Runter, Catherine

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2503361 Registered with Ofsted: 22/03/2019 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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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder is highly committed to identifying and responding to children's individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Through effective assessment, she is prompt to recognise when children would benefit from additional support to address gaps in their learning and development. The childminder skilfully devises personalised plans with clear targets that focus on specific areas of children's learning. She shares these with parents and has very effective arrangements to provide clear information to other relevant professionals, should the need arise. The progress of children with SEND is monitored closely to ensure that they receive the support they need to progress well and to prepare them for the next stage of their education.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder carefully considers the planning of adult-led activities. She ensures that all children, including those with SEND, are able to fully take part and benefit from the intended learning. For example, the childminder builds in flexibility for children to use their favourite toys in activities to encourage them to join in.

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Achievement Expected standard

Typically, all children, including those who face potential barriers to their learning, progress well from their individual starting points. They join in activities enthusiastically and become motivated, independent learners. Children excitedly explore their environment and learn to play cooperatively with others. These skills combine to provide children with a secure foundation for their future lives.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are happy, secure and settled. They make good use of humour to engage with others. Children use their newly acquired vocabulary with increasing confidence. They begin to count and to understand some mathematical ideas, such as learning about sizes and different colours.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children enjoy physical play outdoors and, over time, develop the skills they need to move with coordination and control. They show pride in their achievements and listen well to instructions and reminders, helping them to understand how to keep themselves safe.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has very effective arrangements to settle children when they first start. Her friendly, supportive manner helps children to form trusting relationships, and they approach her readily for support or attention.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder organises her week effectively to provide children with a balance of outings and activities in her home. She provides a flexible but clear routine during the day and explains this well to children. This successfully adds to children's sense of security as they begin to recognise what is going to happen next.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children develop positive attitudes to learning and behave well for their ages and stages of development. They learn to share and take turns as they play and, with the support of the childminder, begin to understand and manage their emotions. The childminder provides support and guidance that reflects the individual behaviours, ages and abilities of each child.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of children attending regularly so that they can benefit as fully as possible from her curriculum. She also has effective arrangements to follow up on any unexplained absences to promote children's safety.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children play in an environment that is thoughtfully organised to promote their independence while also keeping them safe. For example, for much of the day, children are free to choose whether they want to play indoors or in the garden. The childminder works effectively with her co-childminder to ensure that children are always appropriately supervised.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder follows the up-to-date guidance on safe sleep practices. She liaises with parents to understand each child's individual sleep habits and recognises the signs that they are becoming tired. The arrangements to promote children's safety when eating are equally effective. The childminder ensures that children's food is cut up and that they do not leave the table with food in their mouth, to reduce the risk of choking. She promotes healthy eating by providing nutritious snacks and giving parents information about what constitutes a healthy lunch box.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder teaches children the skills they need to manage their personal hygiene. For example, as she provides an activity to wash dolls, she encourages children to use a flannel to wash each part of the body. She talks about the importance of using soap and of drying the 'babies' properly. Children also enjoy squirting toothpaste onto a brush. However, the childminder is not fully consistent in helping children to establish habits, such as handwashing before meals, to routinely apply these skills in their everyday life.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder builds a broad curriculum that covers a range of age-appropriate themes. For example, children attend community events at Diwali to share experiences with their neighbours and learn about the lives and beliefs of others. The childminder also introduces a focus book, which she reads each day. She uses the topic in the book to plan other activities to extend children's learning. For example, children learn to recognise animals that are found in zoos, to say their names and to mimic the noises they make. The childminder introduces mathematical ideas as she encourages children to consider and compare the sizes of different animals.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

While the childminder promotes all areas of learning well overall, the curriculum for expressive arts and design receives slightly less focus. Children use their imaginations well as they engage in role play but have limited access to materials to encourage their artistic creativity. These experiences are generally restricted to adult-led activities and outings to groups. This does not fully support children to practise skills to enable them to express their creative ideas freely.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder reflects children's interests and differing abilities well in her activity planning. For example, she builds on their interest in dolls to promote personal hygiene. The childminder prepares all the resources that children will need to wash dolls and extends the activity by introducing tooth brushing. Her skilled interaction extends children's learning and enjoyment.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works effectively alongside a co-childminder. She makes effective use of a second registered provider in her home to support in the supervision of children and in the successful implementation of activities. The childminder is committed to completing ongoing training and has recently completed a relevant degree to enhance her knowledge and understanding. She keeps up to date with changes to legislation and adapts her provision to ensure that she always complies with new requirements. The childminder understands her responsibility to notify Ofsted of any significant events or changes to the suitability of those living or working in her home.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Overall, the childminder organises her provision effectively, including care arrangements and her learning curriculum. She has high expectations for children and tailors her practices to meet their individual needs. Her careful assessment and monitoring of children's progress help the childminder to identify any emerging gaps in learning and/or development at the earliest opportunity. The support for children with potential barriers to learning, including special educational needs and/or disabilities, is a strength of the childminder's provision.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Partnerships with parents are effective. The childminder promotes an open two-way flow of information to provide consistency for children. Parents feed back very positively about the service the childminder provides. They particularly praise her settling-in arrangements and the range of activities she provides.

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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 form trusting bonds with the childminder and thoroughly enjoy the time they spend in her care. The warm, friendly atmosphere supports all children, including the youngest and those who are new to the setting, to feel confident and secure. They settle quickly and begin to understand the routines and boundaries. They pay attention to instructions and gentle reminders, helping them to behave well and to understand what is going to happen next. For example, all children sit sensibly to eat and listen to the childminder as she ensures they do not leave the table while they have food in their mouths.

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

Typically, children progress well and become motivated learners. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from very precise and coordinated support. All children develop positive self-esteem as the childminder recognises and celebrates their unique personalities and learning needs.

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

Children confidently explore the environment and choose the games they want to play. The outdoor space is particularly popular. Children engage in a lot of physical play, developing control and coordination as they use the resources, including a slide. They also join in very enthusiastically with activities planned by the childminder. For example, all children have fun during an activity to wash and care for dolls. They concentrate for a long time and learn specific vocabulary to support their early communication and language.

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

With the support of the childminder, children develop very positive social skills. For example, they learn how to share, take turns and to understand and manage their emotions. Children play happily alongside others. They begin to make friendships as they create games, such

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About this setting

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

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Facts and figures used on inspection

as jumping up and shouting, to make each other laugh. Overall, they are supported well to gain the skills and knowledge they need to progress in their education.

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Next steps

The childminder should further enhance the opportunities for children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials to promote their artistic awareness and creativity. The childminder should review and strengthen some aspects of the routine to more consistently reinforce the support given to children about health and hygiene.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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. 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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