McCormick, Catherine

McCormick, Catherine

Unique reference number (URN): EY287440 Address: 35 Cottimore Lane, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, KT12 2BS Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 14/06/2004 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: McCormick, Catherine Ann

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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 make excellent progress from their individual starting points. They regulate their emotions extremely well for their age, demonstrate high levels of perseverance and take pride in their achievements. Children's speech and language development is very well developed. They communicate and cooperate confidently with their friends and use an increasingly wide range of vocabulary in their play. They listen attentively and are learning to take turns during conversations. Children are independent in their personal care and manage daily routines with confidence. They are beginning to understand how to keep themselves safe and make sensible choices. Children also show a sound understanding of healthy lifestyles and can explain how exercise and nutritious food support their bodies. They form secure relationships and display high levels of confidence and independence. All children, including those who may face barriers to learning, are very well prepared for the

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Achievement Strong standard

next stage of their learning, including their transition to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder is extremely calm, nurturing and responsive. She forms secure, trusting relationships with all children. This has a highly positive impact on their emotional wellbeing and sense of security. For example, children greet their younger friends warmly after rest times and offer affectionate cuddles. They demonstrate high levels of empathy and kindness and invite them to join their play.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder is highly animated in her approach and uses a wide range of creative strategies to capture children's interest. She encourages children to take turns as they select objects from a bag and supports their curiosity, prompting them to think of related songs, for example. The childminder skilfully adapts activities for babies, and they express delight when it is their turn, eagerly exploring resources through touch, sight and sound.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Behaviour expectations are clear and consistent. The childminder embeds routines into children's day and assigns them small tasks to help develop responsibility and independence. She promotes healthy habits with encouragement. Helping wipe down the table before snack time supports children to understand the link between cleanliness and good health, for instance.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder shares her procedures with parents and carers so they understand expectations about children's attendance and punctuality. This positive partnership helps support children's wellbeing and ensures that they gain the most from their time in her care.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder maintains a secure environment and is vigilant when children play, sleep and eat. She actively teaches children the knowledge and skills they need to understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, as children wash their hands, she talks to them about removing germs, which supports their awareness of personal hygiene and safety. Children develop important habits for a healthy lifestyle. The childminder talks to children about the importance of cleaning their teeth, such as through role play. Older children actively discuss how the fruit they are eating will give them energy to play. The childminder establishes highly secure relationships with all children, which has a significant positive impact on their emotional wellbeing. She plans and delivers activities that consistently support children to express their feelings appropriately.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder knows each child remarkably well and plans a wide range of engaging activities that promote their physical wellbeing. She carefully adapts activities or provides alternative ways for children to take part, ensuring that all children can participate and succeed. Babies show high levels of determination as they practise throwing beanbags into buckets, with encouragement matched to their abilities. Children take pride in their achievements and demonstrate kindness towards others, often helping their friends so that everyone has a turn.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder delivers a highly effective and well-balanced curriculum that covers all areas of learning. She assesses children's learning meticulously and carefully plans activities that consistently build on children's skills and next steps in development. For example, the childminder encourages older children to persevere and keep trying as they practise using spray bottles to water plants. Babies show high levels of curiosity and confidently explore the diverse textures of soil and sand. These experiences strengthen and build control in children's hands and fingers.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Mathematical learning is embedded naturally throughout children's day. The childminder counts, as babies delight in rolling balls to their peers, which also supports developing relationships with others. When older children create a flower garden, the childminder follows their interests and encourages them to discuss colour, size and shape with their friends. She introduces new vocabulary, such as 'leaf', 'stem' and 'root', which strengthens children's understanding of the natural world. Learning is further reinforced through carefully chosen books and stories related to planting and growth.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder builds on children's language and physical development extremely well. During singing activities, she provides simple, clear instructions for babies. She introduces descriptive words, such as 'soft' and 'loud', to support older children's growing vocabulary. The childminder further develops children's understanding through movement. For instance, when children stretch and bend, she uses terms such as 'higher' and 'lower'. All children, including those who may face barriers to learning, receive the individualised support they need to reach their full potential.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates an excellent understanding of each child's individual needs. She achieves this through highly effective partnerships with parents and carers and thorough, meticulous assessment. This enables her to track children's progress accurately and identify any gaps in development at the earliest stage. The childminder continues to work closely with parents and swiftly forms links with other professionals to ensure that children receive timely, targeted support whenever needed. She seeks additional training to support and assess the individual needs of children, and she consistently adapts activities, resources and the environment to reflect their care and learning requirements.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder provides highly effective support for children who speak English as an additional language. She carefully selects resources and meaningful opportunities for them to hear and use their home languages. This promotes children's sense of identity and confidence, while strengthening their communication skills.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder encourages children to learn about each other in a very inclusive way. For example, parents are encouraged to share photos of their children at different stages and ages, which the childminder uses to engage children in conversations about their lives and experiences. This helps children feel valued and strengthens their sense of belonging in the setting. The childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of how to use additional funding purposefully to enhance children's care, learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is highly reflective in her practice. She regularly evaluates her provision and prioritises further training to build on her professional expertise. Recent training in speech and language development has strengthened her skills in using targeted strategies to support each child's individual learning needs. This ensures that all children, including those who speak English as an additional language and those who may face other barriers to their learning, consistently make excellent progress.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder strives to stay up to date with sector changes. She is an active member of the local authority childminding network and regularly receives updates and bulletins. She remains fully informed about the latest legislation and best practices, as well as local events. The childminder is also an active part of a supportive local group of childminders, which enables the sharing of ideas, experiences and high-quality practices. This benefits children and promotes positive relationships with others in the wider community.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has established excellent working relationships with other professionals, including staff at nurseries, to ensure continuity in children's care and learning. She regularly shares information about children's progress and achievements, which enables consistent support across all settings.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder works closely with parents and carers, and she maintains open, consistent and highly effective communication. Parents say the childminder goes above and beyond in the care she provides for their 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 thoroughly enjoy their time at the childminder's home-from-home setting, where they are cherished and nurtured. They benefit from a wide range of rich experiences that help them explore and engage with the wider community. The childminder regularly takes children to pet shops, where they delight in learning about different animals and how to care for them. They enjoy scenic river walks and attend rhyme-time sessions at a local library. This further supports their early communication and language development. While at parks,

