Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2851645 Registered with Ofsted: 05/09/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR

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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 Needs attention

Weaknesses in the childminder's partnerships with parents and the delivery of the curriculum negatively impact the progress that children make. Children are not challenged sufficiently and do not receive the necessary support to engage deeply in their play and learning. Nonetheless, children crawl and move around the setting confidently to explore the toys and resources the childminder has set out for them. They develop an interest in stories and listen eagerly to the childminder when she reads to them. Children repeat mathematical language used by the childminder, such as 'star'. Children confidently learn to slice bananas safely and wash their hands independently, developing strong self-care skills and increasing their confidence in managing their own needs.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Children do not develop consistently positive attitudes to their learning because some of the activities that the childminder provides do not hold their interest or attention. For example, the childminder plans to help new children feel part of the setting by showing them photos of the other children who also attend. However, as the babies and toddlers have not met the other children who attend, they just carry the photos around before dropping them on the floor.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

The childminder has appropriate expectations for children's behaviour, and, overall, she intervenes suitably when inappropriate behaviour occurs. For example, she reminds toddlers to be careful around the babies and not to climb on the chairs while they are eating. When toddlers struggle to take turns with toys, the childminder distracts them with other resources or finds an identical toy so both children have one each. The childminder role models and encourages the use of good manners and praises children's efforts and behaviours. However, when her usual strategies are not effective in helping children understand expectations for behaviour, the childminder does not seek to extend her own knowledge and skills to better meet individual needs. As a result, some children are not consistently supported to understand, regulate and manage their feelings and behaviour effectively.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

The childminder understands that regular attendance is beneficial for children's development. She is clear that she would work with parents to offer flexibility in the arrangements for children's sessions if needed, to ensure children arrive on time and attend regularly.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder's practice does not promote children's welfare and wellbeing consistently. For example, the childminder does not share relevant information with other settings and professionals or work with families. This means she is not able to develop consistency in children's care and learning, and their families are not offered additional help when it might benefit them. Children settle in quickly and develop a positive relationship with the childminder. They offer the childminder spontaneous cuddles and show visitors the toys.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder promotes children's physical health. She encourages children to follow good hygiene practices, such as washing their hands before eating. In addition, children are provided with drinks throughout the day, and they have healthy and nutritious meals. The childminder understands the importance of supervising children appropriately at all times, including when they are eating. She recognises when babies and toddlers become tired and places them in cots or on sleep mats for a rest.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder carries out risk assessments of her premises to identify hazards and reduce risks to children. For example, she locks the front door when children are present and uses a stairgate to prevent their access to the stairs. Through discussion, the childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of how to keep children safe on outings.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder does not deliver a consistently broad and challenging curriculum. She demonstrates an understanding of how children develop and has appropriate ambition for what they need to learn in preparation for their move to school. When the childminder knows children well, she identifies their stage of learning accurately and plans suitable next steps. However, she does not know each child well enough to provide targeted support in their learning, and the implementation of the curriculum is not of a consistently high standard. The childminder sets out toys for the children to play with and explore but does not extend their learning. For example, she does not teach mathematics explicitly, other than occasionally modelling the names of shapes that children come across and using positional language when singing well-known nursery rhymes. Children happily explore and handle the toys but move quickly from one toy to another and do not focus or engage deeply in their

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder narrates children's play, sits on the floor to enable eye contact with them and, at times, asks them simple questions. She speaks to all children during short, focused activities, such as when reading books to them or when singing nursery rhymes as they play musical instruments. However, at other times, she does not give much attention to or interact with the quieter children, who play happily but quietly by themselves, even after the childminder has identified the need to develop their speech and language.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

At times, the childminder supports children's physical skills appropriately. For example, she holds babies in a standing position when they are learning to balance and to develop their leg strength. The childminder prioritises forming positive relationships with children to settle them in and make them feel comfortable, although she does not take sufficient action to get to know them well enough at the start to support their learning.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder does not work closely enough with parents, other settings and other professionals to exchange information about children, particularly about children's behaviour or when a family may benefit from extra help. This means that she is unable to meet some children's individual needs and provide consistency in their care and learning. For example, she does not consider developing her own knowledge and skills to manage children's behaviour when her usual, appropriate strategies are not effective. Consequently, some children continue to struggle to manage their feelings and emotions.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder monitors children's progress by observing them and can identify when they might require additional help from other professionals, such as from their doctor or health visitor. Through discussion, she can demonstrate how she would adapt activities to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and some children who face other barriers to their learning. For example, she explains how she would provide support for children who speak English as an additional language to develop their communication and language skills. If children have SEND and are already working with other professionals, the childminder is clear on the need to work together to provide consistency in their care and learning.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder does not ensure that the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage are met. Because she does not recognise when breaches occur and children's needs are not met, she is unable to make the necessary decisions and changes that bring about improvements. The childminder does not work in close partnership with parents, other settings and other professionals to target children's individual needs. The childminder reflects more accurately on the strengths of her setting, particularly that she forms secure relationships with children to make them feel comfortable and settled. Parents agree that their children enjoy coming and being in the care of the childminder. The childminder is clear on her responsibility to keep children safe.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Through discussion, the childminder demonstrates how she would include children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and some children who face other barriers to their learning. However, although she welcomes all children, she does not take action to get to know what new children like, or what they know and can do when they first attend.

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

Due to weaknesses in the childminder's partnerships with parents, the childminder does not know about new children's likes, interests and development when the children first start. Consequently, the childminder does not know enough about new children to be able to plan learning experiences that appeal to, engage and challenge them. Children do not achieve as much as they could due to inconsistent support from the childminder. When the childminder does know children well and identifies appropriate next steps in learning for them, she does not build consistently on what the children already know and can do. Therefore, children do not receive targeted experiences that build on their learning and development. Some children do not receive as much attention from the childminder as others. They play happily but by themselves for much of their time, which does not extend their speech and language development. Children make some progress in their learning. In particular, they enjoy

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

looking at books alone and with the childminder.

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

The childminder's practice does not always promote the welfare and wellbeing of children effectively enough, particularly regarding children's behaviour and any extra support that children and their families may need. This is because she does not always share relevant information about children with parents, other settings and other professionals to meet children's needs.

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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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Action Completion Date

share information about children with parents, other settings and other professionals, to work together to promote children's welfare and wellbeing 30/01/2026

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Action Completion Date

implement effective teaching and delivery of the curriculum to target each child's next steps and engage them deeply in their play and learning 13/02/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that every child, including the quieter children, receives the attention and high-quality interactions they 13/02/2026

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 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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Action Completion Date

need to support their communication and language development

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children and reviewed parents' written feedback 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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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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