Garcia, Rachel Jane

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2828596 Registered with Ofsted: 21/04/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

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.

p.1

Achievement Expected standard

Children are confident learners who engage enthusiastically in their play. They manipulate play dough and use cutters to create patterns, which helps to develop their small-muscle strength. Children are beginning to recognise and group objects by colour and join in with number songs. They develop their physical skills as they practise pushing wheeled toys across the grass and balance on rocking toys.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Children typically progress well in their communication and language development through the childminder's purposeful interactions. They use new vocabulary during play in response to the childminder's questions. During story time, children listen attentively, repeat animal noises and look under the flaps in books, eager to locate different animals.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Young children develop increasing independence by finding their own shoes and nappies. They are friendly and well behaved, and the secure progress they make from their starting points prepares them well for the next stage of their learning.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has created a warm and friendly environment where children behave well and demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning. The childminder role models manners and is respectful in her interactions with children and any assistants she works with. When establishing expectations for behaviour, she offers children choices that involve them. For example, at tidy-up time, she asks children where a sensible place would be to put away certain toys, and praises them when they respond. Children are supported to share and take turns, which means that they play collaboratively together as a group, for example when hunting for different-coloured objects from the pretend pond.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Young children respond to the childminder's gentle instructions because she provides reasons that they understand. For example, she reminds them to slow down when running on the wet grass so that they do not slip over and hurt themselves. This helps children understand boundaries and keeps them safe. The childminder knows the children well, so if they become upset, she is quick to offer reassurance and engage them in activities that bring them joy.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Routines are embedded so that children understand what is happening, which ensures that they are settled and regulated throughout the day. However, on occasion, children are left waiting and restless at mealtimes and before going outside into the garden. The childminder knows children and their families well. This supports her to manage their attendance and punctuality and ensure that all children thrive.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder helps children to understand how their behaviour could make others feel and to notice when others are upset. This helps them to treat one another kindly. The childminder names and describes basic emotions and reads books about different feelings so that young children begin to name and recognise feelings. Children learn how to feed, handle and take care of the childminder's pet tortoise. This develops their understanding of empathy, responsibility and respect for living creatures.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children play outside in the garden daily, where they ride on rocking horses and push toy lawnmowers to practise their walking and balance, which supports their physical development. The childminder has clear routines in place for promoting hygiene, so children are supported to wash their hands thoroughly before eating to prevent cross-infection. She supports children's successful toilet training and is sensitive about privacy during care routines.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Balanced, nutritious meals are provided, and there are dietary plans and procedures in place to ensure children with allergies are kept safe. The childminder supports children to try new healthy foods through playing with and reading about different foods and adopting a gentle approach. Overall, mealtimes are a sociable experience where children learn about healthy foods.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children enjoy learning through an ambitious curriculum. The childminder typically supports children well to develop their communication and language skills. She talks to children throughout the day, narrating their play, building on their existing vocabulary and asking questions to practise their communication skills. New assistants are currently developing their knowledge of child development to strengthen consistent high-quality teaching.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder assesses children's starting points and records their progress through ongoing observations. She considers gaps in each child's learning and plans activities based on children's specific interests to support their individual next steps and stages of development.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

During everyday routines and interactions, the childminder models mathematical language related to shape, size and number. Children join in with number songs, compare and describe the different sizes of toy aeroplanes and count the number of bibs. Children look up when they hear a noise in the sky, and the childminder responds by lifting them up, pointing to the aeroplane and asking them where it may be going to. This builds on their curiosity about the world and their imagination.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children enjoy opportunities to draw, which strengthens their small-muscle skills. The childminder is expressive and enthusiastic, which means that children listen attentively to stories and join in with the different sounds animals make. They are keen to point to the pictures, look under the flaps to find different animals and answer questions.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has previous teaching experience of looking after children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). She has also attended a webinar for childminders to support her to create an inclusive environment for any child with SEND who may arrive to her setting. The childminder can confidently explain how she would adapt her provision to ensure that all children can access the curriculum. She is knowledgeable about strategies to develop children's speech and language, and ways they can communicate their wants and needs. She is aware of how to seek further support from inclusion professionals at her local authority in order to put targeted support in place. She has encouraged parents to seek medical advice following concerns about children, and follows up on this to support children's needs.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder supports many children who speak English as an additional language and who face barriers to their learning. She works closely with parents, who share key words in their home languages, which the childminder then uses in her interactions to help children develop the skills to become confident communicators.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder gathers detailed information from parents before children start. Additionally, she makes assessments to identify any gaps in children's knowledge and skills and uses her ongoing observations to plan specific targeted support. These systems support the childminder to plan learning based on children's specific interests, which has a positive impact on their progress.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is a reflective leader who is proactive when reviewing and adapting her approach so that every child receives tailored support. This has positively impacted children reaching all their developmental goals. The childminder acts upon recommendations for further improvement suggested on visits with her local authority, and seeks parental feedback. She is committed to her own professional development by attending webinars on leading, managing and inclusion, which has enabled her to focus on meeting individual children's needs.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works in partnership with parents and engages them in regular open communication. Families are appreciative of the care she provides, comment that she is 'caring and professional' and notice the positive impact she has had on their children's progress.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder offers mandatory training to assistants, such as first-aid and child protection training. She provides effective wellbeing support to assistants, who say that they enjoy their role and work in a harmonious team. However, the childminder does not yet provide regular professional performance meetings with specific feedback or training, to foster high expectations in teaching and learning with the assistants she works with. This means that teaching is not consistently of the highest quality for children.

p.4

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

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

Children feel safe and secure and are happy and confident to explore a range of motivating resources accessible to them in this homely setting. This is because the childminder has developed warm relationships with children and their families. She is vigilant to their needs and responsive when they hurt themselves or need comforting when upset.

p.5

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

Children focus on learning experiences because the childminder is highly engaging. For example, outside, young children enjoy splashing in the water as they sing 'Five Little

p.5

About this setting

Speckled Frogs'. They enjoy placing toy frogs carefully onto a log and counting them with the childminder's support.

p.6

About this setting

All children make positive progress with their communication skills, including those who speak English as an additional language because the childminder uses words in their home language and talks to children regularly about their interests and family life. Young children engage in sensory activities, like rolling, patting and pinching play dough in time to music and drawing with felt-tip pens, which develops their small-muscle skills. Children cuddle up to the childminder and enjoy listening to stories and reciting animal sounds. They are excited to be lifted to see and feed the pet tortoise.

p.6

About this setting

Children progress well from their starting points because the childminder plans engaging activities based on individual children's interests and stages of development. She observes, reflects on and adapts activities to ensure all children meet their next steps. Children remain motivated and have a confident approach to learning new things because their efforts are recognised and celebrated. Children behave well and are supported to develop turn-taking and social skills. They make healthy food choices and benefit from local walks and daily exercise in the garden, where they develop their physical strength.

p.6

Next steps

The childminder should provide one-to-one performance meetings and further training for assistants to strengthen teaching and support children's progress further. The childminder should deploy themselves and assistants more effectively during everyday routines and transitions to reduce children's waiting times.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, co-childminders and assistants during the inspection.

p.6

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. Unique reference number (URN): 2828596

p.6

About this inspection

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

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.7

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.7

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.7

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.

p.7

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.8

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

p.8

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.

p.8

Urgent improvement

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 .

p.8

Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8