Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY427091 Registered with Ofsted: 12/05/2011 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has a sharp focus on supporting children in growing to be good and kind. Children flourish in her care, supported by her clear and consistent expectations. Gentle reminders and calm interventions help children to learn right from wrong, while routines give structure to their day. From arriving promptly to settling into familiar activities, children know what comes next and feel very secure in the childminder's care.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Relationships are warm and respectful. The childminder consistently models kindness and good manners, and children quickly copy these behaviours in their play. They learn to share, take turns and resolve small disagreements with sensitive support. When conflicts arise, the childminder steps in with patience and a gentle manner, helping children to consistently manage their feelings and build confidence in social situations.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder fully considers children's age, their level of understanding and their prior experiences when supporting their positive behaviours. She understands ways to adjust her approach where needed, so that her high expectations remain realistic and achievable. This thoughtful approach ensures all children feel supported, behave positively and develop attitudes that prepare them well for future learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Families are encouraged to maintain regular attendance so that children benefit fully from planned learning and care.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children show great confidence and happiness in the childminder's care. She places their welfare and wellbeing at the centre of her practice, creating a setting that feels secure, nurturing and family focused. Warm relationships and close communication with parents help children to settle quickly and strengthen the sense of belonging that all families commend her for.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder knows each child extremely well and adapts daily routines such as sleeping, feeding and weaning to suit individual preferences. Babies receive attentive, responsive care that consistently meets their physical and emotional needs, ensuring they feel safe and comforted. Older children become confident, eager and independent learner. This consistency helps children to feel supported and confident.

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Expected standard

Health and wellbeing are a priority for the childminder. She consistently models healthy choices, encourages active play and guides children to understand how to look after their bodies and stay safe.

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Expected standard

Support for children's emotional development is a distinct strength. The childminder helps children to recognise and express their feelings, sharing strategies with parents so children experience the same support at home. These approaches contribute to children's resilience and confidence, ensuring they thrive in her care.

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Achievement Expected standard

Typically, children make consistent progress across all areas of learning. Communication and language stand out as a particular strength. Children listen attentively, join in with stories and songs and grow in confidence when speaking. Their vocabulary grows through repetition, conversation and imaginative play and they become increasingly articulate.

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Achievement Expected standard

Overall, children are prepared well for the next stage of their education, including school. They develop an appropriate awareness of letters and numbers that give them a secure foundation for deepening their understanding of mathematics and literacy when they move on to school. They develop resilience and confidence in themselves as learners. They are independent and eager learners who are ready for the challenges of later learning and life.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has clear aims for her flexible and adaptable curriculum. She provides a broad range of activities that, overall, build step by step on what children already know and can do. The childminder checks children's progress regularly and adapts her teaching to match their needs. She knows how to adjust her approach if children face barriers to learning, ensuring the curriculum remains inclusive and ambitious.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children engage confidently in imaginative play and show enjoyment in their learning. For example, they act out the nativity scene after sharing a book with the childminder. The childminder prioritises language development, reading stories with enthusiasm and encouraging children to speak with confidence. She teaches mathematics effectively, helping children to secure their understanding of number through practical activities such as counting and sorting toy animals. Children climb, run and ride wheeled toys outdoors, which helps to build their strength and coordination. The childminder places strong emphasis on children's emotional development. They play happily together, manage their feelings and form friendships.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder acknowledges that babies sometimes benefit less than older children during some group activities. While babies join in and enjoy the experiences, she does not focus on their individual learning needs. Additionally, when children also attend nursery, the childminder places more emphasis on their care than planning for their learning and development. This reduces the impact of her curriculum and opportunities for children to build even further on their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder monitors children's learning closely and notices quickly when they may be at risk of falling behind. She shares information with parents about the support she offers, which helps families continue activities at home and strengthens children's progress. However, she has not yet established wider information sharing with other professionals involved in children's care. This does not build a fully collaborative approach to help sharpen the strategies used to encourage children's progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has recently attended training to deepen her understanding of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities needs. This has strengthened her confidence in recognising when children may need extra help, and in adapting her practice to reduce barriers to learning. She is mindful to ensure all children are able to participate, for example, by adapting routines and widening opportunities for play. However, activities do not always consider all children's needs as well as possible. Babies and those who attend part time do not access the curriculum as fully as others. This inconsistency reduces the strength of inclusion across the provision and the impact of some experiences.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses early years pupil premium funding thoughtfully, for example, to increase access to outdoor play in all weathers, which benefits disadvantaged children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder runs her setting with care and commitment, placing children's wellbeing and learning at the centre of her decisions. She knows the strengths of her practice and listens to feedback from families and children to refine what she offers. For example, she asks parents and children to complete questionnaires to share their views and ideas. This reflective approach helps her broaden children's experiences and meet their needs more precisely.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Professional development helps the childminder to keep her knowledge and understanding of her role up to date. She focuses her own learning on children's safety and welfare, which is reflected in the strength she shows in these areas of practice.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Partnerships with parents are well established. The childminder communicates openly with families and builds trusting relationships that support children's development and wellbeing. However, she does not yet share information consistently with other professionals, such as the staff at other settings that children attend. This reduces the consistency in the approach to children's learning, to help children to make the best possible progress.

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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 have a wonderful time in the childminder's home, which is filled with joy, smiles and laughter. Parents describe feeling delighted to have found the childminder and say their children learn something new every week. Warm relationships give children a deep sense of belonging and help them feel safe and cared for.

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

The childminder wants children to grow into happy, kind and confident individuals who are independent and ready for school. Her curriculum builds curiosity through seasonal activities and celebrations, helping children to learn about the world around them. Overall, children achieve well from their different starting points and develop the knowledge and skills they need for their next stage of learning.

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Inspector:

Clare Wilkins Children develop a secure understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and safe. They talk confidently about why they wash their hands to remove germs and about the benefits of fruit at snack time. Children develop good social skills, for example when they join community activities where they mix with larger groups. These experiences increase their confidence in wider social groups, resilience and prepare them well for later life.

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Inspector:

The childminder values each child's uniqueness and celebrates what makes them special. Festivals, such as Christmas, Diwali and Chinese New Year, feature in the curriculum, helping children to appreciate what matters to them and to others. Overall, children achieve well, feel included and thrive in a setting that promotes their safety, belonging and happiness very well.

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Next steps

The childminder should focus more precisely on babies' and younger children's learning needs so their development is consistently supported and they make the best possible progress. The childminder should ensure children who attend part time or also go to other settings access the full curriculum so their learning is prioritised as highly as their care and they make ongoing and secure progress. The childminder should strengthen links with schools and other professionals so information is shared collaboratively and children benefit fully from consistent strategies and the support.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children during the inspection and took account of written feedback from parents.

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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: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:45 - 18:00

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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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