Childminding quality indicators: Children experience high-quality spaces

Children experience high-quality spaces is the 'children thrive and develop in quality spaces' quality indicator. There are illustrations of practice and challenge questions below. These can help you to assess your current practice and identify areas for growth.

Illustrations of children experience high quality spaces are also available for early learning and childcare and school age childcare.

Themes for children experience high-quality spaces

The themes for this quality indicator are:

quality, safety and maintenance of spaces
children influence and affect change
information management

About this quality indicator

This quality indicator highlights the importance of having a safe, secure and inspiring home, where children feel welcomed. Whatever the style or size of the childminder’s home, the childminder enables very good use of the available space indoors and outdoors to enhance children’s experiences. Indoor spaces benefit from natural light and effective ventilation.

The quality indicator encourages that a childminder’s home should be inclusive and celebrate diversity, including differences in speech, language and communication. When designing and evaluating spaces for children, careful consideration is given to current research and best practices. Realising the Ambition could be used as a key resource. There is a recognition of children’s right to enjoy outdoor play and the importance of outdoor play for children’s health and wellbeing.

This indicator notes the importance of the childminder’s home being well-maintained for children. It highlights the need for regular maintenance of the home, resources and equipment used. It supports an appropriate level of risk assessment to minimise potential risks and keep children safe from harm, including the need for rigorous infection prevention and control. There is recognition that whilst children must be kept safe, children’s play provides an opportunity to take and learn from measured risk. All aspects of security should be considered, including the security of the home and the storage of confidential records and information.

Illustrations of quality, safety and maintenance of 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 environment for children.

Childminders recognise the importance of daily outdoor play and its benefits for enhancing children’s wellbeing. They support and encourage children to explore and build independence, helping them to actively learn about the wider world. 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 take prompt action to ensure the safety and security of children, visitors and each other. They, and their assistants where applicable, undertake, understand and share appropriate risk assessments. Childminders keep children accounted for by remaining vigilant to risk, whether they are 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 prioritise children's safety whilst embracing a positive, balanced approach to risk in children's play. Children engage in a broad range of challenging and interesting play opportunities that support and extend their development and learning. Through these experiences children build self-confidence. They learn to assess and manage risks for themselves, developing essential skills and resilience.

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 and 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 development needs or offer challenge and opportunities for exploration. The physical environment, furniture and fittings are 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 outdoor 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.

Illustrations of children influence and affect change

'Very good' children influence and affect change

Childminders use their home well to promote high-quality experiences for children. They 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. Childminders understand the capabilities of all children, including babies.

Childminders provide opportunities for children to make decisions and act independently within the safe boundaries of their home. They are encouraged to lead most aspects of their play and are guided to take on responsibilities at times like snack or when they are in the garden. Through outdoor play, children are learning about sustainability, gaining a deeper understanding of how to care for and preserve their natural environment. The childminder’s approach keeps children engaged and increases their confidence.

Carefully selected and well positioned furniture and resources support all children to feel included, make choices and freely play. Resources and materials available to children are varied, adaptive and responsive, catering to children’s individual abilities, needs, and interests. Childminders understand the positive impact that rich, multi-sensory play has on children’s resilience, wellbeing and their learning.

Children are valued and celebrated. High-quality resources and spaces within the childminder's home promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Children, their families, and wider communities are positively reflected in the resources, spaces and experiences available. Children are supported to develop their knowledge, respect and understanding of their community and wider world.

'Weak' children influence and affect change

Children’s needs and views are not consistently sought or taken into consideration when developing resources, planning experiences and shaping 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, which compromises their wellbeing and their progress in learning.

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 lack motivation and interest due to the lack of stimulating resources and activities to choose from. Those available lack breadth and balance and do not sufficiently meet children’s development needs or offer challenge and opportunities for exploration.

Children and their families may experience discrimination as a result of outdated, inappropriate resources. This has the potential to negatively influence children’s self-esteem and their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

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 families to deepen their understanding of the benefits of riskier outdoor play and learning experiences.

Illustrations of information management

'Very good' information management

The childminder’s home provides security and safety while respecting 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 have 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.

Challenge questions for children experience high quality spaces

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 which meet their needs, interests and development?
How inclusive is my service for all children and families?
How do I promote diversity, equity and inclusion and how are these positively reflected in the resources, spaces and experiences available?
How are children’s files and information stored to ensure they are secure?
Do I demonstrate an understanding of how data protection laws operate?