Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 252322 Registered with Ofsted: 20/10/1995 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 Expected standard

The childminder has established a positive environment where rules and boundaries are understood and consistently followed by all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She models polite behaviour, which children copy, such as using manners and tidying away toys. The childminder teaches children to respect the environment with consistent implementation of rules, such as taking their shoes off before entering the playroom and using equipment safely. This creates a calm and nurturing environment for children to feel safe. Children demonstrate kind behaviours as they play cooperatively together, take turns with equipment and help each other with hanging up their clothing.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is supportive in her approach as children play and explore. She recognises when children try their best and gives them positive praise. She listens to children's ideas as they confidently express themselves. This helps children develop a positive attitude to their learning. As a result, children spend long periods at activities as they keep trying and continue to explore their ideas independently.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder gathers detailed information from parents about their children when they first join the setting. She finds out about children's likes and dislikes and particularly gets to know their character. The childminder uses this information to have activities set out following children's interests to help them settle into her home. She creates a safe, stimulating environment where children confidently engage in play that interests them. This helps the childminder to develop secure, trusting relationships with children as they settle. As children play together, the childminder supports them to recognise their own emotions and the emotions of others. The childminder labels children's emotions and helps them to think about how their behaviour may impact others. She focuses on all children expressing themselves, particularly quieter, less-confident children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder encourages good health. She supports children to wash their hands independently before eating healthy foods for snacks and meals. Children demonstrate their knowledge as they explain that soap makes their hands clean. During mealtimes, the childminder provides a sociable environment as children sit together as they eat and engage in back-and-forth conversations. The childminder takes children out into the local community daily to offer fresh air and exercise. She teaches them how to keep themselves safe, such as how to cross the road safely. She encourages children to explore and learn about the natural environment around them.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder gathers detailed information from parents and carers before children start at the setting. She uses the information to make reasonable adjustments to her environment to ensure all children can access the activities on offer and feel a sense of belonging. The support the childminder provides reduces barriers to children's learning.

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Needs attention

The childminder identifies children's needs quickly and, working with other professionals, provides a tailored approach to offer individual support. For example, the childminder provides activities following the children's interest and joins in their play to help them engage. She recognises when children need more support with their communication and language and plans activities to support this. Activities she plans include using flash cards to recognise pictures and say the single words. The childminder identifies this is working as children are starting to use some of these single words as they play and to communicate their needs. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are making good progress from their starting points. The childminder understands the importance of working in partnership with parents and other professionals. This means that children's healthcare needs and education can be met consistently.

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Achievement Needs attention

Overall, children make progress from their starting points and gain skills and knowledge that help to prepare them for moving on in their education. For example, they become independent in their self-care and develop their communication and language. However, in other areas of learning, their progress is not consistently coordinated or sequenced. That said, children enjoy the activities the childminder plans. They engage in craft activities that sustain their attention for long periods, which helps to develop their concentration skills in preparation for school.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from more well-targeted support, and their achievement is more impressive. The childminder plans precise targets and supports children to achieve these through activities and interactions. For example, children gain knowledge and master skills through repeating popular activities. This helps children to engage and make progress on their targets set.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder tracks children's development and finds out where they are in their learning journey. She knows a lot of information about children but does not use this effectively to support them to build on what they already know and can do to make the best possible progress. The childminder has a basic curriculum in place, which focuses on children becoming independent in preparation for starting school. She knows some skills she wants children to learn, such as how to manage their own self-care and clothing. Children become increasingly confident in these skills. However, the childminder has not considered how to use her curriculum to support children's wider development. For example, she offers children activities and resources they enjoy but does not use these opportunities effectively to challenge and extend their learning. As a result, the curriculum does not support children to develop fully across all areas of learning. The childminder talks to children during

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

activities, and her interactions are warm and positive. However, interactions and questioning techniques are not purposeful to extend activities to develop their learning further. The childminder has gaps in her knowledge of how to successfully implement a broad, sequenced curriculum, which affects her ability to improve educational outcomes for children.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has not accurately identified weaknesses in her skills and knowledge. Although she plans activities that reflect children's interests, her curriculum does not fully support her to plan and provide a broad range of activities and experiences that are carefully sequenced to help children reach their full potential.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has a secure understanding of all the children's care needs. She works closely with parents and other professionals, gathering and sharing information. She uses this information to help make some reasonable adjustments in her setting to ensure all children are included. The childminder has some knowledge and keeps herself updated with changes, but she is not fully implementing these into her practice.

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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

Overall, children take part in activities that reflect their interests, although some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching impact on their overall achievement. While all children have fun and make some progress, their learning is not planned for as well as possible. However, the arrangements to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are more successful. These children benefit from care and teaching that are coordinated, through effective communication between the childminder, their parents and other relevant professionals.

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

Children enjoy attending the childminder's home and they settle in quickly, forming positive relationships. The childminder provides a safe and stimulating environment for children, focusing on developing their independence skills. Children have independent access to the resources the childminder provides, and they confidently ask when they would like to change their activity. For example, they ask to make a den with blankets, confident that the childminder will support their play ideas. Children thoroughly enjoy making up their own games with their friends using their imagination. With the support of the childminder they master tasks such as learning to manage zips, confidently folding up a mat and zipping it up, demonstrating their learning. Children develop good social skills as they share pens as they colour and engage in back-and-forth conversations as they play with small-world figures and houses.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Nottinghamshire County Council

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Action Completion Date

embed implementation of the curriculum to ensure all children receive consistently meaningful learning experiences that build on what they already know and can do 06/01/2026

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Action Completion Date

implement arrangements to clearly identify any weaknesses in skills and knowledge and take action to address these 06/01/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the 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. 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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