Utting, Emma

Utting, Emma

Unique reference number (URN): EY412360 Address: 68 Rana Drive, BRAINTREE, Essex, CM7 2TD Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 22/07/2010 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Utting, Emma

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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 achieve consistently and make rapid, sustained progress from their individual starting points due to highly responsive teaching and secure relationships. Communication and language development is a notable strength. Children confidently introduce themselves, sing familiar songs and use ambitious vocabulary, including dinosaur names, such as 'pterodactyl'. As a result, children openly express ideas clearly and enjoy taking responsibility for their own learning.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop highly secure early mathematical understanding. They count, sort and sequence fluently. For example, extending patterns autonomously, which builds strong foundations for later learning. Children show prominent levels of resilience and concentration as they complete complex puzzles without adult support.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children demonstrate wonderful levels of independence in self-care and learning, ensuring they are remarkably prepared for their next stage, including school. They manage their own self-care, including toileting, handwashing and opening lunch boxes independently. Children handle books extremely carefully, complete puzzles independently and persevere when tasks are challenging, building resilience and problem-solving skills to a high level.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children thrive in this nurturing environment. The childminder models kindness, fairness and respect to support turn-taking, sharing and cooperation. For example, children apologise and negotiate when sharing resources or work together to complete tasks, strengthening confidence and positive attitudes to learning. While behaviour expectations are clear and managed calmly and sensitively, reinforcement of these strategies across all activities is not yet fully consistent. Therefore, some children do not always apply agreed rules independently and occasional minor conflicts arise as they develop self-regulation skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Routines are embedded yet flexible, enabling children to manage self-care tasks, such as toileting, handwashing and tidying up independently. The childminder gives clear explanations and reassurance to support smooth transitions and emotional security, allowing children to re-engage quickly after small disagreements. Attendance and punctuality are promoted effectively through accurate registers and effective communication with families, ensuring continuity of care and sustained progress.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder adapts her approach to children's age, stage and individual needs, providing praise and encouragement to build resilience. For example, she encourages persistence with challenging tasks, such as using tweezers, leading to high engagement, positive attitudes to learning and growing self-regulation.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder manages children's welfare and wellbeing effectively, providing highly responsive and individualised care. Consistent key-person interactions help children form secure attachments, enabling them to feel safe, valued and confident in their play. Inclusive practice is embedded well. The childminder makes reasonable adjustments so all children's needs are met. For example, she manages cultural dietary requirements, helping to ensure equitable care so all children feel valued.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Routines for hygiene, eating, sleeping and self-care are implemented to enable children's independence in handwashing, toileting and managing lunch boxes confidently. For example, the childminder supervises mealtimes, reinforces safe eating practices and uses first-aid knowledge confidently, ensuring children remain safe. Calm and well-managed mealtimes support children's wellbeing. However, these routines are not yet consistently used to extend children's understanding of healthy choices and nutrition.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder sensitively supports children to develop social skills and emotional regulation, such as resolving disputes over shared resources, which foster cooperation and resilience. The childminder implements positive practices, such as effective oral health, in partnership with parents. Children develop an awareness of personal hygiene, which supports their physical wellbeing and responsibility for their own care.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder delivers a well-considered, ambitious curriculum that she has strengthened considerably since the last inspection. Mathematics is embedded purposefully across daily routines, ensuring children practise counting, sorting and sequencing in meaningful contexts. For example, children order dinosaurs from tallest to smallest and compare size using familiar language, such as 'mummy, daddy and baby'.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Communication and language run through all areas of the curriculum. The childminder models rich vocabulary, asks open-ended questions and uses playful interactions to deepen children's understanding. For example, she introduces words like 'volcano' and 'lava' during role play. Children are confident, articulate communicators using a widening vocabulary. They express their ideas clearly and engage deeply in learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Purposeful activities such as using bug catchers to scoop cereal, strengthens children's fine motor control, coordination and independence. In addition, daily outdoor play builds confidence, balance and spatial awareness. While routines promote healthy eating, opportunities to extend learning through discussions at mealtimes are not always fully maximised. As a result, children's understanding of healthy choices and overall wellbeing are not yet fully secure.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder uses assessment effectively to tailor teaching to children's starting points. For example, she extends mathematical work for quicker learners and provides reassurance and praise to build children's resilience. Inclusive practice is embedded through practical adaptations, repetition and close partnership with parents. Children feel secure and supported, making sustained progress from their individual starting points.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder embeds inclusive practice effectively, identifying children's individual needs through close observation, baseline assessment and ongoing monitoring. She adapts teaching to meet children's differing learning styles, energy levels and developmental stages. The childminder uses practical resources, repetition and playful approaches to ensure all children feel included. For example, the childminder skilfully adapts activities by introducing additional challenge and encouraging higher levels of thinking for children who are more advanced. Therefore children remain fully engaged and make progress at their own pace.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents to maintain consistency between home and the setting. She engages with external agencies when concerns arise, including collaboration with social care to safeguard children. As a result, children experience consistent care and expectations. They feel secure and well supported. Timely interventions protect their wellbeing and help them make sustained progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder undertakes relevant special educational needs and/or disabilities training to inform a graduated approach, ensuring emerging needs are anticipated and addressed fully. Early years pupil premium funding is used to effectively remove barriers to physical development, so children receive targeted support. For example, the childminder purchases walking aids so children move around independently. These strategies ensure all children feel secure, valued and included, enabling them to access learning fully. This supports children to make sustained progress in communication, behaviour, independence and physical skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates positive leadership and effective governance, ensuring her setting runs smoothly and children's needs are prioritised. Reflective practice is used well to identify strengths and areas for improvement, taking targeted action. Since the last inspection, she has embedded early mathematics, enhanced communication and supported independence. For example, the childminder has created a bespoke 'learning book' to develop sequencing, shape recognition and fine motor skills. This supports children to become confident, independent learners. The childminder is committed to continually improving her skills and knowledge. She completes relevant training to enable to her meet children's individual and evolving needs. For example, training focussed on One Plans has helped her to fully support children and families with additional needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Decisions are consistently made in the best interests of all children. The childminder tailors activities to individual needs and adapts teaching for high-energy children. The childminder responds sensitively to emerging social and emotional needs, such as guiding minor disputes between children. Therefore, children stay engaged, strengthening self-regulation, confidence and positive attitudes to learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder manages safeguarding, health, safety and wellbeing effectively through comprehensive records, risk assessments and supervised routines. Therefore, hygiene, oral health and safe play are purposeful and have impact. Effective partnerships with families and other professionals reinforce learning at home and broaden children's social and cultural experiences. As a result, children feel secure, are engaged and make measurable progress across all areas of learning.

