Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY549404 Registered with Ofsted: 25/08/2017 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 Strong standard

Children feel safe and secure and develop a positive attitude to learning and to trying new experiences. Children's personal, social and emotional development and communication and language skills are developing well. Children learn in an inclusive, fun, well-planned setting. The childminder understands the importance of a rich learning environment and is thoughtful in how she delivers learning opportunities to inspire children's imagination. Children confidently explore and self-select accessible resources to help them initiate their own play.

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Achievement Strong standard

The childminder ensures all children, including those with barriers to their learning, are fully prepared for their next stage in learning. For example, when they move on to pre-school or school. She ensures they are emotionally confident and have the skills needed to be independent learners. Tailored support is provided, such as visits to the pre-school with the children, sharing information and providing books and activities to ensure the transition is seamless.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder provides children with a reassuring and respectful environment. They have formed close and trusting bonds with the childminder and any assistants she works with. They understand the childminder's high expectations for behaviour. They learn to take turns when playing together and have made friendships with others attending. The childminder is very gentle, and praise is natural, which reinforces good behaviour. Children take pride in their achievements and have a consistent positive attitude to learning. Children are offered cuddles and reassurance if they feel sad. They learn about their feelings and emotions through well-planned activities, stories and conversations with the childminder.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder is mindful of individual family needs and is flexible to support them. However, she positively promotes punctuality and attendance. This ensures children are fully involved, ready to learn and settle quickly. Routines in place help children have a sense of security and familiarity. These provide some structure but are also tailored to meet each child's unique needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder strives to provide high-quality care and education. She recognises that happy, secure children learn well and skilfully prioritises children's wellbeing. Therefore, children's emotional welfare is the centre of everything. Children have developed extremely secure attachments with the childminder, who invests time in getting to know the children well. Individual settling-in sessions are tailored to meet children's needs, particularly for those who face barriers to learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children sleep peacefully and uninterrupted when needed. The childminder responds sensitively to young children needing a nap and makes them comfortable and soothed when they are tired. She manages routines around the children's differing needs. Children enjoy healthy snacks and home-cooked meals as the childminder promotes a nutritious and varied menu. She works closely with parents to ensure dietary needs are met. Discussion takes place at mealtimes to help children learn and recognise the importance of staying healthy. The childminder advocates outdoor play and provides children with ample experiences to engage in enriching outdoor opportunities. For example, children relish their time in the local woods and park where they develop their physical skills and learn how to stay safe when engaging in risky play, such as climbing logs or playing on the beach.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder provides a broad and ambitious curriculum. It is designed around children's interests and what they need to learn next. It is also influenced by some principles of Montessori and the curiosity approach to learning. The well-sequenced curriculum has a strong focus on supporting children's emotional and social development, learning skills to be independent and on communication. Purposeful moments, such as story time, nappy changing, snack and outdoor play, provide natural meaningful learning through everyday routines.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Language and mathematical development is prioritised in every activity. Toddlers use puppets and props during story time to maintain their focus and strengthen their understanding. They interact and repeat simple words and are fully absorbed in the story. Children show fascination as they explore torches and light boxes. Conversations take place about shadows, light and dark. Children balance bangles on stands, and the childminder engages them in conversation. New words are introduced, such as 'springy', 'shiny' and 'bumpy', as they count and describe the feel of bangles they use. The childminder captures children's attention as they make patterns using shapes. They excitedly discover that 2 triangles make a diamond shape. Teaching adapts seamlessly to meet individual needs. The childminder provides opportunities for children to repeat activities with her support to ensure new learned skills are secured over time. She checks understanding and adjusts her tailored

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

support so that every child can succeed and develop the essential skills and confidence needed for the next stage of their learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates an excellent understanding of how to support children in her setting. This means all children thrive and achieve. In the past, the childminder has supported children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively to reach their full potential. Meticulous monitoring of children's development and progress means any emerging needs are swiftly identified and appropriate support is provided. This rigorous monitoring includes input from outside professionals and external agencies to ensure that support remains focused and effective. The use of any additional funding is targeted to provide additional resources and help bridge gaps in learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder is committed to regular and ongoing training. Recent professional development in communication and language has strengthened her understanding of strategies that support children to gain language skills quickly when a development delay is identified. The childminder supports all children to learn successfully alongside their peers. She works closely with parents and signposts them to professionals so that support is timely and consistent.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has a culture of evaluation and consistently reflects on her practice. She is very aware of her strengths and areas she wants to develop further. She is proactive and committed to making a difference for children. The childminder seeks effective advice and guidance, and she supports other childminders with their practice to help them raise the quality of care locally. She regularly undertakes research and additional training to strengthen her skills and ensure she is up to date with her knowledge. The childminder positively promotes continuous professional development and ensures any assistants she works with are supported and provide the same high-quality care and education.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder welcomes parents into the home and works closely with them to support children's individual care needs. For example, meetings are arranged in the evenings as required so that uninterrupted discussion can take place regarding children's progress. Parents are provided with regular communications about children's progress and next learning steps. Newsletters and helpful links provide information, and the childminder shares ideas to help parents support children at home. The provision of a lending library and resources are also available. Parents talk highly of the childminder, commenting that their children have made excellent progress as a result of attending the setting. The childminder values positive partnership working with other professionals and shared care providers to ensure continuity and provide children with the best possible start in life.

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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 experience a home-from-home, inspiring and nurturing environment. They are very settled and thrive socially and emotionally. They are cared for very well by the childminder. Children feel safe and are confident within the home. Toddlers benefit from positive and skilful interactions that support their independence, curiosity and enjoyment of learning. Children eagerly engage with activities that build on what they already know and can do.

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

Children make rapid progress from their starting points because the childminder has a secure knowledge of how to provide children with rich learning opportunities. The childminder also has a detailed understanding of each child's starting points. She purposefully sequences learning, enabling children to develop knowledge and skills progressively. For example, young children enthusiastically post shapes. They show sustained concentration and perseverance as they carefully find the correct space to post different shapes. They patiently work out how to open doors on the box to retrieve the objects. The childminder skilfully extends children's language by modelling vocabulary, talking about size, space and shapes and what needs to happen. This helps children sequence ideas, develop problem-solving skills and follow routines independently.

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

The highly experienced childminder has a secure knowledge of child development and swiftly identifies any barriers to children's learning. She is committed to providing children with the best start in life and completes targeted research and training to support children's needs. Personalised next steps in learning, close communication with families and well- established professional partnerships with other agencies involved with the children ensure continuity in children's learning and welfare.

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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 sustain her work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. She should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke to the childminder, her assistant and the children 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 4 February 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

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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