Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2789529 Registered with Ofsted: 28/06/2024 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 Expected standard

Children benefit from a nurturing environment where routines run smoothly and help them to feel settled. The childminder is kind and caring towards children, and they build trust in her. Their sense of belonging and security supports their positive behaviours.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder models respect and good manners. Children learn to understand boundaries and follow guidance for behaviour. The childminder considers children's age and abilities well, using gentle reminders and clear, consistent language to teach children right from wrong in an appropriate way. Children know what to expect, which helps them to feel secure. For example, the childminder gives a countdown before changing activities. The childminder encourages friendships, and children learn to play along with others. They behave well.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children develop a sense of responsibility, for example when they put away their belongings when they arrive at the childminder's home. They are motivated and become engaged in appealing activities. However, more purposeful learning opportunities would help them to develop even more positive attitudes and great ambition in their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder offers flexible attendance patterns, which helps parents to ensure that their children attend regularly and arrive on time.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children play happily in this welcoming and supportive environment, where their wellbeing is prioritised. They form close attachments with the childminder. They show this, for example, when they smile broadly when she enters the room and follow her when she leaves.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Babies and children benefit from plenty of movement during play and fresh air on walks and outings. The childminder supports parents with topics such as nutrition and dental health so that her efforts to support children's good health in her setting can be continued at home. She pays close attention to managing children's allergies to further protect their health. Children are learning to understand ways to keep themselves safe. The childminder allows them to take supervised, controlled risks, such as climbing, and teaches them how to get down safely. Routines such as regular handwashing help children to develop good personal hygiene habits.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder is attentive and caring towards children. She notices quickly if they are upset and offers comfort and reassurance that help them to feel safe and secure. She acknowledges children's feelings and helps them to find ways to be calm. With more support with their communication, children would be better able to share their emotions or talk about how they feel.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Mealtimes and routines, such as sleeping, are adapted to children's individual needs, particularly for the youngest children attending. During these times, the childminder

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Needs attention

supervises children closely to ensure their wellbeing. For example, she ensures that children sit still and face her while eating.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children enjoy their learning and show curiosity. They make steady progress in some areas of learning. Babies learn to climb and balance and become more confident in their physical skills. Older children enjoy creative experiences such as painting and sticking. They show imagination when they make creatures from play dough and act out stories in their play.

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Achievement Needs attention

Some children's achievements are uneven. Their progress in communication and language development is slower than other areas of learning. This limits how securely they develop the knowledge and vocabulary needed for future learning. Children who face barriers to their learning make progress from their starting points. However, they do not quickly develop the skills needed to narrow gaps in their learning.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children are not fully prepared for the next stage of learning. Their progress through the curriculum is not consistent and secure in all areas.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The new curriculum is designed to give children choices in their learning. This helps them to be curious and independent in their play. The childminder provides activities that interest children, which motivates them to join in. However, these experiences do not have a specific focus to support what children need to learn. This limits children's opportunities to build progressively on what they know and can do. The childminder checks on children's progress. However, she is not confident about what children should be typically achieving for their age. The childminder does not have high enough expectations for children's development, which means that some gaps in children's learning sometimes go unnoticed.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder helps children to build confidence and supports their emotional development well. They are happy in their play. She provides soft-play equipment to help babies to pull themselves up and move in different ways. She uses words related to size and position when children make models from dough, which helps children to develop mathematical understanding.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder talks to children during play, which generally helps them to develop communication and language skills. However, this area of the curriculum needs more focus to help children to make better progress. Babies' speech is limited, for example when the childminder does not discourage their use of a dummy. While toddlers use words in their play, the childminder does not encourage this as much as she could to help children to make better progress.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder shows awareness of children's individual needs and abilities and checks on their progress. However, inaccuracies in assessment and the childminder's lower expectations for children mean that she may not swiftly identify children who need extra help with their learning, particularly in their communication and language development. She has introduced some inclusive strategies, such as using pictures to help children to make choices and know what to expect. However, these approaches are not used consistently.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder provides information for parents to share with other professionals to help to identify children's particular needs and secure any support they might need. However, she has not considered ways to work with external agencies to help her to meet children's needs more effectively when in her care. The childminder works with parents of children who speak English as an additional language to ensure their needs are met. Children develop a greater understanding of English.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Disadvantaged children who may be eligible for early years pupil premium, or other additional funding, are not benefiting from this because the childminder does not fully understand how to secure this for children.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder is committed to her role and acts in the best interests of children. She continues with her own professional learning and is keen to apply this in practice. However, this does not impact on her provision in fully positive ways. For example, her attendance on a training course influenced the recent changes to the way the curriculum is delivered. There is too little focus on what children need to learn, which does not consistently support their progress. The childminder would benefit from a deeper understanding of typical expectations for children's achievements. This would improve the accuracy of her assessments and help her to identify concerns about children's learning and development at the earliest opportunity.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Partnerships with parents are well established. They speak highly of the childminder and appreciate her support, for example in establishing effective sleep routines for children. However, the childminder is unclear about which professionals she can contact and when to seek support for meeting children's needs in the most appropriate way. This relates particularly to children who face barriers to their learning or where there are emerging concerns about their development.

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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 arrive to a warm welcome and quickly settle into the childminder's care. She knows every child well and values what makes them unique. She offers children plenty of reassurance and creates an atmosphere where children know they matter. This helps them to feel happy and safe in her care. Young children show clear attachments, often watching the childminder closely and seeking her out for comfort, while others move confidently around the space, choosing where to play and who to play with. Familiar routines help children to know what to expect. They develop confidence and independence in their play. Children enjoy being together. They develop early friendships and learn social skills through everyday routines, such as waiting for a turn or helping a friend find a toy. The childminder's calm, respectful manner helps children understand how to behave kindly. These positive relationships help children feel secure and included. They develop a strong sense of

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

Children explore a variety of activities that match their interests. They enjoy creative play, physical challenges and opportunities to use their imagination. They show curiosity and often become absorbed in their chosen play. However, the learning they experience does not always build towards clear goals. Some activities, although enjoyable, do not help children deepen their knowledge or strengthen important skills. Children's progress varies, and some areas of learning develop more slowly than others. Babies and toddlers do not always receive the support they need to develop early speech. Children who face barriers to learning make some progress, but gaps are not closing quickly.

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

Overall, children are happy and well cared for in an environment where their wellbeing is a priority. They are beginning to build the knowledge they need for their next steps, although more focused learning opportunities would help them become even more ambitious and successful in their play and learning.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

strengthen understanding of typical development so assessments are accurate and gaps in children's learning are recognised and addressed promptly 20/03/2026

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Action Completion Date

plan learning with clear purpose so children build knowledge securely and are better prepared for their next steps 20/03/2026

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Action Completion Date

develop a more ambitious communication and language curriculum so children gain stronger vocabulary and speaking skills that support wider learning 20/03/2026

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Action Completion Date

develop knowledge of how and when to build links with external agencies so children with emerging needs access timely, appropriate support that improves their outcomes. 20/03/2026

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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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children and a parent 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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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn . Store Street Manchester M1 2WD

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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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