Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY478090 Registered with Ofsted: 26/08/2014 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

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make steady progress from their individual starting points, as their support for their next steps is matched to their needs. Next steps for the children are clearly identified and shared with all staff to maintain consistency in their next stage of learning. Children develop secure foundations, positive attitudes and increasing levels of independence. This prepares them for their next stage of learning and development, including school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children show enthusiasm and curiosity as they explore a range of activities and experiences. They gain confidence, develop new skills and show continued interest in their play. Children develop in their communication and language skills well, listen attentively and communicate their needs clearly. They make progress in their personal, social and emotional development. For example, they take steps to resolving conflicts, and build positive relationships with others. Children show progress in their physical development as they build strength, coordination, risk taking and control through varied opportunities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children develop their understanding of the routines in the setting and following them independently. The childminder promotes positive behaviour effectively and uses praise to reinforce children's turn-taking, conflict resolving and cooperation. The childminder follows the children's interests. She encourages children to help tidy toys away, showing responsibility and pride in contributing to the environment.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Overall, the childminder highlights the importance of attendance and punctuality and supports families to keep consistent routines. Strategies are in place to promote these. Children respond well to the childminder's clear guidance and routines. They generally feel secure in managing simple tasks independently. Their growing independence, respect and support contributes to a positive, settled and engaging environment, where children are ready to learn.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a clear view of what she wants the children to learn and how to prepare them for their next stage of learning. She provides a warm, nurturing environment for children, where there are positive relationships in place. Children benefit from a wide range of independent, child-led and adult-led learning experiences. The environment is accessible for all children and they can freely choose their resources, which supports their growing independence. The childminder thinks about the knowledge and skills children need, and plans activities that build on these effectively over time. The childminder ensures all children have access to an inclusive and equally ambitious curriculum, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with barriers to their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children develop their mathematical knowledge through play. For example, they learn about shapes and numbers as they play with a shape sorter, puzzles and building blocks. The

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Needs attention

childminder provides indoor physical climbing equipment for children to access freely, under supervision, so that children have daily opportunities to develop their physical skills and build confidence. Children practise their communication in various ways, such as through nursery rhymes, or books. The childminder supports children's language well during play and conversations.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder assesses and identifies children's individual needs, ensuring that effective plans are put in place for any emerging concerns. She regularly updates her knowledge through relevant training to enable her to adapt her practice effectively. As a result, children receive support to help them build their confidence, develop their key skills and continue to achieve in their learning. An example of this is when the childminder uses simple language with the children and encourages lots of singing to support their developing communication. The childminder knows how to seek advice from the local authority in a timely manner, if needed, for children who are facing barriers in their learning and development.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Parents see their children making positive relationships with the childminder from the start. The childminder gathers detailed information from parents during the settling-in process. This ensures she has a secure understanding of each child's background, culture, dietary needs and learning needs. The childminder ensures children's individual needs are recognised and planned for from the outset. Ongoing communication with parents helps with the continuity of care and shared approaches to support the child's development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Procedures to monitor children who are sleeping frequently are not effective enough. The childminder monitors sleeping children through an app on her phone, but the video is not clear enough for her to see the children due to the lack of light in the room. Children's personal care routines are not well supported by the childminder consistently in term of effective handwashing. The childminder washes all children's hands with one cloth. This could result in cross contamination of germs. Furthermore, she does not recognise that this does not promote good hygiene practices or minimise the chances of illness or infection effectively.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder's risk assessments are not yet fully implemented. She supervises children during mealtimes, but allows them to have food while walking around. Although the childminder risk assesses in the moment, she has not yet taken all the steps necessary to implement identified measures to remove potential risks of choking for children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Children build secure and responsive relationships and attachments with the childminder. The childminder encourages children to have a healthy lifestyle, including nutritious meals and time for rest and physical activities. The childminder completes mandatory training, such as paediatric first aid. This helps her to know what action to take in the event of an accident or emergency. She shares information with parents daily.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder is reflective and identifies her own strengths. However, she does not consistently identify areas where practice and provision can be improved. Examples of this include allowing children to walk around with food, using one cloth to wash all of the children's hands and not having effective procedures to frequently check sleeping children. The childminder attends training and keeps up to date with changes in the sector, such as the recent changes in early years inspections and changes to the early years foundation stage.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The families are sensitively supported by the childminder and she works flexibly to support them. She regularly shares information with parents around children's development, including how this can be supported at home and she also invites them in to share ideas around activities.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder recognises the importance of her own wellbeing to ensure that she can provide high-quality education for children and takes appropriate steps to promote this.

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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

Sleeping arrangements for children are not robust enough. Children walk around while eating, which poses a choking hazard. Children's hygiene is not consistently met because the childminder does not consider suitable hygienic handwashing facilities for children.

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

Children are happy and settled in this setting. They settle well and build positive relationships with the childminder. Children's learning is supported by a planned curriculum. Children interact well with the childminder and explore independently, as well as engaging in child-led and adult-led activities throughout the day. They enjoy the suitable range of experiences the childminder provides to support their learning and development at a steady pace. All children, including those requiring extra assistance, receive tailored support that builds on their prior learning, enabling steady, meaningful development.

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

Children can follow simple instructions and respond positively to reminders about turn- taking. They play alongside each other well and have high levels of concentration during focused activities. The childminder promotes children's independence as she encourages them to choose a book at story time. Children have access to indoor climbing equipment that supports them to take risks and helps them to build their physical skills.

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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 actions by the assigned date:

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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Date

implement effective handwashing facilities for younger children 20/03/2026

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are safe

ensure children's safety while eating to reduce the risk of choking 20/03/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, 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.

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About this inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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