Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY348693 Registered with Ofsted: 01/05/2007 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

Children make rapid and secure progress across the curriculum, developing a foundational knowledge essential for later learning. They communicate confidently, using an expanding vocabulary and express ideas clearly, while demonstrating an in-depth understanding of the natural world, healthy lifestyles and numeracy concepts.

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Achievement Strong standard

The childminder gets to know the children she cares for fully. Those with differing starting points, including younger children and individuals requiring additional support, engage remarkably well in activities adapted to their needs. Children show consistently high levels of development in independence, social skills and self-care.

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Achievement Strong standard

The provider's reflective and inclusive teaching ensures all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or English as an additional language, participate meaningfully and make wonderful progress. Children develop confidence, problem-solving skills and curiosity. They develop a range of important skills and demonstrate their independence, resilience and thoughtfulness in everyday activities. The curriculum and skilled teaching successfully embeds children's knowledge, skills and attitudes required for their next stage of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder establishes a consistently positive environment, where children clearly understand expectations for their behaviour and routines. The childminder models kindness, care and respect, which children consistently emulate by sharing resources, taking turns and showing thoughtfulness to peers and animals. Through the childminder's gentle guidance, clear instructions and predictable routines, such as handwashing, daily walks and snack times, children develop independence, self-regulation and positive attitudes.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Relationships between the childminder and children are highly nurturing. Children demonstrate enormous levels of trust and respect. They engage enthusiastically in all aspects of the day and collaborate effectively with peers. The childminder supports families to establish routines, promoting punctuality and consistent attendance, which reinforces children's readiness to learn. Children show responsibility for their actions. For example, they apologise to adults as they squeeze through small gaps to pass by. Children manage their self-care confidently and sustain immense focus across activities. This reflects the effectiveness of the routines in place.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder applies behaviour expectations consistently. She adjusts her approach, when needed, to support children with differing abilities or experiences. As a result, children thrive in a nurturing environment. They confidently make decisions, demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and develop the social, emotional and personal skills that underpin their ongoing development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides a highly nurturing environment, where children's welfare and wellbeing are consistently prioritised. She establishes secure and responsive relationships, enabling children to feel confident, safe and emotionally supported. Children demonstrate exceptional kindness, consideration and self-assurance, reflecting the strong attachments they form with the childminder.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder meets individual needs effectively by adapting activities and routines for all ages. This includes promoting hygiene, healthy eating and safe use of tools. The childminder ensures that children follow safe routines for handwashing, snack preparation and engagement with animals. She supports children's physical development and understanding of personal safety. Children independently manage self-care, demonstrate safe risk awareness and make positive choices about food and the environment.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder supports children to recognise and express emotions through consistent reassurance, encouragement and reflective practice. She fosters children's emotional wellbeing by providing familiar routines, sensitive responses to individual needs and opportunities for exploration, such as visits to the dentist. The childminder guides children and families in understanding online safety and respectful behaviour towards others, ensuring consistency in both the provision and home environment.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Care practices are consistently thoughtful, inclusive and responsive, enabling all children to develop secure attachments, confidence and a strong sense of wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder uses her assessments of what children already know and can do to design and implement a purposeful curriculum that considers learning and development requirements and reflects the needs of the children in her care. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged children. She shows a deep understanding of child development and uses her expertise to plan exciting and engaging activities that support all areas of development fully.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The curriculum is structured to be inclusive and adaptable. For example, the childminder provides age-appropriate tools for fine motor tasks and incorporates opportunities for problem-solving and numeracy within practical experiences, for instance making rockets out of cardboard boxes. The childminder models and introduces new vocabulary, such as 'manoeuvres'. The consistent dialogue promotes continuous opportunities for learning across all activities. Children are encouraged to test their understanding and, as a result, express ideas confidently.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder embeds purposeful teaching strategies, reflecting on practice to enhance learning and adapt activities to individual needs. She supports children to develop independence, confidence and social skills, using both child-led and adult-led approaches to foster exceptional engagement and sustained focus. She considers children's prior experiences to make learning meaningful, balancing risk, safety and challenge. The curriculum and teaching practices create a stimulating and nurturing environment, where children explore, communicate and develop extremely well holistically.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has established a highly inclusive culture, where every child is valued and fully involved in the setting. Children feel secure, respected and confident. The childminder identifies and assesses individual needs through careful observation, parent discussions and responsive planning. Activities are adapted for children's different ages, stages and abilities. Strategic support and reasonable adjustments, such as differentiated tasks and peer-learning opportunities, help to reduce barriers to learning and wellbeing. This enables all children to participate fully and develop their independence.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Inclusive practice is reinforced through rich language experiences, community visits and hands-on activities that celebrate diversity, including home languages and cultural experiences. These strengthen children's sense of belonging and curiosity about the world. Children are highly respectful of all adults and children as a result.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder engages families consistently, sharing information and consulting on children's development, while maintaining readiness to liaise with external professionals to meet specific needs. She demonstrates a strong understanding of how to provide targeted support to disadvantaged or vulnerable children, including those accessing early years pupil premium funding or those known to children's social care. The childminder undertakes relevant training to strengthen her understanding of how to identify needs and ensure appropriate additional support is accessed when required.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The inclusive practice of this setting creates a nurturing environment, where children thrive, make meaningful progress and develop confidence, independence and a strong sense of belonging.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder provides highly effective leadership, ensuring that the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage are consistently met. She demonstrates a clear understanding of her setting's strengths and future areas for development, taking decisive action to enhance outcomes for all children. Her strategic approach helps to ensure that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning, receive high-quality care and education tailored to their individual needs. The childminder fosters a nurturing, inclusive environment, where children thrive. This is underpinned by robust safeguarding, health and safety and welfare practices. The childminder reflects thoughtfully on her practice. She adapts activities to reflect children's developmental stages, and continuously refines the curriculum. The childminder values professional development. She manages her own workload and wellbeing effectively to

