Prickett, Lee-Ann

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2808966 Registered with Ofsted: 06/12/2024 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder develops warm, positive relationships with all children. She works closely with parents to gain a thorough understanding of children's routines, interests and developmental needs. She uses this information effectively to provide tailored support that meets the children's individual needs. The childminder's sensitive and nurturing approach helps children settle swiftly and develop secure emotional attachments. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure in her care as they confidently explore their environment and seek reassurance from her or an assistant when needed.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder is an excellent role model, consistently demonstrating calm, kind and respectful behaviour. She uses praise effectively to recognise children's positive actions and encourage good behaviour. Through sensitive interactions, the childminder helps children develop an understanding of respect and kindness towards others. For example, she reminds children to use 'kind hands' and encourages them to consider how their actions may make their friends feel. Consequently, children develop positive relationships, show consideration for others and behave well.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder uses encouragement to help children develop a positive attitude to learning. Children remain engaged in activities for sustained periods and show a willingness to persevere when challenges arise. The childminder celebrates every small achievement, helping to build children's confidence and self-esteem. As a result, children are resilient learners who are eager to explore, try new things and take pride in their accomplishments.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder actively promotes the importance of regular attendance with families, helping to ensure that children attend consistently and benefit from continuity in their learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's wellbeing is at the heart of the childminder's practice. She is highly responsive to the changing needs of families and makes thoughtful adaptations to routines and care arrangements to support children during challenging periods in their lives.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder successfully promotes healthy lifestyles. Children benefit from regular visits to the allotment, where they learn about growing food and making healthy food choices. She extends this learning by sending home vegetables that children have grown and encouraging families to cook with them. Mealtimes are used effectively to reinforce healthy eating messages. Through discussion, children develop an understanding of healthy food choices and enthusiastically share what is in their lunch boxes.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder supports children to develop highly effective self-care skills and encourages them to become increasingly independent. Children learn from well-established hygiene routines, such as washing their hands after outdoor play and before meals. The childminder supports children to develop positive oral health habits. Through discussions, she helps children understand the importance of brushing their teeth every day and visiting the dentist.

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Expected standard

The childminder supports children to develop a robust understanding of how to keep themselves safe. She actively involves them in assessing risks during outings, helping them to recognise and understand potential hazards. For example, at the park, she discusses why certain equipment cannot be used when it is damaged and encourages children to think about how to stay safe. Children also learn important safety routines, such as holding hands on walks and following road safety rules.

