Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY552736 Registered with Ofsted: 13/03/2018 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder sets high expectations for children's behaviour and acts as a positive role model. Children understand routines and boundaries, which helps them manage their feelings effectively. The childminder builds warm, trusting relationships with children, helping them feel secure and ready to learn. She regularly praises children, enabling all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to grow in confidence.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder promotes a strong culture of respect throughout the setting. She resolves the infrequent minor disagreements quickly and effectively. For example, children need minimal reminders that snatching is unacceptable. They know how to apologise and rebuild friendships. The calm, harmonious atmosphere supports children in developing positive attitudes to learning. Children independently choose activities and remain absorbed in their play. For example, they play collaboratively together with the dolls' house, talking about where to place the dolls and furniture.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

During games, children show that they understand sharing and taking turns. Children play cooperatively with one another. For example, children take turns throwing and catching a ball. At mealtimes, children use good manners. For instance, they say 'please' when the childminder offers additional portions of fruit and 'thank you' when they receive them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder responds promptly to unexplained absences. She contacts parents to confirm a child's whereabouts and ensure that the child is safe. This approach helps parents understand the importance of regular attendance to enable children to gain maximum benefit from the learning experiences available.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder prioritises children's welfare and wellbeing. She responds sensitively to children's individual needs and builds warm, secure relationships with them. Children who are new to the setting benefit from a personalised approach that helps them settle quickly into the new environment. The childminder organises the setting effectively and maintains a safe, hygienic environment. This helps children feel valued and enables them to find the resources they want for their play independently. The childminder provides regular opportunities for children to visit the local park and woods, where they climb and run, helping to develop their physical skills. In the garden, children excitedly chase bubbles in the fresh air.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children understand how to manage their personal hygiene and health. They know they must wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating. The childminder maintains children's privacy during all aspects of personal care, which strengthens children's trust. Children know that fruit and vegetables help them stay healthy and that apples and carrots support good dental health. The childminder adapts procedures to meet the needs of children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning. The childminder identifies additional needs promptly and responds without delay. The childminder creates social and engaging mealtimes. Children chat with the childminder and any assistants she works with about past experiences, such as picking fruit from the

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Expected standard

garden. The childminder provides children with a nutritious diet and meets their dietary needs effectively.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make steady progress from their starting points across all areas of learning in the early years foundation stage framework. They approach learning positively and particularly enjoy listening to stories and choosing books. Children engage well with stories: they identify characters, understand the sequence of events, select the correct character from a story sack at the appropriate point, follow text from left to right and take turns turning pages. As they settle into routines, children become more confident, observe others and begin to interact with their peers.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children demonstrate an early understanding of mathematical language and concepts. They recognise that balls and bubbles share the same shape and identify other common shapes, including squares and triangles. They also match quantities to numbers accurately, for example, by finding 2 tubes of pasta when asked.

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Achievement Expected standard

Overall, children are well prepared for the next stage of their education, including school. They develop self-care skills, such as feeding themselves and using the toilet, and demonstrate growing independence. Children show emotional security through improving concentration and positive interactions with others. However, their progress remains secure rather than strong because learning experiences do not always build precisely on what children already know and can do to further extend their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has developed a curriculum that reflects the children's interests. She has carefully considered the needs of babies and younger children who are not yet able to communicate their preferences verbally. The childminder places particular emphasis on communication and language development, recognising its importance to children's overall development. She speaks clearly and positions herself at the child's level, enabling the child to observe her mouth movements. She also models actions for babies, including playing peek-a-boo, rolling balls and making sounds, and uses simple commentary to connect these actions with their outcomes.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching and adaptations reflect children's experiences at home, supporting consistency in routines and approaches to learning and care. Indoor sensory activities, such as exploring dried pasta, help children to identify colours and develop early mathematical skills. For example, children respond accurately when asked, 'Can you find two tubes of pasta?'

