Winters Sandra

Winters Sandra

Unique reference number (URN): 504717 Address: 10 Thatchway Gardens, Kings Norton, Birmingham, West Midlands, B38 9UU Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 15/01/1993 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Winters, Sandra

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Safeguarding standards not met

Leaders have not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding. This puts children at significant risk of harm. The childminder has not met the safeguarding requirements of the early years foundation stage because she has failed to complete the mandatory suitability process for all adults living on the premises. She failed to submit the required application to Ofsted so the necessary suitability checks can be carried out. This breach means the childminder cannot assure that all adults in the household are safe to be around children. As a result, children's safety and welfare are compromised.

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Safeguarding standards not met

The childminder works appropriately with parents and external professionals when concerns arise. However, these positive aspects do not mitigate the significant risk caused by the failure to ensure household suitability.

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Safeguarding standards not met

While the childminder understands how to recognise signs of abuse, make referrals and respond to allegations, this knowledge is not matched by a full understanding of her statutory responsibilities to ensure the suitability of every adult living or working on the premises. This gap in understanding shows that safeguarding practice is not embedded securely.

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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 Expected standard

Children make steady progress from their starting points across all areas of learning, particularly in communication and language. They enjoy joining in with songs, stories and conversations, which supports their speaking, listening and early vocabulary development. The childminder adapts learning to each child's needs and stage of development, ensuring that those who may need extra support are included and can achieve well.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are developing independence and confidence, gaining age-appropriate skills that prepare them for their next stage of learning, including moving on to school. Observations and feedback from parents show that children enjoy their learning, engage in activities and make progress in their personal, social and emotional development as well as early mathematical understanding.

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Achievement Expected standard

The childminder's guidance and purposeful interactions help children to consolidate knowledge, explore new ideas and build a foundation for future learning. This ensures that all children, regardless of ability or starting point, are supported to achieve expected progress.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children benefit from a positive and nurturing environment, where expectations for behaviour are clear and consistently reinforced. The childminder models patience, kindness and respect, helping children to understand how to share, take turns and cooperate with others. Children demonstrate positive relationships with each other, showing care and consideration during play and group activities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Routines, such as washing hands before lunch and tidying up toys, are well established, promoting independence and helping children to understand daily expectations. The childminder supports children's individual needs and stages of development, adapting guidance to ensure all children can follow routines successfully.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Parents report that their children enjoy attending, behave well and feel supported in managing their feelings. The childminder works closely with families to promote consistent routines at home, including encouraging healthy habits and good eating practices. Children's confidence and attitudes to learning are fostered through consistent praise, structured activities and opportunities to collaborate and make choices.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Attendance is monitored effectively, and children are encouraged to arrive on time, supporting continuity of learning and a sense of belonging. Overall, children thrive in a calm, supportive and structured environment.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are promoted appropriately. The childminder provides warm and responsive care that supports secure attachments and helps children feel comfortable and settled. She knows the children well and adapts daily routines, such as sleeping, feeding and weaning, to meet individual needs. Parents comment positively on the steady support their children receive and note improvements in confidence and eating habits. The weaknesses in safeguarding do not currently affect children's welfare.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder helps children make expected progress in personal and emotional development. She encourages children to recognise and express their emotions, using simple language and consistent routines to guide them. Children respond positively and show a growing ability to manage their feelings with support.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder encourages children to make healthy choices and learn about personal safety. She talks with children about foods that help them stay healthy and supports them to feed themselves and manage basic personal care tasks independently. She provides daily opportunities for physical development through play and movement. She also talks directly with children about staying safe online, helping them understand simple ways to use digital technology safely.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Overall, children's needs are met, and the childminder supports them to develop the foundations for positive wellbeing in the setting and beyond.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a clear curriculum intent that is rooted in her understanding of child development and the early years foundation stage educational programmes. She uses her knowledge of each child's starting points to plan a broad range of experiences that reflect their interests and support their next steps. Daily routines, play opportunities and adult-led activities are sequenced to build the foundations children need for later learning, particularly in communication, early mathematics and physical development.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is consistently warm and responsive. The childminder models new words and supports children's emerging language through songs, puppets and conversation during play. She often uses closed questions and brief comments, which means she does not consistently introduce a wide range of vocabulary or extend children's thinking through sustained back-and-forth conversations. Children's physical, personal, social and emotional development is prioritised throughout the day, and activities are adapted sensitively for those who need additional support, including children with emerging speech or those who require encouragement with confidence, coordination or early independence skills.

