Self-reflective practice
Just as every child is unique, so is the service that each
childminder provides. One thing common to all registered
childminders in England, however, is the Early Years Foundation
Stage (EYFS). Registered childminders must be able to demonstrate
how they meet the requirements of the EYFS.
One way of checking how you are meeting the needs of the
children in your care is to work on developing your reflective
practice. This means regularly looking at every aspect of your
practice and being honest with yourself about how you are
doing.
Remember to highlight the many positive aspects of your
childminding, rather than simply concentrating on a few areas that
may need some extra attention or improvement.
A reflective practitioner:
- takes professional responsibility for constantly improving the
quality of their own practice
- thinks about the way they work, and why they choose certain
ways of working
- considers working in different ways and introduces new ways of
working
- plans how to maintain and develop their practice in future,
seeking new information and training opportunities.
Free resource
NCMA, with support from the Children's Workforce Development
Council, has produced a resource to help childminders learn more
about being self-reflective. It is hoped that this will boost
childminders' confidence when examining their own practice.
The Ofsted self-evaluation form (SEF) can also be a useful tool
in preparing for your inspection. Using this resource to practise
and develop your self-evaluation skills will give you the best
foundation for a successful and accurate SEF.
Download Being self-reflective here. The document can be printed
and completed by hand (choose the pdf version), or you can complete
it online (choose the Word version) and save it to your computer.
However you choose to use it, remember to return to it regularly to
reflect on your practice.