Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY311572 Registered with Ofsted: 25/08/2005 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 Expected standard

Children make steady progress in all areas of learning, steadily developing language, thinking and social skills as they explore, play and interact with others. They move from early babbling to confidently using new words. They draw and engage in purposeful play. Through activities like matching, counting, recognising colours and listening to stories, children expand their vocabulary, improve communication and deepen understanding. By looking through their 'All About Me' book, children can see how far they have come, which encourages a sense of achievement. Each child progresses from their own starting point, building confidence and resilience. As they reach new milestones, children become more independent, eager to try new challenges and well prepared for the next stage in their learning journey. Progress is visible in their growing ability to express ideas, solve problems and enjoy learning with others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning because the childminder provides calm, consistent guidance and fosters a sense of security. She helps children understand expectations through warm encouragement and predictable routines, for example gently guiding them to tidy up by turning the task into a playful game, making cooperation achievable and enjoyable. She is highly sensitive to children's cues. When children express frustration or refuse an activity, such as saying 'no' to singing, she responds respectfully, offering comfort or an alternative, such as a cuddle, helping children regulate feelings without conflict. This approach models emotional awareness and teaches children that their voices matter, thereby strengthening their self-confidence. The childminder promotes good attendance and punctuality by welcoming children warmly at the door each morning and celebrating regular attendance with positive reinforcement.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Routine building is embedded in daily practice. Through consistent transitions, tidy-up, snack and reading times, children learn what happens next and feel safe in the structure of the day. When children become upset during transitions, the childminder skilfully redirects or stages change gradually, helping maintain engagement and trust. Her strategies, such as using favourite books, matching toys or offering choices, support children to sustain focus and develop resilience. Children behave well because they feel emotionally held, understood and respected. The childminder's warm tone and frequent praise build strong attitudes to learning and positive engagement across all activities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are nurtured through attentive care, strong emotional relationships and consistent routines. The childminder prioritises children feeling safe, secure and comfortable, ensuring they can explore freely while knowing support is immediately available. She creates a warm, home-like atmosphere where children feel confident enough to seek comfort, communicate needs and move between activities at their own pace. Children learn about staying safe through daily reminders, practising road safety on outings, and understanding boundaries within the setting. Health and hygiene routines are robust and well embedded. During nappy changes, the childminder sanitises equipment and wears gloves to maintain high standards of cleanliness, reinforcing safe care practices. She also promotes healthy habits, including toothbrushing. Emotional wellbeing is supported through secure attachments. The

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

childminder responds calmly during moments of upset or frustration, helping children understand emotions and settle quickly. She reassures children during transitions, such as reminding them that parents will return and explaining what will happen next, which builds trust and reduces anxiety. Outings are managed safely and thoughtfully, sometimes with another childminder for additional supervision, ensuring outdoor play supports both physical and emotional development. The childminder's attentive care, strong understanding of children's needs and commitment to wellbeing ensure children flourish in a nurturing and protective environment.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder's curriculum centres on communication, relationships and learning through play, encouraging gradual, individual progress. Teaching is woven into daily routines and experiences such as storytelling, singing, counting, environmental walks and responding to children's interests. Everyday situations, like spotting cars, climbing steps, park visits and library visits, become opportunities to introduce mathematical concepts and ideas, new vocabulary and a wider understanding of the world. Children's thinking and curiosity could be further extended by more frequent use of targeted questioning and modelling, for example by asking open-ended questions during walks or stories to deepen understanding.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is responsive and intentional. The childminder quickly adapts resources and activities to meet children's needs, such as switching to felt-tips when crayons do not show on pink paper, ensuring success and engagement. Clear language is modelled, key words repeated and activities linked to children's interests, such as matching toy animals to the 'Dear Zoo' storybook, supporting comprehension and vocabulary development, especially for multilingual learners. The curriculum is planned so all areas of learning are naturally integrated into everyday life. Children develop personal, social and emotional skills, confidence and emotional safety through active play, while outdoor activities support physical development. Mathematics, expressive arts, literacy and knowledge of the world are woven into routines, music, imaginative play and shared reading. The childminder uses a responsive assess, plan, do, review cycle with parents to track progress and identify each

