Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY473842 Registered with Ofsted: 19/02/2014 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, including babies, achieve well. Children experience opportunities to help them build on what they already know. They typically achieve age-related developmental milestones. Children benefit from opportunities to develop their social interaction skills. Through varied play experiences and use of varied community facilities, children expand their vocabulary and grow into confident communicators. Children who speak English as an additional language develop confidently as bilingual communicators who make progress and reach their potential. Babies and children in this setting develop the skills and attitudes that help them to feel prepared for the next stage of their learning journey.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder embeds secure routines that foster a sense of security in children. She ensures that babies and children receive caring reassurance and close physical contact in a way that supports their emotional wellbeing and nurtures belonging. The childminder uses musical cues effectively to help children to understand what is happening now and what will happen next. She holds age-appropriate expectations of babies and children, which she regularly reminds them of. However, the childminder and the assistants she works with do not consistently explain why particular safety rules are in place to fully support children in making positive behaviour choices. This somewhat limits children's understanding of how to make safe choices in their play.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates kindness and compassion in her interactions with children. She supports children to develop their understanding of their peers' needs. Children are well supported in taking turns and playing cooperatively. Older children are keen to support the babies and are careful as they play together in the same space, keeping everyone safe. Children confidently lead their play and negotiate the rules of games. For example, they invite the childminder into a game of hide-and-seek and confidently share instructions. The childminder works in partnership with parents and carers to develop children's awareness of the importance of attendance and punctuality. This is further demonstrated to younger children as school-age children prepare to go to school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides respectful care routines that enable children to feel comfortable and safe. She is respectful of children's feelings and responds sensitively when children become distressed, for example, when new children are still settling. The childminder works in partnership with parents and carers to support babies' routines, including weaning and sleep. She respects children's dignity and supports them effectively in their personal care.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Securely embedded routines, along with appropriate support from the childminder and any assistants she works with, help children to practise and develop important life skills. For example, even the youngest children are involved in handwashing routines before sitting down to eat. This helps to develop a foundational understanding of the importance of hygiene. Older children competently wash and dry their hands and independently use the bathroom. These skills help children to feel prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder typically provides healthy snacks for children. However, she does not further develop her knowledge of children's nutritional needs to ensure that she fully supports their understanding of the importance of healthy eating. Children benefit from engagement in active play that contributes to their physical wellbeing. The childminder actively supports children to build their confidence and take appropriate risks through adventurous play.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has developed her curriculum significantly since her previous inspection. She attends training and typically uses her newly acquired knowledge to implement a balanced and well-sequenced curriculum across her setting. The childminder works closely with any assistants to ensure that they are building firm foundations for children's development. The planned and spontaneous learning opportunities help the childminder to prioritise and extend children's physical and emotional wellbeing. The childminder consistently weaves mathematical learning across experiences. For example, older children enjoy using scales to weigh objects that they find in the playroom. The childminder ensures that children hear the appropriate mathematical language to secure their knowledge. For example, she encourages children to think about whether items are 'heavy' or 'light'.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children spend time in local parks and museums. The childminder uses these experiences to help children to extend their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Attendance at local groups supports children to further develop their social interaction skills as they meet and play with peers. The childminder is a good role model for supporting children's communication and language. She shares stories and songs with children to promote their listening, attention and speaking skills. For example, babies and children are keen to identify and use animal puppets in a favourite story. Older children are keen to join in with familiar rhyming phrases. However, where children struggle to get involved in group stories, the childminder does not consistently weave in further opportunities to share books as a one-to-one experience to ensure that they have equal access to stories.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Overall, the childminder demonstrates a positive approach to inclusion. She carefully plans the learning environment to meet the individual needs of all children in attendance. For example, the childminder uses books and stories as an interactive resource for children to understand and celebrate the similarities and differences between them. She implements an observation, assessment and planning cycle to provide a focus on children's individual next steps, which are shared frequently with parents and carers. This helps to enhance consistency and strengthens the learning discussions between home and the setting.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Where children develop bilingual communication skills, the childminder provides effective support in partnership with parents. She ensures that she and any assistants she works with attend appropriate training to extend their knowledge and understanding of how best to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. If children are in receipt of additional funding, the childminder demonstrates how her knowledge of their unique characteristics and learning styles informs her use of the funding to further extend their learning and provide specific interventions. She develops effective working relationships with external providers, such as schools children also attend. This strengthens information- sharing and contributes to positive outcomes for children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder supports any assistants she works with to develop their knowledge and understanding of child development, teaching and learning. For example, she identifies some training opportunities that have a positive impact on their practice. However, this has not been extended further to ensure continued professional development across the setting and address minor weaknesses in practice. The assistants report feeling included and valued in the setting and are highly involved in decision-making and planning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Communication within the childminding team is clear, which helps any assistants the childminder works with to evaluate their practice. This reflective approach, which is role modelled effectively by the childminder, helps to drive improvement across the setting. Regular staff meetings offer the childminder and her assistants opportunities to share their observations and assessments of the children. The changes that the childminder has made, particularly to her outdoor curriculum, have extended play opportunities across all 7 areas of learning. This has a positive impact on children's learning and development.

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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 receive a warm welcome from the childminder and any assistants she works with. The childminder implements an effective induction process, which enables her to get to know children and their parents and carers well. This develops children's connections between home and the setting, helping them to feel safe and secure and achieve well in this nurturing environment. Babies demonstrate feelings of emotional wellbeing as they confidently explore their surroundings and seek reassurance from the caring childminder. Older children confidently lead their learning and develop their thoughts and ideas. For example, children delight in drawing the childminder, who responds joyfully to their creations. Children select resources from the well-planned learning environment to feed into their play. They frequently invite the childminder into their play and delight in their shared attention and learning. Through positive interactions, children gain age-appropriate

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

knowledge and develop new skills in a way that builds positive attitudes to learning, all of which helps to develop firm foundations for the next stage of their education journey.

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

Children benefit from spending significant time outdoors in the childminder's garden and in the local community. The childminder has developed her outdoor space to create exciting play opportunities across all 7 areas of learning. This promotes opportunities for all children to explore, investigate and make choices in their play. The freedom experienced through play helps children become enthusiastic, motivated learners. This positively influences their attitudes toward learning in the future.

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

Children demonstrate enjoyment at the time they spend with their peers. For example, at lunchtime, children chat happily and share funny stories to make each other laugh. Children develop the skills needed to be successful in the future as they become fully engaged in personal care and hygiene routines.

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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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Next steps

The childminder should ensure that she and any assistants she works with consistently support children to understand their expectations to encourage positive behaviour choices. The childminder should extend her knowledge of the nutritional needs of young children to ensure that she is fully supporting all children to develop healthy habits for the future.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistants 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. This data is from 19 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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