Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 109023 Registered with Ofsted: 15/11/1992 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

Young children make steady progress and achieve the expected standards for their age and stage. They are confident, curious and eager to learn, demonstrating high levels of concentration and engagement in a wide range of activities. Children develop independence through everyday tasks.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop their physical skills as they move confidently, running and exploring. They strengthen their fine motor skills and hand–eye coordination through dressing dolls, using toy kitchen equipment and sweeping with a dustpan and brush.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are socially confident and celebrate their uniqueness. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known (or previously known) to children's social care and those facing other barriers to learning make progress from their starting points. However, support for children with communication and language delays could be further enhanced to help them make more rapid progress in their development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has established a positive and welcoming environment where routines and expectations for behaviour are clear and commonly understood by all children. Positive relationships between the childminder and children support emotional wellbeing and confidence. Children are encouraged to collaborate, share resources and play cooperatively, developing social skills and understanding how their behaviour affects others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are curious, engaged and eager to learn, showing high levels of concentration and motivation in a range of purposeful activities. The childminder guides children to concentrate, focus on what matters and hold information in mind, supporting their learning and cognitive development. Positive behaviour and achievements are consistently reinforced through praise, helping children feel valued and confident.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children develop independence through everyday tasks, such as tidying toys and handling tools. The childminder considers children's age, stage of development, individual needs and circumstances when supporting them to maintain expectations, ensuring all children can participate and make progress. She guides children to share toys and play cooperatively. For example, children take it in turns to play with a toy farm. Attendance and punctuality are closely monitored, recognising their importance for learning. Children are socially confident, make steady progress and are well prepared for the next stage of learning, including school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides effective care practices that meet the individual needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who are known (or previously known) to children's social care. Adaptations and targeted support, such as visual cues, ensure every child can participate, access learning and make steady progress despite any barriers to learning or wellbeing. Secure and responsive relationships are established with children, providing emotional security and helping children develop trust, confidence and a sense of belonging. Children are supported to understand their physical development, personal safety, health and wellbeing. As children eat snacks, the childminder encourages them to think about healthy foods and the importance of eating while sitting safely. Daily outdoor activities, healthy routines and age-appropriate tasks, such as handwashing and tidying up, promote

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

independence and lifelong healthy habits.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are guided to recognise, express and manage their emotions, developing a secure sense of emotional wellbeing. Praise, reassurance and gentle guidance reinforce positive behaviour and achievements. Routines, including feeding and sleep, are tailored to children's individual needs, ensuring comfort and security while supporting development and engagement in learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment, where children feel valued, make steady progress, develop independence and are prepared for the next stage of learning, including school.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder delivers a curriculum that is ambitious, coherent and sequential, enabling children to learn more and develop new skills. Teaching is effective, with activities and progress carefully monitored to build on prior learning. The childminder has a secure knowledge of early education and child development, supporting children to be ready for the next stage of learning, including school. The childminder provides a nurturing, inclusive and well-structured environment where children make steady progress, develop independence and enjoy their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children are encouraged to develop independence and physical skills through everyday tasks, such as self-dressing, peeling fruit, pouring milk, tidying toys and disposing of rubbish. Literacy is embedded across activities, fostering a love of books, while mathematics is taught confidently and explicitly, ensuring all children access the full curriculum entitlement.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children are supported to understand and celebrate similarities and differences. They explore how children live in other countries and engage in cultural events, such as Chinese New Year celebrations. Play includes dolls with disabilities, helping children understand diversity and respect for others. Children are encouraged to recognise what makes them unique, building confidence and self-awareness.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder identifies when children need additional support and works with parents and professionals to meet individual needs. The childminder speaks in a clear voice and uses a wide vocabulary to support children's language skills. However, the childminder has not yet fully embedded targeted support for children with speech difficulties to enhance their communication skills.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder's practice effectively meets the needs of all children and helps to reduce barriers to learning. She promptly identifies when children have special educational needs and/or disabilities or require additional support and carries out early and accurate assessments of most children's needs. This ensures that any emerging concerns are addressed, allowing children to access appropriate interventions and resources.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children benefit from the childminder's close collaboration with parents and other professionals. This partnership ensures that support is consistent and tailored to each child, helping them to make steady progress and feel confident in their learning. Regular communication with families also promotes continuity between home and the setting, supporting children's overall development.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder recognises that some children, particularly those who need more support to develop their communication and language development, require additional strategies to fully develop their communication skills. She engages in some training to improve the overall support for children, but this is not yet targeted to children's individual needs to help them make even greater progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Overall, the childminder creates a safe, welcoming and nurturing environment where children are valued as individuals. By continuing to strengthen inclusion for children with additional needs and maintaining early identification and assessment, she ensures that all children can flourish, achieve their potential and enjoy their learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates some understanding of her setting, including its strengths. She provides consistent routines, clear expectations and a nurturing environment, creating a stable foundation for children's learning, wellbeing and development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder prioritises her own professional development and actively keeps up to date with early years guidance, ensuring that her practice reflects current standards. She maintains relationships with parents and other professionals, supporting continuity of care and learning. Attendance and routines are carefully monitored to ensure children benefit from consistent, high-quality provision.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder makes decisions in the best interests of all children, including those who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs and/or disabilities or face other barriers to learning. She considers her workload and wellbeing in her planning and ensures that any guidance or advice from external professionals is acted on.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has not yet developed a culture of reflection to create a more detailed and accurate evaluation of the setting's areas for development. This does not fully support her to identify priorities and ensure continuous improvements that benefit all children.

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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 in the childminder's care are curious, engaged and motivated learners. They explore activities for extended periods, demonstrating high levels of concentration and persistence. Young children sit and look through books independently and play with activities for lengthy periods. Each child is valued for their unique interests, abilities and learning styles, and the childminder supports them accordingly. Regular attendance helps children build confidence and resilience and establish routines, allowing them to make consistent progress. Through play and daily activities, children develop the knowledge, skills

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Inspector:

Victoria Jones and confidence needed to secure a positive start in life. They are socially confident, communicate their needs and form positive relationships with the childminder and their peers. The childminder also guides children in understanding how to keep themselves safe, for example by independently putting on non-slip socks when walking on tiled flooring.

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Inspector:

Children feel safe, happy and secure in the childminder's home. They smile, laugh and display a sense of belonging, feeling welcome and valued. Healthy attitudes to exercise are promoted through frequent trips to local parks, which support core strength, balance and coordination. Children smile and eagerly join in with music and movement activities, including dancing to nursery rhymes. They develop coordination and early musical understanding, while counting stairs supports early numeracy and communication skills. Young children play together well, taking turns to push a toy pram.

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Inspector:

The childminder provides children with time and support to consolidate their learning, underpinned by effective systems, processes and oversight to ensure their safety and wellbeing. Opportunities exist to further support children who are non-verbal, using additional strategies to extend their language and communication. By recognising each child's uniqueness and maintaining consistent attendance, the childminder enables all children to enjoy their learning, make steady progress and be well prepared for the next stages of development.

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Next steps

The childminder should enhance strategies to effectively support children with speech delays to further develop their language and communication skills. The childminder should strengthen her reflection and analysis of the provision to identify areas for improvement, ensuring a consistent focus on securing excellent progress for all children.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children and 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.

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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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