Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY268140 Registered with Ofsted: 30/09/2003 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 Strong standard

Children make consistently strong progress and achieve well across all areas of learning. They are confident, motivated learners who engage purposefully in activities and demonstrate high levels of concentration. Young children confidently count to 10 and recognise number symbols, showing secure early mathematical understanding. They enjoy exploring books independently and listening attentively to the childminder read, which develops their vocabulary and knowledge of the world beyond their own experiences.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop strong communication skills, speaking in increasingly complex sentences and expressing their ideas clearly. Children build balance and coordination through active play, while routines help them develop independence and positive relationships.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged achieve well due to targeted support, reasonable adjustments and inclusive practice. All children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning and development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has established a harmonious and respectful environment where children consistently demonstrate positive behaviour and strong social skills. Children increasingly manage their own feelings and behaviour, responding calmly to routines and transitions. They show kindness and consideration towards others and use good manners independently, such as saying 'please' and 'thank you'.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children form secure, positive relationships with their peers and the childminder. They learn to cooperate, share and take turns, fostering a sense of community and mutual respect. The childminder supports children to maintain positive attitudes towards learning and each other, encouraging curiosity, perseverance and engagement. Young children demonstrate high levels of concentration, often focusing on activities for sustained periods beyond what is typically expected for their age.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Attendance and punctuality are strongly promoted. The childminder recognises the importance of regular attendance for children's learning and social development, supporting families to maintain consistent routines. Barriers to learning are identified and addressed, ensuring that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from inclusive routines and targeted support. Consequently, children develop resilience, self- regulation and a positive approach to challenges, enabling them to thrive and achieve their full potential.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder consistently provides highly effective care that meets the individual needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She carefully observes and understands each child's preferences, routines and development, ensuring tailored support that enables all children to flourish. Any barriers to learning or wellbeing are quickly identified and addressed through targeted strategies and inclusive practices, ensuring equality of opportunity for every child.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Secure and responsive relationships are a key strength. Children form strong attachments with the childminder, feeling safe, valued and understood. These positive bonds underpin children's confidence to explore and engage fully in learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children are well supported to understand and develop their physical health, personal safety and emotional wellbeing. They learn to manage feelings, express themselves appropriately and develop resilience through supportive interactions and consistent guidance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Daily routines are highly effective in meeting individual needs. Sleeping and feeding routines are personalised, ensuring that children receive care at times and in ways that support their comfort, security and development. Established routines promote independence, healthy habits and a strong sense of emotional wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children thrive in a safe, nurturing environment, developing confidence, resilience and the foundations for lifelong learning and health.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has developed an inclusive, ambitious and consistently high-quality curriculum, with a clear priority given to children's physical development and personal, social and emotional development. She has high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and ensures that these are embedded securely across her practice. Well-established routines support children to understand expectations and feel emotionally secure. Daily care experiences, such as toilet training, mealtimes and tidying away, are used purposefully to promote independence, self-regulation and resilience.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is consistently responsive and purposeful. The childminder adapts learning in the moment to meet children's emerging needs and addresses misconceptions promptly. Children with SEND receive well-targeted support and reasonable adjustments, ensuring that they can access the full curriculum and make significant progress from their starting points.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The curriculum is sharply focused on age- and stage-appropriate development. The childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of how children learn and sequences experiences carefully to build on prior knowledge. Young children speak in increasingly complex sentences and confidently express their thinking. They develop strong early mathematical understanding, for example recognising how many eyes, hands and noses they have. Consequently, all children, including those with SEND, achieve well and are well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to inclusion and ensures that all children's individual needs are identified and assessed promptly and accurately. Through detailed observations and close partnerships with parents, she establishes clear starting points and swiftly identifies any emerging concerns. This enables early intervention and ensures that children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), consistently receive the support they need without delay.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder takes effective action to reduce barriers to children's learning and wellbeing. Through strategic support, reasonable adjustments and thoughtful adaptations to activities, routines and resources, all children are fully included. The childminder engages in relevant training to maintain a strong understanding of SEND and inclusive practice, ensuring that her knowledge remains up to date.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children's progress is carefully monitored. The childminder reviews support plans consistently, assessing the impact of strategies and making adjustments where necessary to sustain good progress. She works closely with families and liaises effectively with external professionals and agencies to ensure coordinated support that enhances children's opportunities and experiences.

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Inclusion Strong standard

She is confident in explaining how she would access, use and monitor the effective deployment of early years pupil premium funding. She identifies specific barriers to learning and directs funding towards targeted interventions, resources or experiences that enhance children's development and wellbeing. The impact of this spending is closely monitored to ensure that it is making a positive difference to children's outcomes.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to continuous improvement through detailed and perceptive self-evaluation. She identifies the setting's strengths and areas for development and actively seeks parents' views, incorporating their feedback into decisions about the provision. This ensures that improvements are responsive to the needs of both children and families, enhancing the overall quality of care and learning.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

A culture of high expectations and professionalism is embedded consistently across the setting. The childminder takes purposeful action to maintain and improve standards, reflecting thoughtfully on her practice and adapting routines, resources and teaching strategies to meet the needs of all children, including those who face barriers to learning.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder maintains strong professional links with the local authority early years team, drawing on advice, guidance and training to further strengthen practice. She also collaborates with other childminders to share ideas and reflect on good practice, ensuring that her knowledge and skills remain current.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Professional learning is of high quality and closely aligned to improvement priorities, enabling the childminder to continually enhance the provision. Through effective self- evaluation, collaboration with the local authority and families, and a commitment to high standards, the childminder ensures that children benefit from a safe, inclusive and stimulating environment that supports their learning, development and wellbeing.

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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

Children are happy, confident and motivated learners who thrive in this warm and inclusive environment. The childminder builds highly positive relationships with children and their families, ensuring that every child feels valued and respected as an individual. Children's uniqueness is celebrated, and they demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and security. The childminder takes time to understand their interests, backgrounds and starting points, using this knowledge to plan meaningful learning experiences. Attendance is promoted and monitored.

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Inspector:

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make exceptional progress from their starting points. The childminder works closely with parents and, where appropriate, other professionals to ensure early identification of additional needs. Targeted support and well-adapted activities help children with SEND to access all areas of learning alongside their peers. As a result, they develop increasing confidence, independence and resilience.

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Inspector:

Children feel safe and demonstrate a clear understanding of how to keep themselves safe, such as sitting down while drinking. Robust procedures and vigilant supervision ensure their ongoing safety and wellbeing. Children behave well. They form strong friendships, learn to share and take turns and show kindness and respect towards one another, saying 'thank you' without prompting.

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Inspector:

Children develop healthy lifestyles, enjoying a nutritious, balanced diet cooked by the childminder, and through regular outdoor experiences. They build core strength, balance and coordination at local parks and refine fine motor skills through activities such as rolling and cutting dough. Communication and language are promoted effectively. Young children confidently share their ideas, name animals such as gorillas and dolphins and enjoy listening to stories. They enthusiastically sing nursery rhymes and counting songs, confidently counting to 10 and recognising numerals.

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Inspector:

The childminder provides consistent encouragement and challenge, supporting children to build securely on what they know. Consequently, children are very well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain her work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. She 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.

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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. Victoria Jones

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About this setting

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