Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 322797 Registered with Ofsted: 15/11/1991 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 make good progress. They are confident, motivated learners who are well prepared for their next stage of education. They benefit from a rich, well-planned curriculum that builds securely on what they know and can do. Communication and language are consistently promoted, and children make strong progress. They express their ideas confidently, use new vocabulary accurately and talk eagerly about what they are learning. Children who face additional barriers to learning make sustained progress from their starting points.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children engage well in activities and demonstrate growing curiosity and confidence. They show sustained attention, participate deeply in imaginative play, and increasingly use mathematical language to describe height, size and shape. They behave well, develop high levels of independence and demonstrate positive learning behaviours. Children learn about themselves, their friends and their local community. Experiences within the local community help children understand similarities and differences, preparing them for life in modern Britain.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder provides a consistently positive environment with clear, shared expectations for behaviour. She is a calm and highly positive role model, supporting children to understand rules, routines and socially acceptable behaviour. Strong, nurturing relationships help children feel safe and respected, enabling them to manage their feelings with increasing confidence.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children collaborate well. They take turns, share resources and show care for others, reflecting the childminder's effective support for their social development. Expectations are adjusted sensitively to reflect each child's age, stage of development and individual needs.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Good manners are consistently promoted, and older children demonstrate these expectations confidently. They are polite, readily ask for help and willingly offer help to others, contributing to a harmonious atmosphere.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder works closely with parents to promote good attendance and punctuality. Parents understand the importance and comment positively on the wide range of outings their children can access as a result. Children benefit from a respectful, well-organised setting where positive behaviour and cooperation are consistently supported and modelled.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has a strong understanding of the quality of her curriculum and teaching. She uses effective assessment to identify what children know and can do and where additional support is needed. This enables her to plan an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum that supports continuous improvement. Supporting children's communication and language skills is prioritised. The childminder models rich vocabulary, supports speech development and provides daily opportunities for stories, songs and rhymes. Children recall familiar books confidently and use mathematical language during everyday play, comparing shapes and sizes spontaneously.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Physical development is promoted exceptionally well. Children engage in safe, calculated risk-taking where they learn to climb and balance carefully. Music and movement sessions further support physical skills, wellbeing and creativity, with children expressing how different music makes them feel.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Personal, social and emotional development is embedded through a seasonal, topic-based curriculum that includes cultural and religious celebrations. Families share personal traditions, enriching children's understanding of similarities and differences.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder knows each child well, and when necessary she makes appropriate adaptations. This ensures all children benefit from a rich, well-planned curriculum that builds the skills, knowledge and attitudes they need to support future learning and their transition to school.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder's sound understanding of child development and her early identification of need have a direct and positive impact on children's progress. She gathers detailed information from parents at the earliest opportunity and maintains effective two-way communication. Children's individual needs are recognised quickly, enabling support to be put in place before gaps widen.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder skilfully plans and assesses children's progress. This results in well- targeted support that leads to sustained improvements. Careful monitoring and regular review ensure that support remains effective. As a result, children with emerging or identified needs make clear improvements in communication, attention and engagement.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Advice from professionals is consistently embedded. The childminder enhances her practice through relevant training, demonstrating a secure understanding of how communication underpins wider learning. Daily interactions are responsive and purposeful, enabling children to make significant progress in communication.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder can clearly explain how additional funding could be used to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children, ensuring resources and training directly target identified needs.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Overall, the childminder's strong assessment practice, effective partnership working and high-quality interactions have a notable and sustained impact. Children make good progress from their starting points as they develop increasing confidence in communication.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder prioritises children's welfare and wellbeing. She provides a warm, inclusive home-from-home environment where individual needs are fully understood. The childminder is mindful of family circumstances and when children may need additional emotional support to help them manage change or to reduce barriers to their learning. Parents talk positively about the secure bonds their children have formed with the childminder and the progress their children make, particularly in communication and language.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Routines such as sleeping, feeding and weaning are adapted sensitively to support children's comfort and wellbeing. The childminder helps children to recognise and manage their emotions, building a secure sense of emotional wellbeing. Children also develop an understanding of their physical development, personal safety and health. They enjoy daily outdoor play and learn how fresh air, movement and good oral health contribute to a healthy lifestyle. The childminder typically provides a range of freshly prepared healthy meals and snacks. Mealtimes are valued as a social occasion. Children excitedly sit with their friends to enjoy a well-presented sandwich platter in the shape of a caterpillar on fresh salad. However, plans to further strengthen children's understanding of healthy habits are not fully embedded. As a result, children do not consistently make healthy choices independently.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The professional childminder manages her setting well. She strives to provide a high-quality provision for the children in her care and their families. The childminder is very mindful of current guidance and typically makes changes swiftly to improve her practice.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents, and mutually respectful relationships are evident. Parents speak very highly about the quality of care provided. The childminder routinely gathers information about children's interests, their experiences and development at home. She ensures parents are well informed about children's progress and their time in her care. However, plans to share details of how parents can further support children's learning at home are still being embedded.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands the importance of partnership working with the other settings that the children attend. She recognises the value of sharing information to ensure consistency and enhance progress. However, these partnerships are not always established in a timely manner. This can limit the effectiveness of information-sharing about children's development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Overall, the childminder is committed to self-evaluation and professional development. She completes all mandatory training and accesses further training that is targeted to supporting children who may face barriers to learning.

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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 welcoming and supportive environment. They and their families are enthusiastically welcomed into the childminder's home. Children's safety and emotional wellbeing are a priority and positive relationships are quickly established. The childminder shares the benefits of regular attendance and establishing routines with parents. Children are happy, settled and demonstrate a very strong sense of belonging in this home-from- home environment. Many children and their parents view the childminder as an extended

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Inspector:

Vickie Halliwell family member. Children are familiar with their surroundings and with the routines of the day. Older children are eager to help and support their friends as they play together.

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Inspector:

Children benefit from a well-sequenced curriculum that is individually tailored to support each child from the time they start. The very experienced childminder knows the children in her care exceptionally well. She gathers detailed information from families from the outset and maintains strong two-way communication. This enables swift and accurate identification of individual needs, including for those who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder provides support and encouragement to help ensure every child gets a good start in their education.

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Inspector:

The curriculum for outdoor learning is very strong. Children excitedly investigate the natural environment and are eager to learn more about the world around them. They reflect on previous learning as they become absorbed in imaginative play. Children delight as they dress up and pretend to be a butterfly. Supported by the childminder, children talk confidently about what they know. For example, children explore the life cycle of the butterfly. They remember seeing the caterpillars and waiting for the butterflies to emerge from their cocoons. Children recall their previous experiences as they enjoy reflecting on photos from their personalised record books together.

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Next steps

The childminder should enhance partnerships with parents and others involved in children's care and education to strengthen the learning and achievement for all children. The childminder should provide further support to motivate children to develop long- lasting healthy habits so children consistently make their own healthy choices and decisions.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children present during the inspection. The inspector also spoke with several parents of the children who attend.

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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,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 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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