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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 provides highly individualised care in a warm, playful environment that nurtures children's confidence, curiosity and independence. Children feel safe and secure, quickly re-engaging in activities after distractions. They benefit from consistent routines and sensitive behaviour management. For example, when disagreements occur, the childminder calmly supports children to share and take turns so that activities can continue positively.

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

The childminder ensures learning is engaging, hands-on and tailored to children's interests and developmental stages. Mathematics is woven in seamlessly throughout the day. Children explore early mathematics through activities, such as sequencing dinosaurs by size, grouping pictures by shapes and colours and using scales outdoors to compare weights. Communication and language are embedded throughout the curriculum. The childminder supports children to confidently use rich vocabulary, sing songs and enjoy discussions about nature and the wider world. These experiences strengthen children's resilience, concentration and problem-solving skills.

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

Independence and self-care are central to daily routines. Children learn to manage toileting, wash their hands, open lunch boxes and dress themselves. This builds their confidence and readiness for school. The childminder implements purposeful interactions that promote kindness, cooperation and sharing. As a result, children settle well and form positive relationships with friends and adults.

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

The childminder demonstrates a secure awareness of special educational needs and/or disabilities, cultural diversity and potential barriers to learning. She draws on training, implements inclusive strategies and strong partnerships with parents to ensure the provision is accessible to all. Cultural celebrations, and exposure to diverse experiences, such as zoo visits and forest walks, broaden children's understanding of the world, foster respect and support their social, emotional and cognitive development.

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

Children thrive in this safe, stimulating and responsive setting. They enjoy learning, develop essential skills for the next stage of their education, and are confident, capable and valued.

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Next steps

The childminder should enhance the support for children to understand how to make healthy food choices, to promote healthy lifestyles. The childminder should provide more consistent support for children with regard to sharing and turn-taking, to further enhance their developing social skills and positive behaviour.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 09:00 - 18:00

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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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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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