Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2737586 Registered with Ofsted: 25/07/2023 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

Overall, all children achieve well and develop secure skills for school, including any children with additional needs. Children gain a wide range of gross and fine motor skills through physical activities. Children develop valuable communication, language and literacy ability through a range of songs and stories. They learn new words as they play.

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Achievement Expected standard

Overall, children gain some valuable independence skills. Older children put on their coats and shoes. However, at times, the childminder's interaction with younger children does not fully extend their independence skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder manages children's behaviour successfully. For instance, she shares her expectations with children and reads stories to promote positive behaviour. The childminder uses a calm, fair and consistent approach to behaviour management. She ensures that her teaching is developmentally appropriate for all children. Children take turns, for instance, as they go up the ladder on the slide in the garden. They treat each other with care and consideration. Children have close and warm relationships with the childminder.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder teaches children about different cultures, ethnicities and religions. For example, she teaches children about Lunar New Year through discussion and craft activities. The childminder provides a positive environment that includes stories that reflect characters with different skin colours. This helps children to accept and respect difference.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder emphasises the value of regular attendance to parents, and this supports children's continued progress.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder teaches children how to act with care and caution. They walk indoors and use furniture in appropriate ways. The childminder teaches children about road safety, and children behave in safe ways. She ensures that children are closely supervised at mealtimes and creates a relaxed social atmosphere to promote their social skills. The childminder keeps children safe at sleep times by regularly checking them as they rest.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Babies and children have warm, secure relationships with the childminder. The childminder greets children each morning and asks them how they are feeling. She reads stories on how to be kind to others, and this supports children's personal and social development securely. Children gain a secure understanding of different emotions. Overall, children gain some independence skills, for instance, they learn to feed themselves and wash their hands. However, at times, the childminder's interactions with younger children do not fully promote their independence skills. For example, at times, the childminder does not always encourage children to select toys and resources for themselves. This means that younger children are not consistently supported to learn to do things for themselves. The childminder provides healthy routines for children and takes great care to provide freshly prepared, nutritious meals and snacks for children. She ensures that they receive

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

outdoor physical activities each day. However, the childminder has not fully developed children's understanding of the value of eating well or physical activity. This means that children have not gained full knowledge to enable them to consistently make their own healthy choices and decisions.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Generally, the curriculum is wide and varied and based on children's interests and areas of learning. The childminder uses information about children's starting points to determine what they need to learn next. She links activities to children's next steps for learning. Children develop competent communication, language and literacy skills. They independently select books to quietly browse through and enjoy listening to stories read by the childminder. Children have a love of books. The childminder builds children's vocabulary as they play. For instance, children feel the texture of pretend grass, and the childminder introduces the word 'rough'.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Older children enjoy learning to balance on wobble boards at the local park. They climb confidently across frames, and the childminder develops their ball skills through throwing and catching games. Younger children enjoy practising their walking abilities as they push wheeled toys around the garden. Children use proficient small-muscle control as they carefully place flower stems into small holes. This supports children's physical development proficiently.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder ensures that children gain secure mathematical skills. She teaches children to count the number of pretend flowers that they pick from a tray. The childminder uses words, such as 'big' and 'small', to describe the different-sized flowers to teach children mathematical vocabulary. The childminder takes children to the local playgroup regularly where children learn to mix with other children, and this helps to build their social confidence. They learn to share and take turns while using different tools and materials as they play.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

However, there are gaps in the curriculum relating to teaching children about the value of healthy lifestyles. This means that children do not have secure knowledge to consistently make healthy decisions and choices.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Overall, the childminder knows how to identify when any child is in need of additional support. She keeps clear records of each child's progress, including the required progress checks when children are aged between 2 and 3 years. The childminder uses this information to identify where children are developmentally and where they need to go to next.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder is aware of the relevant agencies to contact to seek support for children with additional learning needs. The childminder supports any child who she identifies as needing additional help using an overall graduated approach. She has attended a course on autism, which has helped to develop her understanding in this area. The childminder's home has wheelchair access to provide support for children with physical disabilities.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works well with parents and carers and keeps them informed of children's progress and activities in flexible ways. She shares information with parents when they arrive each day and sends secure updates on software applications. The childminder liaises with parents on ways to support their children at home, for example in toilet training.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder reflects on her work and sets key goals to bring about improvements for all children, including those needing additional support. Overall, she keeps her skills and knowledge up to date, for instance by attending positive behaviour and safe sleeping training for babies. This has led to improved practice and better outcomes for children. However, the childminder has not broadened her knowledge on how to adapt her interactions to support children's independence skills. This means that younger children are not consistently supported to learn how to do things for themselves.

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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 are happy in this caring, safe and well-arranged home setting. The childminder recognises her ability to care for and value each child as a strength of her provision. She knows each child well and deeply appreciates their individual personalities. The childminder learns about children's interests and ensures that these are reflected in activities. This leads to children being eager to take part in activities. Children have a trusting relationship with the childminder and seek comfort from her when needed. For example, younger children seek cuddles from the childminder when they feel tired. Overall, children gain some independence skills. The childminder praises children for their efforts, for example when they have completed an activity. This supports children's self-esteem.

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

Generally, the childminder provides a progressive curriculum to meet the needs of all children in preparation for school. Overall, she ensures that children, whatever their starting points, have activities suited to their needs and make secure progress. The childminder talks to parents and carers to encourage children's regular attendance, and this helps to support their progress effectively. The childminder carefully monitors children's progress and reacts readily to provide additional support to children where needed. Children freely express their creativity as they draw with brightly coloured crayons. They use glue, sticks and tissue paper to make flowers. Children enjoy exploring the scent and texture of objects, such as flower petals. The childminder helps children to gain a good understanding of the world. She takes children on farm visits and teaches them names of different animals. The childminder joins in with children's excitement when they see snow fall and teaches them

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

about different weather and seasons. These activities support children's learning and development effectively.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:30 - 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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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen the curriculum to embed teaching about the value of healthy lifestyles to enable children to consistently make their own healthy choices and decisions. The childminder should extend her knowledge on how to adapt her interactions to promote the independence of younger children more fully to help them excel in their learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children. She read written comments from 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. This data is from 7 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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