Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY396048 Registered with Ofsted: 06/07/2009 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.2

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.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Children make steady progress across the curriculum from their individual starting points. They develop essential communication and language skills through regular interaction and dialogue with the childminder. For example, children confidently engage in imaginative play, such as pretending to make coffee and offering 'cupcakes' to others. This supports their confidence to use language and express their ideas. These everyday conversations help children to build narrative skills in natural contexts.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Children demonstrate emerging mathematical thinking as they explore activities and routines. For example, the childminder encourages children to make links between numerals and their age. Children's independence and self-help skills develop through routines, such as choosing snacks, contributing to routine tasks and managing self-care. This reinforces children's confidence and ability to take responsibility. These skills support children's readiness for their next stage of learning, helping them to feel confident, capable and engaged in their day-to-day experiences. However, when activities and resources are not consistently matched to children's different ages and abilities, opportunities to fully extend learning are sometimes missed, which means progress is not always maximised.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has established a positive environment with clear expectations for behaviour that children understand and respond to. She builds secure and trusting relationships with children. The childminder models calm and respectful interactions and uses everyday moments to reinforce positive conduct. For example, during a craft activity when children become upset because their peers have taken a pen, the childminder encourages them to share and be kind. This helps children to understand how to play cooperatively.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children engage confidently in routines and demonstrate positive social skills, such as taking part in snack time and small-group play. When some children initially decline to follow a routine, such as handwashing, the childminder gently redirects them, using peer modelling so older children can take the lead and show others what to do. This supports children's cooperation and reduces their resistance. However, the childminder does not consistently support children to understand the purpose of routines to help them better regulate during transitions and build positive habits.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder promotes regular attendance and predictable routines through daily communication with families. This strong partnership helps families to maintain consistency between home and the setting, supporting children's readiness for daily experiences. Children respond well to these routines. They show increasing confidence, patience and positive attitudes to their learning.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder promotes children's welfare and wellbeing through attentive and personalised care practices that help children to feel secure and supported. She manages intimate care sensitively, completing nappy changes with respect for children's privacy. She encourages children to understand consent and respect. For example, the childminder teaches them to ask before offering hugs, which nurtures positive social and emotional development.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder builds secure and responsive relationships with children, which supports their emotional wellbeing. Children confidently seek her out during play and routines, and she uses reassuring language to help them to express and manage their feelings. For example, she labels emotions and discusses how it feels when children become frustrated. This helps children to build their emotional understanding.

p.3

Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's understanding of personal safety and health is supported through practical routines and discussions. The childminder stays vigilant on outings and adapts plans based on local events. However, she does not consistently support children to understand why health and safety routines matter. For example, the childminder does not consistently explain why they wash hands or why they should not put knives in their mouths. This does not help children to make sense of daily habits and support the development of lifelong healthy practices.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans a purposeful and broad curriculum that responds to children's interests. She uses information gathered during settling-in sessions and daily observations to shape experiences that build on what children already know and can do.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports children's language, communication and mathematical thinking in everyday contexts. She enriches story time with descriptive language and engages children in conversation about illustrations. The childminder prompts children to recall and express their ideas. She introduces purposeful language during craft activities, for example talking about 'the star at the top of the tree'. The childminder offers alternative language such as 'gold' and 'yellow' to extend children's vocabulary.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Physical, personal, social and emotional development are threaded through daily practice. The childminder encourages children's independence. She allows children to choose their snack, wash their hands and manage self-care tasks with appropriate support. The childminder adapts her teaching to children's different starting points so that all children can participate. However, her current planning and resources do not consistently reflect clear learning intentions for children of different ages and abilities. For example, she provides the same activity and materials to all children despite their varying needs, which means some children are not fully supported to extend their learning.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands children's individual needs and uses this to plan meaningful learning experiences. She gathers detailed information during a careful settling-in process and checks children's progress against developmental guidance. This helps her identify what children know and what they need to learn next. The childminder adapts her interactions to children's stages of development so that they can take part in experiences. Her responsive approach supports children to communicate, think and develop from their individual starting points.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses a range of communication methods to work closely with families and keep them informed about their child's day and learning. This partnership supports continuity between home and the setting and helps all children to engage consistently with routines and activities. For children whose attendance has been affected by their health, the childminder has sought funding to keep places open so that their continuity of learning and belonging is maintained.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder monitors children's progress effectively and reviews support regularly. She knows how to access advice from local authority advisers and, if needed, support from inclusion teams for areas such as speech and language or special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Although she has not yet cared for a child with identified additional needs, she has identified SEND training as an area to further strengthen her knowledge and confidence.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder leads her setting with a clear commitment to providing consistent and high- quality care and learning for all children and families. She keeps essential records up to date, including first-aid training, which supports safe and organised routines.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder engages in ongoing professional development to strengthen her practice and understanding of effective care and teaching. She recognises the value of further enhancing her knowledge in areas such as mathematics and plans to pursue targeted training to deepen her understanding of mathematical concepts and child-friendly approaches. Although she has identified these professional development opportunities, she also reflects that her planning is not yet consistently precise in matching activities and resources to children's different ages and stages of development. This ongoing professional development will further strengthen the quality of teaching and support children's progression.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has an accurate understanding of her strengths and areas for further development and reflects thoughtfully on her practice. She maintains regular communication with families, helping parents and carers stay involved in their children's experiences. This supports continuity between home and the setting.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder supports transitions for children who attend more than one early years setting and for those moving on to school. She shares relevant information and maintains dialogue that supports continuity of care and learning as children's routines change. This helps to ensure that children settle confidently and continue their development as they move between environments.

p.5

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

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

Children feel secure and supported at the setting. The childminder welcomes children warmly. Children approach her confidently during daily routines and their play. This helps children to settle quickly and feel safe to explore. For example, younger children independently thread chunky wooden fruits onto string and use single words, such as 'banana' and 'strawberry', to describe the fruits they are using. Children are willing to engage, experiment and communicate because the childminder listens, encourages and models language throughout the day.

p.6

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

The childminder promotes children's language, thinking and independence skills. She extends older children's vocabulary during story time, introducing words such as 'plié' to describe the ballerina's actions and talking with them about their favourite tutu colours. The childminder introduces mathematical language and concepts during everyday routines, such as counting how many pumps of soap they need at handwashing. This helps children to link learning to real moments. Children choose what they would like for snack, wash their hands and spread their own butter on crumpets. These opportunities strengthen children's physical skills and build their self-reliance. As a result, children become capable, curious and confident learners.

p.6

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

Children develop positive social skills and enjoy learning alongside their peers because the childminder nurtures cooperation and kindness. She uses everyday moments to support sharing and turn taking. Children respond well to her guidance. The childminder promotes regular attendance through daily diaries, photos and updates via a messaging app. This helps families to feel involved, keeps children connected to learning routines and reinforces continuity between home and the setting. Parents and carers value this partnership and regular communication. Children are fully included and feel a strong sense of belonging. They consistently show engagement, confidence and joy in their day, supporting their progress in all areas of learning.

p.6

Next steps

The childminder should strengthen the planning and organisation of activities so that learning outcomes are clearly defined and resources are well matched to children's individual needs. The childminder should provide more consistent opportunities for children to learn about the purpose of safe and healthy routines and how these routines support their wellbeing.

p.6

About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:30 - 17:30

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.7

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder during the inspection.

p.7

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.

p.7

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.8

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.8

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.

p.8

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.8

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

p.8

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.

p.8

Urgent improvement

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 .

p.8

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 .

p.8

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Urgent improvement

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8