Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2812840 Registered with Ofsted: 10/12/2024 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

Children generally achieve well from their starting points across all areas of their learning. They acquire the skills necessary to enable them to make smooth transitions and move on to the next step in learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children engage in learning and access a range of activities. They persevere and concentrate on tasks and interact well with their friends during their play. They offer support to one another when they see their friends struggling with a task, showing care and concern.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children communicate their feelings and talk about what they are doing and what they see is happening during activities. They are learning to listen to one another and work collaboratively during tasks. Children freely access books to enjoy alone, with the childminder and with their friends, demonstrating an early love of reading.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children practise a range of movements and use tools skilfully to flatten, snip and mould dough with purpose. Children of all ages and abilities participate fully in the activities on offer and at their own level of development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Overall, the childminder encourages positive attitudes to learning. She motivates children and encourages them to be resilient and to have a go at tasks themselves before she offers support. She praises children's achievements and recognises their efforts. Children share their achievements from home with the childminder, and parents value her feedback.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Expectations of behaviour are clear, and children understand these. The childminder encourages good behaviour with lots of praise and encouragement. The childminder acts as a positive role model for children and is calm in her approach. Children generally behave well and respond positively to the childminder. The childminder supports children's developing social skills. She offers gentle support to help children resolve any disagreements over sharing. She offers suggestions that help children to stop and think about their actions. The introduction of sand timers helps children to take turns, share resources and resolve disputes independently.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder ensures parents understand the importance of regular attendance and the positive impact this has on children's learning and development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder is attentive to children's care needs and shares close bonds with the children. She knows the individual signs to look for when babies are tired and when children are restless. She responds appropriately to manage these needs and ensure children's wellbeing. The childminder demonstrates awareness of current guidance on healthy eating and shares this information with parents. She provides healthy, nutritionally balanced meals and snacks for children and talks to them about healthy eating. Children learn about health and hygiene through daily routines. The childminder explains to them why they need to wash their hands after visiting the bathroom and before meals. She ensures even the youngest children begin to learn about good hygiene. She washes their hands, as well as her own, after nappy changes to promote good hygiene from an early age.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children learn to communicate their feelings, and the childminder supports them to talk through their emotions. The childminder encourages them to listen to one another and work collaboratively on tasks.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder takes children on regular outings and to places of interest where they socialise with others of a similar age. On walks, she talks to children about road safety and raises their awareness of how to keep themselves safe. Children learn about the importance of regular exercise and spend plenty of time outdoors exploring the natural environment.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans around the children's interests to ensure learning is meaningful and enjoyable. She considers her curriculum alongside children's next steps in learning and adapts activities to ensure all children can participate. The childminder knows what she wants children to achieve and how she plans to support these skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder takes children on woodland walks where they learn to climb, balance and steady themselves on the slightly uneven ground below them. The childminder observes and responds to babies' reactions as they point and vocalise. These interactions acknowledge children's early communication and language development. The childminder talks to older children about what they see and think will happen next. She broadens children's vocabulary by introducing them to new words during play activities. For example, children observe materials 'separating' as they stretch and break into 2 pieces. Although this is a rich language environment, at times the number of questions can interrupt the natural flow of conversations with children.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

When playing with stacking cups, the childminder uses positional language, such as 'on top' and 'inside'. The use of number rhymes helps children to count, and the childminder identifies she wants to extend this to numbers beyond 10. Although the childminder is able to talk about sequencing in learning and how to build on knowledge, she has not fully considered how this applies to number and counting. For example, she has not fully assessed whether children have a secure understanding of smaller numbers first, for instance whether children know what numbers added together make 5 and what happens when you take 1 away, to ensure this knowledge is truly embedded.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses appropriate guidance to track children's learning and identify any gaps. She understands the importance of early identification and getting support in place quickly for children and families. This helps to prevent gaps in learning from widening. The childminder understands the value of working in partnership with parents and professionals. She plans in time for regular discussions about children's progress and how support can be strengthened. She has a clear understanding of how additional funding should be used to support children and maximise its impact.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder takes account of children's patterns of attendance in her planning. She ensures that children do not miss out on key experiences, regardless of what days they attend the setting. She repeats activities and outings. This inclusive approach helps to ensure all children have access to these.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has made significant efforts to improve her practice since her last inspection. She has taken on board previously identified weaknesses and focused time and effort into improving her practice in these areas. She has sought and welcomed advice from other early years professionals. She has made improvements to her environment and considered how to make best use of the space to make it safe and inviting for children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder carefully considers her curriculum and reflects on what she provides and how she wants to develop her provision. She completes additional training and implements this into her practice to improve outcomes for children. Since the last inspection, she has built in time to reflect on her practice on a weekly basis and has found this beneficial in terms of her professional development. She plans to build on this reflection to focus on different areas of learning and further strengthen her curriculum for all children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Communication with parents is effective. They report how they are kept well informed about their children's progress and development. The childminder explains how parents can support children's learning at home and help them become more independent.

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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 settle quickly into the childminder's care. She takes time to understand children's needs and what stage they are at in their learning journey. This means she is able to plan activities that support and encourage children's development.

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

Babies benefit from the supportive and nurturing relationships they have with the childminder. This helps them to build trust and develop in confidence. Children make independent choices, freely selecting resources in the accessible and safe environment. Children enjoy their learning and the sensory activities that promote exploration and investigation. Children are inquisitive and focus well during activities they enjoy. The childminder regularly talks to children about what they are doing and going to do. She asks them questions to encourage them to think and problem-solve. However, she does not always build in sufficient time for children to process, think and communicate their response.

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

The childminder carefully considers her curriculum alongside children's next steps in learning. She ensures all children can take part in these experiences whatever their stage of development. Positive interactions and timely interventions help support children's learning.

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

Children explore how they can affect change to different materials. During a dough activity, they realise the dough becomes softer and more malleable the warmer it gets. They observe this as they squeeze the dough and describe how it gets more 'squishy'. They poke their fingers into the dough and stretch it out with their hands. They see how far they can stretch it before it parts in 2.

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

Children learn about the importance of sharing and turn-taking. They learn about responsibility and caring for their environment. The childminder encourages them to help tidy away resources and prepare for lunch, and they are familiar with these routines.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:00 - 17:00

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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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Next steps

The childminder should consider the curriculum for number and counting, focusing on smaller numbers to embed and secure knowledge before moving on to bigger numbers. The childminder should build in sufficient time for children to respond to questions, allowing them time to process and think to further support their communication and language development.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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. This data is from 22 January 2026

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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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