Atkins, Hayley

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2738012 Registered with Ofsted: 04/03/2024 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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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically make good progress from their starting points. The childminder uses baseline assessments to identify children's starting points. She uses ongoing observations to track development.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are confident communicators. They repeat new vocabulary, ask questions and engage in conversations with confidence. They show curiosity as they explore books and sensory materials. Children enjoy stories and show a developing love of reading.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children show growing independence. They wash their hands alongside the childminder and hear language, such as 'soap' and 'rub, rub', that helps embed these routines. Children demonstrate their fine motor skills as they use scoops, containers and large chalks. Overall, children are developing essential age- and stage-appropriate knowledge and skills for their future success which will help them to progress to the next stage of learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children show resilience and problem solving skills. They manage small challenges, such as tidying up, and respond well to guidance from the childminder, such as reminders to sit down while eating snack. Children typically share resources and take turns.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children learning English as an additional language make suitable progress. They settle well, develop social skills and engage confidently in play. Children repeat words and embed new vocabulary such as 'taller' and 'bigger' through their play.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally behave well and respond positively to familiar routines. They listen to the childminder and follow instructions. Children are familiar with transitions and manage them well. This consistency supports children who have barriers to learning to develop an awareness of expectations. The childminder uses praise effectively to reinforce expectations such as when children show kindness and share their toys. The childminder sets out her expectations for attendance when parents join the setting, helping parents to understand the value of early education for their children. As a result, attendance is good and children arrive on time.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children typically play well together and show kindness. They care for baby dolls and learn empathy though daily activities. Children show engagement during activities. They concentrate during the 'magic bag' activity as they explore the contents. Children enjoy stories and join in with familiar songs. They show confidence as they explore resources and interact with the childminder.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder supports behaviour sensitively. She distracts children when outbursts occur and uses reward charts to help them understand expectations. Her encouragement of problem solving and independence helps children overcome challenges. Children show resilience when things go wrong, such as when they drop their bucket, and respond positively to her calm guidance. However, emotional language is limited at times. Children do not consistently hear vocabulary that helps them understand feelings or develop self- regulation, particularly those still developing their English. Despite this, children feel secure, respond well to routines and enjoy warm, positive relationships with the childminder.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's welfare is generally promoted well. The childminder follows clear policies and procedures. She manages hygiene effectively, including ensuring that children wash hands before snack. The childminder checks food safety, including how grapes are cut to prevent the risks of choking. She supports independence by encouraging children to pour drinks and choose their fruit.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are safe. The childminder understands safer sleep guidance. She uses sleep mats for children aged over one-year-old and cots for babies. She explains why babies are placed on their backs to keep them safe. She manages any allergens carefully and checks lunch to ensure safety.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children feel secure and well cared for. They snuggle to the childminder when upset and settle quickly. She responds sensitively to needs and offers comfort. Children show confidence and independence throughout the day. Children with barriers to learning benefit from the secure attachment with the childminder. This supports them to engage fully in the curriculum and make progress from their starting points.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Outdoor play typically supports physical development and access to fresh air. Children visit the park to use large equipment and develop an awareness of physical exercise on their bodies. The childminder ensures that children hydrate regularly, and children frequently take the time to drink from their individual cups.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder understands her curriculum and plans activities that meet children's needs. She uses a child centred, play based approach. The childminder builds learning around children's interests, such as animals, counting and sensory play. She uses rich communication and language throughout the day. Furthermore, children hear a broad range of mathematical vocabulary, such as 'more', 'full', and 'empty'.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is warm and responsive. The childminder knows the children well and adapts activities for different ages. This means that children engage positively because the teaching meets their individual needs. She supports sensory exploration and describes textures. She uses questions, such as 'Can you tell me?' to extend thinking. Children show strong engagement and spend long periods exploring resources.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder ensures that activities link well to next steps and support children who have barriers to learning. Story time connects to invitation trays that spark curiosity for children and are rich in language opportunities. The childminder supports children to practise counting and develop problem solving skills. Children are helped to build resilience when challenges arise such as when a container falls on the floor, the childminder encourages them to pick it up and carry on with their play. The childminder offers outdoor learning daily. The curriculum generally meets development needs but is less rich than indoors. Opportunities for literacy and maths are not as well considered as those planned for inside. Children explore the playhouse and search for hidden numbers in the sand tray but opportunities to develop early writing and extend mathematical concepts are not as well considered. This means that children may not

