Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY284877 Registered with Ofsted: 10/05/2004 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children demonstrate consistently positive behaviour and develop secure attachments with the childminder, who knows them well and responds sensitively to their individual needs. They feel safe and emotionally secure, enabling them to confidently explore their environment and engage purposefully in their play. This positively contributes to the children's positive learning habits.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has high expectations for behaviour, which she communicates calmly and consistently. Children show respect for one another and are learning to share, take turns and play cooperatively. The childminder models respectful language and behaviour, helping children to understand how their actions affect others. When out and about, children have a clear understanding of expectations, holding onto the buggy safely and waving or greeting passers-by enthusiastically.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children's personal, social and emotional development are prioritised. The childminder supports children effectively to recognise and manage their feelings, using gentle guidance and simple strategies to help them regulate their emotions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are encouraged to be independent throughout daily routines, such as cutting up their healthy snacks, hanging up their coats upon arrival and tidying away resources. These experiences help them to develop confidence and pride in their achievements.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder fosters a calm, nurturing and respectful atmosphere where children develop positive attitudes to learning. They show curiosity, resilience and a willingness to try new experiences, preparing them well for the next stage of their education.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places children's welfare and wellbeing at the heart of her practice. She provides a nurturing and emotionally secure environment where children feel safe, valued and confident. Trusting relationships are formed, enabling children to settle quickly and develop a sense of belonging in the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's physical and emotional needs are met effectively. The childminder is highly attentive to young children, recognising and responding promptly when they need comfort, reassurance or rest. She promotes healthy routines that form the foundations of long-term wellbeing, including regular outdoor activity and nutritious, homemade snacks and meals.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Clear, predictable routines help children to feel secure and understand what happens next. This supports their developing self-regulation and contributes positively to their emotional security. The childminder encourages children to express their feelings and helps them to recognise and manage their emotions using calm, consistent guidance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder knows each child exceptionally well. She uses this knowledge to tailor care and support to their individual needs, ensuring that children feel understood and respected. Children show increasing confidence, independence and resilience as a result of the

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Expected standard

thoughtful care they receive. The childminder supports children and their families as they progress through the various stages of potty training. The childminder fosters a warm, stable and supportive atmosphere in which children develop both emotionally and physically.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children are ready for the next stage in their learning and are developing the appropriate knowledge and skills across all 7 areas of learning and development. Promoting children's independence underpins the curriculum, supporting them to make choices and manage simple tasks confidently. This helps to prepare them well for their eventual transition to school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically make good progress from their starting points. They show sustained interest in the activities provided and, with sensitive support from the childminder, demonstrate motivation, perseverance and developing resilience. Language and communication form a strong foundation of the curriculum, with the childminder using daily interactions to extend vocabulary and encourage children to express their thoughts. During the morning nature walk, children showed growing curiosity, identifying the purpose of farm machinery and recognising wildflowers, such as snowdrops.

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Achievement Expected standard

Providing greater opportunities for children to follow their own interests would further enhance the curriculum on offer.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans and designs a curriculum that supports children's learning, with a clear emphasis on developing early communication skills. She uses everyday interactions to model language, introduce new vocabulary, and encourage children to express their needs and ideas. Children are becoming confident communicators who engage positively with adults and their peers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children's physical development is prioritised from the earliest age. The childminder understands the developmental steps that children take. She provides opportunities that help children to strengthen their coordination, balance and gross motor skills. These opportunities are offered through both the indoor and outdoor curriculum, enabling children to practise and refine their movements in varied and purposeful ways. While in the garden, the children ride balance bikes, pretend to cut the grass and play in the playhouse. They share toys and take turns, enjoying the independence this brings. On some occasions, the indoor environment does not provide sufficient opportunities for children to follow their own interests and develop their problem-solving skills. This means that children do not always have the opportunity to fully extend their curiosity and independence during indoor play.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children are supported to develop their independence through routines and interactions that encourage them to have a go, make choices and manage simple tasks with growing confidence. The childminder seizes every opportunity for children to practise their counting, whether through counting animals in familiar stories or blocks when building towers. During story times, children recall events and predict what might happen next, which deepens their understanding and enjoyment. They also join in enthusiastically with songs and rhymes, copying the actions modelled by the childminder.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder provides a caring and welcoming environment where children feel settled and secure. She works effectively with parents, healthcare professionals and the local authority to understand each child's individual needs and routines, supporting them to transition smoothly into the setting. This ensures that the needs of disadvantaged children and any barriers to their learning are identified quickly and accurately. Through effective monitoring, they receive the appropriate level of support following a graduated approach. For example, the childminder has worked closely with parents and professionals to support the dietary needs of a child with complex allergies.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children form positive relationships with the childminder and show growing confidence in their independent play, especially outdoors. Parents describe the setting as a 'home from home' and value the shared ethos that the childminder promotes. The childminder meets statutory requirements and reflects on her practice to make ongoing improvements. She provides a safe and inclusive environment where children are supported in their early development and preparation for future learning. The childminder prides herself on ensuring children's secure transitions into the setting and a smooth handover when children move on to school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a secure understanding of her setting's context and areas for development, which has informed the focus of her professional development. She has prioritised training and qualifications that strengthen her safeguarding knowledge and broaden her wider professional expertise. This includes training in safer eating practices and creating a safe sleep environment.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Her ongoing commitment to professional development ensures that she remains up to date with statutory requirements and current guidance, enabling her to respond appropriately to any concerns about children's safety or wellbeing. The childminder consistently applies what she has learned through training to her daily practice. This supports her in providing a safe, nurturing environment where children's welfare is promoted at all times. Her enhanced knowledge also contributes to planning a curriculum that is thoughtful, purposeful and responsive to children's needs and interests.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Children engage well in their learning and make steady progress across the curriculum. Training related to child development, early communication and behaviour support has helped the childminder to reflect on her practice and make positive adjustments where needed. Her reflective approach strengthens her interactions with children and ensures that activities are purposeful and, in most cases, appropriately challenging.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Overall, the childminder's strong focus on professional development has a positive impact on the quality of care and education she provides, supporting children's wellbeing, progress and readiness for their next stage of learning.

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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

From the point of entry into this rural setting, the childminder works effectively with parents to gain a clear understanding of each child's individual needs. Children form warm and trusting attachments with the childminder, which support them to settle quickly and feel safe

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About this setting

and emotionally secure. Children develop a true sense of belonging and demonstrate increasing confidence and independence in their play.

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About this setting

Children's behaviour and attitudes are exemplary. They show high levels of respect and consideration for one another. The childminder skilfully supports children of all ages to recognise, understand and manage their feelings and behaviours. This enables children to develop the personal and social skills required to play cooperatively, build positive friendships and engage purposefully in their learning. The childminder maintains high expectations for children's manners and supports them consistently to interact positively with others.

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About this setting

Children are highly engaged in their play and learning. They make consistent progress across all areas of development. They demonstrate a particular enjoyment of stories and songs, joining in with familiar texts and recalling key events. This supports the development of their early literacy skills and fosters a genuine enjoyment of books.

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About this setting

The childminder prioritises developing children's communication and language skills. She models vocabulary effectively and provides regular opportunities for children to practise and extend their spoken language. This approach enables children to build confidence in using words and sentences to express themselves clearly.

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Next steps

The childminder should develop the indoor environment so that children have more opportunities to follow their own interests and play independently.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with children, parents and the childminder 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. Unique reference number (URN): EY284877

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday : 07:30 - 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

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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