Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 121747 Registered with Ofsted: 16/10/2000 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 Expected standard

Children develop secure social skills. They learn to communicate, take turns and play cooperatively. Even the youngest children can name colours and are learning new vocabulary. Children build the confidence and independence they need for the next stage in their learning. They show high levels of engagement during movement sessions. Children confidently select songs, follow familiar routines and enthusiastically participate with dance moves and actions. These activities support children's physical development while also promoting listening, coordination and enjoyment in shared experiences.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop their early literacy effectively. They explore visual prompts, story sacks and props that help them recall key events and understand stories while strengthening their vocabulary and communication skills. However, some misconceptions and occasional stereotyping mean not all children are prepared to make the most of their skills or interests.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder helps children understand clear expectations for behaviour. She explains the importance of listening to others, taking turns and caring for the toys and resources. Children respond positively to these expectations. They demonstrate a growing awareness of how their actions affect others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder establishes clear routines that help children understand what happens throughout the day. For example, children respond enthusiastically to the tidy-up song and quickly begin to put toys away before lunchtime. This routine helps children take responsibility for their environment and develop positive habits relating to organisation and cooperation.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has a positive relationship with all the children and acts as a role model. She interacts with children in a thoughtful and purposeful way. She asks effective questions, gives children time to think and respond, and carefully listens to their ideas. Children feel confident to express their thoughts and experiences because the childminder values their contributions. These meaningful conversations help children develop their language, confidence and early conversational skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children behave well and show respect for each other during play. The childminder supports children sensitively when minor disagreements occur. She helps them understand each other's feelings, encourages them to talk through problems, and guides them towards positive solutions. As a result, children learn to manage their behaviours and develop important social and emotional skills. The childminder understands the importance of attendance and works with parents and carers to ensure that children are punctual. The childminder has not consistently supported all children in developing positive attitudes towards each other. For example, she does not address the impact of gender stereotyping.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder creates a warm and welcoming home-from-home environment, where children feel safe, secure and valued. Parents and carers speak highly of the setting and praise the nurturing atmosphere the childminder provides. The childminder prioritises building trusting relationships with children and their families. She takes time to get to know each child well and communicates regularly with parents to ensure a shared understanding of children's needs and development. She also speaks with parents about healthy eating, discussing suitable food options and promoting balanced choices that support children's wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder actively promotes children's independence through well-established daily routines. She encourages children to manage simple self-care tasks, such as washing their hands before meals and after activities. These routines help children develop confidence and begin to take responsibility for their personal care. The childminder also helps children understand the importance of healthy lifestyles. She speaks with children about healthy food choices and models safe eating practices during mealtimes. In addition, she works in partnership with parents to support important developmental milestones. This includes offering guidance and encouragement with potty training to ensure a consistent approach between home and the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children benefit from regular opportunities to explore the local community. The childminder takes children on outings in the local area. She uses these experiences to typically help children learn about their surroundings and develop confidence beyond the setting. Children also enjoy a range of physical experiences in the outdoor area at the setting. They use equipment such as bicycles and slides, which supports their physical development and overall wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder places a clear focus on supporting children's communication and language development through purposeful experiences across the curriculum. She uses everyday activities to introduce and reinforce new vocabulary. For example, during outdoor painting activities, the childminder consistently names and discusses colours with the children. This helps children build their vocabulary and strengthens their understanding of descriptive language. The childminder also supports children's speech developing by modelling and recasting sentences. She repeats children's words back using clear and extended language. This helps children hear correct sentence structures and gradually develop more complex language.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, the childminder typically demonstrates an understanding of each child's stage of development and identifies appropriate next steps in their learning. She generally adapts activities to extend children's learning where appropriate. For example, the childminder extends learning for the most able children by introducing colour mixing and encouraging them to explore how different colours combine to create new ones. This approach supports children's curiosity and promotes deeper learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a range of opportunities that support children's early mathematical development. She introduces mathematical language naturally during play and everyday routines. For instance, when painting with wellington boots, the childminder encourages children to count the footprints they make. This turns a spontaneous moment into a meaningful learning opportunity. This approach helps children develop early counting skills and an awareness of numbers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a broad range of play experiences and continues to reflect on her practice to ensure that children access varied and stimulating activities. She consistently seeks opportunities to expand children's play experiences. However, the childminder does not support children's understanding around gender stereotypes to equip them with skills for the future.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder tracks children's development carefully through regular observations and ongoing assessment. She gathers information about children's learning during daily activities and uses this knowledge to build a clear picture of their progress. The childminder carries out the required progress check for children aged between 2 and 3 years. This helps her identify children's strengths and recognise areas where further support may help them make progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder keeps parents and carers well informed about their children's development. She shares information about children's achievements, interests and next steps in learning so parents understand how their children are learning. Parents value this communication and speak positively about the support they receive. They comment that their children have made significant progress since starting at this setting.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands the importance of responding promptly if children need additional support but does not consistently seek timely support. She knows the procedures for seeking advice and how to use approaches to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The childminder follows guidance and knows how to consult other professionals to ensure that children receive the support they need. However, she does not consistently access this support when she identifies gaps in children's development or barriers to their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

