Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY427358 Registered with Ofsted: 30/06/2011 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

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Safeguarding standards not met

The childminder does not ensure that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding. This puts children at risk of harm. The childminder does not provide sufficient support, advice or training for any assistants to ensure they fully understand the setting's safeguarding policies and procedures. As a result, weakness in knowledge and understanding of safeguarding responsibilities, including how to respond to allegations of abuse, limits their ability to take appropriate action to protect children and increases the risk that children's safety and wellbeing could be compromised.

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Safeguarding standards not met

The childminder demonstrates a secure knowledge of how to identify and act on a child welfare concern. She understands the importance of reporting any concerns she may have and knows what procedures to follow should a child be at risk of harm. The childminder understands the local safeguarding partnerships procedures for reporting potential allegations made against her practice. She recognises the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm, including wider safeguarding issue, such as county lines.

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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 creates a positive and welcoming environment, where children understand the daily routines and feel confident to join activities. She models good behaviour and manages minor disagreements between children sensitively. This helps children to learn to share, take turns and cooperate. Children form warm and trusting relationships with the childminder, who offers comfort, praise and encouragement. These interactions contribute to children developing a sense of security and confidence to participate in the learning opportunities on offer.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children engage enthusiastically in activities and sustain their interest in puzzles, messy play and group games. The childminder encourages cooperation, sharing and problem- solving, using verbal reminders and modelling to help children develop early social skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder promotes regular attendance and punctuality. She records attendance daily, communicates openly with parents and responds quickly if routines change. She works closely with families to ensure children attend consistently and are ready to join in learning each day.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Children are not sufficiently prepared for the next stage of their learning, including school. They do not have enough planned and meaningful opportunities to hear, use and practise English consistently within their play and daily routines. As a result, children do not develop the communication and language skills in English that they need to support their future learning. This limits their readiness to access learning effectively as they move on to the next stage in their learning journey.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Children have opportunities to practise counting and develop early mathematical skills, such as matching coloured sticks to shapes, completing puzzles and comparing quantities. They learn to take turns, cooperate with peers and begin to solve problems, showing emerging social and cognitive skills. Children are exposed to some English, repeating simple words linked to colours and numbers. However, they are not consistently encouraged to use full sentences or develop language appropriate for their age. This can limit their ability to learn the number sequence and use vocabulary related to capacity, shape and measure.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

There are weaknesses in the childminder's practice. The childminder does not consistently keep children safe during mealtimes. Occasionally, children walk around and move to areas where they cannot be seen while they are eating. This compromises their safety, increases their risk of choking and does not help them to learn safe routines during eating.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Children are not consistently encouraged to develop independence in personal care routines, such as managing hygiene needs or dressing. For example, the childminder wipes children's noses for them without encouraging them to try for themselves. When children need a change of clothes, adults swiftly do this for them without allowing them time to practise these skills independently. These experiences limit children's ability to build important life skills, make safe choices and prepare for the next stage of learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Children form secure attachments with the childminder and feel valued and supported. These responsive relationships support children's emotional wellbeing, helping them recognise, express and manage their emotions in age-appropriate ways. Children have daily opportunities for fresh air and physical activity, including exploring the local environment and the childminder's enclosed garden. The childminder prepares and cooks nutritious meals and snacks, helping children to learn to make healthy food choices. Parents speak positively about the care provided, reflecting children's confidence and sense of security in the setting.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Children do not receive sufficient support to develop their English language skills. The childminder acknowledges that children develop at different rates. However, children do not benefit from targeted approaches that support them to make sufficient progress in their communication and language skills. Although the childminder and assistants model key words in English, such as colours or polite phrases, children are not consistently exposed to full sentences or language that is developmentally appropriate for their age. This has a significant impact on children's opportunities to build vocabulary, use sentences confidently and develop communication skills effectively to support future learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The childminder completes observations of children's learning and uses her knowledge of children's individual interests to inform some activities. She provides children with experiences to help them develop their social and physical skills. For example, she supports children to take turns and cooperate during activities, such as exploring play dough together. Children enjoy being physically active during music and dance sessions, moving their bodies and expressing themselves creatively. They have opportunities to develop control and coordination as they use equipment in the enclosed garden and participate in supervised outings to the local park. These experiences provide opportunities for children to build confidence, while promoting social interaction and physical development.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