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Inclusion Expected standard

Inclusion is established in the childminder's values and daily practice. She describes inclusion as bringing children into her world while also embracing their cultures, identities and family backgrounds. Her practice informs her strong commitment to ensuring children feel understood, welcomed and valued from the outset. She intentionally exposes children to a wide range of experiences, foods and celebrations, including Eid and Christmas, and cultural traditions from different communities, helping them develop open-mindedness and social confidence. The childminder's inclusive practice begins before children start. She uses a graduated approach, carrying out home visits, meeting with parents and introducing routines slowly so that children settle securely at their own pace. She adapts communication methods to suit different families, including parents who speak limited English, ensuring everyone can

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Inclusion Expected standard

contribute meaningfully to their child's learning. The childminder works collaboratively with parents. For example, when supporting language development, she asked a parent to record words spoken at home while she logged progress in the setting, enabling joined-up planning shaped by the child's cultural and linguistic identity.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder continuously seeks advice, discusses strategies with other practitioners and reflects on her work to strengthen inclusion for all children. Her vigilance in removing barriers, respect for diversity and commitment to equity ensure every child feels a strong sense of belonging and has the opportunity to thrive.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leadership is reflective, proactive and strives for continuous improvement. The childminder demonstrates strong professional responsibility by actively seeking training through online platforms, borough updates and professional forums. She revisits courses multiple times to embed learning and ensure new knowledge translates into practice, demonstrating a commitment to her ongoing development. Governance is strengthened through collaboration. The childminder communicates with a group of local childminders, where ideas, updates, safeguarding information and new resources are shared. This network provides peer support, alternative perspectives and opportunities to refine practice, contributing to a culture of shared improvement. The childminder's leadership extends to clear communication with parents. She has improved transparency by sharing full policies in advance and labelling resources to help parents understand routines and provision. This

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

strengthens trust and helps parents engage more confidently in their child's learning journey. The childminder reflects critically on her own practice and welcomes constructive feedback. She recognises that working alone can limit perspectives, and therefore plans to seek opportunities for peer observation to strengthen highly effective teaching, particularly when managing multiple children, an area she is keen to develop further. Her governance is characterised by strong safeguarding oversight, clear record-keeping and a commitment to inclusion and children's wellbeing. Overall, her leadership ensures a stable, well-organised and continuously improving environment for children and families.

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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

Being a child in this setting means being welcomed into a calm, loving and nurturing home- from-home environment, where emotional security is prioritised and the joy of learning is actively encouraged. Children feel at ease, free to explore, make choices and express themselves confidently. The childminder strives to help children experience the space as their second home, free from worry and able to behave naturally, just as they would with their family. Warm, responsive relationships are at the core of practice, with the childminder highly attuned to children's cues, whether choosing colours or needing reassurance, and

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Inspector:

Shahin Khan responding with sensitivity, patience and flexibility. For example, when children selected pink paper and crayons did not show up on it, she provided felt-tips straightaway, sparking a joyful response and sustaining motivation for mark making.

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Inspector:

Children achieve well, with their individual starting points, experiences and progress carefully considered. The curriculum and teaching are tailored so children are well prepared for their next steps, and any barriers to learning or wellbeing are actively reduced. Children develop independence, confidence and age-appropriate skills, as seen when they match toy animals to storybook characters during story sessions, supporting attention, understanding and vocabulary, especially valuable for multilingual learners.

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Inspector:

Children learn together. They are included in all aspects, feel supported and build positive relationships with peers and staff. Families are warmly welcomed, and their contributions are valued, ensuring everyone feels part of the community. Children thrive in this safe environment, developing positive relationships and benefiting from the promotion of good attendance. Their uniqueness is recognised and supported, enabling them to flourish. For example, if children decline to sing, the childminder offers comfort through a cuddle, respecting individual preferences. Behaviour is supported with nurturing strategies, such as turning tidying up into a playful game, and efforts and independence are consistently praised. Children's individuality is celebrated. Each child experiences genuine belonging, emotional security and joyful, meaningful play in a setting that prioritises wellbeing and development.

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Next steps

The childminder should consider enhancing teaching by using targeted questioning and modelling to extend children's emerging thinking and curiosity during play and routines. The childminder should consider engaging in regular peer observation and feedback to refine practice and ensure continuous professional development for consistently high- quality delivery.

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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 setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 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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