Matthews, Emily Jane

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2802022 Registered with Ofsted: 19/09/2024 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

The childminder provides all children with opportunities to practise new skills, build proficiency and achieve. For example, children use glue to add objects to their painting. They develop their fine motor skills as they practise spreading it precisely where they want it to be. Children build on their whole-body physical skills well through the daily outings they enjoy with the childminder. They develop coordination and balance as they enjoy woodland walks, soft play activities and exploring local parklands. Children strengthen their hand- grasp and finger control as they play. They squeeze sea life creatures to fill them with water. Then, they squeeze with greater pressure and control to expel the water from the toy turtles and dolphins. Children are typically confident communicators and enjoy singing and reading with the childminder. They develop an understanding of mathematical concepts throughout

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Achievement Expected standard

their everyday routines and activities. For example, they count how many cups of tea they are making as they play in the water tray. Children make steady progress, which helps prepare them for their next stage of education.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder provides a positive environment where children demonstrate a real sense of belonging. They are confident to explore and clearly feel safe and supported. Children develop positive attitudes to learning. They copy the childminder's modelling of patience and resilience as they play together. The childminder helps children develop respectful relationships that promote learning and achievement. Children learn to seek assistance when they encounter difficulties in their play. For example, they add warm water to an icy landscape created for toy penguins, so water play remains enjoyable for children to explore.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder does not currently care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may experience barriers to learning. However, she can explain how she adapts her practice to meet children's individual learning needs. The childminder highlights the importance of regular attendance to parents and carers effectively, through discussion and updates on an app. She builds a shared understanding of how consistent attendance supports children's progress and achievement and prepares them for future learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder typically creates a warm and nurturing environment where children's individual needs and wellbeing are supported. Children clearly feel safe, settled and cared for. Children develop increasing independence as they select activities they wish to play with. However, the childminder does not consistently develop children's independence in self-care. For example, she puts on children's aprons before water play. She also removes their socks when the floor becomes wet. This impacts on children's awareness of how to do these things for themselves.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder draws children's attention to potential hazards, such as slippery floors, and she wipes the water up as needed, to keep the floor dry. Children enjoy continually splashing and making the floor and walls wet as they engage in water play. However, the childminder does not involve children in deciding how to solve the problem of the wet floor. This does not consistently help children to recognise and manage risks as they explore.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a curriculum that supports children's learning and development well. Learning activities and experiences are selected and adapted to meet the age and stage of children attending each day. For example, if pre-schoolers are attending, activities involve learning that promotes more demanding physical skills and coordination or sustained concentration. This supports the childminder to generally meet children's needs well. The childminder's teaching is typically effective. This supports children to achieve and prepares them for their next steps in learning. The childminder supports children's early mathematical skills as part of her daily practice. She sings number songs with children. She models counting in sequence as they enjoy counting the number of sharks they have placed in a water tray. The childminder speaks with children about size and comparison as they discuss different animals placed in the tray.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder reads books and sings to children throughout the day, which helps their language skills to grow. Children enjoy sharing stories and the childminder models new vocabulary as she reads. For example, as they enjoy listening to a story about colourful fish, the childminder introduces words, such as 'holographic' and 'shimmery'. She helps children make links in their learning. For instance, as children paint, the childminder points out the shimmering colours and links them to the ones viewed together earlier when reading.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder is reflective and recognises the importance of keeping her skills and knowledge current. She takes part in regular professional development courses to promote quality practice. For example, she has recently engaged in training on establishing safer sleep routines, monitoring children when eating and drinking and following safer eating practices. The childminder knows children in her care well. She does not currently care for children who are disadvantaged or with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or other barriers to learning. However, she has previously and she knows the importance of seeking early help for children if their progress is not in line with age and stage expectations.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder knows the characters, interests and learning needs of children. She provides frequent interactions that build well on what children already know and can do. This typically supports children to thrive and prepares them well for their next stage in learning. Children focus and engage well as they learn, and staff adapt teaching and interactions to further children's motivation and curiosity. This inclusive practice supports all children. For example, as children enjoy painting, they select from a wide range of embellishments to add to their creation. The childminder uses this opportunity well to teach children colours and introduce new vocabulary, such as 'flexible', when describing pipe cleaners being added to children's paintings. The childminder does not currently care for children in receipt of additional funding. However, she demonstrates an effective understanding of how funding

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Inclusion Expected standard

must be used to best support children to progress and develop well.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is reflective about her practice. She keeps her knowledge and skills current through engaging in a range of online courses and local networking meetings. The childminder typically adapts activities effectively to meet children's needs. She focuses well on providing children with quality care and learning experiences. The childminder knows the strengths of her provision and continually develops opportunities that broaden children's experiences. For example, she recognises that children benefit from regular fresh air and exercise, so she builds daily outings into her curriculum. These experiences help children develop confidence, physical skills and an understanding of the world. As a result, children are typically prepared for their next stage of learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder forms positive working relationships with the parents and carers of children in her care. She gathers detailed information before children start in her care. This ensures she has a working knowledge of their daily needs and routines, and can help them settle swiftly in her care by mirroring them and providing consistency. The childminder ensures handovers with parents are purposeful and informative. As a result, parents know about the learning, care and eating experiences of their children each day. Parents enjoy viewing photos on apps of their children engaging in learning experiences that promote progress and wellbeing.

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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 are happy, safe and settled. The childminder provides a warm and nurturing environment. She knows children well and uses this knowledge to provide activities and experiences based on their interests. When new children start, the childminder works closely with parents and carers to build positive, trusting working relationships. She offers visits and settling-in sessions and adapts these to meet children's needs. The childminder provides a curriculum that is varied. This includes visits and experiences in the local community and surrounding areas. Children enjoy a wide range of visits, such as local nature walks, trips to the beach and visits to the library. They also enjoy carefully planned learning activities in the childminder's home. Children have opportunities to play with larger groups of children at playgroups and gatherings with fellow childminders and the children they care for. This prepares children for starting school.

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

Children enjoy sharing stories with the childminder. They learn about oral health as they explore a book on brushing teeth. They enjoy using the interactive brush in the story to clean the characters' teeth. Children speak with the childminder about how they brush their own teeth at home. Children are skilled communicators and enjoy narrating their own play. They engage in water activities and place a variety of aquatic animals in a waterscape. They are excited as they discover that some of the animals float and others sink to the bottom. The childminder talks to the children as they play. She introduces new words, such as 'gills', when discussing how certain ocean life breathe underwater.

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Next steps

The childminder should enrich daily routines to consistently build children's independence in self-care skills.

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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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Age range of children at the time of inspection

The childminder should further strengthen children's understanding of personal safety as they solve problems in their play.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children 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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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

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

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

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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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