Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY466069 Registered with Ofsted: 03/09/2013 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 Expected standard

Children make steady progress across the areas of learning as they build their knowledge gradually through well-sequenced opportunities and experiences. They develop their communication and language well. Children listen attentively during stories, follow simple instructions and increasingly use gestures, sounds and early words to share their ideas. They grow in confidence when joining interactions and initiating play with others.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop early thinking skills as they investigate materials, test out ideas and begin to solve simple problems during their play. Their physical development strengthens through regular opportunities to climb, pour, transport and handle small tools, improving their coordination and control. Those children who need additional reassurance or support benefit from sensitive guidance, so they can participate fully and make progress from their individual starting points. However, due to inconsistencies in the planning of activities, children to do not have consistent opportunities to consistently deepen children's learning and extend their thinking.

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Achievement Expected standard

Across routines and activities, children show growing independence and resilience. They persevere with tasks, attempt new tasks and begin to manage their self-care with reduced help. As a result, children secure the foundational knowledge, confidence and attitudes needed for the next stage of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children experience a structured environment where routines support their emotional security as the childminder adapts these responsively to meet children's individual needs. Children respond well to the childminder's gentle reminders and consistent approach. This helps them to feel secure and understand what is expected of them. Where children need additional reassurance or support with regulating their emotions, the childminder adjusts her approach, so they can engage successfully alongside their peers. Children display enthusiastic attitudes to learning, engage for extended periods and explore activities with independence. The childminder works with parents and carers to promote punctuality and attendance. Children learn how to collaborate and build friendships. They often treat one another with kindness and show an early understanding of turn-taking and sharing during their play. The childminder models calm and respectful interactions. She considers children's ages and

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

stages when helping them to express their needs or manage moments of frustration. This supports children's growing understanding of their feelings and confidence. However, the childminder does not consistently help children to understand the consequences of their actions. For example, at times, she does not explain how unkind actions affect others and reinforce her expectations around kindness, care and respect. This does not deepen children's awareness of their impact on others and further embed the expectations for their behaviour in the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children thrive in a warm and nurturing environment where the childminder prioritises their welfare and wellbeing. Secure and responsive relationships are evident. Children seek comfort with ease, enjoy positive interactions and show confidence in exploring the environment. The childminder adapts care practices to meet children's individual needs, including for those children who require additional reassurance during transitions or extended settling-in periods. This ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, feel safe, settled and emotionally secure.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder promotes children's physical development and understanding of healthy routines effectively. She uses regular outdoor experiences, such as walks, park visits, soft- play sessions and toddler groups, to support their physical strength, coordination and social confidence. The childminder adjusts routines, including feeding, sleep time and toileting, sensitively in response to children's cues. This helps children to regulate comfortably throughout the day.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder encourages children's independence consistently. Children wash their hands, feed themselves, use cutlery and help to tidy away resources, developing self-care skills and a sense of responsibility. The childminder supports healthy eating through clear communication with parents and carers about the expectations for their children's lunch boxes and by offering suitable alternatives where needed.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children learn to recognise and express their emotions through calm guidance and sensitive interactions. As a result, they show developing emotional awareness, resilience and an emerging understanding of their personal safety and wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a clear vision for her curriculum, which emphasises children's independence, life skills and preparing children well for their next stage of learning. She knows children's starting points securely and uses this knowledge to shape purposeful and inclusive learning opportunities. The childminder uses a range of teaching strategies, such as sensory play to build children's confidence with new textures and modelling vocabulary to support early communication. Reading is promoted effectively within the setting. The childminder uses books effectively to build children's attention, language and enjoyment. Activities are engaging and meaningful. During a food-based activity, children explore textures, count scoops and compare sizes. The childminder weaves early mathematical ideas, language and social skills naturally through children's play. However, the childminder is not consistently clear about the purpose and intention of planned activities and how these

