Butterworth, Joanne

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY400307 Registered with Ofsted: 19/10/2009 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

Overall, the planned curriculum helps all children make progress in their development and their individual learning from their starting points. Children develop confidence and independence and become deeply engaged in their play. They gain skills that prepare them for future learning, including fine motor control for early mark-making and a love of books. In addition, physical skills are developed through nature walks and trips to local parks, where they learn to climb, jump and balance on rope bridges.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children's listening, attention and vocabulary continue to develop through frequent story times and conversations, where the childminder typically introduces new vocabulary and supports imaginative play. For example, children create birds from collage materials and beam with pride at their finished models.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children form warm, secure and trusting relationships with this kind and caring childminder. They are happy and confident and thoroughly enjoy their time together as she role-models how to treat each other with consideration. The childminder helps all children learn to play cooperatively. She helps them name and understand their emotions as they learn to share and take turns.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children form positive relationships and enjoy playing alongside others of different ages and abilities. They behave well, supported by clear expectations and consistent boundaries. The childminder ensures the routines help children feel secure, and they understand what will happen next, for example, returning from the park and having a snack and drink.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder promotes regular and punctual attendance so children can benefit fully from learning opportunities. Families receive a warm welcome, and the childminder supports each child to settle quickly, helping to build their confidence and self-esteem. The childminder creates a calm and fun environment that encourages children to move around freely and choose their play.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The kind and respectful childminder typically supports all children's emotional wellbeing. She provides activities, books and role play that focus on helping children to recognise, understand and manage their different emotions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has good measures in place to keep children safe and secure. For example, she and the children conduct daily checks before the children start their walk to the park. Children are learning how to respect other people, birds, plants and animals. For example, they know to listen and follow simple instructions such as not to stand on the crocus bulbs they find. They understand they must wash their hands thoroughly after their walk. The childminder teaches children about keeping safe during their play and when handling equipment, such as scissors. Consequently, children are learning how to keep themselves safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are provided with good opportunities to learn about other people, cultures and traditions that are different to their own. This helps children develop an understanding of the world, including how to be safe online.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder uses a good standard of hygiene and care practices so children are clean and comfortable. Children demonstrate that they feel happy and safe. Children have a secure understanding of the reasons for good hygiene practices because the childminder helps them to learn about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle continuously.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder welcomes all children. She works closely with parents to understand what their children can do, what they are interested in and how she can develop this further. This helps her adapt her curriculum and plan for individual activities and experiences she knows will support their learning. The childminder regularly shares her assessments of children's learning with each child's family so everyone can support their future learning, for example, to help support children to recognise their emotions and physical development.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children benefit from learning about the world around them. The local village and surrounding countryside offer rich learning experiences, including walks to parks and community groups. Older children support younger ones during outings, and all enjoy learning about nature and caring for living things, such as the local wildlife and birds.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder uses daily routines to teach children about safety and self-care, such as washing hands after outings. Children confidently talk about the wildlife they encounter and enjoy singing animal songs together, which further supports their language development. Generally, children make good progress in their communication and language skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder offers a broad range of activities that support children's development, ensuring early mathematical development and concepts are developed in everyday activities and routines. However, she sometimes forgets to give children time to answer her questions, limiting their thinking skills. Additionally, she occasionally talks over the children before they can comment or express their ideas.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has a secure knowledge of child development and knows how to seek advice if concerns arise. She considers children's differing ages and stages, reflecting on her curriculum and adapting activities and outings to ensure all children can participate. This helps her plan effectively for each child's progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents to understand children's individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning. Her curriculum builds on what children know and can do, and she adapts her provision to reflect their interests. Children's progress is assessed through ongoing observations, which she shares with parents and any professionals if needed. The childminder understands how to apply for additional funding to support children's individual outcomes.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Overall, the childminder manages the setting effectively. She provides an organised curriculum in a stimulating environment where children feel secure. Activities, routines and planning generally engage children well and support all children's steady progress, including those with any barriers to learning. Strong partnerships with parents, accurate records and informed next steps help children develop confidence, perseverance and pride in their achievements. Children learn the skills they need to move on to school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder completes all mandatory training. However, she admits she has not fully considered her own professional development recently. This does not help her enhance her teaching practice even further to benefit children's learning. She is considering plans to find further training to strengthen her knowledge, particularly in supporting children who may experience disadvantage. The childminder typically does not make the most effective use of self-evaluation to help her identify ongoing priorities and plans to help raise the quality of her teaching and interactions to further raise children's outcomes.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has detailed conversations with new parents, who have as many visits to the provision as their child needs to discuss or identify children's needs quickly and accurately. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those with other barriers, such as wellbeing needs.

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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 provides a nurturing, home-from-home environment where children feel safe, happy and confident. She is a positive role model who remains calm, engaging and reassuring. The childminder supports children to manage their emotions and develop resilience and social skills. Children are very happy. Daily routines, such as handwashing, healthy snacks and outdoor play, generally promote children's health and wellbeing effectively.

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

Overall, children respond well as the childminder plays alongside them, typically using suitable questioning to extend their learning. They enjoy joining in with favourite stories, copying actions and repeating familiar words, which helps develop listening, attention and early communication skills. However, occasionally, there are times when the childminder uses baby words such as 'nana' and 'birdie' without using the correct word alongside. Likewise, she sometimes fails to give children time to comment and answer her questions. This does not fully support children's language development and critical thinking skills.

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

Children are motivated to explore the wide range of toys and resources. Younger children show curiosity as they engage in imaginative play with dolls, while older children enjoy role- play activities running a pretend supermarket where they take turns to be the shopkeeper. The curriculum supports children well for their next stage of learning, helping them develop early counting, colour and shape recognition, alongside a love of books. The childminder understands child development and how she would support each child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who face other barriers to learning. Her regular observations keep track of children's development. When gaps in learning are identified, the childminder works with parents to support children's progress.

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About this setting

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

The childminder should consistently support discussions with children, giving them time to process and respond with their own thinking and ideas. The childminder should ensure she consistently uses and models correct words when supporting children to develop their language skills further. The childminder should create a clear action plan and continue to develop her positive practice to further improve outcomes for children.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children and parents during this 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 19 February 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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