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder actively engages with families and external professionals, ensuring collaborative decision-making that benefits children. Her prominent approach to school readiness, social and emotional development and community learning demonstrates purposeful direction and a commitment to continuous improvement. As a result, children benefit from a well-led setting, where leadership drives highly effective care, learning and wellbeing.

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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 creates a highly nurturing, language-rich environment, where children feel safe, valued and eager to learn. Children show remarkable levels of engagement, kindness and responsibility, routinely sharing resources, caring for animals and showing respect for one another. The childminder's curriculum reflects a culture of exceptionally inclusive practice embedded in everyday routines.

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

Children achieve well from their individual starting points. They confidently recall previous experiences, make healthy choices and articulate their thoughts clearly. Children describe recent shopping trips, explain the benefits of healthy food and water and confidently express their preferences. The childminder uses carefully planned experiences to support astounding independence levels. For example, children safely use real tools, such as peelers, graters and knives to create homemade bird feeders while developing their fine motor skills and concentration.

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

The childminder supports children's communication effectively. Children routinely use ambitious vocabulary, such as 'capybaras' when discussing different animals and where they live. The childminder consistently extends children's language, introducing new words and encouraging exploration of meaning through real experiences. The childminder weaves mathematical learning seamlessly into sessions. Children solve simple mathematical problems and apply numeracy naturally through play. They are well prepared for their next steps in learning.

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

The childminder works closely with parents to understand children's needs and to reduce any barriers to learning and wellbeing. For example, she carefully targets individual support for communication, confidence and social development. Children feel a powerful sense of belonging. They form secure, trusting relationships, interact warmly with adults and peers and display exceedingly high levels of politeness and empathy.

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

The childminder demonstrates clear reflective practice and ambition for improvement. She evaluates activities to strengthen learning outcomes and prioritises expanding outdoor and nature-based experiences to further enhance children's curiosity and wellbeing. As a result, children fully engage in richer, more purposeful learning experiences as activities are continually refined to better meet their needs.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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Next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those with SEND, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder.

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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 inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection.

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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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