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

develop these skills as securely as others.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder quickly identifies children's needs through observation and assessment. She adapts learning based on ability and interests, especially for children with barriers to their learning. Children learning English as an additional language receive appropriate support to feel secure and develop their understanding and use of English. The childminder uses repetition and clear modelling to help them develop language. She works closely with parents and shares updates about the progress children make, including how families can support learning at home. This supports children to make progress across the seven areas of learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children with barriers to learning generally make good progress from their starting points. The childminder understands how to support children who struggle with new faces or transitions. She offers comfort, distraction and reassurance. The childminder adapts activities so all children can participate in learning experiences. She uses reward charts to help children manage outbursts and respond to expectations.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder knows how to seek advice from the local authority. She understands how to use additional funding and makes decisions about this considering children's individual needs. The childminder has developed partnerships with parents that strengthen the support that children receive.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has developed secure working partnerships. She regularly shares progress with parents and maintains effective partnerships beyond the setting such as with any professionals that may support children and the local authority. This helps her to plan more precisely for children's next steps and support their progress. Parents say communication is excellent and children are safe, settled and supported. The childminder offers a number of settling visits that help children to feel emotionally secure before they start. This also supports the childminder to understand more about children's backgrounds, find out what children already know and can do and plan next steps in their learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is generally reflective. The childminder uses evaluation such as monitoring the progress children make and their engagement in learning to support continuous improvement. She reflects on her practice and generally identifies areas to develop, such as her knowledge around extending learning outside. The childminder also adapts activities based on her observations and assessment of the impact of her curriculum and teaching. Professional development is not consistently linked to areas of development. This means that although the childminder attends some training, it is not precisely linked to areas that the childminder has identified for improvement, such as developing the curriculum for outdoors. This means that changes from identified areas of development can take longer to have an impact on children's learning and development.

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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 experience warm, secure relationships with the childminder. They settle quickly and show confidence as they explore the environment. Children enjoy play that reflects their interests, such as animals and sensory play. They explore activity trays where they scoop and pour cornflakes into animal containers. They repeat new vocabulary that the childminder introduces, such as 'fill' and 'pour'. Children show curiosity as they turn pages in books and ask questions such as 'What's that?' They enjoy stories and join in with repeated phrases from the familiar books. Children handle books with care and show a clear love of reading.

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

Children develop strong communication skills. Children repeat words and phrases often to show their understanding of spoken language. They enjoy peekaboo games and magic bag activities that build concentration. Children with barriers to learning, such as those learning English as an additional language, hear clear modelling and benefit from repetition and hands-on experiences that help them connect language with action.

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

Children enjoy pouring water from small jugs and choose their fruit. After snack, they help tidy up and sweep the floor. Children thoroughly enjoy outdoor play. They explore with sand and draw pictures on the ground with chalks. Children show joy as they kick balls and explore the play house. They further enjoy visits to the park to use larger equipment. These skills help them prepare for the next stage in their learning.

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

Children feel safe and valued. They snuggle to the childminder when upset and settle quickly. Children show kindness as they care for baby dolls. They dress and feed them, learning empathy and responsibility. Children flourish under the care of the childminder as she creates a warm, home-from-home environment that helps children feel secure. The childminder works closely with families to fully understand how to support children and celebrate their uniqueness. The childminder encourages consistent attendance and punctuality and helps parents understand the positive impact this has on their child's education.

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Next steps

The childminder should enrich outdoor learning so opportunities for sustained engagement match indoor provision. The childminder should model emotional vocabulary more frequently during moments of frustration to deepen children's understanding of big feelings. The childminder should link professional development more precisely to areas of development that have been identified.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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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About this setting

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

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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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