Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY439928 Registered with Ofsted: 02/12/2011 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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Achievement Strong standard

Every child makes sustained progress across all areas of learning and builds particularly well-developed communication and language skills. All children, including those with barriers to their learning, take part in stimulating activities, achieve extremely well and feel confident. They join in with small-group and one-to-one activities that support them to move forward in their development. They rapidly build their vocabulary, listening skills and confidence in expressing themselves. They enjoy shared experiences such as story time, singing and role play and confidently follow routines, take turns, listen to others and express their ideas. Children develop key skills such as independence, social interaction, attention and confidence. They are well prepared for the transition to school, with a solid foundation that includes self-reliance and positive relationships, which ensures they are ready to thrive in

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder creates a warm, calm and well-organised environment where children feel secure and understand what is expected of them. Clear, simple rules and consistent routines help children to develop positive behaviour. The childminder uses age-appropriate strategies and consistent praise to reinforce positive choices.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder builds strong, trusting relationships with all children, helping them feel valued, listened to and emotionally supported. She greets each child individually each morning, offers comfort when needed and engages in meaningful conversations throughout the day.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The children are actively supported to develop social skills such as sharing, taking turns and cooperating with others. When a disagreement arises, they are encouraged to use simple phrases to express themselves and find fair solutions together. The childminder carefully considers each child's developmental stage, needs and personal circumstances when supporting behaviour expectations, adapting her approach to ensure all children can succeed.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder encourages regular attendance so children can enjoy familiar routines, build strong relationships and make effective progress in their learning. She works closely with parents to support consistency, helping children feel settled, confident and secure. The childminder discusses the benefits of good attendance with families and maintains predictable morning routines to help children feel ready for the day and support smooth handovers with parents.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder skilfully supports all children to recognise, understand and talk about their feelings through sensitive interactions and well-planned opportunities for discussion. When a child feels upset, the childminder sits with them, listens and helps them understand their feelings. She gently shows them simple ways to calm down so they feel supported and able to manage their emotions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children are supported to develop their physical skills, personal safety awareness and overall health and wellbeing. They take part in active play such as climbing, running and outdoor games to build strength and coordination. Everyday routines help children learn how to keep themselves safe, for example practising handwashing, talking about road safety on outings and learning to tidy toys safely. Healthy habits are encouraged through regular physical activity, balanced snacks, rest times and conversations about looking after their bodies, helping every child to feel confident, safe and well cared for.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Everyday care routines are precisely tailored to meet each child's individual needs. Daily routines, including mealtimes and sleep, are carefully planned around the children to help them feel extremely comfortable, settled and secure. Mealtimes are calm and relaxed, encouraging children to enjoy healthy food and develop independence, while sleep routines follow children's home routines as closely as possible, ensuring they have the rest they need to support their wellbeing and development.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

A clear, extremely well-planned and high-quality curriculum is delivered confidently by the childminder so children make key progress in all areas of learning. Children show curiosity about a topic, and activities are planned to extend their learning. For example, books about arctic animals are shared, alongside outdoor activities linked to snow and ice. This helps children explore key vocabulary and deepen their understanding through play.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder reflects on what works well each week and adjusts next steps for each child from their starting points. Children build their number skills by practising counting throughout the day. This learning is then reinforced through planned activities, including simple sorting and counting games, helping children to recognise numbers and become more confident with counting. Children are taught through highly skilled interactions with the childminder, who models language, extends play and supports children to explore and learn independently. For example, during tidying up, the childminder introduced words such as 'light' and 'heavy' and 'full' and 'empty' when carrying resources to the shelves.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder ensures the curriculum is accessible and inclusive so every child can participate and make progress, including those with additional needs. For example, she adjusts a threading activity for younger children when developing their small hand and finger muscles, as the children are at different stages of ability.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder carefully and consistently observes each child to identify their individual needs at an early stage. She uses ongoing assessment to understand what children can do and what they need help with. She adapts activities, routines and the learning environment so that every child can take part fully. She works proactively to remove any barriers to learning, ensuring every child makes positive progress from their starting points.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder provides targeted support and uses additional funding effectively to ensure every child receives the additional attention, experiences and resources they need to thrive. She works closely with families to share ideas and help children succeed both at home and in the setting.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder is skilled in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She adapts teaching strategies, breaks learning into manageable steps and ensures resources are inclusive and accessible. The childminder works in partnership with parents and external professionals to follow agreed plans and provide consistent support. She regularly reviews each child's progress to ensure they receive the right help at the right time.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Effective communication with parents and relevant professionals ensures safeguarding needs are understood and met for the most vulnerable children. The childminder follows all guidance, maintains accurate records and ensures the child's welfare is central to her practice.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates very effective leadership in the day-to-day running of the setting. She plans with purpose and sets high expectations for each child's learning, safety and wellbeing. She uses embedded reflective practice to identify strengths and areas for development, making improvements that enhance outcomes for all children and address any barriers to their learning.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder maintains accurate records, including attendance, risk assessments and safeguarding documentation, which are reviewed regularly. She makes sure that all required checks are completed and kept up to date and follows clear procedures so children are cared for in a safe and well-organised learning environment.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder shows a strong commitment to continuous professional development. She continuously updates her knowledge through training and online courses to ensure her practice reflects current early years research and guidance.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Positive and trusting relationships with parents and carers are a key strength, and parents speak extremely highly of the childminder. She communicates openly and regularly, sharing information about their children's progress, routines and next steps in learning. She also provides daily feedback and encourages parents to share information from home to support continuity of care. The childminder engages with the wider community, such as the local library, to enrich children's experiences.

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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

The childminder delivers a highly ambitious, well-sequenced and inclusive early years curriculum that builds on what each child already knows and can do. This enables all children to achieve well and feel confident and prepared for the next stage of their learning. The childminder follows children's interests, such as in railways, by responding to the conversation, extending their thinking and supporting their retrieval of facts from previous experience. Children demonstrate high levels of emotional security as the childminder forms warm, trusting attachments that enable them to feel safe, confident and ready to explore. Children talk to their parents about it being their childminder day, and parents report that the children are so excited to arrive and spend the day with her.

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

Children benefit from a carefully planned, stimulating environment that promotes curiosity, independence and sustained engagement in meaningful play. They can focus on tasks independently, such as the preparation and serving of meals in the role-play area. They develop strong communication and language skills as the childminder consistently models extensive vocabulary, encourages conversation and responds sensitively to their attempts to try out new words and help further develop their meaning.

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

Children show increasing confidence in managing their own needs, building relationships and developing positive social interactions. They show lovely manners to each other and adults, and this clearly forms part of their everyday communication. Children develop their physical skills through a range of planned and spontaneous activities that support both big body movements and small hand and finger movements. These opportunities take place indoors and outdoors, as well as during visits to local parks and community spaces, helping children to build strength, coordination and confidence.

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

Children respond positively to the childminder's clear, consistent expectations and demonstrate cooperative behaviour and respect for routines. They confidently express themselves when there is a disagreement over a toy, talking it through together, supported by the childminder. Their health and wellbeing are promoted effectively through safe practice, healthy routines and nurturing care, including supporting parents with nutritional guidance, teeth cleaning and boundaries.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of any disadvantaged children they may care for in the future.

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About this inspection

The Inspector spoke with the childminder, children and parents 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 the 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,Friday : 08:00 - 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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