Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2655755 Registered with Ofsted: 12/10/2021 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 progress in their learning and demonstrate age-appropriate knowledge and skills. For instance, children develop their confidence in spoken communication, including those who face additional challenges to learning, such as learning English as an additional language. Children are familiar with the daily routine and join in with this happily. Where children face barriers to their learning, they successfully make progress from their starting points. Adaptations in the environment mean they are able to communicate their interests and ideas. They self-select resources of their choice, showing independence and autonomy in their learning. Children develop confidence in carrying out self-care routines with independence, such as washing their hands before mealtimes. They demonstrate appropriate table manners and understand to stay sitting at the table until their meal is finished. Children also learn to establish and manage friendships with one another. They

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Achievement Expected standard

make eye contact and giggle as they interact, showing genuine happiness in each other's company. Children are prepared for the transition on to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates warm and nurturing relationships with all children. She promptly supports children with turn-taking and sharing when disagreements arise. She uses these occasions to sensitively promote social skills, using clear, age-appropriate language. The childminder supports children to develop positive relationships with each other, including developing their understanding of how children of different ages play in different ways. Familiar routines help children to feel settled and understand what happens next during the day. Children proudly point to where they hang their belongings, for instance. Hygiene routines are well embedded, such as handwashing before mealtimes. The childminder supports and encourages children's independence during these key times of the day. Children show high levels of interest and engagement when taking part in tasks. This supports their concentration and focus. Regular attendance is encouraged and well

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder reinforces behavioural expectations when children display high-energy behaviours, such as running up and down the play area. However, she does not consistently explain to children why these boundaries are in place. As a result, children do not always have a full understanding of what the consequences of their behaviour might be to support their understanding further.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Effective care practices typically meet children's individual needs well. For instance, when babies show signs of tiredness, the childminder responds quickly and helps to settle them to sleep. Children know to wash their hands before mealtimes and enjoy this routine. They use a child-height tap in their play kitchen to practise managing their own care needs. The food that the childminder provides is nutritious and varied. This supports children to develop healthy attitudes to eating, trying different textures and food groups. The childminder prepares food appropriately, ensures children remain seated while eating and closely monitors them while they eat. This ensures children's safety while eating.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder establishes warm, secure relationships with all children. Interactions are generally supportive, and she speaks to children kindly. The childminder typically responds to children's emotions appropriately and helps when they find it hard to share, for example with their peers. The childminder supports children to develop their physical health and to learn about managing risk. She creates an obstacle course for children to tackle in a safe and controlled manner, for instance. The embedded daily routine supports children to understand what to expect during the day and to participate in full. This is particularly beneficial for children who are learning English as an additional language.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has embedded a curriculum that covers all areas of learning, and she evaluates children's progress regularly to determine what to plan for next. Planned activities and the learning environment provide opportunities for children to develop their knowledge and skills in relation to their individual ages and stages of development. For instance, while older children concentrate on applying paint to egg cartons with tools, babies are provided with coloured yoghurt to explore and make marks on paper. This safe alternative also ensures an inclusive approach for all children to participate meaningfully.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder ensures children are well supported in key learning areas. For instance, she plans outings and activities such as obstacle courses to support physical development. Social and emotional development is supported well, for example through modelling respectful relationships with children. The childminder is mindful of children's understanding of mathematical concepts and reinforces this learning accordingly. She places particular emphasis on communication and language support. For instance, she teaches through regular stories and songs. To help reduce barriers to learning, she clearly models key language and makes use of signing. However, at times, the pace of speech is too rapid during these interactions and the childminder introduces too many new words and concepts at once. This reduces how well some children can process and consolidate new learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder assesses each child carefully to identify individual needs and uses this information to plan activities and experiences accordingly. This means that each child is supported to make progress with their knowledge and skills. The childminder has a clear focus on providing support for children who are learning English as an additional language (EAL) and has undertaken further professional development to improve her practice in this area.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder implements strategies to reduce barriers to learning, including child-friendly sign language alongside key books and rhymes. This successfully supports language acquisition for children who are learning EAL. The childminder evaluates her provision regularly and adapts the environment to better meet the needs of children who face barriers to learning. For instance, she has improved the layout and accessibility of resources to support all children to use language to request items as they play. These strategies are embedded and reviewed to ensure they continue to have a positive impact on all children. The childminder also works with parents, carers and other professionals, such as health visitors, to ensure that where gaps in children's learning are identified, they receive appropriate support. As a result, all children make progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has undertaken professional development to improve her practice and the quality of provision since her last inspection. This has been effective in raising the quality of the provision and ensuring compliance with the early years foundation stage statutory guidance. In particular, she has implemented learning taken from training in relation to supporting children who have barriers to learning, such as speaking English as an additional language. This has included re-evaluating and improving the learning environment to allow children to select resources with ease. Further consideration regarding the pace of interactions with children and further teaching in relation to positive behaviours will help to ensure even greater impact.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder ensures effective and ongoing communication with parents and carers and other professionals to ensure the best outcomes for children. Parents report that they are very happy with the progress their children are making, particularly in relation to language development and their social skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has evaluated her workload and wellbeing and made changes to promote better outcomes for children. The childminder is reflective and aspirational in her desire to ensure her provision is successful for children. She is focused on continually improving her practice and ensuring that all children make secure progress and are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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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

The childminder has undertaken additional training and professional development since the last inspection. This has supported her to develop a curriculum with a clear focus on ensuring children make progress in all areas of learning and enjoy their experiences. Children happily take part in exciting activities that are planned with purpose in order to support progress in their development. For instance, children concentrate using pegs and cotton-wool balls to carefully apply paint to egg cartons and are proud of their finished work.

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

The childminder knows the children and their families well. This helps her to understand children's different starting points, including whether there are any barriers to learning, and to plan for their individual needs. Regular assessments and reflective practice help ensure that planning is closely matched to children's identified next steps. The close focus on ensuring the curriculum is broad and balanced helps to prepare children for their move on to school when the time comes. Regular attendance is promoted successfully. Parents and carers are very complimentary of the childminder's regular communication and of the progress their children make.

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

Interactions are warm and supportive and children enjoy their time here. They are keen to chat to adults and are confident to take part in routines such as sociable mealtimes. The childminder acknowledges children's home languages and ensures that cultural celebrations are included in her curriculum to help all children feel that they belong. The childminder supports children to develop positive social skills, and as a result, children play together well and enjoy each other's company. Stories, songs and rhymes are used effectively to support the teaching of language and communication. Children particularly enjoy exploring books with the childminder. They stretch out on their tummies and focus intently on the words and pictures, participating with enthusiasm.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday,Saturday : 06:30 - 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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Next steps

The childminder should further improve the quality of teaching to ensure that all interactions are highly effective and consistently support children's best possible progress. The childminder should develop the teaching of behaviour and routines further to consistently enable children's best possible behaviour.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children and viewed written feedback from parents and carers 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 3 March 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

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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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