The childminder has not yet fully identified how she supports disadvantaged children. She does not accurately assess children's progress in learning to identify where children need additional support. This means that children and their families do not receive the support from other professionals to ensure children's needs are appropriately met. The childminder does not show how additional funding is used strategically to enhance children's achievement, close gaps in learning or promote children's wellbeing. This means that opportunities to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children are ineffective and children are not well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

The childminder has some awareness of children's individual needs and seeks to support them. However, she does not routinely communicate with children in English. This limits her ability to swiftly identify and respond to emerging concerns related to children's communication and language development in English. As a result, she may not recognise early indicators of potential barriers to learning or respond quickly enough when children require additional support.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder does not engage in further professional development to strengthen her knowledge of the early years foundation stage (EYFS) or her leadership skills. She does not ensure that assistants are trained or have sufficient knowledge to carry out their roles safely and effectively. This limits their ability to meet children's individual needs and has an impact on the consistency of care. The childminder keeps up to date with mandatory training, such as first aid.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder does not fully evaluate the setting's strengths or take sufficient action to address weaknesses, including safeguarding breaches and inconsistencies in care practices. She does not provide supervision or targeted guidance for assistants, which further limits the impact of the curriculum and compromises children's safety and learning.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder maintains partnerships with parents and shares information about children's learning, including what they need to learn next. She communicates regularly, providing updates and strategies to support learning at home. The childminder maintains links with local authority advisors and is aware of how to seek guidance to support her practice. However, weaknesses in practice limit the consistency and quality of care and learning. Children's learning and safety are not consistently supported, and the childminder does not always have the knowledge or training required to fully meet the requirements of the EYFS.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not 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 not 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's safety and welfare are not fully assured due to weaknesses in the childminder's oversight of safeguarding. The childminder does not ensure that assistants working in the setting have sufficient knowledge of safeguarding procedures. Additionally, children are not consistently monitored while eating and sometimes move around or play, which increases the risk of choking.

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

The curriculum for communication and language does not provide children with enough opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills they need for future learning, including school. The childminder and her assistant typically speak to children in their home language, which limits how often children hear and practise spoken English. As a result, children are not fully supported to reach a good standard of English, in preparation for the next stage of their learning.

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

Children feel welcome, safe and cared for. They laugh, sing, dance and take part in group games with the childminder, showing that they enjoy their time in the setting and feel emotionally secure. Children form positive relationships with adults and with each other. They share, take turns and solve problems together during activities, such as puzzles and role play. The childminder promotes regular attendance and consistent routines for all children, recognising how these support children's wellbeing.

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

The childminder provides a range of play-based activities that engage children in hands-on learning. Children explore different textures as they make marks in foam and use their knowledge of shape and colour to notice similarities and differences. They investigate and problem solve through experiences, such as planting onions and strawberries, and observe how they grow and change over time. These activities encourage curiosity and support children's early understanding of the natural world.

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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

ensure children are supervised at all times, particularly while eating 13/03/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve understanding and use of English to ensure children's wellbeing and learning are fully supported 25/03/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure assistants receive effective supervision, guidance and support to enhance their practice to meet statutory requirements 25/03/2026

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Action Completion Date

undertake professional development to gain a firm understanding of the early years foundation stage 25/03/2026

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:00

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Action Completion Date

requirements and improve the quality of teaching and learning

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Action Completion Date

develop and implement a curriculum that gives children regular, meaningful opportunities to hear, use and practise English, supporting them to make the best possible progress and be well prepared for the next stage of their learning 25/03/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure assistants' safeguarding knowledge is up to date and meets statutory requirements 25/03/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistants and parents 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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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. 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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