Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY418575 Registered with Ofsted: 30/11/2010 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 Strong standard

Despite some minor areas of weakness in the delivery of some aspects of the mathematics curriculum, all children still make excellent progress. They achieve very well from their starting points and make sustained progress across the curriculum over time. They develop secure knowledge and skills, which they apply confidently in their play and daily experiences. Children communicate clearly, use an increasingly wide vocabulary and recall experiences with accuracy. They enjoy sharing ideas, listen attentively and respond thoughtfully in conversations.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children demonstrate high levels of independence, confidence and motivation to learn. They manage tasks for themselves, follow guidance well and approach learning with enthusiasm. Children show curiosity and persistence, often returning to activities to practise skills and deepen their understanding. They apply what they know when exploring ideas, solving problems and making choices during play.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. They develop the confidence, independence, communication skills and positive learning behaviours needed to build on their strengths and interests as they move on.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children demonstrate positive behaviour and a willingness to take part in learning. They understand routines and respond confidently to expectations that are clear and consistent. Children show pride in managing tasks for themselves, such as preparing for outdoor play and following simple instructions. They approach activities with interest and show resilience when things are more difficult. Children respond well to reassurance and encouragement.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder establishes a calm and predictable environment. Children commonly understand her expectations for their behaviour. The childminder builds warm and trusting relationships with children and models respectful interactions. This supports children to develop self-control, confidence and a sense of security. Children are comfortable seeking reassurance and support when needed.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder takes account of children's ages and stages of development when supporting their behaviour and maintaining expectations. She adapts her approach to suit each child, helping them to understand routines and boundaries in a way that feels appropriate and supportive.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder works in partnership with families to promote the importance of regular attendance. This helps children to benefit fully from routines, learning opportunities and experiences in the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are well cared for and feel safe in this calm and nurturing home environment. The childminder organises care practices to meet children's individual needs. She manages routines flexibly to support children's comfort, safety and emotional wellbeing throughout the day. The childminder works in partnership with parents and carers to agree routines and approaches. This helps to ensure consistency between home and the setting for children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children form secure relationships with the childminder and seek reassurance confidently when needed. She responds sensitively to children's cues, supporting them to express their feelings and build trust. The childminder promotes children's safety, health and wellbeing through everyday practice. She supports children to develop an age-appropriate understanding of personal safety, hygiene and healthy routines through gentle guidance and daily interactions. The childminder encourages children to develop independence in ways that reflect their stage of development and individual needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Regular access to outdoor play supports children's physical development and wellbeing. Children are active, explore their environment with confidence and are supported to take appropriate risks safely. As a result, children feel settled, secure and confident in the setting.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder delivers a curriculum shaped by children's interests and daily experiences. She understands how play supports children's learning across different areas and uses this effectively to promote their development. The childminder follows children's lead during play and joins in sensitively to extend learning through conversation and shared exploration. She ensures that all children continue to make positive progress over time. She understands how barriers to learning can influence children's achievement and uses this knowledge to adapt learning and care so that every child is supported to succeed.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching supports children's communication and language development through purposeful interaction. The childminder models language during play, routines and stories. She introduces new words and encourages children to talk about what they are doing. This helps children to build vocabulary and communicate with growing confidence.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder uses ongoing observation to check what children know and can do and uses this information to shape teaching to children's different starting points, needs and stages of development. She supports children's mathematical learning through practical activities. For example, during a play-dough activity, the childminder generally introduces number cards and encourages children to recognise and match numerals while counting as they play. However, the childminder does not consistently use her assessment information to plan precisely for what children need to learn next or extend their learning in mathematics.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Outdoor learning supports children's curiosity and early scientific thinking. For example, children collected a range of natural items and predicted whether they would sink or float before testing their ideas. Children confidently shared their predictions and reflected on outcomes.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder creates an inclusive environment where every child is valued, understood and supported. She knows children very well. The childminder identifies children's individual needs promptly through ongoing observation, discussion with families and regular reviews of children's development. She adapts care, routines and interactions very effectively so children can take part confidently in daily experiences and feel secure, listened to and respected.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder consistently reduces barriers to children's learning and wellbeing. She makes thoughtful and appropriate adjustments to ensure that her expectations are accessible and meaningful for all children. Inclusive practice is embedded within everyday routines. This supports children's confidence, emotional wellbeing and sense of belonging. As a result, all children make positive progress from their starting points.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder monitors children's progress very closely and reviews the effectiveness of support over time, adapting approaches where needed. She demonstrates a secure understanding of how to identify children's emerging needs. The childminder knows how to respond in a timely and proportionate way, ensuring that children receive the right support at the right time.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works in close partnership with families and, where appropriate, external professionals to ensure that support is coordinated and effective. She uses available funding, including early years pupil premium where applicable, to enhance children's experiences and outcomes. Inclusive practice is well embedded and consistently applied. This enables all children to thrive.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a clear and accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of her setting. She reflects on her practice and makes appropriate changes to maintain the quality of the provision and support children's experiences and outcomes. The childminder uses self-evaluation to review her practice. However, this is not yet applied consistently enough to identify all opportunities for further development at the earliest stage, such as enhancing the mathematics curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder makes decisions that are guided by children's needs and wellbeing. She demonstrates an awareness of how barriers to learning can affect children's progress and takes suitable action to ensure that children's learning and care remain inclusive and responsive.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder keeps her knowledge and skills up to date through ongoing professional development and uses this learning to inform her practice. This contributes positively to children's individual needs and progress. However, the childminder has not yet fully embedded the evaluation of the impact of professional development on children's outcomes.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works in partnership with parents and carers. She keeps them informed and involved in their children's learning and experiences. The childminder monitors children's attendance through effective communication with families. Where children attend other early years settings or require additional support, the childminder shares information appropriately to promote consistency.

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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

Children experience a calm, safe and nurturing home environment, where their care and wellbeing are prioritised. Clear routines and close supervision help children to feel secure throughout the day and understand what to expect. Children confidently manage aspects of their own care, such as washing their hands, helping themselves to drinks and finding their coats and footwear when preparing to go outside. These everyday routines support children to develop confidence and independence.

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

Children enjoy learning and show positive attitudes to their experiences. They choose activities independently and engage with curiosity and interest. Learning is child-led and shaped around children's interests, which helps them to remain motivated and involved for sustained periods. Children use their imaginations during play, focus on activities and return to familiar experiences to deepen their understanding. Outdoors, children explore freely, test ideas and take appropriate risks in a supportive environment. They show resilience when things are trickier and respond positively to encouragement and praise from the childminder.

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

Children build positive relationships through warm interactions and shared experiences. They communicate confidently, using a wide range of vocabulary, and enjoy sharing ideas and experiences with others. Children learn to share, take turns and cooperate during their

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About this setting

Register(s): EYR, CCR play. This helps them to develop positive social skills and respectful relationships. They show a deep interest in books, choosing to sit close to the childminder during stories. Children turn the pages independently and confidently name characters and objects. This supports communication and language development and reflects their clear enjoyment of learning.

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About this setting

Children make progress from their starting points and develop age-appropriate knowledge and skills through meaningful and play-based experiences. They engage in activities that interest them and grow in confidence and independence. Children are very well prepared for the next stage of learning.

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Next steps

The childminder should continue to strengthen the curriculum for mathematics so it is more precisely focused on children's individual learning needs. The childminder should develop self-evaluation to use her reviews of the curriculum and teaching more consistently to support children's progress.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and 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.

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About this inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this inspection. Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 18:00

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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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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

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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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