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Urgent improvement

Assessment is ongoing and purposeful. The childminder observes children closely, checks what they know and can do, and uses this information to shape future teaching so that learning is matched to each child's individual stage of development.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder creates an inclusive and nurturing environment, where children's individual needs are identified quickly and supported effectively. She knows each child well, including those with emerging speech delays and those who have required additional support with their physical development. Through regular observation, discussions with parents and close monitoring of progress, she assesses children accurately and adapts activities so all children can participate and learn successfully.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder takes purposeful action to reduce barriers to learning. She makes reasonable adjustments, such as modelling language, simplifying instructions and tailoring activities to children's developmental levels. These strategies help children who face challenges in communication, confidence or physical development to engage fully and make progress. Parents report noticeable improvements in their children's speech, physical development and healthy eating as a result of the childminder's support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands the step-by-step process used to support children with additional needs. She starts with observing and providing targeted help herself and knows when to seek further guidance from external professionals, such as health visitors or other specialists, if children need more support. She works in close partnership with families, offering advice that helps them continue strategies at home and ensures that support remains consistent and effective. Her ongoing monitoring ensures that children's progress is reviewed regularly and that interventions are adapted to meet their changing needs.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Significant weaknesses in leadership and governance require urgent action. Although the childminder has maintained a sound understanding of how to recognise and report safeguarding concerns, she has not met statutory requirements relating to the suitability of all adults living on the premises. She has failed to submit the required information to Ofsted. As a result, essential suitability checks have not been completed. This breach poses a serious risk to children's safety and has a direct and substantial impact on the effectiveness of leadership and governance.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder has positive relationships with families and is committed to supporting children's wellbeing. However, her lack of awareness and oversight of statutory responsibilities means she has not taken decisions that ensure children are fully safeguarded. This gap in leadership knowledge limits her capacity to assure children's safety and to meet her legal obligations. Since the issue was identified during the inspection, the childminder has acknowledged the breach but has not taken timely action to rectify it. Improvement is urgently required to ensure all adults living on the premises are vetted and deemed suitable before children can be safeguarded effectively.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not 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 not 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

The childminder has not provided information to Ofsted to help them assess the suitability of all adults living on the premises, as required by legislation. This significantly weakens safeguarding arrangements and means children's safety cannot be assured. This failing demonstrates weaknesses in the childminder's oversight of her statutory responsibilities and requires immediate action to secure children's safety.

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

Children experience warm, responsive care that helps them feel secure, confident and ready to learn. They are greeted positively each day and settle quickly because the childminder knows them well and understands their individual needs, including those with emerging speech and language needs and those who require additional support with their physical development. Parents report that their children look forward to attending, reflecting the positive relationships children form with the childminder. Children enjoy their learning. They smile, dance, copy new words and participate enthusiastically in songs and puppet play. These activities support children's communication, confidence and curiosity. Children with speech delay make good progress because the childminder consistently models vocabulary and provides frequent opportunities for interaction. A wide range of toys, shapes, colours and construction materials support children's early mathematical thinking and problem-

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

solving. Activities are adapted to reflect children's starting points, enabling them to achieve success and prepare for their next steps.

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

Children behave kindly and develop early friendships. They share, take turns and receive sensitive support when they feel frustrated or overwhelmed. Children grow in independence through daily routines, such as washing hands, pouring drinks and feeding themselves. Healthy lifestyles are promoted well and children develop age-appropriate understanding of nutrition and oral health.

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

The childminder promotes children's attendance effectively. She keeps detailed registers, follows up unexplained absences the same day and holds emergency contact details.

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Next steps

The provider is not meeting the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare register and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

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Next steps

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the following action by the assigned date:

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other vetting processes can be carried

The childminder should build on children's learning and encourage them to think aloud, solve problems and use a wide range of vocabulary.

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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.

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Address:

10 Thatchway Gardens Kings Norton Birmingham West Midlands B38 9UU

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Address:

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

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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

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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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