Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY264811 Registered with Ofsted: 01/10/2003 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder provides children with a warm and nurturing home-from-home environment. She sets high expectations for children's behaviour, supporting them to develop kindness and respect for others. For example, children regularly visit a local home for older people, where they engage in singing sessions. These respectful links with the community enrich children's learning and teach them the value of caring for others. Older children demonstrate empathy towards younger peers as the childminder consistently reinforces gentle play and quiet voices when younger children are sleeping.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder excels in supporting children's emotional development. When children struggle with emotions, she introduces an 'emotions basket' containing puppets and books to help them recognise and name their feelings. Children learn that emotions, such as anger and sadness, are okay and that they can change how they feel. She encourages children to use a visual board to express their feelings and celebrate when they move from feeling angry to happy. These highly effective strategies enable children to regulate their behaviour and develop essential skills for managing emotions. This in turn promotes resilience and positive attitudes towards learning. The childminder prioritises good attendance, working in partnership with parents to ensure children attend regularly, explaining why this is vital for their learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make secure progress as they engage fully in a broad, well-planned curriculum. They develop concentration and perseverance through activities that capture their interests, such as building with blocks and exploring magnets. Younger children enjoy peekaboo, helping them understand that people and objects continue to exist when out of sight. Older children develop independence as they initiate learning, for example selecting puzzles and showing pride in matching colours and shapes. Children are confident in the childminder's care. They are curious and eager to learn new skills. Communication and language are prioritised through daily conversations, stories and singing, supporting vocabulary and early literacy. These experiences, alongside secure emotional attachments, prepare children well for their next stage in learning. The childminder identifies barriers to learning and adapts her teaching to promote inclusion. She works well with parents and recognises the importance

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Achievement Expected standard

of involving them more in discussions about their children's progress to strengthen partnerships.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children thrive in the childminder's care, enjoying warm, nurturing interactions that build confidence and independence. They form secure attachments with the childminder, supporting their emotional wellbeing. For example, even very young children enjoy the autonomy of feeding themselves while the childminder sits close by to keep them safe. Children are beginning to understand their feelings as the childminder encourages them to use the visual feelings board to name and manage emotions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Older children learn about healthy eating as the childminder teaches them the importance of a varied diet. She is developing her approach to promoting positive oral health, and this is beginning to become part of her practice.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's home routines are valued as the childminder works with parents to ensure children rest comfortably and eat when they are hungry. Older children confidently express when they are ready for a snack and know they must wash their hands first. Younger children have their needs met as the childminder recognises signs of tiredness and responds with cuddles and soothing words. The childminder promotes safety as she teaches children how to use resources such as scissors carefully, helping them understand how to keep themselves safe.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a secure knowledge of the early years foundation stage and uses this to plan stimulating learning experiences that support children's development across many areas of their learning. She skilfully extends children's knowledge, adapting her practice for younger and older children. When children engage in mark making, she encourages communication by asking them to describe their drawings and colours. She reinforces learning by revisiting concepts, such as mixing red and white to make pink.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder ensures children can access books independently. Children show a clear love of books, recognising familiar titles and recalling words in rhyming stories, supporting early literacy. Good teaching promotes children's physical development through intentional planning and purposeful experiences. The childminder helps children explore movement, such as running at different speeds, to develop control and body awareness. Children are developing mathematical concepts as they complete puzzles and engage in number rhymes as the childminder teaches them how to count.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children's personal, social and emotional development is nurtured through positive interactions and opportunities to work together and take turns. However, the childminder recognises the need to engage further with parents to promote all aspects of children's independence. The childminder's warm approach helps children feel secure and settled.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder promotes inclusive practice through her teaching and curriculum planning, ensuring all children receive effective support to learn and progress. She is skilled at meeting the needs of both the youngest and oldest children as she adapts her planning and teaching practice. The childminder has developed individual photo books for each child, which they access independently. They enjoy observing themselves and can reflect on learning experiences with the childminder. The childminder's evaluations of children's achievements and next steps are clear. She works positively with parents and keeps them well informed about their children's individual progress. In the past, she has collaborated successfully with outside professionals, including health visitors and speech and language therapists, in partnership with parents. This helps to ensure children receive the graduated support they need to make good progress. The childminder is aware of how to use

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Inclusion Expected standard

additional funding, including early years pupil premium, when this has been allocated to a child. Going forward, the childminder should continue to review any potential barriers to learning with parents regularly to ensure next steps consistently reflect high expectations for every child.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is an experienced early years practitioner who values ongoing professional development. She keeps well informed of developments in the early years sector. Since her last inspection, she has attended numerous training courses, including those focused on supporting children's communication and language and meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She demonstrates reflective practice and a strong commitment to continual improvement. This in turn means children receive consistent support to help them progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works collaboratively with parents and professionals to ensure children's individual needs are generally well met. Written feedback from parents confirms high levels of satisfaction, consistently praising her exciting curriculum and commitment to keeping children safe and happy. Many children have remained in the childminder's care for several years, providing continuity that fosters secure, long-term relationships. This stability is fundamental to promoting children's emotional wellbeing and supporting their ongoing progress and their transitions to school. The childminder recognises the need to further develop her partnership with parents to bring about even greater improvement.

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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 are settled and happy in the childminder's welcoming and safe home environment. They engage enthusiastically with the well-planned learning experiences. For example, they are delighted to explore the properties of mud, flour and water as they engage in an interactive story time. Children are developing their concentration skills as they enjoy these fun learning experiences. The childminder effectively uses this time to enhance children's communication and language development. She encourages them to describe how the flour and mud feel and notice how the flour represents snow in the story. Children are learning positive social skills as the childminder models cooperation and sharing of resources. As a result, children are developing positive friendships. The childminder works in partnership with parents to meet each child's individual needs. She shares her policies and procedures, emphasising the importance of regular attendance to support children's learning.

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

The childminder is a skilled early years practitioner who has a secure understanding of child development and how children learn. She recognises potential barriers to learning and generally takes steps to address them. She is focused on inclusive practice as she takes time to plan for children's unique individual needs. For example, when older children engage in play dough learning experiences, she adapts the experience so younger children can also participate safely. Children demonstrate growing independence by freely exploring the two rooms set up for their play. They select resources confidently and benefit from the childminder's positive interactions as she supports their learning choices. For example, children are delighted when the childminder recognises that they want to role play a familiar rhyming storybook. The childminder ensures the children have the right props to be successful in their play. Children show secure attachments as they respond positively to the

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

childminder's reassuring cuddles and consistent praise.

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About this setting

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

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About this setting

Local authority: London Borough of Waltham Forest

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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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Next steps

The childminder should consider developing a more consistent process for reviewing children's next steps with parents to help ensure there are high expectations for all children's progress. The childminder should consider embedding positive oral health routines to help foster children's healthy habits for their self-care.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and reviewed parents' feedback 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 inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection This data is from 9 January 2026

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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. 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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