Childminding quality indicators: Children experience high quality spaces

'Very good' quality, safety and maintenance of spaces

The childminder’s home is welcoming, fully meets children’s needs and is maintained to a very high standard. It gives a strong message to children that they matter.

Childminders are confident in making best use of available spaces and resources to create, sustain and enhance a motivating physical environment for learning. As a result, the physical environment supports children to feel safe, secure and loved while they experience play and learning centred on their needs and interests.

Childminders understand and uphold children's right to play and learn. They enable children to enjoy daily outdoor play. Children are supported to actively explore and learn about the wider world.

Childminders embrace a benefit-risk approach with children where appropriate. This enables children to engage in a broad range of interesting play opportunities to challenge and extend their development and learning. This builds self-confidence and develops skills for life.

Childminders work well to minimise risks to children, both indoors and outdoors. Prompt action is taken to ensure the safety and security of all those in the service. Children are kept safe as appropriate risk assessments have been developed and implemented. Children are accounted for as the childminder is are vigilant whether indoors, outdoors or in the wider community. As a result, children are safe and their opportunities to enjoy challenging and fun play experiences are not compromised (Keeping children safe: Practice notes).

Children are accounted for as the childminder is vigilant whether indoors, outdoors or in the wider community. As a result, children are safe and their opportunities to enjoy challenging and fun play experiences are not compromised.

Childminders have completed robust training on infection prevention and control measures. There is a clear understanding and confidence to provide and promote a high-quality, clean, safe environment. This includes understanding of the arrangements for cleaning as well as in practising food safety.

Where children require personal care, arrangements are effectively planned, and high levels of infection prevention and control are implemented. Children’s privacy, dignity and preferences are fully respected and there are appropriate spaces to support their care needs.

Arrangements for monitoring, maintenance and repair of the physical environment, equipment, and any vehicles, function well and are consistently implemented. Damaged items are promptly replaced. 

'Weak' quality, safety and maintenance of spaces

The childminder’s home and resources to support play, may look or feel neglected, rather than warm and welcoming for children. There is limited attention to detail such as homely touches, decoration, and the quality of furniture and resources is poor. There may be unpleasant smells or intrusive noise levels.

The breadth and balance of resources do not sufficiently meet children’s stages of development or offer challenge and exploration. The physical environment, furniture and fittings are generally inadequate.

The physical environment does not enable children to lead their own play and learning. The resources provided do not support children to achieve. Childminders demonstrate limited understanding of the benefits of the outdoors to children’s play and learning.

Children’s views do not influence their access to outdoors. Current best practice is not used effectively to increase knowledge in this area.  The childminder does not always recognise when children need more energetic experiences. Potential barriers to play and learning have not been recognised or given adequate consideration.  This means that the physical environment does not meet children’s needs.

Childminders do not always promote a safe environment for children. They may have limited understanding of children’s development and may not recognise when everyday items can pose risk. As a result, children may be at risk from avoidable harm.

Childminders may unnecessarily limit children’s experiences and children’s confidence may be affected. Excessive restrictions may be placed on their play and learning opportunities, compromising the quality of children’s experiences.  Procedures for infection prevention and control are not robust and heighten the risk of infection. 

Arrangements for security in the home, outdoors and in the wider community may not be well considered and there is the potential for children to leave the home or be unaccounted for across the day, exposing them to risk of harm.

'Very good' illustrations for children influence and affect change

The childminder uses their home well to promote high-quality experiences for children. Children have high levels of involvement in influencing experiences and opportunities in the home, which gives them a strong, clear message that they matter.

Childminders actively engage with children to enable them to direct their play and experiences in the way they choose. Children are listened to and know that their views are respected.

The physical environment provides very good opportunities for children to be independent and make choices. Children have uninterrupted time to become absorbed in their play and have fun. Children are engrossed and motivated in their play and are progressing well in all aspects of their learning and development.

Childminders understand the positive impact that rich, multi-sensory play and learning has on children’s resilience, health and wellbeing. Appropriate resources and materials support children's play, learning and interests. Children have control over what they do and how they play. The childminder provides opportunities for children to learn about sustainability and caring for the natural environment.

Resources are adaptive and responsive to children's differing emotions and interests. These promote interesting opportunities to develop learning in literacy, numeracy and across a broad range of learning outcomes.

Childminders understand and promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the provision of high-quality resources and spaces. Children, their families and communities are positively reflected in the resources, spaces and experiences available, promoting a sense of inclusion and wellbeing. This means all children feel included and are developing their knowledge, respect and understanding of differences.  

'Weak' illustrations for children influence and affect change

Children’s needs and views are not consistently sought or taken into consideration when developing resources, planning experiences and considering daily routines. Children’s independence is not supported, and they are unable to direct their own play and activities in the way they choose. Children are not engaged and motivated enough in their play, compromising their progress in their learning and development.

Practice related to caring for resources including the natural environment, does not take account of sustainability. Very few, if any opportunities are provided for children to learn about sustainability and caring for their natural environment, encouraging poor habits in respect of reducing waste and the impact of our use of natural resources.

The provision of play resources and equipment is limited and, in some cases, outdated and inappropriate. Children may lack motivation and interest due to the lack of stimulating resources and activity. Those available lack breadth and balance and do not sufficiently meet children’s development needs or offer challenge and exploration.

In some cases, children and their families may experience discrimination as a result of outdated, inappropriate resources being used. This has the potential to negatively influence children’s self-esteem and children’s knowledge and understanding of difference.

Childminders demonstrate an approach to risk that is either risk averse or not well considered. This is evident in their daily routines and experiences provided indoors and outdoors. This may result in the potential for harm. Childminders may not engage effectively with parents and carers to deepen their understanding of the benefits of riskier outdoor play and learning experiences.

'Very good' information management

The childminder’s home provides security and safety without impinging on children’s rights and reflects the service’s aims and objectives. Any use of CCTV is lawful, fair and proportionate and protects their dignity. It is only used for purposes that support the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate care for children.  

Protection of children’s personal information is paramount and complies with relevant best practice and legal requirements. Childminders and assistants, where applicable, are well informed about their responsibilities and the skills to carry these out robustly. Efficient and effective record keeping systems are in place and this includes the management of electronic information in line with general data protection requirements and advice on cyber threats. 

'Weak' information management

The use of CCTV is not well understood. Childminders and assistants, where applicable, are not well informed about their responsibilities and infringements of the rights of children and families may occur as a result. Families may not have been consulted about any CCTV or informed of their rights. The arrangements for CCTV do not meet the requirements of current legislation.

Arrangements for the storage of and processing of children’s personal information are poorly managed and do not comply with relevant legislation and best practice.  Where electronic systems are in place, they are not suitable or secure.

The following challenge questions can support your self-evaluation:

• How can I be confident that the physical environment is maintained to the highest standards, ensuring a welcoming and healthy environment for children?
• How do I provide a wide range of challenging outdoor play and learning experiences which support children’s health and wellbeing?
• What steps are taken to ensure the physical environment is safe?
• How do I ensure the service is secure and that children cannot leave unsupervised?
• How do I ensure children’s privacy, dignity and preferences are fully respected?
• In what ways are children enabled to be independent and make choices, shaping their individual play and learning needs?
• How well are children enabled to select and make use of high-quality resources appropriate to their needs, wishes and development and learning needs?
• How inclusive is the setting for all children and families? Does it accommodate and promote emotional safety?
• How do I facilitate and support understanding of difference and diversity for all children?
• How are children’s files and information stored to ensure they are secure?
• Do I demonstrate an understanding of how data protection laws operate?