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Professional childminders understand the importance of maintaining high standards in their settings. Evaluating the quality of your provision regularly and identifying areas for improvement is a key part of your role as an early years practitioner. This can involve using tools like observation records to assess children’s engagement, seeking feedback from parents, and conducting regular audits of your learning environment against the EYFS framework. This process not only supports compliance with Ofsted requirements but also ensures the best outcomes for the children in your care.

At Childminding UK, we’re dedicated to helping you achieve excellence in your practice. With years of experience supporting early years practitioners, we provide tailored resources and expert guidance to meet the unique needs of professional childminders. That’s why we’ve developed a comprehensive set of Enhancing Practice Checklists, designed to guide you through self-evaluation and support you in creating an inspiring learning environment.

Why Environment Matters

The environment plays a crucial role in supporting children’s development. Research from the Reggio Emilia approach highlights how an engaging and thoughtfully arranged space can foster creativity and collaboration, while studies from early childhood education consistently link high-quality environments to better cognitive and social outcomes for children. Often referred to as the ‘third teacher’ in the Reggio Emilia approach, a thoughtfully designed setting can:

• Aid the development of relationships and communication
• Encourage exploration, collaboration, and creativity
• Promote problem-solving, experimentation, and open-ended play

By reviewing and improving your environment, you can unlock children’s learning potential and make a meaningful impact on their development.

What’s Included in the Enhancing Practice Pack?

Our pack includes easy-to-use checklists aligned with the EYFS framework. Unlike other generic resources, these checklists are specifically designed with childminders in mind, offering targeted insights and practical steps that align directly with the unique challenges and opportunities of home-based childcare settings. These tools will help you evaluate and enhance your provision across key areas:

Safeguarding and Welfare Audit: Ensure compliance with statutory requirements and create a safe, nurturing environment.

Learning and Development Areas: Assess the quality of your setting across all seven areas of learning, including Communication and Language, Physical Development, and Maths.

Behaviour and Emotional Wellbeing: Reflect on strategies to support positive behaviour and emotional resilience in children.

Parent Partnerships: Strengthen relationships with families by sharing documentation and promoting trust.

How to Access the Checklists

If you’re a Childminding UK member, these resources are included in your membership. Simply log into your dashboard, select ‘Resources,’ Resources then Packs and scroll down to find the Enhancing Practice Pack.

Not yet a member? You can still purchase the Enhancing Practice Pack directly from our website. Click here for more information.

Want to know more about membership? Click here for further details.

Supporting Your Professional Growth

Raising the standards of your practice doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Our Enhancing Practice Checklists simplify the process by breaking it down into manageable steps, helping you to identify strengths, address gaps, and plan meaningful improvements with ease. With our Enhancing Practice Checklists, you can approach self-evaluation with confidence, knowing you have the tools to identify strengths, address gaps, and continuously improve.

Invest in your professional growth and the quality of your provision today. Let’s work together to create environments where children thrive and learn to their fullest potential.