Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY546850 Registered with Ofsted: 23/08/2017 Registers: EYR, CCR

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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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children consistently demonstrate positive behaviour. They show high levels of empathy and consideration for others. Strong and trusting relationships between the childminder and children are central to this. The childminder models kindness and helps children understand expectations in ways that reflect their age and stage of development. As a result, children are empathetic. Even very young children comfort peers independently when they see they are upset. The childminder talks with children about where feelings are experienced in their bodies. Children show a clear understanding of different emotions, such as 'feeling nervous'. They frequently return to the feelings chart independently to discuss emotions with each other. This helps to build their awareness and understanding of their feelings.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder works in partnership with parents and carers to ensure children attend regularly and arrive promptly, helping them settle quickly and start the day positively. She provides gentle reminders and consistently encourages children to take responsibility for themselves and others. Children confidently take on the role of 'special helper', distributing resources and supporting their peers. These routines promote cooperation, turn-taking and mutual respect. With the childminder's careful guidance, children negotiate collaboratively during play, deciding together how to organise resources and complete tasks. These experiences help children to develop excellent self-control, a sense of accountability and an understanding of their role within the group.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Inclusion is embedded across the setting and supports all children to grow in skills at their own pace. The childminder supports children's language development through consistent routines and visual support. Inclusive practice is further reinforced through the use of children's home languages. The childminder asks parents for children's favourite songs and stories in their home languages and incorporates these into daily activities. This helps children who speak English as an additional language to feel valued and included.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder works closely with parents and carers to ensure continuity in their children's care and learning. She shares information regularly and sends home resources, such as visual timetables, to support children who benefit from predictable routines. The childminder identifies children's needs very promptly through ongoing observation and assessment. Where she identifies concerns in children's development, she works with other professionals and implements agreed strategies. The childminder understands how to use additional funding to reduce barriers to children's learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder reviews and refines adaptations to practice to ensure that they are effective in supporting children's progress. She accesses training to learn how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) even further. As a result, children with SEND build precisely on their current skills and knowledge. They receive the support to develop the skills and confidence they need.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make steady progress from their starting points across all areas of learning. They explore new ideas and use new words in ways that connect to their own interests, helping them make sense of the world around them.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop persistence and problem-solving skills. They plan and test their own ideas. For example, they work out how to build and stabilise cardboard structures. They adapt their approaches when tasks are tricky and take pride in achieving their goals. This helps children to develop resilience and skills to plan, focus and solve problems on their own.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make excellent progress alongside their peers. They take part in activities, contribute ideas and engage successfully in group play. Children show growing independence and confidence as they explore new tasks. Across the setting, children overall develop the skills, knowledge and self-assurance they need to move on confidently to the next stage of learning, including starting school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

An effective key-person system means that the childminder and her assistants are aware of children's allergies. This ensures that children only have foods and take part in activities that are safe for them. Care routines are organised and safe, with the childminder singing and engaging children to make them calm. Children form secure attachments with their key person, seeking comfort and reassurance when needed. This helps children to feel safe and supported.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children have opportunities to practise their independence, such as putting on coats and taking off shoes. They take part in discussions about healthy habits. For example, they talk about why they visit the dentist and understand that sweets and not brushing teeth can lead to germs. The childminder also supports children to recognise their emotions. For example, when children are frustrated, the childminder acknowledges their feelings and helps them label them. This guides children to manage their emotions appropriately.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder helps children to learn about personal boundaries, including what is private and who to tell if they feel unsure or unsafe. However, the childminder does not consistently reinforce handwashing before snack time and the importance of keeping food within the designated area, to help further support children's understanding of healthy habits and self- care practices.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder delivers a broad and engaging curriculum that supports children's learning across all areas. Younger toddlers develop coordination as the childminder guides them to kick balls back and forth. Older children use scissors to create decorations for their pretend doctor's surgery. They cut out bandages, practising their coordination while engaging in imaginative play. The childminder regularly reflects on practice and makes changes to improve children's learning opportunities. She uses assessments to check what children already know and adapts teaching to children's stages of development. Children explore early calculation through hands-on experiences, such as freeing animal figures from frozen ice and counting them aloud. The childminder extends children's learning by asking what would happen if one animal was removed. This helps children to practise simple calculations. She uses shape

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

puzzles and container-filling activities to further develop children's spatial awareness.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder adapts resources and routines to meet the needs of all children, such as using visual cues. She supports children's language development through daily interaction, familiar songs and story sessions, leaving gaps for children to respond. This encourages repetition and turn-taking. It also supports children's vocabulary and expressive language across all areas of learning. However, at times, the childminder's continual prolonged usage of background music and nursery rhymes somewhat detracts from the purpose for which she intends to use them. This could limit children's opportunity to excel, at times, in certain aspects of their learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder manages the setting in a thoughtful way. She has a clear idea of the experiences she wants children to have. The childminder keeps her knowledge up to date through training, reading and guidance from other professionals. She shares this information with her assistants and uses this to inform day-to-day practice, although some practice is not yet embedded as effectively. The childminder has relevant training planned for her assistants to help them to understand the needs of children so they can support them even more effectively. Staff appreciate the close-knit team and the opportunities to share their ideas.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents and carers and other professionals to support children who need extra help. This helps children to be included and supported appropriately so they make progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Communication with parents is well established and very effective. The childminder shares regular information through newsletters and encourages parents to share children's interests from home and holidays. She also creates and shares podcasts about child development. This helps parents to understand how their children learn and grow. In addition, the childminder offers practical ideas to support learning while children are away from the setting. This helps to provide continuity between home and childcare and supports children to settle, feel secure and make progress.

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

Children enjoy a stimulating day, where they feel secure, included and eager to take part. They move confidently around the setting, selecting resources and becoming fully involved in play. During imaginative activities, such as running a pretend hairdressers, children say that curly hair cannot be plaited. The childminder uses this moment to correct misconceptions, encouraging discussion about different hair textures and how people can look different. This helps children to recognise and value diversity.

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

Children show curiosity as they explore materials, test ideas and make connections during play. For example, they observe how chalk changes when water is added, and compare the wet and dry marks. The childminder encourages predictions and supports children as they test their ideas. Children concentrate for sustained periods and show satisfaction when their efforts succeed. This develops their confidence and persistence. The childminder notices and acknowledges children's achievements, motivating them to keep trying and take pride in their work.

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

Children learn how to be a part of a community through shared responsibilities and collaborative play. They take part in group tasks, such as setting up role-play areas or distributing resources. Children negotiate their roles and support each other to complete activities. During these interactions, the childminder and her assistants show children how to celebrate their peers' achievements and offer help when someone is unsure. These experiences encourage children to consider others' ideas, take turns and build respectful relationships while feeling included and valued within the group.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00 The childminder knows each child's interests, abilities and preferences. She uses this knowledge to support children's participation in all activities. The childminder gives children space and time to explore at their own pace, adapting resources or routines when needed so that everyone can take part. This thoughtful approach helps children to make progress from their starting points, feel confident in what they do and enjoy learning in ways that suit them individually.

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Next steps

The childminder should review the use of background music and nursery rhymes to strengthen their purpose and the intended impact on children's learning to provide even more opportunities for them to excel. The childminder should reinforce washing hands before snack time and the importance of keeping food within the designated area, to support children's understanding of healthy habits and self-care practices.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistants, parents and carers 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. Local authority: Wandsworth

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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. 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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