Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 121228 Registered with Ofsted: 20/12/1993 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

Children make rapid and sustained progress in all areas of their learning. Communication and language skills are very well developed. Children are equipped with the language they need to express themselves, which is demonstrated as they confidently share emotions and ask for help when needed.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children have excellent listening, turn-taking and collaboration skills, for example, as they work together to solve challenging puzzles. They keep trying when tasks feel difficult and develop resilience and perseverance. They proudly celebrate their achievements, showing clear pride in their growing abilities. Children become confident at managing their own needs as they develop their independence skills. For example, they learn from an early age to recognise their name and play an active role at mealtimes. This gives them a sense of purpose and belonging and prepares them very well for life in the wider world.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder provides a highly respectful environment where everybody listens to each other and children's views are genuinely valued. The childminder actively seeks children's views and opinions, and together they plan for the activities. She consistently teaches children to work together to complete routine tasks, such as tidying up, and they share resources well during planned activities. This supports children to develop the excellent social skills needed for life in the wider world. Children know exactly what is expected of them. For example, they all use very polite manners. The childminder has age-appropriate expectations of children's behaviour. She acts as an excellent and consistent role model for them and gently supports them to remember the behaviour expectations. As a result, children learn to understand boundaries and social expectations.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder nurtures warm, trusting relationships with children, reflected in the shared laughter and easy, joyful interactions between them. Children openly express their thoughts because they feel safe, understood and valued. This high level of emotional security gives them a deep sense of belonging. The childminder has robust procedures in place to promote attendance and punctuality to support children and families to develop positive habits for their future education.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder has children's wellbeing and individual needs at the centre of her practice. She develops very close and responsive relationships with children who confidently turn to her for support when they need it.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children learn to recognise and express their emotions in age-appropriate ways. The childminder builds on the close bonds she has with children, teaching them the language to express how they are feeling. Through gentle support, she guides them to manage their responses, for example, when they feel overwhelmed. This provides children with high levels of emotional intelligence and helps them to regulate their feelings and behaviour in everyday situations. This prepares them very well for the next stage of their education and life in the wider world.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is highly skilled at allowing children to learn at their own pace, particularly children who have barriers to their learning. Children learn from the youngest age how to look after themselves and stay healthy. Routines are superbly well embedded, promoting children's confidence in their own abilities. Children demonstrate a mindful awareness of their physical development and personal safety. This supports children to begin to make healthy choices for themselves. Daily routines, such as rest times and mealtimes, are adapted to meet each child's individual needs and ensure that they feel secure and well cared for.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder provides all children with a well-sequenced curriculum that builds the skills they need to be very well prepared for the next stage of their education. This includes children who face barriers to their learning. They joyfully take part in highly engaging activities that make them giggle with delight. The childminder meticulously assesses each child's stage of development and offers rich, meaningful activities that deepen their thinking and move their learning and physical development forward. Her skilled use of humour captures children's attention, such as pretending to speak, so they must 'turn on their listening ears', keeping them engaged for impressive periods. The childminder recognises when children are ready to progress beyond typical expectations and carefully supports this. She regularly reviews her provision to ensure that it meets children's needs and explores new strategies and ideas tailored to their next steps.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder skilfully uses every opportunity to teach independence and social skills as she supports children to collaborate during play. She continually builds on what children know and can do and extends their understanding of the world. For example, she explains that plants use their roots to drink like straws as children water them and monitor their growth. She promotes language extremely well, directing very young children to look at her face and extending older children's vocabulary with words such as 'hibernation'. Mathematical language is naturally woven through activities, so even very young children make sounds and 'count' their fingers, showing early understanding.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder understands the unique circumstances of each child in her care. She meticulously and quickly identifies children's individual needs and adapts her teaching and environment to support these. This includes children who face barriers to their learning or those known to social care. All children feel included as they learn that they can successfully manage their own needs and access all resources and activities. The childminder has each child's needs and next steps in mind and proactively uses all opportunities to support their progress. For example, she highly skilfully supports children who need support with self- regulation during routine activities and transitions between activities. She continually assesses the progress children make and amends her provision as their needs change. She works very closely with parents and carers and includes advice from other professionals in her everyday practice. For example, she uses training on sign language to support

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Expected standard

communication for children who are not yet speaking. The highly collaborative and adaptable approach ensures that all children make excellent progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the quality of her provision. She engages in ongoing professional development to meet the needs of the children in her care. For example, she has recently completed training on understanding patterns in children's play. She routinely reviews what works well and makes thoughtful adjustments that enhance children's experiences.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works in close partnership with parents and carers and other professionals involved in children's care. She shares practical ideas to help parents extend children's learning at home. When she identifies emerging gaps in children's development or learning, she acts promptly, discussing these with parents in a sensitive and informed way and offering strategies that support children to make progress. Parents value her knowledge and feel well informed about their children's development, contributing to a collaborative approach to learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder prepares children for transitions to other settings, including the move to school, supporting confidence, independence and emotional readiness. The childminder's extensive experience and skill in her role means that children develop their skills and progress in their learning. However, she does not have well-developed partnerships with other settings that children attend to promote an even more consistently collaborative approach to children's learning.

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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 flourish in the deeply nurturing care of the highly experienced and competent childminder who actively listens to them and seeks their views. This gives children a very clear sense of belonging and confidence to express themselves as they trust that they will be listened to. Children learn to listen to each other in a highly respectful environment where they are expertly supported to work together to complete tasks. For example, children complete difficult puzzles together. They confidently turn to the childminder for support to resolve minor disagreements. She helps children with this in age-appropriate ways. This gives children the social skills they need and helps develop their problem-solving skills well.

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

Children's days here are full of laughter and giggles. They happily engage in a curriculum that is carefully designed and creatively delivered to suit their stages of development. For example, children are captivated by animated storytelling. This strengthens their shared attention and helps them develop the skills they will need for the next stage of their education. The childminder precisely adapts activities and her teaching methods to ensure that all children, including those who face barriers to their learning, are fully supported. All children make excellent progress from their starting points.

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

Children develop very close and trusting relationships with the childminder. They confidently share thoughts and ideas as she actively engages in their play and conversation. There is a clear sense of community among children. They play an active role in all routine activities, such as clearing up after meals. This supports children to feel that they belong and gives them the independence skills to look after their own needs. The childminder has a clear procedure for promoting attendance. She follows up when children do not attend and

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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 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. explains to parents the importance of regular attendance so that children do not miss out on valuable learning experiences.

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Next steps

The childminder should develop partnerships with other settings that children attend to promote a more consistent and collaborative approach to children's learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and the 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. This data is from 24 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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