Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY309977 Registered with Ofsted: 16/06/2005 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder creates a warm, positive environment where expectations for behaviour are clear and consistently applied. As a result, children feel safe, secure and confident, responding well to familiar routines.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Relationships are strong, nurturing and respectful. The childminder engages children calmly, offering praise and encouragement that support their emotional wellbeing and help them feel valued. Children are supported effectively to collaborate and get along with others. They enjoy working together on shared tasks, such as setting the table, where younger children eagerly join in. The childminder sensitively guides these interactions, promoting taking turns, sharing and cooperation.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

She places a strong emphasis on independence, carefully considering each child's age, stage of development and individual needs. This ensures that all children can meet expectations and experience success.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Mealtimes are used well to promote social interaction. The childminder sits with children, encouraging conversation and discussion about healthy choices. Children show positive attitudes, good manners and a willingness to try new foods.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder also promotes the importance of regular attendance, monitoring patterns closely and addressing any concerns promptly to support children's consistency and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates consistently warm, nurturing and attentive care that promotes children's welfare and emotional wellbeing to a high standard. When children need it, the childminder immediately responds by offering calm verbal reassurance and physical comfort. She talks to them about how they may be feeling and how she can help. This supports children to recognise, express and manage their emotions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder promotes children's health effectively, including oral health. She engages children in meaningful conversations about looking after their teeth and shares information with parents to ensure that children receive consistent support. Children have meaningful opportunities to explore oral hygiene through role play, such as pretending to be a dentist and modelling toothbrushing within play activities. The childminder supports children to know the names for parts of the body, which helps them communicate their specific needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder's established personal hygiene routines form part of children's day-to-day experiences. Children know they must wash their hands after messy play and before eating. The childminder helps them learn the importance of keeping themselves healthy. Children know good hand sanitation helps prevent germs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder's routines successfully support children's understanding of the importance of rest, healthy diets and physical exercise. Together, these contribute to a safe, supportive

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Expected standard

environment where children thrive and flourish.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make good progress from their individual starting points. The childminder interacts in age-appropriate ways with children. This helps them to communicate their needs well. Children demonstrate growing independence as they select their own activities and show perseverance when faced with challenges, such as, understanding the correct order to wear their shoes. They take pride in their achievements and respond positively to praise.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children of all ages remain motivated and engaged wherever they play. Children play cooperatively, sharing and taking turns with little need for adult intervention. Younger children develop good small-muscle control and competently handle small utensils. Older children demonstrate strong early mathematical understanding as they recognise colours and numbers, count confidently and estimate simple quantities. The childminder forges links with schools to support children's smooth transition. Children are prepared well for their move on to nursery and school.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a broad curriculum that promotes children's independence, concentration and emotional understanding. She uses observations and children's starting points to assess what they know and can do, identifying clear next steps that support their overall progress effectively.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder makes thoughtful use of opportunities to develop children's early mathematical skills. Children learn to count objects, recognise numbers and estimate quantities. Overall, the childminder supports children's early communication skills well by modelling language and narrating and describing their play. Older children respond confidently to her questions, which promotes their communication and thinking effectively. However, for younger or less confident children, some questions are pitched above their stage of development. As a result, these children do not always engage fully or gain as much as they could from the interactions and opportunities provided.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder develops children's understanding of nature and the community by taking them to local parks and woods. She strengthens their social skills through visits to playgroups and rhyme time sessions. Children enjoy exercise in the fresh air, which supports their physical development and spatial awareness.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

There were no children on roll who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing neither were there children with special educational needs and/or disabilities at the time of the inspection. However, the childminder shows capacity for inclusion, with a flexible curriculum ready to support such children should they attend in the future.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder does not currently care for any child with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, she has undertaken relevant training to develop her understanding of how to support children with SEND and recognises the value of further professional development to strengthen her knowledge. She understands the importance of working closely with parents to make timely referrals to external professionals where needed and is aware of her responsibility to follow professional advice to ensure that children receive appropriate support. She also recognises the need to regularly review and monitor children's progress and next steps.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has a clear understanding of her role in supporting children who may be experiencing disadvantage. She values strong partnerships with families, enabling her to identify any potential barriers to learning at an early stage. She is aware of local services that can provide support and guidance and is committed to working collaboratively to ensure continuity of care and attendance.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder adopts an inclusive approach, ensuring that all children feel welcomed and valued. She promotes awareness of diversity through stories, celebrations and activities that reflect a range of cultures and family experiences, helping children to develop respect and a strong sense of belonging.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder accurately identifies the strengths of her provision. This includes excellent support for children's independence, outdoor learning, understanding of emotions and sense of belonging. However, some aspects of her teaching for communication and language need further strengthening.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder establishes positive relationships with parents. They receive regular communication about activities their children have enjoyed through daily discussions and routine meetings. Parents comment positively on the progress their children have made and the care provided by the childminder.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates an understanding of how to adopt a timely approach to ensure that targeted support is put in place as early as possible, should children face barriers to learning. She shows a willingness to address the needs of children who may be vulnerable. This contributes to children's sustained progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a strong commitment to her ongoing professional development. She recognises the value of further training in enhancing her knowledge and skills, particularly in relation to supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has well-considered plans to develop the outdoor learning environment. These improvements will increase the available space for children's play and further enrich the quality of their outdoor experiences.

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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

The childminder adopts a calm, nurturing approach to caring for children. Her home is a well-organised environment, and children benefit from the right conditions to flourish. They are supported effectively to understand their feelings and to consider the needs of others. This successfully promotes their emotional wellbeing. Younger children eagerly explore, and older children assert their play preferences confidently.

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

The childminder has longstanding relationships with many of the families of the children in her care. This helps children quickly settle and develop strong bonds with her. The warm,

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About this setting

Registration date: 16/06/2005 trusting interactions the childminder has with children help them to feel comfortable to seek her for reassurance when needed. Routines are well embedded. Children are well behaved, and they understand the childminder's expectations for their conduct. This reflects their deep sense of familiarity and belonging. Children show affection and respect for one another, contributing to the caring community ethos.

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About this setting

Children develop competence in their independence and self-care skills. They persevere with tasks, such as zipping up their coats and wearing their wellies. Children grow confident in what they can do. The childminder's consistent encouragement and purposeful teaching help children build resilience, develop early problem-solving skills and take pride in their achievements.

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Next steps

The childminder should enhance interactions with younger children by ensuring that communication, engagement and play based responses are closely aligned with each child's developmental stage. The childminder should further strengthen her teaching practice so that learning experiences for younger children are consistently tailored to their abilities, helping them stay fully engaged and make more rapid progress.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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. Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:45 - 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

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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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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