Scales, Kelly-Marie

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2795965 Registered with Ofsted: 30/07/2024 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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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's wellbeing and welfare are priorities for this childminder. They inform decision- making and are embedded throughout her practice. She ensures that all children feel safe, secure and valued while in her care. Furthermore, she extends this support to ensure that parents and carers maintain high levels of welfare and wellbeing. At times of transition or change, she ensures that parents feel seen, heard and valued. She takes time to get to know families and celebrates milestones with them. Parents recognise this and comment on the individual attention she gives to each family.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children benefit from a well-designed environment that supports their welfare and wellbeing. At nap time, children enjoy a separate sleep space where they can rest undisturbed. The childminder regularly checks for updated guidance, such as safer sleeping, and implements changes as necessary. When they want to engage in large-scale physical play, children have space to do this both indoors and outdoors. Outside, children enjoy free space to scoot on their bikes and ride on cars. This supports their physical development. Where children ask to go outside, the childminder adapts her plans in the moment to facilitate this. This supports children to develop a positive attitude to outdoor play.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children enjoy predictable self-care routines, which allow them to develop their independence in an age and stage appropriate way. The childminder prioritises all children receiving breakfast and ensures that a healthy breakfast is an entitlement for all. Before mealtimes, children are supported to wash their hands. They sit alongside their friends and practise pouring their water independently. Mealtimes are a positive social occasion. Children who access cooked meals with the childminder benefit from a thoughtful, balanced and healthy menu. This exposes children to a variety of tastes and flavours.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

This committed and experienced childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of the service she provides. She drives forward a clear ethos and overarching goals for children. Decisions are consistently made in the best interests of the children. There is an embedded culture of self-reflection that leads to positive changes. Where the childminder receives external feedback, she immediately begins to consider actions she can take to strengthen her practice further. For example, the childminder recognises that she needs to further strengthen the information she gathers from parents and carers, in order to create secure starting points for children from the start.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Recently, the childminder has started to work alongside a co-childminder. Parents comment that this transition was well planned and well communicated. This joint working brings together a wealth of experience and has already had a positive impact on the childminder by offering ongoing support alongside the sharing of ideas and good practice. The childminder sometimes works with an assistant. Professional development and training for both the childminder and her assistant are well targeted. The childminder has recently started a level 3 course in special educational needs and/or disabilities. She speaks passionately about the knowledge that she has already gained from this course. Learning taken from this course has already had a positive impact on the childminder's understanding of early

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Expected standard

implementation where barriers to learning arise. Training for assistants is equally well tailored to meet their needs. For example, a course on supporting learning for under 2's was chosen in preparation for welcoming new children and babies into the setting.

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Expected standard

The childminder reflects on her own experiences as a parent and uses these to support families that access her service to feel seen, heard and valued. There is an ongoing priority to support the welfare and wellbeing of both children and their families. Parent partnerships are well established and highly effective. The childminder takes time to get to know each family and adapts her communication methods to meet their needs. Parents speak very highly of the care this childminder provides. They recognise the additional time and effort the childminder puts in to support parents as well as their children.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically achieve in line with age-appropriate expectations across all areas of learning. They make progress from their starting points. Where gaps in children's learning are identified, they are actioned quickly. When the time comes to move on to other educational settings, including school, children are suitably prepared. Self-care skills are taught from a young age. Children listen to instructions on how to wash their hands. With support and guidance, they rub their hands together under the running water.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop their physical skills well. Outside, they show confidence in using a range of bikes, scooters and ride on toys. Younger children throw balls with some accuracy and run after these to repeat this action. Children of all ages develop the necessary skills to play alongside and with their friends. They treat one another kindly and with respect. Children seamlessly move between playing with their friends and engaging in independent play. They show confidence to follow their own motivations and interests. Children generally develop positive attitudes towards their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children, including those who are new to the setting, show an overall understanding of the daily routine and the expectations for behaviour. There is a positive culture where children show that they feel safe and happy. Effective transitions into the setting support high levels of attendance. Children typically separate from their parents and carers with ease. They look forward to playing with toys and activities that are planned in line with their interests.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Expectations for children are in line with their age, abilities and time at the setting. When it is time to tidy up, older children are encouraged put their toys away independently. The childminder supports younger children to pass toys to her, and she demonstrates where they belong. She praises their help, and this supports their ongoing involvement in the task. Older children take pride in helping younger children with self-care tasks. They advocate for their friends. When it is time to go outside, older children call out that they are not all ready yet as they support their younger friend with their shoes. Children develop effective relationships with the childminder. Even those who have recently joined the setting, seek her out for cuddles and reassurance. The childminder aims to make settling-in sessions flexible to take into account children's individual needs. She takes time to understand children's likes and dislikes, including favourite songs and stories, before they

