Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY449509 Registered with Ofsted: 19/09/2012 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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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder has a very safe and inclusive environment for all children. Children are thriving and show they feel safe and settled by happily exploring the setting, helping themselves to toys and books freely. Children feel free to express their emotions, showing they feel comfortable. The childminder consistently helps them to manage these, quickly noticing when children are becoming distressed, and helping them redirect to another activity. She is very skilled at recognising when children need food, or need to be physically active and offers these. For example, she is highly responsive to children's varying needs. She quickly recognises that children are showing signs of becoming distressed and annoyed, and quickly intervenes before children become upset and angry, keeping everyone calm. Children have a high sense of emotional wellbeing, as they feel noticed and heard.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's mealtimes allow them to be sociable and to learn about healthy eating and good hygiene. All children, including the youngest, eagerly wash their hands before and after eating, clearly part of their everyday routine. When eating, they discuss the healthy food they are eating, and how 'milk will make their bones strong'.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder has high expectations of children. Older children are very independent with using the toilet, and are learning to cut up their own fruit and pour their own drinks. When out, children learn how to keep themselves safe, watching for the 'green man' before crossing the road. The childminder is an excellent role model, showing respect to the children, listening to their stories and ideas and implementing them.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are making secure progress from their starting points, in all areas of their learning. They develop their communication and language skills well, as they have many opportunities to listen to books and hear new words through everyday events. They explore their local environment, and learn when they are out and about. For example, when out on walks they discuss the different coloured buses they see and count them. They point out police cars and discuss how the police help us. Children are becoming more independent, with older children finding and putting on their own boots, and starting to cut up their own fruit at snack time. Children are learning to manage their big emotions, with support from the childminder, and play well together. For example, when children want the same toy, the childminder reminds them to use their words and ask for a turn when the first child has finished with it. She helps them to engage in another activity while they are waiting. At times,

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Achievement Expected standard

the childminder can be a little eager and steps in to help children, without them having time to try and take safe risks themselves. Overall, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those from different backgrounds, are being taught the skills they need for the next stage of their education, including school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations for children's behaviour. She reminds children to greet new people and to be kind and polite. She is a good role model, being calm and respectful of the children, praising them when they show her what they have been making, so they beam with pride. The childminder helps children to be kind to each other and share, and is there to support them with this when needed. For example, when older children are struggling to share the baby dolls, the childminder speaks to them to find out what the problem is. Together, they discuss that it is kind to share, and they agree a time limit of when they will swap over the dolls. The childminder has a lovely, respectful relationship with the children, she praises them when they successfully share, and they thrive in her care.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

When families first start, the childminder talks with them, explaining her expectations around punctuality and regular attendance, and why they are important. She records and monitors children's attendance and has procedures in place if she has any concerns.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder is effective in delivering a planned curriculum across all areas of learning, including communication and language and mathematics. All children are making good progress in their learning from their starting points. The childminder is aware of any gaps in their development and puts measures in place, such as having specialist support plans, to help to close these achievement gaps. She works with parents and professionals, giving children targeted help where needed. The childminder links with the local authority advisor and attends training courses, to ensure she stays up to date with current early years practice.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The children learn mathematical concepts throughout the day. For example, she counts with children as they throw balls into a box, and discusses how many pieces of apple they have on their plates at snack. She is very effective at supporting children's language development, and does this in various ways, meeting the needs of all. For example, she focuses on 3 key books that have animals and colours, and reads these daily. Children get to know the stories well, reciting known passages in the story. Children beam with happiness when she praises them for 'reading' so well. She uses props to bring the books to life for all ages. She incorporates a mix of children's home language and English with the children, expanding their vocabulary. At times, the childminder can be a little too eager to help children with their tasks. For example, she does not consistently give children the space to take physical challenges and to confidently do things for themselves and to keep

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder supports all children well, including those with special educational needs and or disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. She recognises barriers to learning and links with families, where there are concerns and puts measures in place, such as involving professionals and writing targeted plans, to help all children to make progress. She supports the whole family, particularly those new to Britain, signposting parents to services that they may need, such as local libraries and English classes. She is very inclusive in her approach to teaching the children, using words both in English and in their home language.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder ensures she is knowledgeable by attending specialist training, such as how to support children with specific special educational needs, giving her the skills needed to support individual children. She monitors children well, identifying their individual needs. She supports all children to progress, particularly those in vulnerable groups. The childminder uses funding effectively to support their learning, providing them with resources and experiences, such as going out on the train, that they may not otherwise have. She sees all children as individuals and plans for them accordingly. Children are making good progress against all areas of learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is effective at monitoring the strengths of her setting, such as the care and nurture and experiences she offers children and families. She has established good partnerships with parents, and sends out learning overviews periodically. However, parents are not always sure how to support their children's learning at home day to day. As a result, learning isn't consistently reinforced beyond the setting. Children who may have barriers to their learning are quickly identified by the childminder. She promptly puts measures in place to support them. She ensures she keeps herself up to date with current early years knowledge by attending training courses and linking with the local authority advisor and other childminders. For example, she has attended a course around supporting children with English as an additional language and now has laminated pictures from favourite books, to help encourage children to learn the English words in favourite stories.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Since her last inspection, the childminder implemented the suggested recommendations. She now ensures she has spare outdoor clothing for children, to ensure they are always appropriately dressed for the weather if their parents forget to provide spare clothes. She has improved how she supports the children's communication by including picture cards on a lanyard as a visual aid. This means she can quickly support children who need extra help with understanding what is happening next.

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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 have a real sense of belonging in this warm, welcoming setting. They happily say goodbye to parents and confidently take off their shoes and coats, putting them away where they belong. Children play contently together, confidently selecting their favourite toys from the well-organised environment. They are engaged and eager to learn. The childminder is successful at differentiating for the varying ages. For example, children of all ages enjoy matching coloured balls to corresponding coloured circles. Babies smile happily throughout the activity as they match the colours. Older children say the colour names and count the balls, as they place them on the circles. Children are kind and friendly and play well together. Older children show care for their younger friends, they support them with their needs. For example, on returning from a walk, older children help younger children pull off their wellie boots, when they are stuck.

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

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are making good progress from their starting points. The childminder supports them to progress by linking with families and outside professionals, if needed, and planning what they need to know and learn. She teaches them the skills they will need in life and in further education, including school. For example, children learn how to be safe when out and about. They know to hold onto the pram, and to wait for the 'green man' when crossing busy roads. They engage in activities that develop the muscles they need for later learning, such as with playing with dough and climbing on the climbing frame at the park. Children are thriving in the childminder's care.

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About this setting

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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Next steps

The childminder should provide children with greater opportunities to try things out for themselves and actively support them to take safe, age-appropriate risks during play. The childminder should further strengthen partnerships with parents, involving them more closely in children's learning and supporting them to help children secure their learning from the setting at home.

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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. This data is from 27 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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