Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY382149 Registered with Ofsted: 13/10/2008 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children make consistently secure progress in their learning and development. The childminder is proactive in supporting those who may face barriers to learning. She ensures that every child is given the best opportunity to succeed. Through effective assessment and planning, the childminder tracks progress carefully and tailors learning to meet individual needs. She identifies areas where children require additional support or greater challenge. The childminder uses termly assessments and a range of strategies to enhance children's engagement. Screening tools are applied effectively to highlight emerging needs and support progress.

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Achievement Strong standard

The childminder's reflective practice and commitment to self-evaluation enable her to adapt provision thoughtfully. She ensures learning is enriched beyond the home environment through outings and visits, which broaden children's experiences and support their wider development. The childminder is dedicated to helping children achieve positive outcomes. Children demonstrate good levels of independence and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. The childminder highlights this through her assessments and progress reviews, which she shares with parents.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children demonstrate very good behaviour. This is supported by the childminder's positive role modelling and consistently high expectations. She adapts her routines with flexibility to meet individual needs. She ensures that each child feels secure within a calm and nurturing environment. Children form strong, trusting bonds with each other and show clear enthusiasm for learning. They confidently explore the wide range of age-appropriate resources available.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder skilfully promotes children's independence and resilience through everyday routines, such as dressing, undressing and handwashing. This helps children to develop essential self-care skills. The childminder places a strong emphasis on social development, encouraging children to build relationships with their peers through collaborative activities. Daily walks and regular library visits provide opportunities for children to engage together, fostering cooperation and ensuring that lasting friendships are formed. Attendance is closely monitored and the childminder works in partnership with parents and carers to promote regular participation. This commitment is reflected in the individual progress children make, as they benefit from consistent experiences and continuity of care. Her tailored approach ensures that all children thrive, developing the confidence, independence and social skills needed in readiness for school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides a welcoming, friendly environment, where children feel safe, valued and secure. She builds positive, trusting relationships and is highly sensitive to children's emotional needs, particularly those of younger children. The childminder's warm, reassuring responses support secure attachments. For example, when children wake from naps, the childminder's calmness helps them feel comforted.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Promoting healthy lifestyles is central to the childminder's practice. She is attuned to children's emotions and supports their ability to self-regulate, particularly those who face barriers to learning. The childminder uses yoga sessions to encourage calmness and wellbeing, contributing to a peaceful atmosphere. Children benefit from ample opportunities for fresh air, through outdoor learning in a secure, well-resourced garden. The childminder encourages children to explore, exercise and extend their physical skills.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Regular walks and outdoor activities further enhance children's health. Safety is consistently prioritised with children taught to hold onto the pushchair when walking, for instance. This also supports their understanding of how to keep themselves safe during everyday routines. The childminder demonstrates a strong awareness of local health challenges. She promotes oral hygiene through child-friendly resources, such as library books, and reinforces healthy messages with families to maintain consistency and support positive wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder knows and understands children's needs very well. She provides an inclusive curriculum that balances adult-led and child-initiated learning. This ensures children benefit from both structured teaching and opportunities to explore independently. Her ambitious curriculum is carefully tailored to each child's stage of development, with clear progression in mind. The childminder has a clear understanding of what children need to learn next and works in close partnership with parents to extend learning at home, promoting strong continuity. She uses everyday opportunities to embed mathematical concepts and adapts her teaching effectively to support children who face barriers to learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder carefully selects puzzles to enable children to sequence and match pieces, developing their problem-solving and reasoning skills. She uses musical instruments to nurture an early awareness of rhythm and pattern with younger children. The childminder has consistently high expectations for every child's learning and remains attentive to children's interests and individual needs. Routines are flexible and adapted to promote wellbeing. For example, she considers nap times to ensure children are rested and able to engage fully in activities when awake. Children benefit from a wide range of resources that spark curiosity and sustain engagement. Story sessions are effective. Children eagerly join in, finishing familiar sentences of well-loved books. Younger children explore similar touch-and-feel books and point to pictures with interest. These experiences foster communication, imagination and a

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has consistently high aspirations for every child's development. Her provision is carefully shaped by maintaining low adult-to-child ratios, which enables tailored support and responsive care. She adapts daily routines flexibly to meet individual needs, ensuring that each child feels secure, valued and able to thrive. The childminder is committed to helping all children make secure progress, regardless of their starting points.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates strong practice in identifying emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) at the earliest opportunity. By working closely with parents and carers and collaborating effectively with external professionals, she ensures that children receive timely and targeted support. Her provision for children with SEND removes barriers to learning and promotes inclusion.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder builds on what children already know and can do, extending their learning through purposeful activities. She enriches children's experiences through community outings, which broaden their social awareness and understanding of the wider world. She uses her knowledge and experience to help every child succeed. As a result, children make secure progress across all areas of development.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to leadership. This is underpinned by her passion for providing children with high-quality opportunities. Through reflective practice, she evaluates her provision and pursues professional development to support improvement. The childminder seeks advice and guidance from other professionals, particularly in relation to inclusion and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She ensures her practice remains responsive to children's diverse needs. She has a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and consistently addresses gaps in development, particularly for those facing barriers to learning.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder's leadership extends beyond her own setting, as she mentors other childminders. She has a clear understanding of improvement priorities and engages in regular training to maintain current knowledge. Her professional links enable her to share information, advice and guidance, enhancing practice and extending children's learning. She also undertakes independent research to deepen her expertise.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates awareness of local community challenges, including health concerns. She works closely with parents and carers and children to raise awareness of healthy lifestyles, embedding consistent messages across home and setting. This reflects her commitment to improving outcomes for children and supporting family wellbeing.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children are happy and safe in the childminder's care. Every child is valued as an individual and strong, secure attachments are evident. The childminder nurtures children's emotional wellbeing through warmth, reassurance and affection, which promotes confidence and

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Inspector:

Maryanne Hepburn-Bean security. The childminder demonstrates high aspirations for children's development and works with parents and carers to promote regular attendance and engagement.

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Inspector:

The childminder understands each child's abilities and interests and uses this knowledge to extend learning. Partnerships with parents and carers ensure continuity between the home and setting. She creates stimulating opportunities that engage children, such as 'Bucket Time', which helps children sustain attention and build concentration. Children respond with enthusiasm, showing curiosity and persistence. Younger children enjoy musical play, songs and rhymes, while older children are motivated by activities, such as exploring dinosaurs and completing puzzles.

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Inspector:

The childminder provides a language-rich environment. Children's communication is monitored and supported at every opportunity. For example, she models words clearly and gives children time to respond and practise. The childminder draws on her extensive experience to remove barriers to learning, ensuring all children make positive progress. Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is well established.

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Next steps

Childminders responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with childminder during the inspection.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:30 - 17:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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