Stewart, Rachael Rose-Marie

03 Jun 2026)

Unique reference number (URN): 2834226 Address: Unit 12, Pipewell Road, Kettering, NN14 2SW Type: Childminder without domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 27/03/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Rachael Stewart

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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

Children typically progress well in their learning and development and are mostly supported to extend their knowledge and skills across all the curriculum areas. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who may face barriers to their learning, are making steady progress in readiness for their future transitions. For instance, children are learning self-care skills, such as toileting and dressing, to support their eventual move on to school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children show they are making progress through all areas of development particularly in communication and language where those who have previously struggled are now becoming confident communicators. Overall, they listen to stories and answer questions contributing their own ideas on what might happen next. Children learn to cooperate with each other as they play games that require waiting, turn-taking and sharing. Children generally develop social and emotional skills from an early age. They are beginning to learn how to manage their feelings and show kindness and empathy towards each other in an age-appropriate way.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder, and any assistants she works with, promotes positive behaviour effectively. They encourage a positive attitude to learning and create a friendly caring atmosphere where they offer lots of praise and encouragement. Children have strong attachments to the childminder and show trust and security. They generally get on well with each other, collaborating in their play, sharing and taking turns. The childminder supports children to develop social skills, encouraging them to work together. For example, when building structures from bricks. The childminder works closely with families to help them support behaviour at home ensuring a consistent approach is used. She highlights the value of children attending their planned sessions and follows up any absences in line with her policies and procedures.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder takes account of each child's age, stage of development, when supporting behaviour and routines. She implements daily routines that help children to learn how to keep themselves healthy and meet their own self-care needs. For example, washing hands before eating and after toileting. As a result, children build positive habits that promote their long-term health and independence. However, the childminder does not consistently ensure that children understand what will happen next during transitions. As a result, some children become distracted and are less able to listen or follow instructions effectively.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder and her assistants form warm and nurturing relationships with children. They gather detailed information from parents and offer well-planned settling-in sessions, enabling children to establish secure attachments and settle confidently. Additional information is gathered to ensure those with barriers to their learning are well supported and adjustments are in place to support their development and provide consistent care. The childminder skilfully uses resources to develop children's awareness and recognition of their feelings and emotions. In turn, this helps children to deal with emotional challenges. As a result, children feel safe, emotionally secure and ready to engage in their play and learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are supported to understanding and expressing their emotions. The childminder uses stories and general interactions to help them recognise their feelings and manage emotions. This contributes to children's emerging emotional resilience. Healthy lifestyles are promoted consistently. Children enjoy daily outdoor play and learn how to dress appropriately for different weather conditions. They develop an age-appropriate understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including learning about road safety. Transitions between activities are not always smooth. However, once children are settled, mealtimes are sociable and purposeful, enabling children to discuss healthy choices and practise their social skills. Care routines are tailored to children's needs, helping them feel secure, valued and well supported.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, the childminder delivers an engaging and varied curriculum that generally supports children's learning and development in all areas of learning. The childminder works with children's interests and sets up activities that they enjoy. For example, children's interest in dinosaurs is used to support small-muscle development, coordination and imagination as they carefully weave material to decorate the dinosaurs. Children demonstrate great pride in their finished creations. Mathematics is included into everyday play, with children counting, recognising numbers, comparing quantities and using mathematical language. The childminder actively promotes children's communication and language development through play. Children enjoy her interactions during role play. She asks open-ended questions, narrates children's play and engages them in lively conversations during story times.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is typically effective. The childminder has a general understanding of the quality of teaching that is delivered. She adapts interactions to support children's confidence altering activities to ensure all are included. However, the curriculum for younger children is not always as effective for older children. It is not always sequenced in a way that helps younger children to build on what they know and can do in an age appropriate way. For example, some activities are set at too high a level for younger children, which results in children quickly losing focus.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder and her assistants observe children's learning and use ongoing assessment to identify their next steps. They identify gaps in development, particularly for children who need support with speech and language. The childminder works in partnership with parents and other professionals to create and implement personalised plans that help children make progress. Most of the time, they use visual aids and targeted speech sound activities to support children with communication difficulties.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder maintains positive relationships with parents and ensures they are informed and involved in decision-making. She monitors children's progress through regular observations and discussions, and, when concerns arise, she seeks advice from other professionals. She collaborates with health visitors and relevant agencies when completing integrated reviews, helping to secure timely and appropriate support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands her responsibility to use additional funding effectively should any child become eligible. The childminder ensures that assistants working for her have appropriate training and experience in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Overall, they apply this knowledge to create an inclusive environment where all children are able to take part in activities and make steady progress in their learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder and any assistants work together effectively as a team to create an engaging and nurturing environment. Together, they consistently reflect on practice and use this ongoing evaluation to make adaptations and improvements to the provision. For example, they have all had input into the redesign of the outdoor area. The childminder offers regular supervision for assistants that work with her. This enables them to share any concerns, reflect on their practice and to identify professional development needs. However, monitoring needs to be more robust to identify and address some minor inconsistencies in staff's practice. For example, support for assistants to deliver consistent high-quality teaching that suits the individual age and stage of each child.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works with parents and other professionals to ensure that early intervention is detected and addressed swiftly. She ensures that parents are involved in their children's learning by sharing children's progress reports alongside ideas on how to extend children's learning at home.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has taken effective action to address previous steps for improvement. She has completed safer recruitment training and has implemented a robust recruitment procedure to ensure that anyone working with children is suitable. She has also met statutory requirements by notifying Ofsted of any assistants, enabling the necessary checks to be completed before they have any unsupervised contact with children. These actions strengthen safeguarding practice and help ensure that children are cared for by appropriately vetted and suitable adults.

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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 warmly welcomed by the childminder, her assistants and their friends. They show they feel emotionally secure, as they greet the childminder with a hug on arrival. They develop positive, trusting relationships, which helps them feel safe and secure. Children confidently explore, make choices in their play and show high levels of engagement in activities that reflect their interest. They enjoy their learning and take part in a wide range of activities that support their development. Children play comfortably alongside their peers and show growing confidence in social interactions. They share resources and pass toys to one another.

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

Children benefit from regular outdoor play and fresh air, both in the garden and through outings to local places, such as parks and nature reserves. These experiences support children's physical development, confidence and wellbeing. These opportunities help them develop large muscle strength, balance and coordination while exploring nature.

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

Children are developing independence through everyday routines. At mealtimes, younger children practise holding spoons and forks, while older children help prepare their own snacks, using a knife to butter the bread. These routines build children's confidence, coordination and sense of responsibility. Children are supported to persevere with tricky tasks such as fastening a zip on their coat. The childminder offers praise and support which helps children to develop resilience and confidence and prepares them well for the next stage of their education.

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

The childminder adapts routines, interactions and resources effectively so that all children can participate fully and develop a positive attitude to learning. The childminder's collaborative approach with assistants, parents and other professionals mean all children, including those with additional needs, make progress from their individual starting points.

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Next steps

The childminder should focus on the curriculum design to ensure children's learning is sequenced in a way that helps them to build on what they know and can do in an age- appropriate way. The childminder should ensure times of transition are clearly communicated so children know what is expected of them and can follow and understand the routine. The childminder should focus on supporting assistants to consistently implement highly effective teaching strategies.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and assistants 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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Address:

Unit 12 Pipewell Road Kettering NN14 2SW

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Address:

Type: Childminder without domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:00

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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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