Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 101144 Registered with Ofsted: 13/05/1997 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 from their starting points. Babies and younger children become increasingly curious and engaged, exploring toys independently, responding to familiar words and beginning to anticipate daily routines. As they settle, children gain confidence to move around the environment, watch others and gradually join in with play alongside their peers.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop early skills that support their next stage of learning. They practise self-care through routines such as feeding and toileting, showing improving coordination and independence. Children's growing emotional security supports their willingness to try new experiences, sustain attention and interact positively with others.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children that have experienced barriers, including speech and language delay, make steady progress. Overall, children develop the foundational skills they need for future learning. Progress is secure rather than strong because learning experiences do not always build precisely on what children already know and can do.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has established a calm and nurturing environment where children feel emotionally secure and understand familiar routines. Babies and younger children respond positively to consistent care and reassurance, which supports their developing emotional regulation. Expectations are appropriate to children's ages and stages, helping them cooperate during daily routines.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are supported to develop positive social behaviours through warm relationships and gentle guidance. They play comfortably alongside peers, share resources and show kindness, such as offering comfort items during play. When children need support, the childminder responds sensitively, helping them manage feelings and encouraging positive interactions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of predictable routines for children and families. Attendance and punctuality are promoted through regular communication with parents, and individual circumstances are considered carefully, particularly for babies and new starters. As a result, children feel secure and supported to develop positive behaviours and attitudes that reflect their developmental stage.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Care practices are effective and meet children's individual needs. The childminder uses information from parents to follow familiar routines for sleeping, feeding and nappy changing. Daily routines, including mealtimes and sleep, are used to support children's learning and wellbeing. Feeding arrangements reflect children's usual patterns and preferences, helping babies feel emotionally secure. Nappy changes are carried out discreetly and respectfully, with calm explanations to support understanding. Hygiene routines promote children's dignity and health. Children begin to develop an early understanding of personal safety through routines, such as washing hands before eating and following clear hygiene expectations.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Secure and responsive relationships are evident, particularly for babies and younger children. Children seek reassurance when needed and are comforted sensitively. The childminder responds promptly to children's cues, offering physical comfort, verbal reassurance or quiet space as appropriate. For example, children who become unsettled during play are supported calmly until they feel ready to re-engage. This helps them develop trust and confidence.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supports children's emotional wellbeing by recognising changes in mood and responding calmly. Younger children are given time to observe activities before joining in, supporting smooth transitions and inclusion. Care routines reflect children's ages, stages and individual needs, particularly for those settling into the setting. These consistent practices help children feel secure, valued and supported.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has designed a curriculum that reflects children's ages, stages and individual routines, with consideration given to babies and younger children. The curriculum supports all areas of learning, with a strong focus on personal, social and emotional development, communication and physical skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a secure knowledge of child development. Babies are supported to explore cause-and-effect toys, with the childminder modelling actions and offering simple commentary to help them link actions with outcomes. Sensory activities, such as exploring dried rice, support children's early mathematical understanding through filling and emptying, while also developing coordination.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is caring and responsive, and adaptations reflect children's home routines, thereby supporting emotional security. However, the quality of interactions is not consistently strong, particularly for the youngest children. At times, interactions focus more on supervision rather than on extending children's learning through sustained dialogue, and the learning intentions of planned activities are not always clearly identified in advance.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder identifies children's individual needs when they start at the setting through close observation and regular discussion with families. Information about children's routines, interests and home experiences is used to support emotional security and reduce barriers to learning, particularly for babies and younger children settling into the setting.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Reasonable adjustments are made to help children feel safe and included. Care routines such as sleeping, feeding and nappy changing are adapted to reflect familiar home practices, helping children feel comfortable and secure. Babies and younger children are supported sensitively, with the childminder responding to individual cues and offering reassurance when needed. This supports children's engagement in play and daily routines.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder monitors children's progress through ongoing observation and discussion with parents. Where emerging concerns are identified, she works in partnership with families and seeks advice from external professionals as appropriate. Experience of supporting children with speech and language delay demonstrates an understanding of the importance of early identification and support. While the childminder adapts care sensitively and knows children well, this knowledge is not always used precisely enough to identify clear learning intentions for individual children. As a result, the childminder does not consistently plan activities intentionally to further reduce barriers to learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a secure understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development. She reflects regularly on practice and uses self-evaluation to identify priorities that are in the best interests of children. Decisions are informed by her experience and knowledge of the children, particularly when supporting transitions, care routines and emotional wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Professional development is valued and used appropriately to support practice. The childminder engages in safeguarding and communication and language training to keep her knowledge up to date. Learning from training informs day-to-day care, particularly in supporting children's communication and emotional security. For example, following professional development, she has introduced the use of instruments to support children's understanding of the rhythm of spoken language and has adapted the words of nursery rhymes to make the learning more meaningful and relevant for children. The childminder is mindful of workload and keeps systems manageable, using professional judgement to balance paperwork with direct work with children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works positively with parents and values open communication. Information is shared daily through discussion and messages, supporting consistency between home and the setting. Where children face additional challenges, she works with families and seeks external advice when needed.

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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 experience a calm and nurturing environment where they feel emotionally secure and well cared for throughout the day. The childminder responds to babies and younger children sensitively. She recognises individual cues and adapts care routines to reflect children's home experiences. For example, babies are soothed using familiar routines and supported to sleep in ways that meet their individual needs. This helps them to feel settled and confident as they adjust to time away from home. Consistent daily routines help children feel secure and support regular attendance, enabling them to engage positively in play and learning.

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Inspector:

Holly Smith Children develop a strong sense of belonging through warm, responsive relationships and predictable routines. They play comfortably alongside their peers and show growing confidence in social interactions. For example, children share resources during play, pass toys to one another and show care by offering comfort items such as blankets or dolls. Younger children are supported to observe group activities initially and gradually move closer as their confidence grows, encouraging curiosity and inclusion without pressure.

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Inspector:

Children enjoy a range of play-based experiences that support exploration and early learning. Babies investigate cause-and-effect toys with interest, shaking rattles, pressing buttons and exploring objects independently. The childminder sits alongside children, offering reassurance and simple commentary to support early understanding and attention. These interactions help children begin to link actions with outcomes and support early communication and curiosity.

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Inspector:

Children are encouraged to develop early independence through everyday routines. At mealtimes, younger children practise holding spoons and forks while being supported to eat, helping them build confidence and coordination. Care routines such as nappy changing and toileting are calm, respectful and predictable, supporting children's emotional wellbeing. As a result, children feel secure, valued and make steady progress from their starting points, particularly in confidence, communication and early independence.

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen the consistency of high-quality interactions for all children, particularly the youngest, so they are supported to make the best possible progress. The childminder should refine the precision of children's next steps and use these to plan activities with clear learning intentions.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, parents and 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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About this setting

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

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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

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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