Congratulations to Elaine Gardiner for a fantastic childminder report receiving ‘Outstanding’ judgements across all of the four inspection areas - leadership and management; quality of teaching, learning and assessment; personal development, behaviour and welfare; and outcomes for children.
Children are extremely well supported to develop their independence and self-help skills as the childminder sensitively encourages them to do more things for themselves.
Children's communication skills develop rapidly. The childminder makes the most of opportunities to engage in conversation with them, such as at mealtimes. She models appropriate language, responds quickly to what children say and skilfully introduces new words. There are daily opportunities for the children to hear stories.
The childminder observes the children closely. She notices their developing interests, achievements and areas for development. This supports her to identify appropriate next steps in their individual learning and to plan exciting activities and visits, which build on their existing knowledge and interests. This ensures they continue to make rapid progress.
The childminder works extremely closely with parents from the start. She gathers specific, detailed information about their children from them and plans an individual settling-in process. The childminder and parents continue to exchange information about the children's experiences, interests and development. This enables them to work together to support children's learning and development very effectively.
Children are very well prepared for the move on to pre-school or school. The extensive range of experiences provided by the childminder supports them to build their knowledge and confidence. They learn about number and mathematical concepts through real experiences, such as counting the steps as they go downstairs and measuring ingredients when they bake.
The childminder provides healthy home cooked meals for the children and supports them to begin to learn about healthy eating. Children have daily opportunities to spend time outside and be physically active in their play. Waterproof clothing enables them to spend time outdoors in all weathers.
The childminder thoroughly enjoys her work. She is organised and thoughtful in her planning of the provision. She ensures it continually develops to meet the changing needs and interests of children in her care. The childminder continues to develop her early years practice through targeted online research and training, and by connecting with other childminders.