Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY344467 Registered with Ofsted: 20/11/2006 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 Strong standard

Children benefit greatly from the childminder's well-designed curriculum and her high-quality teaching. They make secure progress through all areas of learning. Children develop secure foundations in early mathematics, physical development, and personal, social and emotional skills. They show resilience, independence and curiosity as they explore their learning.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop secure friendships and readily involve each other in their play. For instance, they giggle in delight as they feed their baby dolls, carefully putting play rice in their mouths and commenting that they are hungry. Children learn self-care skills, such as blowing their noses and washing their hands, and show growing independence and problem-solving skills. Outdoors, children confidently use the mathematical knowledge they have gained, using language such as 'melted', 'gone', 'more' and 'less', while experimenting with frozen objects, animals and melting ice.

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Achievement Strong standard

Although there are no children attending the setting with special educational needs and/or disabilities, the childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of early identification of speech and language concerns and appropriate next steps. Children thrive from their starting points, and children new to the setting establish firm routines, which help them settle quickly. Children are very well prepared for their next stage of learning, including school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder's highly effective teaching and support enables children to understand her expectations for behaviour. She uses positive reinforcement effectively, praising children for completing tasks independently. This encourages enthusiasm and engagement, boosting their confidence and joy in learning. The childminder gently guides children who struggle. She uses turn-taking to help them manage their behaviour. Emotional literacy is woven into daily activities; children explore their feelings through visuals, storybooks and discussions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Routines are clear and consistent. This makes sleep times and transitions predictable. The childminder gently guides the children and sets clear boundaries. This creates a safe and supportive environment. Here, children feel respected and can thrive both socially and emotionally. Children play happily together, sharing resources and offering help to their friends. The childminder ensures that she provides engaging activities and opportunities that help children learn social skills and build friendships in preparation for the next stage of their learning. The childminder has robust procedures in place to support children's attendance at her setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder creates a safe, inspiring environment where children feel confident to express themselves. Calm, consistent behaviour expectations reinforce emotional security. Children are encouraged to identify and talk about feelings, building emotional literacy. Highly effective visual supports and story-based activities enable younger or non-verbal children to participate fully. Children demonstrate positive behaviour, turn-taking and cooperation, reflecting a safe, respectful environment.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder ensures that the innovative environment supports children's health. Children use a tap independently to pour their own water. She works closely with parents to prevent the spread of illness by providing thorough guidance on when children should stay home. This helps maintain a healthy setting for all children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Clear boundaries and consistent routines promote security and wellbeing. Story time activities link to children's own experiences, validating feelings and supporting attachment. Children are encouraged to discuss emotions and use facial expressions to communicate how they feel. Peer modelling supports inclusive practice and emotional development. New children start gradually to establish routines and ensure smooth settling.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder supports parents by providing guidance on potty training and weaning, and by promoting healthy eating habits. Children learn about good dental hygiene through rich practical activities and are encouraged to drink water regularly to maintain good hydration.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has an enriching approach to curriculum planning, carefully building on children's existing knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. She thoughtfully organises experiences that are both engaging and developmentally appropriate, ensuring that activities are enticing for children of different ages and stages. For instance, when older children sing songs, she adapts the same experience for babies by providing them with visual prompts and props so that they can join in too. This considered approach ensures that every child can actively participate and benefit from the planned activities.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder places particular emphasis on communication and language, tailoring her teaching to each child. She narrates children's play, models rich vocabulary and encourages children to repeat words and phrases. Everyday routines, such as care routines and mealtimes, provide opportunities for discussion in which children talk about what they are doing and listen to each other.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder creates nurturing and stimulating environments where children explore early mathematical concepts such as number, shape, space and measure through hands- on, sensory activities. For example, children enjoy filling and emptying containers with rice. They count balls as they roll them down a ramp and sing songs about shapes. The childminder consistently adapts experiences based on children's interests and engagement.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder supports her assistant effectively. Following recent behaviour management training, the childminder and her assistant work closely together to reflect on and implement strategies that best meet the children's needs in the setting. Children are well supported to manage their emotions and behaviour, and approaches are adapted to reflect individual needs. Parents recognise the impact of this support and describe it as highly beneficial for their family.

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Expected standard

The childminder and her assistant work in a strong partnership, sharing responsibilities to manage effectively the workload and taking turns supervising the children. This ensures consistent care, supports staff's well-being and maintains high-quality provision throughout the day.

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Expected standard

Professional development is prioritised. The childminder considers both her own training needs and those of the children and staff. She works closely with parents and actively engages with the local network of childminders to share good practice ideas and resources that enhance children's outcomes.

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Expected standard

The childminder maintains high expectations for all children and provides a well-resourced environment that supports learning and development. Funding and resources are used thoughtfully, for example, by purchasing soft-play equipment to promote physical development indoors when outdoor play is limited.

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Expected standard

Safeguarding is given high priority. The childminder works collaboratively to ensure that safeguarding procedures are consistently followed and that all children are protected and supported.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works well with parents and, where appropriate, other professionals and settings to ensure that she accurately identifies children's individual needs from the start. Her partnership with parents supports continuity of care and development. This is evident, for example, in shared approaches to toileting, supporting emotional regulation and developing independence.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder carefully monitors children's development and quickly identifies their individual needs, enabling her to support them effectively. She plans next steps and strategies based on children's starting points to help them make good progress. The childminder describes how advice from external professionals would be sought when necessary to support a graduated approach to helping children catch up in their learning. While there are currently no children eligible for early years pupil premium, the childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of how she would use it to enhance opportunities for children.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder shows a strong commitment to continuous improvement and inclusion. She identified the need to further her knowledge of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure that she can support every child. This demonstrates her reflective practice and priorities for 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 thrive in this warm and nurturing setting. They are confident, curious and eager to learn, benefiting from strong relationships with practitioners who know them well. Children feel safe, welcomed and valued, and this is reflected in their positive behaviour, willingness to try new experiences and growing independence. For instance, they excitedly roll frozen Arctic animals down a ramp, noticing the ice melt and comment on which one will come first, second or third.

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About this setting

The childminder thoughtfully plans and presents a highly stimulating environment for children. This encompasses a wide range of interesting and innovative activities and learning opportunities for children, engaging their interest.

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About this setting

The childminder demonstrates an excellent understanding of children's development. She works with parents effectively to join learning between home and school. Children make huge strides in their development with the childminder's guidance. Learning is sequenced. For example, they practise opening and closing large tweezers. Meanwhile, babies work on their grasping skills.

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About this setting

The literacy rich environment greatly supports children's wellbeing and welfare. Children feel confident to express themselves. Through shared reading and the use of individual penguins, the children joined in with a story, commenting on how their penguins feel, developing their language around emotions. The childminder's calm, consistent behavioural expectations help children feel safe and supported.

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About this setting

At this setting, children thrive on routine. The childminder highlights how important attendance is. She works with families before a child starts. This helps create well- developed routines, making it easier for the child to settle in.

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Next steps

The childminder should further develop her knowledge and expertise in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities through training, so she can make an even greater impact.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, the parents and the 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.

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About this inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection. Unique reference number (URN): EY344467

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 19:00

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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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