Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY449753 Registered with Ofsted: 21/08/2012 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder establishes a calm, positive environment with clear expectations for behaviour, underpinned by kindness and respect. Children consistently show care and consideration for one another, behave beautifully and demonstrate consistently positive attitudes. The childminder supports children's physical health, emotional wellbeing and social development wonderfully by combining practical routines with clear communication and strong partnerships with parents.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder models the language of feelings and emotions, helping children recognise and manage feelings, such as tiredness or hunger, and encourages them to make healthy lifestyle choices.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

She promotes regular attendance and follows up on any unexplained absences to safeguard children's welfare. The childminder communicates openly and regularly with families to ensure continuity, reinforce routines and maintain a consistent approach. Through these strategies, the childminder creates a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment where children feel valued, secure, and able to thrive. She reflects on and adapts her practice to promote positive behaviours, maintain clear expectations, and safeguard children effectively. As a result, children consistently demonstrate confidence, good manners and positive attitudes. They make progress across all areas of learning, benefiting from the stable, caring and structured environment the childminder provides.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder ensures consistent routines for hygiene, toileting and mealtimes to support children's growing independence, while clear behaviour expectations are reinforced with gentle guidance and praise. Children respond positively, demonstrating caring attitudes, cooperation and confidence. The childminder demonstrates a thorough understanding of her responsibility to keep children safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children benefit from clear routines, close supervision, and a safe, well-managed environment. The childminder provides highly effective and responsive care, tailored to each child's individual needs. She knows children well and builds strong attachments, enabling them to feel safe and secure. Consistent routines for toileting, sleeping, changing, and mealtimes, alongside close partnership with parents to support weaning, promote children's safety, emotional security, and physical comfort.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's emotional wellbeing is wonderfully supported through warm, responsive interactions and positive reinforcement. Using resources such as mirrors and 'colour monsters,' the childminder helps children recognise and manage their feelings, in ways that are appropriate to their age and stage of development. This combination of consistent routines, responsive care, and purposeful strategies ensures children feel secure, develop confidence, and make excellent progress in their personal, social and emotional development.

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Achievement Expected standard

Over time, all children make continued progress in all areas of their learning. They communicate effectively with adults and each other in ways that are appropriate to their age and stage of development.

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Achievement Expected standard

The childminder plans purposeful activities and experiences to support each child's progress from their individual starting points. However, planned group or shared play activities are not adapted to children's individual stages and interests. As a result, some children are not fully engaged or challenged, which can limit opportunities to develop skills and make progress tailored to their needs.

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Achievement Expected standard

While there are currently no disadvantaged children attending, the childminder is knowledgeable about the importance of inclusive strategies, such as increased interaction, to ensure all children receive the support they need to make progress alongside their peers.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching and makes decisions to support continuous improvement. She provides purposeful activities across all areas of learning, ensuring children are well prepared for their next stage. The curriculum supports children's language, vocabulary, and mathematical understanding alongside their physical, personal, social, and emotional development.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

All children benefit from warm, secure interactions that support emotional wellbeing. For instance, during a sensory activity, the childminder provides a sealed bag of blended chickpeas for babies to explore. She models simple language such as squishy, push and soft, while discussing shapes. Babies benefit from sensory exploration, language modelling and comfort. However, older children are only engaged fully once younger children lose interest. In a book-linked activity about Arctic animals, older children develop language, memory and physical skills, as they identify and enjoys pretending to be different animals. Younger children are less actively involved because the childminder does not adapt activities for children of different ages and stages. This can limit engagement and learning opportunities. Planning and differentiation for mixed-age groups would further strengthen the curriculum and ensure that all children are challenged and able to participate fully.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of her responsibilities in supporting disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She identifies children's individual needs, provides targeted support, and uses additional funding effectively to enhance learning and development.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a clear and secure understanding of her responsibilities in supporting disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). She gathers detailed information about children's starting points, observes their progress, and works closely with parents. She tracks each child's development carefully, reviews the impact of her support, and adapts her approach to help them develop knowledge, skills, and independence. This considered approach provides a solid foundation for her to demonstrate continued impact in the future.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Although no children currently attending are disadvantaged or require additional funding, the childminder confidently plans how she would use resources to provide equitable learning experiences and targeted support if circumstances change. She actively pursues relevant training, seeks professional guidance, and accesses external advice to strengthen her practice. She identifies opportunities for SEND-specific training to enhance her knowledge and skills further. She applies her considerable knowledge effectively to ensure all children make progress from their individual starting points. Her proactive, reflective approach enables her to provide inclusive, high-quality support and lays a strong foundation for continued impact in the future.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents speak very positively about the childminder, describing her as caring, professional, and approachable. Children benefit from a safe, nurturing, home-from-home environment, and parents have high levels of trust and confidence in the care their children receive. The childminder provides calm, well-organised routines that support independence and security, and tailors settling in sessions to each family, sharing progress effectively. Children flourish in her care, feeling safe, secure, and settled. Communication with parents is highly effective, and the childminder uses information about routines and interests to support children's wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates professional responsibility through effective organisation, reflective practice and proactive engagement with training. Effective partnerships with parents help her meet children's needs safely and confidently. She is reflective, professional, and proactive in updating her knowledge and resources. However, at times, she does successfully identify how to adapt activities to meet the learning needs of children at different ages and stages. Therefore, opportunities for shared play and learning are not fully maximised. Developing planning for shared activities and further adapting them to children's individual needs will increase engagement and enhance learning opportunities for all children.

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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 develop strong, nurturing relationships with the childminder and benefit from a wonderfully secure environment that supports their growing confidence and emotional wellbeing. They are happy and engaged in their play, demonstrating curiosity and enjoyment in their learning. They feel valued and quickly develop a real sense of belonging. Children receive plenty of praise and encouragement, which supports their confidence and motivation to learn. They squeal with delight as the childminder plays games with them, promoting positive relationships and engagement. Consistent routines help children to settle

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About this setting

Registration date: 21/08/2012 quickly, while warm interactions with the childminder and other children reinforce their sense of security.

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About this setting

Children engage in a broad range of play experiences, including role play and sharing books. They are eager to share and relate their own real-life experiences, such as finding a spider in the bath, to familiar stories. Children consistently demonstrate high levels of curiosity and care for others, with older children supporting younger ones to play a running and catching game. Well established routines, such as shared mealtimes and attendance at playgroups further promote social skills and positive eating habits, helping all children to flourish.

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About this setting

The childminder offers a welcoming and stimulating environment where all children make independent choices, develop friendships, and build the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to achieve the best possible start in life.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure activities are consistently adapted to meet individual children's needs, so children of different ages and stages remain fully engaged, challenged and supported to make clear progress across all areas of learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children and reviewed comments from parents 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,Friday : 07:30 - 17:30

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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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