Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 256939 Registered with Ofsted: 30/06/2001 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 continuous progress throughout their time at the setting. They develop high levels of confidence and a positive attitude to their learning. High levels of engagement and concentration mean children's learning is effective.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children demonstrate their effective communication skills. They learn how to speak clear English and learn new words continuously. Children who face barriers to their learning have next steps to work towards, and this helps them to make steady progress. Parents comment on the positive progress children make, with particular attention to their speech and language, social skills and engagement.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children learn the skills they need in preparation for school. For example, they develop effective listening and communication skills to enable them to confidently share their likes, wants and needs with the childminder. Additionally, children develop their social interactions, learning to share, take turns and play and interact together. As children get older, they learn about compromise and how to resolve issues together. This helps them develop effective techniques and social skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder implements clear rules and boundaries with young children using gentle reminders. She explains the importance of children understanding why they must follow rules and that a consistent approach teaches children right from wrong. Children are confident and kind and listen well to the childminder's instructions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has developed strong and trusting relationships with children during their time at the setting, beginning with settling in sessions to promote positive attachments from the very beginning. Children look to the childminder for reassurance and turn to her for help and guidance during play. The childminder prioritises children's social skills, visiting a range of groups to help children develop a good standard of social skills and interactions. Children are encouraged to share, and gentle reminders are given to support this effectively.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children's attendance at the setting is regular. The childminder has good communication with parents, meaning that she is notified of any absence. The childminder is aware of the importance of good attendance and explains the action she would take should she have concerns about a child's attendance in the future.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Settling-in sessions are offered for all children and families. The childminder ensures children are happy and familiar with the setting prior to starting. This supports effective relationships and attachments. The childminder ensures she gathers information from parents regarding children's sleep and eating routines. She continues these conversations with parents while children are attending the setting to ensure the information she holds is up to date. For example, she ensures milk intake is monitored and adapted and provides advice to parents where needed. Additionally, ongoing conversations ensure that the childminder has the information needed to provide a safe environment for children with allergies. This helps the childminder to provide effective care practices that meet children's individual needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Parents comment on the kind and caring environment the childminder provides and say that their children are happy and confident and that the setting is safe. From a young age, the childminder encourages children to develop their walking skills when on outings, and children begin to learn how to stay safe in a range of environments, such as when walking near a road. Additionally, the childminder begins to teach children from a young age about emotions. She uses props and conversations to develop children's understanding of emotions to help them recognise feelings and give meaning to new words.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a clear knowledge of the curriculum she offers to children and adapts this well to meet children's needs, for example by prioritising learning opportunities to help children progress with their speech and language skills and overcome barriers to their learning. She assesses where children are in their learning and plans next steps to ensure all children make continual progress, particularly with regards to the prime areas of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder promotes language throughout children's play. She talks to children about what they are doing, models clear language, such as 'roll', 'squish', 'squeeze', 'pat', and 'cut', and children demonstrate their effective language skills, copying words and communicating with the childminder. Books are displayed around the setting to help promote a love of reading and stories. The childminder reads with children throughout each day, and children enjoy looking at books independently. This supports children's language skills and extends their vocabulary.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder teaches children mathematics throughout their play. For example, when exploring the play dough, the childminder counts the balls that children roll between their hands. She models mathematical language and extends this further as she initiates a discussion about size. Together, they compare the different-sized balls and snakes, using language such as 'big', 'tiny', 'little', 'bigger' and 'longer'. This supports children's mathematical language, appropriate for their ages and stages of development.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder prioritises children's personal, social, emotional and physical development, providing meaningful learning opportunities to practise and extend their gross motor movements and social skills. For example, they enjoy walks in the local community, visits to parks and playgroups, and have opportunities to climb and experiment with balls. This helps children to develop their balance and core strength effectively.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder has not yet attended any training in this area and does not have an effective knowledge of the graduated approach or how she would gain support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This means effective and swift action to gain additional support for children with SEND and their families is limited.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder identifies where children require additional support for some areas of their development, for example where children face barriers to their learning. The childminder plans clear next steps and adapts her curriculum to meet children's needs. Additionally, she reviews and monitors the progress children make. This supports most children's ongoing development well.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder explains any additional funding that children receive will be spent to support each individual child, helping them to make continual progress in their development. The childminder plans to work with other early years settings that children attend, to share regular and ongoing information to support children's consistency in learning. Although the childminder is comfortable to welcome other professionals into the setting to support children's development where needed, she does not currently have the knowledge and understanding of how to access this support for them initially.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder does not always attend regular professional development opportunities to extend and strengthen her own knowledge and continued growth, with particular regard to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Although she keeps her mandatory training up to date, she does not seek out further opportunities to strengthen and develop her knowledge and provision to the highest standard.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder plans and makes decisions in the best interests of children. For example, she has adapted her curriculum to ensure children are accessing learning opportunities that support their social interactions and physical development, in line with their next steps of learning. Children enjoy visiting a range of toddler groups to meet new people and make new friends. The childminder has already introduced many outdoor learning opportunities to her curriculum, such as outings to parks and a local green space to help support children's physical development. She has identified this as an area of improvement and plans to continue to build on this further, for example by introducing further outdoor learning opportunities at her home, ensuring children can access the outdoor area in all weathers.

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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 has not yet developed her knowledge and understanding of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. Therefore, effective guidance and support for these children is not always sought.

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

Children develop a sense of belonging at the setting through positive and trusting relationships with the childminder. They demonstrate their sense of safety when they look to the childminder for reassurance. They are happy and confident in their surroundings and enjoy taking part in a range of learning opportunities. For example, children excitedly climb up to the table and sit down when the childminder holds up a story to read.

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

Barriers to children's learning are identified. The childminder gathers information about children's learning and plans clear next steps for children to work towards. Children make steady progress from their starting points, developing their confidence, social interactions and language skills well.

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

Children gradually develop their independence as they grow. For example, when children learn to use the toilet, they also develop their skills with dressing and personal hygiene routines. The childminder encourages children to do things for themselves, such as finding their own belongings and climbing the stairs safely, helping them develop the skills they need for school from a young age.

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

The childminder is mindful of children's stages of development and adapts her teaching accordingly. For example, when playing with the play dough, the childminder asks children different questions and models different language, depending on what she wants children to learn. Children's attendance is good and they develop positive attitudes to their learning at the setting. This helps them to achieve and make continual progress in all areas of their learning.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare register the provider must take the following action by the assigned date:

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strengthen knowledge further, especially with regards to children with

special educational needs and/or disabilities. 07/04/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children during the inspection. The inspector also took account of parents' feedback.

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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 : 08:00 - 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

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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