Leighton, Natasha Kay

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2809792 Registered with Ofsted: 02/01/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR

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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

All children typically make positive progress through the curriculum and develop skills over time, including their social skills and communication skills. They grow increasingly in their confidence to meet their learning goals. This demonstrates steady development from children's varied starting points and supports children as they progress to their next stage of development. All children independently make choices about what they would like to play with and explore. This supports the development of their self-confidence and independence.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children have opportunities to learn about the world around them. For example, they learn that when they rub shaving foam into the wooden steps to the garden, it disappears. However, at times, children do not always benefit from focused, high-quality interactions to further enhance and embed learning experiences. Children typically develop their physical skills well. For example, they hold pencils to make meaningful marks and use the strength in their hands and arms to pull off their wellies when they come inside from the garden. However, opportunities for younger babies to develop their physical skills through their own movement are not always consistently promoted. This means that they may not make progress as swiftly as they could.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder, and any assistants who work with her, create a calm and welcoming environment, where children understand clear and regular routines and behaviours. Children demonstrate an embedded understanding of the daily routines. For example, they know to wash their hands before eating. Older children choose their seats at the table, while younger children sit in suitable high chairs. The childminder and any assistants are positive role models for all children as they model polite manners and praise children when their manners are used. This promotes kindness and respect within the setting. Furthermore, the childminder and any assistants actively use positive reinforcement to support effective behaviour. They typically commend children's efforts and achievements. This encourages children to develop perseverance and feel pride in their accomplishments.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are interested in the activities and learning provided. They willingly participate and positively engage with each other. For example, they play collaboratively as they take turns to post 3D shapes in the correct slot. The childminder engages with parents to promote regular attendance. She communicates the importance and benefits of this when children first start.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder, and any assistants who work with her, develop a positive, nurturing space, where all children are welcomed into their care. This is evident as all children are happy, settled and demonstrate they feel comfortable in the environment. Warm and trusting relationships are built upon and children seek comfort and reassurance when needed. Children follow effective hygiene routines. They are taught about germs and how to wash them away so they do not become poorly. This enhances children's understanding of the importance of washing their hands before eating. Children enjoy healthy snacks and balanced lunches. Mealtimes are generally used to develop social interactions. For example, they talk about what they are eating and their opinions of the taste of their snack. The childminder and any assistants closely supervise children to ensure they remain safe during play, meals and sleep.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder typically promotes children's physical health and wellbeing effectively throughout the day. Children enjoy physical play experiences, such as climbing and sliding. Children develop their independence. For example, they pull down the zips on their boots to remove their shoes before coming inside and find their own sleep mat ready for sleep time.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder focuses the curriculum on children's personal interests. For example, the childminder weaves children's interests into areas of learning to aid engagement and, therefore, skill development. There is a focus on developing children's physical skills. For example, children develop their fine motor skills and hand–eye coordination as they pick up blocks and skilfully stack them onto the pole. Children benefit from regular access to fresh air outdoors. They develop their gross motor skills as they use the strength in their arms to climb up the slide. Babies' physical development is supported, although this is not always consistently promoted across all experiences. For example, babies are not consistently encouraged to move independently to access resources, limiting opportunities to develop skills, such as crawling. Children develop a love of stories. The childminder, and any assistants, regularly share stories with children, helping them to develop their listening skills

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

and concentration as they engage with books.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children are supported to develop their mathematical knowledge and skills. Mathematical language is woven throughout interactions to broaden children's understanding of mathematical concepts. For example, the childminder and any assistants provide opportunities to develop children's shape knowledge as they sort 3D shapes and match them successfully to pictures. The childminder uses interactions to draw children's attention to their learning. However, the childminder does not consistently use high-quality interactions to enhance experiences and embed knowledge. As a result, opportunities to extend and deepen children's development may occasionally be missed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder provides an inclusive environment for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those with additional barriers to learning. Although no children with SEND currently attend, she demonstrates a secure understanding of how to meet children's individual needs. For example, she can confidently explain how she would use the graduated approach to assess each child's needs and provide tailored support to enable their success.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder promotes inclusion throughout her setting by ensuring that activities, the environment, and the level of support are appropriately adapted to meet each child's individual needs. The childminder demonstrates a dedication to sustaining an inclusive environment through completing regular training, for example, in Makaton. This supports children's communication and language development. She has professional working relationships with external professionals, such as speech and language therapists. This ensures that her setting will provide tailored support for children and parents will receive relevant support and guidance.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a dedication to getting to know and understand each child as an individual. For example, she ensures activities and resources are available that spark children's interests and encourage their participation. This inclusive approach helps all children feel valued, respected and supported. This enables them to engage confidently in their learning, which fosters a sense of belonging for all.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder knows the children in her care well. The childminder places an emphasis on building positive relationships with parents and carers. She shares information regularly through the online app and communication books that provide individualised information about each child. This helps parents stay informed about their child's experiences, learning and development. The childminder is passionate about her roles and responsibilities. She ensures that all required training is kept fully up to date. She also regularly attends further training to continue her professional development. Funding is used appropriately to ensure equal opportunities are provided for all children. The childminder demonstrates her commitment to supporting all children equally at her setting. For example, she identifies that she would like to complete further training to support children from dual language families. This will enable her to further support the individual needs of children at the setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder typically supports any assistants well by having regular supervision meetings, supporting wellbeing and workload and offering training opportunities. Parents and carers say they are extremely happy with the progress their child is making at the setting. They say they feel well informed and receive regular updates on the app or during drop offs and pickups. Parents comment that the childminder is very supportive of what they do at home and reflects this in the setting to ensure consistency. They mention that they love reading the communication book at the end of the day to see what their child has been doing.

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

Children experience a calm, welcoming and inclusive environment, where they feel valued, respected and supported as individuals. They are encouraged to make independent choices about what they would like to play with and explore, helping them to develop confidence, independence and a positive sense of themselves. Children benefit from a curriculum that reflects their individual interests, helping them to remain engaged and motivated in their learning. They have regular opportunities to develop their physical skills, both indoors and outdoors, as they climb, build, make marks and develop their hand strength and coordination. They enjoy sharing stories with the childminder and any assistants who work with her, supporting their listening, concentration and enjoyment of books.

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

Children develop their understanding of mathematics through everyday play and interactions. For example, they compare the size of the berries they eat during snack time. They also have opportunities to explore and understand the world around them through sensory experiences. For example, they make dinosaur footprints in shaving foam and explore the shapes they create. Children generally make positive progress from their individual starting points and develop important communication, social and learning skills over time. Children understand the setting's clear and consistent routines and respond positively to the warm and respectful approach of the adults. They know what is expected of them and are praised for their efforts, achievements and polite manners. This helps children to develop perseverance, confidence and pride in what they can do. They enjoy playing alongside and with others and are supported to develop positive relationships, kindness and

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About this setting

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

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About this setting

Local authority: Staffordshire Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with additional needs would be welcomed and supported through an inclusive approach. Overall, children feel secure, happy and included in the setting. They are given opportunities to lead their own play and learning, develop their independence and build new skills.

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Next steps

The childminder should consistently use high-quality interactions to extend, embed and enhance children's learning experiences. The childminder should provide further opportunities to enhance the physical development of younger babies.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistants, children and parents 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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