Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2740465 Registered with Ofsted: 12/09/2023 Registers: EYR

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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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has created a calm, positive environment where children understand what is expected of them and rise to these expectations with confidence. Her consistent routines help children feel secure, enabling them to approach new challenges with determination. For example, when learning how to peel a banana, children keep trying because the childminder models the skill clearly and encourages them to persevere. This deliberate approach nurtures children's independence and resilience.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder develops warm and respectful relationships with the children. They respond to this by showing care for one another, such as when they collect water bottles for each other. The childminder reinforces positive behaviour through regular praise and as a result, behaviour is consistently good. When children test boundaries, she explains her expectations calmly and clearly, helping them understand how to make better choices.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder considers each child's age and stage of development when supporting them to follow routines and manage their behaviour. She works closely with families to promote good attendance, adapting her hours where necessary to ensure children can attend regularly. This flexible, thoughtful approach helps children develop positive attitudes to learning and fully benefit from the experiences she provides.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are at the heart of the childminder's practice. Her warm, responsive interactions help children settle quickly and feel secure. She gathers detailed information from families before children start, enabling her to tailor routines, care practices and expectations to each child's individual needs. This consistency supports smooth transitions and helps children feel safe from the outset.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder builds strong, nurturing relationships with the children. They seek her out for comfort and reassurance and she responds sensitively to their cues, helping them express and manage their emotions. Young children confidently communicate their wishes, such as pointing to go outside and the childminder reacts promptly, reinforcing their sense of being understood and valued. The childminder manages sleep routines with great care. Children settle quickly because they feel calm, soothed and protected.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children are supported to develop a strong understanding of healthy lifestyles. The childminder introduces them to a varied and nutritious diet, adapting meals to reflect family preferences while encouraging children to try new flavours, such as Persian dishes. She teaches children how to care for their teeth through engaging activities, such as brushing mud from a giant model outdoors. The childminder's thoughtful, attentive approach creates a caring environment where children's emotional security, physical wellbeing and individual needs are consistently prioritised.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make secure progress from their starting points. They consistently develop their communication and language skills, joining in enthusiastically with action songs that strengthen their sense of rhythm and rhyme. They enjoy looking at books and listening to stories. Children grow in confidence as they interact with others at local church groups and on outings with other childminders.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children grow rapidly in independence. They learn to persevere when tasks are challenging and take increasing responsibility for managing their own bodies and actions. For example, young children help the childminder to do up their zips. Their physical skills develop as they balance and climb in the garden. Children are well prepared for their next stage of learning. They gain the foundational knowledge and attitudes they need to move on successfully. For example, they learn to wash their own hands and manage their basic care needs in an age- appropriate manner.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a curriculum that is broad, balanced and rooted in children's developmental needs. She plans experiences that cover all areas of learning and uses regular trips to libraries, museums and parks to enrich the curriculum. These purposeful outings help children build confidence, develop social skills and deepen their understanding of the world. The childminder places a clear emphasis on developing children's communication skills, carefully matching her language to each child's stage of development. This ensures that vocabulary and early speech are consistently supported. The childminder weaves mathematical learning through daily routines, such as counting objects when tidying away. This helps children build early number sense in meaningful contexts.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder prioritises children's physical, personal, social and emotional development. The childminder encourages independence at every opportunity. For example, she shows children how to manoeuvre themselves safely out of a bench seat. This approach helps children learn to persevere and manage their own bodies with increasing confidence. The childminder uses assessment effectively to understand what children know and can do, enabling her to typically tailor teaching to children's starting points. At times, the learning opportunities are not as well matched to children's age and stage which reduces the learning that takes place. The childminder should consistently ensure that activities remain suitably challenging and engaging for the children attending each day.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has created an environment where children's needs are understood and responded to with care. She collects lots of information about children before they start, which enables her to provide consistent, appropriate support for their development. The childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of how to identify emerging needs. She monitors children's learning closely and is alert to any gaps in their development, which would enable her to act swiftly if additional support was required. Her previous experience as an assistant shows that she works effectively with external professionals to reduce barriers to children's learning. For example, she has collaborated with speech and language specialists and introduced visual word boards to support children who are new to English. This reflects her commitment to adapting her practice so that all children can participate fully and make progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder routinely adjusts her interactions to match each child's stage of development, such as tailoring her speech to support early communication. She maintains positive relationships with families and uses their insights to shape children's experiences. As the childminder continues to develop her setting, she should ensure she is ready to put suitable support in place for more complex special educational needs and/or disabilities and adjusts her practice consistently to match need.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is highly committed to providing high-quality education and care and takes her professional responsibilities seriously. Her drive for continual improvement is evident in the way she seeks out training and professional development opportunities. Recent learning, such as training in healthy eating, is already shaping her practice and contributing to sustained improvements in children's experiences.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is reflective and she actively seeks opportunities to share ideas and learn from fellow childminders, using these professional networks to refine her curriculum and care practices. This approach ensures that she understands the strengths of her setting and takes appropriate action to address areas for development. For example, she has identified local training and support to develop her understanding of complex special educational needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder's decisions are consistently made in the best interests of children. She manages her workload effectively, ensuring that her focus remains on delivering a nurturing, well-organised environment. The childminder maintains positive relationships with families and uses their insights to shape her provision. Parents and carers speak highly of the childminder, noting her kindness and patience and the breadth of experiences that she provides for their children.

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

Children thrive in the childminder's warm, nurturing care. They form close, trusting relationships with her because she responds swiftly and sensitively to their needs. Children feel safe, valued and understood. The childminder's thoughtful interactions, particularly her purposeful use of language, means that children develop their communication skills with confidence. Children achieve well because the childminder knows them well and tailors experiences to their age and stage of development. They delight in learning and show pride in mastering new skills. From the youngest age, children learn to cut their own snacks, wash their hands and put on their outdoor clothes. This strong focus on independence means children are very well prepared for their next steps.

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

The environment is calm, secure and rich with opportunities for exploration. Indoors and outdoors, children engage in meaningful play that builds their physical confidence and social understanding. For example, they make pretend drinks in the play kitchen. They climb, slide and kick balls in the garden, developing balance and coordination. The childminder takes the children on regular trips to libraries, museums, gardens and parks. These visits broaden children's experiences and deepen their understanding of the world. These outings also strengthen their social skills as they learn to play alongside others and interact with the wider community.

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

Children learn how to keep themselves healthy. They enjoy tasting new fruits and take part enthusiastically in activities that teach them about oral hygiene. Brushing giant teeth in the garden before practising on smaller models indoors helps them understand how to care for their bodies in fun, memorable ways. Children's progress is celebrated. They are encouraged to be confident, capable and curious learners who feel they belong. As a result, children flourish in this caring, positive environment where their wellbeing and development are at the heart of everything the childminder does.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure that teaching is always closely matched to children's varied ages and stages of development. The childminder should continue to develop her knowledge and skills in supporting children with complex special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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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

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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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Our grades explained

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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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

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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