Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2744655 Registered with Ofsted: 21/09/2023 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

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.

p.1

Achievement Strong standard

Children build on what they know and have made excellent progress from the time they started attending the setting. Children develop strong physical skills. The environment around them, as well as the skilled teaching from the childminder, enables them to extend their gross motor skills, and smaller planned activities, such as completing puzzles, help to develop their fine motor skills.

p.2

Achievement Strong standard

Children are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Their independence and confidence increasingly grow. For example, during mealtimes, younger children independently feed themselves. Children's communication and language skills are developing excellently well. Children who are not yet verbal use simple gestures to express their wants and needs, meaning that they are still being understood by the childminder.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children form very safe and trusting relationships with the childminder. The childminder is an excellent role model. She is calm, kind and respectful towards adults and children. This leads to children behaving very well. The childminder has very high expectations of how children should behave and consistently enforces simple rules, such as tidying up after playing. Children willingly join in with putting toys away, and the childminder gives praise to them. This demonstrates that expectations are consistent, and children know how to follow them. The childminder praising children for this also supports positive behaviour.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Even though the cohort of children at the setting is small, the childminder ensures that children have regular opportunities to mix with other children. This means that children are able to develop strong social skills and learn how to be kind, share and take turns with others. This creates a harmonious and respectful culture for children to be in. It also teaches them key skills they need to prepare for the next stage in their lives, such as school.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has steps in place to anticipate and identify issues around attendance. She supports parents to understand the importance of attendance and consistent routines. They work together to tackle any barriers.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder and children show a genuine attachment. Children develop a sense of safety and belonging in the setting. Children freely explore the environment and seek comfort from the childminder when needed. The childminder's calm and personal approach helps children settle quickly. However, when children do struggle to resettle after having time off due to illnesses, the childminder prioritises the children's emotional wellbeing and lets the child take the lead.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder understands how important supporting children's emotions is. She encourages children to express and understand their emotions by role modelling, songs and books. This helps children to recognise how they are feeling. Care routines are undertaken in a safe and supportive way. Children wash their hands before eating and learn simple songs about washing away the germs. While they eat, the childminder sits with them and talks about the foods they are enjoying. The childminder adapts her approach to sleep time to meet the individual needs of each child. She slowly cuddles and rocks a child who is needing extra reassurance and comfort at nap times.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder promotes healthy lifestyles with the children and families. Children have daily access to fresh air, and they learn about how different foods are good for them during mealtimes. The childminder also communicates with parents about weaning and shares information regarding screen time with families to help them understand the risks.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has created a wonderful space for children to learn and grow. She has a consistent high-quality approach to her curriculum that is backed by her excellent knowledge of child development. She knows what children can do and sets appropriate challenges to take them to the next step. Opportunities for children to develop their communication and language skills are well embedded throughout the day. For example, the childminder sings actions songs to the children and encourages them to join in. She also reads stories to the children, developing an early love of reading. The childminder uses simple mathematical language to children while they play, such as counting out loud how many blocks are on the tower before the children excitedly knock it down. This promotes children's confidence and enjoyment of mathematics from an early age.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder uses tracking to regularly review what children know now. Therefore, she is able to tailor her teaching and activities to meet the needs of the children and help them continuously make excellent progress. For example, she plans mark-making activities to develop children's fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination to help them achieve their planned next steps.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has created a warm and inclusive setting, where all children feel like they belong. The childminder monitors children's progress so she is able to quickly identify any gaps and offer support to the child and families to close any gaps. She has excellent knowledge around the approach she would use to assess, plan and review children's development. When given different scenarios, she is confident with how she would adapt her provision and support children's different needs and knows which outside agencies she could refer to for further support. The childminder's teaching is very personalised, meaning that children are appropriately challenged for their own age and abilities. All children are included and make good progress in their learning and development.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder knows the children and families extremely well. Therefore, if children faced barriers to their learning or wellbeing, the childminder would be able to quickly identify this and put plans in place to minimise any potential barriers that would prevent the children from achieving their full potential.

p.3

Inclusion Strong standard

When children speak English as an additional language, the childminder works closely with parents and uses key words in their home language. The childminder using these and children hearing words in their home language as well as English helps to enhance children's communication and language development and supports them in developing a strong sense of self.

p.3

Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is passionate about all children getting the best start in life. She is an extremely reflective practitioner. She undertakes regular training to develop her practice and understands the importance of continuous professional development. She can identify her strengths as well as know what areas she is not as confident in. She then takes proactive steps to build on this, for example, she reaches out to the local authority to learn more and develop her confidence and knowledge. This demonstrates that she has a strong overview of the strengths and areas for improvement, and then effective steps are put in place to ensure an ongoing improvement of quality and provision.

p.4

Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has very effective systems in place to communicate effectively with parents. The childminder understands the importance of working in partnership with parents. She has consistent and positive engagement with parents and communicates in multiple ways to ensure that all parents have a way to reach her. Parents speak highly of the childminder; they praise her for hard work and the level of care the children receive. She has created a book that goes home that informs parents about what the children are enjoying at that time, such as books they are reading and songs they are learning. This helps parents feel involved in their children's learning, and these activities can be extended at home too. This demonstrates highly effective parent partnerships.

p.4

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

p.4

Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.4

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

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

Children thrive in the care of this childminder. The childminder carefully and respectfully supports children's wellbeing to a very high standard. Children benefit greatly from the warm and homely feel that the childminder has created. On arrival, they are greeted by low-level coat hooks with their own names on, which helps children feel included and welcomed. Children are happy and are kept safe and are well cared for. The childminder takes time to get to know the children's routines, likes and dislikes to ensure she can support them in building positive relationships with herself and the other children, as well as developing a strong sense of belonging while in the setting.

p.5

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

Children have lots of fun. They freely and confidently explore their environment. All resources are stored in low-level units, and children can independently choose what they want to play with. The childminder joins in and is skilful at extending children's learning and promoting shared thinking. For example, when children are completing puzzles, she uses phrases such as 'I wonder' to encourage children to retry different pieces. Children are highly praised when they have a go at something.

p.5

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

Children get to experience the world around them, and the childminder broadens children's experiences by taking them out in the community. For example, they attend playgroups and go on regular trips to parks and woodland areas. Children visit the local library where they explore books and join in with song time. This highly promotes an early love of reading and communication and language skills.

p.5

About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 06:00

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.6

Next steps

The childminder should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, 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.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder during the inspection.

p.6

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 10 February 2026

p.6

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.7

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.7

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.

p.7

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.7

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.

p.7

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

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 .

p.8

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8