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

are adapted to meet each child's stage of development.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder uses ongoing assessment to check what children know and can do. However, this information is not yet used consistently to ensure that planned experiences are precisely matched to each child's stage of development. Her curriculum prioritises children's physical and personal, social and emotional development, which is particularly important given the age range she cares for. The childminder uses professional networks and shared learning opportunities to strengthen her curriculum breadth and continually improve her teaching.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder creates an inclusive environment where she identifies children's individual needs and responds to them promptly. She knows each child extremely well and uses baseline assessments, regular observations and close communication with families to build a clear picture of children's starting points. The childminder recognises children's emerging needs and puts support in place to help reduce barriers to learning. For example, she provides sensory opportunities to support children's physical development. However, adaptations to planned activities are not yet consistently informed by children's differing ages, stages and needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

All children access the curriculum, and their next steps are shaped by their individual needs, with a clear focus on developing their communication and language. The childminder monitors children's progress closely and reviews support regularly. She ensures that adaptations have a positive impact on children's engagement and confidence. The childminder demonstrates an understanding of how she would work with external agencies for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities should the need arise. She has a clear rationale for how early years pupil premium funding would be used so that any future support is purposeful and makes a measurable difference to children's learning and wellbeing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Strong relationships with parents and carers underpin the childminder's inclusive practice. She shares strategies around eating routines, toileting and emotional reassurance, ensuring that children receive consistent support. The childminder takes children to community experiences to further promote early social inclusion and broadens their opportunities. As a result, children are well supported to make progress from their starting points and experience a setting where their individual needs are recognised, valued and met.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates reflective and child-centred leadership. She speaks confidently about her curriculum, assessment processes and the reasoning behind decisions that shape children's learning. Strong partnerships with parents and carers are a notable strength in this setting. Families describe clear communication, detailed updates and supportive collaboration around routines, behaviour and healthy eating. These relationships contribute positively to children's welfare, confidence and progress. The childminder engages in local childminding networks and wider community links to enrich children's experiences. This enables the childminder to share ideas and extend her professional development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder shows a sustained commitment to improving her practice. She accesses online training, network meetings and webinars to keep her knowledge up to date. The childminder reflects constructively on feedback and has already started to refine aspects of her provision, such as clarifying the purpose of planned activities and strengthening how teaching is adapted for different ages and stages of children. She also reviews systems proactively, such as record-keeping and monitoring, to ensure that they remain effective and manageable. The childminder plans to expand her professional learning, especially around supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and developing early communication strategies. This will improve her readiness to meet children's more complex needs and sustain high-quality care for all children.

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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 arrive settled, confident and ready to play. They are greeted warmly by the childminder. Children quickly join calm and purposeful activities, such as exploring real vegetables and building train tracks. They show high levels of curiosity and remain engaged for sustained periods. Children demonstrate that activities match their interests and motivate them to explore. Daily routines strengthen key skills as children develop growing independence in managing their toileting needs. Through a curriculum that builds on what children already know and can do, children make steady progress in early language, physical development and early mathematics, including counting, comparing size and sensory exploration. The childminder plans activities that capture children's curiosity and interest, helping them to remain focused, engaged and motivated in their play and learning.

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

Children demonstrate that they feel secure in the setting through their warm interactions and confident engagement with the childminder. Children approach the childminder readily for reassurance or help, showing the strong and trusting relationships that support their emotional wellbeing. The childminder knows each child well and responds sensitively to their needs, offering calm guidance during transitions and supporting them to express their feelings. Families are welcomed and valued. Parents and carers describe clear improvements in their children's confidence, communication and behaviour. Regular updates and shared approaches to routines, healthy eating and toileting help to create consistency between home and the setting. The childminder uses opportunities to attend toddler groups, celebrate cultural events and explore the local community to help children develop social confidence and an emerging sense of identity and belonging.

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

The childminder ensures that children are kept safe and supported to flourish. She maintains a clear understanding of each child's needs and works closely with parents to ensure consistent approaches. The childminder uses experiences in different environments,

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:15 - 18:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Swindon including outdoor spaces and nature walks, to build children's resilience and support their readiness for future learning.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure that all planned activities are purposeful and clearly adapted to meet the different ages and stages of children's learning and development. The childminder should strengthen children's understanding of the consequences of their actions by consistently reinforcing expectations around kindness, care and respect.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and the children 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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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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