Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 255374 Registered with Ofsted: 01/12/1992 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 progress from their starting points. They develop knowledge and skills across all areas of learning and development. Children are suitably supported by the childminder to help close gaps in their learning and development. For example, children engage in mark making. They have learned to confidently make marks using writing tools. Children talk about the marks they make and feel proud of their work. They explain that they have drawn shapes and share these with their friends. This helps them to make progress in their fine motor strength.

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Achievement Expected standard

Typically, all children develop their communication and language skills well. They love to sing songs and dance with joy. Children learn new words and vocabulary, which helps them to become confident communicators. Furthermore, children build on their physical skills as they learn to confidently throw and catch. Children build strength in their physical skills and progress to their next stage of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations for all children's behaviour. Children know their routines well and are eager to learn. The childminder talks gently to children about sharing and models using manners. Children play alongside each other and generally get on. They are supported by the childminder to work with each other as they play. Children are kind and follow instructions and listen carefully. They work as a team to build models from magnetic tiles, taking turns to create buildings and vehicles. This calm and nurturing environment supports children to behave very well.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children often seek comfort from the childminder and regularly go to her for cuddles. They have built warm attachments with the childminder. The childminder ensures that she regularly monitors and promotes attendance. This helps to form positive attitudes for children's learning and their future success.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder celebrates children's successes. Children feel proud of their achievements. The childminder rewards the children with stickers and 'high fives'. This helps children to feel valued and motivates them to do well.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has created a warm, safe and welcoming environment. All children are settled and happy through trusting relationships they have with the childminder. Children are supported to recognise and express their emotions. This contributes towards children's emotional wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Through her enhanced curriculum, the childminder provides children with daily learning experiences outside of the home. The childminder takes children to visit museums, supermarkets, libraries and the local arboretum. She supports children to understand how to keep themselves safe when they go out and about. These experiences enable all children to make progress in their social skills and learn about the world in which they live.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are becoming independent. They make choices about what they would like to play with and what fruit they would like for their snack. For example, children choose from strawberries, grapes and oranges. That said, at times, the childminder offers her support too quickly and does things for children that they can do themselves. For instance, cutting and peeling snack and wiping children's face and hands. The children rely on the childminder instead of doing simple tasks for themselves.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder promotes an awareness of healthy diet and lifestyles. She provides nutritious and healthy snacks for all children in her care. The childminder teaches children the importance of brushing teeth at home. The childminder recognises that poor dental hygiene is a local concern. She shares information about toothbrushing with families to help embed oral hygiene and healthy eating habits.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder's curriculum focuses on communication and language and supporting children to become school ready. She plans her curriculum to build on children's knowledge and skills. The childminder finds out about children's starting points from parents and uses this information to support children's learning and development. She incorporates children's next steps in learning through her daily interactions. This helps all children to make progress from their starting points.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports all children's communication and language skills effectively. She introduces new words such as measure, big and small as children paint and draw. The childminder models rich vocabulary and naturally supports children's counting skills. Furthermore, she develops children's physical skills by providing a range of experiences. Through this approach, children develop an understanding of early mathematical concepts and improve their physical development.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder knows the children very well. She supports all children's learning through her daily teaching and interactions. However, the childminder is yet to consistently embed high-quality interactions to extend and support children's learning even further.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has naturally created an inclusive setting. She accurately identifies children's individual needs through her robust assessments of all children. The childminder regularly monitors and reviews children's progress. Support in place ensures that children's gaps in their learning and development are closed quickly.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder continuously engages with families and other professionals to shape all children's learning experiences. She fully understands children's life experiences and supports children and families extremely well. The childminder signposts support for families to other agencies and professionals in a timely manner. Her process of identifying early support for children ensures that timely referrals are made to ensure that they receive the support they need. Through effective partnership working, the childminder typically reduces barriers to children's learning and helps to support their development.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder makes effective decisions in using the early years pupil premium funding. Her priorities for children who are in receipt of additional funding ensure that children experience learning beyond their home. The childminder purchases resources, using children's interests, to further support all children's learning and development. She monitors and reviews the support she provides and adapts her practice so that children achieve from their starting points and feel fully supported in their wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is dedicated and passionate about her role. She successfully networks with other childminders and local schools to share her knowledge. The childminder has accessed webinars to enhance her practice around child development and uses updates from the local authority to adapt her practice and provision. She understands the setting's strengths and identifies areas for improvement. The childminder evaluates her provision effectively. She is reflective and forward thinking. This ensures that children and families receive the best care and education during their time with her.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder genuinely cares for the families and children. She constantly works in partnership with parents. Parents comment that they are extremely well supported by the childminder. They say she is a reliable and trustworthy caregiver. The childminder regularly shares information with parents about their children's learning and how to support their children's next steps in their learning and development. Furthermore, the childminder supports families to apply for additional funding to benefit their children. Parents say how nurturing and welcoming the setting is, which helps their children feel safe and valued.

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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 happy and settled in this homely setting. The childminder has warm and positive relationships with the children in her care. Children seek comfort by going to the childminder for cuddles. This nurturing approach fosters children's wellbeing and builds a secure foundation for children's next stage of learning. The childminder works closely with parents to ensure that there is a smooth transition into her setting for all children. She finds out about children's starting points from parents and uses this information to inform her curriculum. The childminder supports children's learning and development well. She incorporates their next steps in learning through her daily interactions.

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

The childminder provides children with exciting playful experiences. Children enjoy their learning and are keen to explore their environment. They sing about a spider in the bath and dance as they relate their paintings to a spider. Children love mark making as they create circles and lines and draw shapes. In addition, children work as a team to draw facial features with careful guidance from the childminder. She introduces and names facial features and asks children to point to their nose, eyes and mouth. The childminder asks effective questions that spark children's thinking and imagination. Children are developing their communication and language skills.

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

Children who are in receipt of the early years pupil premium and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing receive the utmost support from the childminder. The childminder is fully inclusive and responsive to individual children's needs. She works in collaboration with parents and local schools to help support families. Attendance is monitored regularly by the childminder. Children and families are at the heart of her decision-making. Children receive the care and support they need to help them thrive.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:00 - 17:00

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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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Next steps

The childminder should enhance children's independence skills by providing opportunities for children to do things for themselves. The childminder should embed consistently high-quality interactions to extend children's learning even further.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and the children and took account of parents' written views 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. This data is from 21 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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