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Inspector:

Jane Franks children develop new physical skills and learn how to take appropriate and manageable risks while using a wide range of equipment.

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Inspector:

Children take pleasure in visits to a local allotment, alongside other childminders and their children. These shared experiences help strengthen their social skills. Regular visits to nearby woodlands provide valuable opportunities for children to explore nature, investigate their surroundings and develop curiosity about the world. The childminder places a keen emphasis on teaching children about risk and personal safety, such as understanding why berries should not be picked. She adapts explanations to ensure that they are clear and help all children understand and make safe choices.

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Inspector:

The childminder promotes children's relationships extremely well. She encourages them to work together during shared activities, such as when threading objects. Activities are carefully adapted for younger children using age-appropriate resources, ensuring that all children are fully included. Meaningful discussions about shape and size also support early mathematical understanding.

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Inspector:

The childminder works closely with parents and carers to promote regular attendance, which supports children's emotional wellbeing, consistent routines and ongoing developmental progress. Children delight in outdoor play in the garden. They enjoy balancing on stepping stones, which helps develop their balance and coordination. The childminder adapts the activity for children of different ages, such as widening the gaps for older children. They show pride in their successes, and all children, including those who may face barriers to their learning, flourish in the childminder's care.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of children.

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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.

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Address:

35 Cottimore Lane Walton-on-Thames Surrey KT12 2BS

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Address:

Registered person: McCormick, Catherine Ann

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Address:

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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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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