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is responsive, particularly during story reading, when children remain fully engaged. However, the childminder does not establish sufficiently precise learning intentions. Opportunities to extend children's learning through sustained dialogue or variations in activities, such as role play or inventing alternative events within a story, are limited. Children have access to the garden, but it is not used effectively to provide varied sensory experiences or support their interest in the natural world. For example, children observe bees on flowers with considerable interest, but this is not developed through closer observation or exploration of other creatures in the garden.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has completed special educational needs coordinator training and plans for any assistants she works with to undertake similar training. She has the knowledge required to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or other barriers to learning. The childminder understands the importance of early identification and targeted support to help children achieve their potential. She has high expectations of what children can achieve with the correct support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

When children start at the setting, the childminder liaises with parents to establish each child's interests and preferences. This helps children settle quickly into the setting. The childminder uses this information to reduce barriers to learning for all children. The childminder is aware of children in her setting who may have SEND or other barriers to learning. She observes children as they play to identify individual needs and liaises with parents to discuss support and strategies to help them grow in confidence. Where necessary, the childminder seeks advice and support from external professionals.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder adapts care routines, including sleep times, feeding and nappy changing, to reflect routines at home and provide consistency for each child. She offers comfort and reassurance when needed, helping children feel safe and secure in the setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder sets high expectations for children and aims to ensure that they have an enjoyable experience each day. She works collaboratively with any assistants to provide a stable and consistent approach to learning. The childminder recognises that strong relationships between herself, children and their wider families are a key strength of the setting. The childminder reflects on practice and identifies areas for improvement. She has increased opportunities for children to choose their own resources and activities, which helps children develop their ideas and creativity.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or other barriers to learning, can access activities. However, the childminder acknowledges that they do not make full use of the outdoor space to help children explore the natural world or engage in a wide range of sensory activities outside, such as playing with mud. She also recognises that she does not always help children build on what they already know and can do.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder's assistant values the daily discussions with the childminder about what has worked well and what needs improvement. The childminder and her assistant reflect on their practice together and discuss further improvements to their practice. The childminder provides ongoing training and plans further training in SEND. The childminder builds effective partnerships with parents. She communicates with parents verbally each day and uses an individual commentary on an app for each family, to which both parents and the childminder contribute. The childminder ensures that all mandatory training is in place and manages workloads effectively.

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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 feel safe, happy and confident in the childminder's home. They chat with each other and with the childminder with obvious pleasure. They form positive and trusting relationships. Children and babies seek comfort from the childminder and any assistants she works with. For example, they snuggle together to listen to stories. Children follow established routines. For example, they sit on the step to remove their shoes independently and wash their hands before eating. They play amicably together, chasing bubbles in the wind and laughing with delight. The setting feels harmonious and calm.

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

The childminder has high expectations of children's behaviour. Children clearly understand how to take turns as they engage in ball games with the childminder. Babies explore different textures and practice rolling the balls. They smile at the noises they make when they shake rattles. The childminder provides nutritious meals that benefit children. Children understand which foods are healthy and which are not. They use simple tools, such as cutlery, which help prepare them for school or the next phase of their education.

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

The childminder knows the children well. Since the previous inspection, the childminder has introduced a curriculum that follows children's interests and supports them to follow their ideas. Children request stories and collaboratively choose a favourite story sack. They listen with interest to the story and find character toys as they appear in the story. The childminder includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), or other barriers to learning, in all aspects of provision.

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

Parents, including those whose children have SEND or other barriers to learning, speak very positively about the service offered by the childminder. They appreciate the regular communication between themselves, external professionals, the childminder and other settings children attend, including school. This communication helps all children, including those who may have barriers to learning, make the progress they are capable of. Parents feel confident that their children are safe and happy.

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Next steps

The childminder should refine children's next steps and use these to make more effective use of the outside area, especially in developing a wider range of sensory experiences and the natural world. The childminder should consider how she can enhance activities to consistently build on what children already know and can do to extend children's ideas and thinking.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistant, parents and children during the inspection.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:00

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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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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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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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