Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 128611 Registered with Ofsted: 04/05/2000 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

All children consistently achieve well in all areas of the curriculum. This includes vulnerable children and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children gain very good language skills. Young babies engage in lots of pre-language babbling, often in conversational style, while older children are articulate communicators. Children are very kind and caring towards others; older children take care of younger ones by helping and supporting them. Children show high levels of concentration and perseverance with tasks, They are deeply curious and have a very positive attitude to learning.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children are praised consistently for their efforts and this supports their self-esteem and motivates them well to learn. They learn very effective skills to support them in their next stage of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children have excellent relationships with each other. Older children take great care of younger children and support them with their social skills. For example, they act as role models to show younger children how to share and to take turns. Babies enjoy snuggling up for stories read by the childminder. She consistently offers warm hugs to children and this supports their wellbeing very well.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has clear, embedded routines that promote children's wellbeing very effectively. She has high expectations of children and manages their behaviour in very successful developmentally appropriate ways. The childminder has clear, well-embedded boundaries for behaviour that she shares with children. Older children act as role models for behaviour to younger children. Children treat each other gently and with kindness. Parents comments state that 'children are taught to look out for each other'.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are excited about going to the childminder each day and attend regularly and punctually. This helps to support their progress and readiness for school very well.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder consistently promotes healthy lifestyles to children in very effective ways. For example, she plays board games with children, where they learn about different food groups and the benefits to the body. The childminder takes children to local fruit and vegetable markets to buy healthy food. Children enjoy a broad range of daily physical challenges at the local park. The childminder teaches children oral hygiene awareness very successfully. For instance, children enjoy brushing dolls' teeth while the childminder discusses the importance of regular tooth brushing. She reinforces their learning by reading stories about how to keep their teeth and gums healthy. All of these activities provide children with the knowledge to make their own healthy choices. Children are very well mannered and have established personal care routines. The childminder places high importance on keeping children safe at all times. She embeds

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

safety in all routines, including road safety. Parents comment on the strong road sense that their children have developed and this supports their welfare very effectively. The childminder teaches children about different feelings very successfully. She is acutely sensitive to how children are feeling and readily supports them.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is very responsive to families as their needs change and makes appropriate adaptations to routines to accommodate their needs. This approach supports vulnerable children exceptionally well.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder devises a thoughtful, comprehensive curriculum that is consistently effective for all children, including vulnerable children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder enriches children's learning through interesting outdoor trips. For example, she takes children on trips to visit airfields to observe historic aeroplanes and visits a local maritime museum to support children's understanding of the sea. This helps children to gain understanding of the world successfully. The childminder assesses each child thoroughly and has comprehensive knowledge of their developmental stages. She expertly uses this information to ensure that activities consistently and precisely meet the needs of each child.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder supports children's communication, language and literacy skills successfully. Language and a love of books is embedded in the curriculum. Even younger children have a love of books and sit down happily to listen to their favourite stories read in lively tones by the childminder. She responds to things that children notice in the moment and uses it as a teaching point. For instance, young children notice photographs on a shelf and the childminder shows and discusses the photographs with them.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder supports children's personal, social and physical development effectively. Children learn to do things for themselves, such as preparing their own fruit while younger ones learn to feed themselves. Children develop mathematical skills successfully through planned, explicit teaching. For example, the childminder sets challenging number tasks for older children, where they find different quantities in colour groups.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder makes a demonstrable difference to vulnerable children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). She robustly monitors children's progress and promptly identifies when they are in need of support. The childminder is very skilled at adapting her interactions and activities to meet the needs of vulnerable children and those with SEND. For example, the childminder makes skillful, meaningful adaptations to settling-in routines to meet the needs of vulnerable children. She uses a graduated approach, where activities are reviewed and amended to ensure they meet the precise needs of vulnerable children and those with SEND. The childminder shares information about any concerns she has about a child's development with parents. She has secure knowledge of relevant health professionals and local resources to share with parents that offer further support for children. The childminder has completed a course on autism

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Inclusion Strong standard

awareness and this has led to greater understanding in this area.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder leads with clear vision and a high-quality curriculum for all children, including vulnerable children and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She describes her care as being 'like a village', where children are nurtured and have warm, strong family-like ties with other children and the local community. This underlies the childminder's approach to teaching and learning. The childminder readily adapts her practice to meet the emerging needs of children.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has very strong partnerships with parents, who speak enthusiastically about the care and learning provided by the childminder. Some comments from parents state that the childminder is an excellent communicator, who provides an exceptionally warm, nurturing environment for all children in her care. The childminder prioritises regular and effective communication with parents. She has a flexible approach, for example she provides updates on children's care and learning through daily verbal feedback or secure electronic messaging. The childminder wholly supports parents to help their children's progress. For example, parents share books with their children, borrowed from the childminder, to support children's language and literacy skills.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder consistently evaluates her work and sets continual targets for improvement to help children to excel in their learning and development. She is committed to the consistent development of her skills and knowledge and has attended several courses. For instance, she attended an early years foundation stage refresher course and a course on child development that led to improved knowledge in these areas.

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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 confident curious, independent learners, who consistently achieve well whatever their starting points,. This includes vulnerable children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The childminder places great importance on ensuring that children settle well in her care and adapts her practice to meet their individual needs. For example, she carries out home visits to build trusting relationships with vulnerable children. Children flourish in a family-type setting, where they feel they belong and have close, positive relationships with each other.

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

The childminder offers a stimulating and full curriculum that consistently meets the needs of all, including vulnerable children and those with SEND. She supports children's creative development very effectively. Older children enjoy using a wide range of tools and materials, such as shiny paper, mesh and tissue to create colourful collage work. Younger children become immersed in a pretend sea scenario, where they explore different textures. They use very good hand–eye coordination skills and concentrate and persevere as they find and carefully remove different sea creatures. The childminder extends their learning expertly by gently creating a pretend waterfall with the mixture and children eagerly join in and become fascinated as they observe the colourful mixture slowly drip into a bowl.

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

The childminder provides daily physical challenges that support children's physical development well. Babies learn to balance as they pull themselves up and cruise along furniture. Older children practise climbing, balancing and ball skills when they visit the local park. These activities help children to gain very useful skills in preparation for their next stage of learning.

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

The childminder has safe embedded practices that protect children from harm. She promotes regular attendance and punctuality 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 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 to the childminder and children. She considered the written comments left by parents 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 13 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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