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

join her care. This means that children typically settle into her care quickly.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally treat one another with kindness and respect. The childminder immediately addresses any unkind language. She models positive phrases that children can use to support them to address problems in the future. During play, children independently engage with a range of resources and show a positive attitude to their learning. Younger children spend time exploring open-ended resources. They demonstrate their attention and focus as they explore and discover.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The overarching curriculum is typically clear and well taught. Children are supported to begin to recognise their own belongings and attend to simple self-care tasks. This supports children to be ready for pre-school or school as appropriate. Children enjoy ample time spent outside. They eagerly ask to join the childminder on the walk to school to collect their friends. In the garden, children enjoy running around rolling hula-hoops in the fresh air.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children enjoy a language-rich environment. Back-and-forth conversations between the children and the childminder support the development of speech and language skills. The physical environment is generally well planned to spark children's curiosity and interest. Mathematics is woven into children's play. Children benefit from ample opportunities to explore numbers, counting, shape, space and measure. The 'family tree' display encourages children to engage in conversations about their home life. This provides opportunities for the childminder to talk about similarities and differences between the children.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Statutory assessment, such as the progress checks at 2 years old, are completed thoroughly and in a timely manner. These checks outline children's strengths, highlight areas for development and for the most part, include clear and appropriate actions for the future. While children's next steps are on the whole well considered and age-appropriate, information on children's starting points is not always obtained as precisely as it could be. As a result, this does not consistently provide the childminder with a secure baseline for children's learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children benefit from intentional interactions during free play. The childminder skilfully watches children's play and chooses the appropriate moment to intervene to further their knowledge or understanding. At other times, she steps back and observes, giving children space to explore and work things out for themselves. This supports children to develop problem-solving skills and resilience, which, in turn, sets a positive foundation later learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder seeks to understand barriers to learning that children face through a planned settling-in process. Information about children with known special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is gathered appropriately. However, the childminder does not fully utilise parents' and carers' knowledge about their children when they join the setting. This does not help to form more precise starting points for children.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works closely with other local settings. Where children move to another setting or attend multiple settings, she works to maintain effective channels of communication. This sharing of information helps to build a fuller picture of each child's development and individual needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has recently prioritised furthering her knowledge in SEND. This has supported her to develop her understanding of the importance of early intervention. This training has also enhanced her understanding of barriers to learning that children may face. Effective ongoing assessment supports the childminder to identify children who may be demonstrating emerging needs or barriers to their learning or wellbeing. She is committed to ensuring that every child achieves.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children are supported to be respectful of one another. Family photos support children to engage in positive conversations about their home life. A range of celebrations inform the weekly planning to promote children's awareness of different religions, beliefs and ways of life. The childminder consistently models respectful, positive conversations around similarities and differences.

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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 and their families feel welcomed into the nurturing home of this childminder. She prioritises children's emotional wellbeing and welfare and seeks to ensure that parents and carers feel seen and heard. Parents are seen as being active partners in their children's learning and education. Through effective parent partnerships, their thoughts and views are valued. These positive parent partnerships encourage families to maintain good levels of attendance.

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

Children settle into their play quickly. They build strong attachments to the childminder. When children feel tired or sad, they seek her out for a cuddle. During play, they draw her into their games. While playing outside, children play with toy hula hoops. When they successfully throw the hoop over their goal, the childminder offers explicit praise. Children relish in this, enjoying her warm, genuine interactions.

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

Children develop friendships and enjoy being in the company of their friends. Older children chat happily to one another. They talk about their families and take it in turns to name their siblings and other family members. Older children help younger children to achieve basic tasks. Younger children play alongside one another happily, passing toys to one another as they explore. Children show confidence to explore independently, secure in the knowledge that the childminder will be there if they need her. These skills support children to be ready for their next stage of learning, including school where appropriate.

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

Children enjoy meals sitting alongside their friends. They engage in conversations as they eat healthy, balanced meals. Where cooked meals are provided by the childminder, these are well considered and carefully planned. Children enjoy a range of different foods and flavours to try. All children have the option of a balanced breakfast with the childminder. She identifies the importance of breakfast for young children and ensures that this is an entitlement for all.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Cambridgeshire Children who may face barriers to their learning benefit from a range of experiences within the childminder's home. For example, the childminder sets up activities, such as pumpkin picking in the garden, to give all children an opportunity to take part. Opportunities such as these help to bridge gaps in children's prior experiences. This supports all children to make good progress from their individual starting points.

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen procedures to ensure that information on potential barriers to learning is gathered at the earliest opportunity to help form more tailored starting points for children.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and sought the views of 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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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. 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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