During the inspection, the childminder occasionally made comments that showed some misconceptions, such as gender stereotyping. However, when discussed, the childminder is able to identify the impact of these statements. The childminder has not consistently supported children in understanding these misconceptions, especially children with SEND and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This does not ensure that all children feel they belong and that the childminder swiftly identifies barriers to their learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder generally maintains a commitment to keeping her knowledge of the early years foundation stage up to date. She typically reflects regularly on her practice and identifies the strengths in her provision and areas where she can continue to develop. Through this reflective approach, she ensures that her practice overall continues to meet the needs of the children in her care. However, the childminder has not consistently ensured a culture of continuous improvement to link children's learning and development to their individual needs and address weaknesses in practice. When the childminder recognises opportunities to strengthen her knowledge, she actively seeks relevant training, professional advice and guidance to support and enhance the quality of her provision.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder builds and maintains positive relationships with parents and carers. She values their role as partners in children's learning and involves them in supporting their children's development. The childminder keeps parents informed about their children's progress and achievements. This ensures that they clearly understand how their children are learning and developing in the setting. Parents speak highly of the childminder's professionalism and nurturing approach. They say she provides a warm, caring and supportive environment that promotes their children's development and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder gathers detailed information from parents and carers when children first start at the setting. She learns about children's interests, routines and any potential barriers to learning, including special educational needs and/or disabilities. This information enables her to understand each child's background and supports effective planning to meet their individual needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder maintains regular communication with parents through daily updates and informal discussions. She shares information about children's experiences, learning and routines throughout the day. Parents value this communication. They report that it helps them feel well informed, reassured and confident about their children's learning, care and overall wellbeing.

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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 attending this setting experience a warm, nurturing and supportive environment, where they feel safe, secure and valued. Children build trusting relationships with the childminder. They confidently explore the environment around them. Children develop positive social skills as they communicate with others, take turns and play cooperatively with their peers. Through these positive interactions, children build confidence, learn to respect others and develop increasing independence in their play and learning.

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

Children show high levels of engagement during activities. They actively participate in experiences that capture their interest. Children listen carefully, respond to questions and express their ideas during conversations. As a result, they make typical progress, particularly in their communication and language development.

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

Children feel safe and secure because familiar routines are consistent throughout the day. They understand what happens next and respond positively to daily expectations. Children develop independence as they wash their hands, help tidy away toys and manage simple self-care tasks.

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

Children benefit from regular opportunities to explore the local community and outdoor environment. They ride bicycles and use outdoor equipment, and they develop confidence, physical skills and curiosity about the world around them. Children also make choices, explore their interests freely and learn to respect others while developing a positive sense of self.

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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 a wide range of experiences, resources and discussions that promote equality and inclusivity, ensuring that all gender stereotypes and misconceptions are consistently addressed. The childminder should consistently ensure that any barriers children face are swiftly identified and addressed effectively.

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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 26 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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