Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 209580 Registered with Ofsted: 23/04/1998 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder provides an environment where children feel appreciated and valued. She greets them warmly and ensures that children develop a sense of belonging through nurturing interactions. The childminder has realistic expectations of the children in her care and communicates these clearly. The childminder responds positively to children and models kindness and respect. This helps young children to demonstrate kindness to their peers. Children show an interest in each other and are keen to play alongside babies. For example, they stack cups in front of them to provide them with a tower to knock down. The childminder uses children's current interests to support them to engage and focus on their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder praises children explicitly and celebrates their successes as they persevere with tricky tasks, such as connecting pieces of fencing to build a pen for their farm animals. Children delight in sharing a 'high five' and respond positively to the childminder's pride in them. Children typically remain engaged and interested in their play, although on occasions, younger children lose interest in the activities that older children engage in, such as playing with the farm. The childminder implements clear routines and expectations as she works in partnership with parents and carers to develop a secure understanding of the importance of attendance and punctuality. This helps to develop good habits for the future.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides a warm and welcoming environment that helps children to feel emotionally settled. She works in partnership with parents and carers to support the sleeping and weaning routines of babies. Care routines, such as bottle feeding, are gentle. This creates a sense of calm, which helps children to develop feelings of connection and belonging. The childminder develops close relationships with the children in her care. She nurtures their individual personalities and unique characteristics.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children demonstrate feelings of safety and security. For example, they seek reassurance from the childminder, who readily offers comfort and close physical contact. The childminder uses her knowledge of children's families to further build their confidence and self- awareness. For instance, she talks with children about their siblings and the games they enjoy playing together at home. The childminder also supports children to understand why screen time is prohibited while in her care.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder promotes children's personal care and hygiene through securely embedded routines. She teaches children about healthy eating through their involvement in planting, growing and harvesting vegetables, which they then help to prepare and eat. The childminder ensures that children develop their physical strength and skill as they engage in many opportunities to explore the local community. In turn, this promotes children's understanding of safety and how to manage risk through adventurous play effectively.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children make some progress from their starting points. However, they are not yet consistently reaching their potential. For example, children's vocabulary is not consistently extended through daily play opportunities and routines. Children demonstrate enjoyment in their learning and engage well in new activities and experiences. They learn skills that help them to feel prepared for the next stage of learning and develop their independence. For example, even the youngest children get involved in handwashing routines. Children develop confidence in their physical abilities as they get involved in active gardening work. This helps to develop the strength in their large muscles. They access appropriate opportunities to practise and refine their fine motor skills, which also supports their hand– eye coordination. Overall, children develop as confident communicators and they enjoy singing as part of their daily routine.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder plans a curriculum that helps children to develop their independence and build their skills and knowledge. However, the curriculum is not yet sufficiently focused on ensuring that all children make the best possible progress. Children's next steps are not precise enough to ensure that their learning is well sequenced and reflects their individual developmental needs. For example, the childminder does not specifically identify which aspects of physical development she will support babies to develop next. The childminder identifies each child's starting points and then provides activities that generally promote development. She uses a focus for children's learning which extends their knowledge of the world around them. For example, children learn about winter and the clothes they need to stay warm. Overall, the childminder is a good role model for children's communication. However, she does not consistently maximise opportunities to introduce new words through

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

play to develop children's vocabulary even further.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder typically weaves mathematical language and uses children's interests in the activities that she presents. For example, children who show an interest in farms identify, sort and count different animals and then match them to photos. The childminder provides support for children's physical and emotional wellbeing. For example, children benefit from daily access to outdoor learning in the large garden that presents varied play opportunities.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder attends some training and webinars to extend her knowledge and understanding of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with other barriers to their learning. However, she has not yet embedded this knowledge securely in everyday practice to ensure that children achieve the best outcomes.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder demonstrates an understanding of the unique needs of the children she cares for. She works with parents and carers to gather information that has been shared by health professionals involved in children's care. The childminder observes and assesses children's learning and development, in order to decide on their next steps in learning. However, these next steps do not yet focus precisely enough on children's individual needs, in order for targeted intervention to be most effective. For example, the next steps for children with some speech and language delay do not specifically identify how the childminder will support them to build on what they already know and can do. As a result, opportunities to fully support children's progress and development are not consistently maximised.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder regularly attends groups and networks, in order to gather information. However, she does not yet consistently engage in focused professional development opportunities. This does not enable her to evaluate her provision more effectively, address weaknesses in practice and further improve outcomes for children. The childminder identifies that she would benefit from updating and embedding knowledge around supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder shows she understands her role. She is dedicated to creating a safe and caring environment for children. The childminder identifies her strengths, such as building positive relationships with children and parents and carers. The childminder takes into account the information that parents share with her regarding the involvement of health professionals in children's development. This enables her to follow the recommendations to support children's sensory needs. The childminder offers support and ideas for parents with regards to extending children's learning at home. Parents particularly appreciate her support with sleep routines and toilet training.

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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 supports children who experience barriers to their learning in the setting. However, she does not consistently provide targeted interventions to ensure that children make the best possible progress. The childminder attends regular briefing sessions and networks with other childminders. She attends mandatory training. However, she does not fully extend her knowledge and understanding to consistently drive improvement across her provision. The childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of children's developmental needs and provides activities that broadly link to their next steps. However, her planning and teaching are not precise enough to maximise children's learning. As a result, children do not consistently make the progress they are capable of.

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

Children demonstrate feelings of connection and belonging in this welcoming setting. For example, babies snuggle closely to the childminder during bottle feeding and self-soothe as they drift off to sleep. Babies and children confidently explore the welcoming learning environment and make choices in their play. Older children delight in finding their favourite farm animals and matching these to photos on the wall. This helps them to make connections in their learning and develop their knowledge of animals and the sounds they make.

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

Children benefit from spending time out and about with the childminder in the local community. They develop confidence as they visit community parks and venues. Children build their understanding of where their food comes from as they get involved in opportunities to plant and look after vegetables and flowers in the childminder's garden. This helps children to develop a varied diet that promotes a healthy lifestyle. Overall, children develop an understanding of their own health and hygiene. For example, they learn to wash their hands after nappy changing or before eating. This helps them to acquire important life skills for the future.

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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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consistently evaluate the provision, in order to identify weaknesses

and drive improvement more effectively. 28/02/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and the children and sought the views of parents and carers 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. Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:30

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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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