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Expected standard

The childminder has a secure knowledge of current safe sleep guidance and implements this effectively. She carries out regular checks on sleeping children to help ensure their safety and wellbeing.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder quickly identifies when children may benefit from additional support and responds effectively to meet their needs. She ensures that support is increasingly well targeted to remove barriers to learning. For example, she has purchased additional transport to enable all children to access visits to the allotment, ensuring they can benefit from the rich learning experiences these outings provide. The childminder is highly responsive to changes in children's and families' circumstances. She consistently adapts routines and attendance arrangements to meet families' needs and support children's emotional wellbeing.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder works effectively with other professionals to implement targeted strategies that support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). She successfully implements specialist strategies, including physiotherapy exercises recommended by therapists to strengthen children's physical development. The childminder also proactively invites professionals into the setting to ensure children receive coordinated and effective support.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has a secure understanding of the graduated approach and uses this effectively to identify and address gaps in children's learning and development. As a result, children with SEND make excellent progress from their starting points. Parents speak highly of the significant progress their children have made and the positive impact this has had on their confidence.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically achieve well and are well prepared for the next stage in their development, including those who face barriers to learning. They develop a growing understanding of the natural world through a range of meaningful experiences. For example, children learn about how bees make honey and where they live, and use magnifying glasses to look for insects during visits to the park.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop their physical skills through a wide range of purposeful activities. For example, they use safety knives to chop vegetables they have harvested. Children further develop their hand–eye coordination as they use spray bottles to clean the vegetables. Regular outings to the park provide opportunities for children to build their gross motor skills as they climb, balance and negotiate large play equipment. Younger children eagerly participate alongside older children, benefiting from positive peer role models.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop their communication and language skills through meaningful interactions with the childminder. They engage in conversations, expressing their thoughts and experiences. Children use language to share what they know and have done. For example, they enthusiastically talk about their experiences of riding their scooters at the skate park, demonstrating their growing confidence as communicators.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder knows children well and has a clear understanding of what they need to learn next to support their ongoing development. She implements the curriculum effectively, helping all children to make typical progress from their starting points. The childminder places an emphasis on developing children's independence and preparing them for the next stage in their learning. For example, children learn to manage their own personal care routines, such as washing their hands, and develop self-help skills as they put on their coats and shoes before outings.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder uses effective questioning to extend children's thinking. She skilfully uses open-ended questions to encourage children to recall previous experiences. For instance, she prompts children to recall how seeds germinate and discusses the vegetables they have grown and harvested at the allotment. However, assistants do not consistently use purposeful questioning to check what children already know or to extend their thinking and learning. At times, interactions remain focused on completing the activity rather than building on children's knowledge and skills. The childminder does not monitor assistants' practice closely enough to identify and address these inconsistencies.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder fosters a love of books and stories. She carefully plans opportunities for children to develop their language skills through familiar stories, encouraging them to predict missing words and discuss the illustrations. This helps children to expand their vocabulary and develop their communication skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Mathematics is thoughtfully woven throughout the curriculum. For example, the childminder uses number rhymes to introduce mathematical language and early counting skills to younger children. Older children build on this learning as they roll dice, count the number of spots and compare the numbers they have rolled, identifying whether they are the same or different.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a clear understanding of her setting's strengths and areas for development and reflects on her practice to support continuous improvement. She maintains positive links with the local authority and makes effective use of available support and guidance to enhance the quality of the provision. The childminder is committed to her own professional development and regularly engages in training to enhance her knowledge and skills. She uses what she learns to reflect on and develop her practice, helping to improve outcomes for children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is committed to continually improving the quality of the provision and has established positive working relationships with assistants. However, she does not monitor, mentor and coach assistants' practice closely enough to identify where improvements are needed. This would help to ensure that effective teaching strategies, including the use of open-ended questioning to extend children's thinking, are implemented consistently and support children to make the best possible progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Assistants state that the childminder is supportive and attentive to their wellbeing. They report feeling valued and appreciated, contributing to a positive and collaborative working relationship.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder maintains open and professional communication with parents and carers. She works collaboratively with families and other professionals to help ensure children receive timely and appropriate support to meet their individual needs. Although the childminder works closely with parents, she does not consistently encourage all families to extend children's learning at home. Increasing opportunities for parents to extend learning at home would further support children's progress.

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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 are happy and settled in the childminder's welcoming home-from-home environment. They develop warm and trusting relationships with the childminder and any assistants that work with her, including those who have only recently started attending. These secure attachments help children to feel safe and emotionally secure. Children enjoy sharing books together and listen attentively to stories. They enthusiastically join in with familiar songs and use musical instruments to accompany these, demonstrating their enjoyment and participation.

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

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, benefit from an inclusive curriculum and are supported to achieve well. Children confidently take part in activities that are tailored to their individual needs and stages of development. For example, younger children take part in sensory painting activities using yoghurt-based paint, enabling them to participate safely and engage fully in the learning experience.

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

Children are well prepared for their next stage of learning. They develop confidence and independence and acquire the skills they need for future success. Children move on to their next stage of learning with confidence. They benefit from well-planned transitions, with the childminder working closely with schools and sharing relevant information to help them settle smoothly into new environments. She also promotes the importance of regular attendance, helping children to establish positive routines that support their readiness for school.

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

Children regularly access the local community and receive a wide range of experiences beyond the setting. They make regular visits to the allotment, where they learn about the natural world and where food comes from. Children also attend local playgroups, providing them with valuable opportunities to socialise and develop their confidence alongside other children. Visits to the village library further support their learning, as they take part in rhyme time sessions and borrow books to enjoy back at the setting, helping to foster a love of reading.

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Next steps

The childminder should enhance the support and professional development provided to assistants to ensure effective teaching strategies are used consistently to deepen children's learning and promote the best possible progress. The childminder should develop strategies to engage all parents in building on children's learning at home to further support their progress.

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About this inspection

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

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:30

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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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