, social and emotional development are well supported. They consistently follow the daily routine, and transition smoothly between activities with support tailored for their age and stage of development. As a result, children demonstrate that they feel secure and confident in the environment. This supports children to feel valuable and successful. Children are generally well prepared for their next stages of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has clear expectations for children's behaviour, and she explains why these are in place. She consistently reinforces these expectations, helping children to understand what is expected of them. The childminder is an excellent role model, and children generally respond quickly to her expectations. She supports children to share resources and develop positive relationships with their friends. When children grab toys from others, she intervenes sensitively and helps them to manage conflicts by modelling appropriate language for their age and stage of development. Children are learning to share, manage conflicts and develop positive relationships with others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has a routine in place that children are familiar with and confidently follow. She generally promotes children's independence. Children are encouraged to select resources and make choices about what they would like to play with. However, daily routines are not always used consistently to develop and embed children's independence. For example, the childminder sometimes completes tasks that children are capable of doing themselves, such as putting on their wellies and washing their hands. This limits opportunities for children to practise and develop their self-care skills independently.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder monitors children's attendance effectively and works closely with families to support consistent attendance. She provides flexibility and practical support with drop-off and collection arrangements where needed, helping to remove potential barriers and ensure that children attend regularly.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder creates a warm and nurturing environment where children feel safe, secure and valued. Children develop close relationships with the childminder, and she knows them well. She responds sensitively to their individual care and emotional needs. For example, when new children start, the childminder follows their routines from home and responds promptly when they become tired. She helps them to settle for sleep safely, helping them to feel secure and comfortable in their new environment.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides children with plenty of opportunities to be physically active in the garden, giving them regular access to fresh air and opportunities to develop their physical health and wellbeing. She works in partnership with parents and carers to understand children's dietary requirements. Children enjoy home-cooked meals tailored to their dietary needs, helping them feel secure and supporting healthy eating habits for all, including those with specific requirements.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has created a curriculum that supports children to grow and develop across all areas of learning. She is clear about what she wants children to learn and has created a purposeful environment for children to explore and practise skills appropriate to their age and stage of development. For example, younger children explore construction play as they connect and balance bricks, supporting their problem-solving skills. Older children enjoy role play, developing their imagination, engaging in conversations and playing cooperatively with others.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

When new children start at the setting, the childminder understands that they need additional support to engage in the activities on offer. She gets down to children's level and models ideas for children to have a go at trying. This helps children to feel secure and confident to explore new experiences and engage in play.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder uses regular observation and assessment to consider children's next steps, and generally plans opportunities to support them as individuals. She plans group activities that support children's listening and attention skills, preparing them for their eventual move to school.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder generally joins in with children's play and models mathematical language, such as 'tall', 'fast' and 'slow'. However, high-quality interactions are not yet consistently embedded. At times, children play alone without purposeful interactions from the childminder to extend their learning, develop their thinking or build on what they already know and can do. As a result, opportunities to deepen children's learning and extend their thinking are missed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents and carers to gain a secure understanding of children's starting points. She gathers information about children's interests, routines and experiences at home before they start. During the settling-in period, which is tailored to each child, she gathers further information through close observations and assessments. She uses this detailed knowledge to carefully consider what children can do and how best to support their learning and development. Swift action is taken to put appropriate support in place that reflects children's individual needs and interests. This helps children to settle confidently into her home and make continued progress from their individual starting points. The childminder regularly assesses children's development and identifies their next steps in learning. This helps her to identify any gaps in children's knowledge and understanding and

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Inclusion Expected standard

plan appropriate support to address these. She regularly shares updates with parents to keep them well informed about their children's learning journey.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has a secure understanding of inclusive practice. She knows how to adapt her curriculum and provision to meet the needs of individual children, ensuring that all children can participate fully and make progress. For example, when children are new to the setting, she offers support and explanations to help them participate in group activities and become familiar with the routines in place.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder values parents and carers and the important role they have in their child's development. She communicates regularly with parents about their child's development, emerging needs and daily experiences. The childminder shares information about children's achievements and planned learning. She shares ideas that children can continue at home, helping to promote consistency in children's learning and development between home and the setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands her responsibilities well. She considers the safer recruitment of, assesses the ongoing suitability of and supervises any assistants she works with to ensure that they are effective in their role. The childminder supports their wellbeing well. She checks in regularly with how they are feeling and ensures that they enjoy meals with the children and regular fresh air on outings with the children. The childminder is a positive role model for any assistants that she works with and offers a mentoring programme to support their development. For example, she ensures that assistants have secure safeguarding knowledge and that mandatory training is up to date. However, the childminder has not yet fully identified priorities for developing her own expertise or for her wider professional development. This limits opportunities to further embed a culture of continuous improvement. She does not consistently identify where teaching can be strengthened to

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

further support children's learning and development.

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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 are happy and settled in the childminder's home. They enjoy an array of activities as they explore the environment both indoors and outdoors. Older children think of their own ideas and initiate games with adults, such as hide and seek. As adults count, children quietly crawl and hide under the table, beaming with excitement. Children demonstrate secure and positive relationships as they invite others into their play. Younger children explore the activities on offer with curiosity. They roll cars down pipes and show fascination as they watch to see where they land. Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning as they remain highly engaged in water play. They confidently fill up watering cans with water and choose to water the plants in the garden.

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

Children generally behave well and respond positively to the clear expectations set by the childminder. They are familiar with the daily routine and transition confidently between activities, including when routines change. Children show a sense of belonging in the setting. For example, they are delighted to find their photo on their place mat at mealtimes, recognising this as a familiar part of their daily routine. Children who are new to the setting are well supported to join in with the daily routine.

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

Children make steady progress from their individual starting points. They develop their fine motor skills through a range of purposeful activities. For example, they make marks with chalk, use tongs to pick up natural objects in the outdoor kitchen area and carefully balance

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Nottinghamshire County Council balls on cones to create pretend ice creams. These experiences help children develop increasing control, coordination and precision in their hand movements.

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Next steps

The childminder should refine the quality of interactions with children in order to embed higher-quality teaching consistently. The childminder should consistently allow children to practise their independence before providing support, so that they learn to do things for themselves. The childminder should strengthen professional learning opportunities to enhance her skills and knowledge even further.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistants 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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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. 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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