Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2735652 Registered with Ofsted: 16/10/2023 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 make consistent progress across all areas of learning through the thoughtfully designed activities the childminder plans and delivers. These experiences enable children to develop the essential knowledge and skills they need for the next stage in their learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children build the foundations for effective communication as they develop the early language skills needed to interact with others. The childminder models new vocabulary and supports children's understanding well. However, the use of closed questions at times provides fewer opportunities for children to develop and demonstrate their growing vocabulary and communication skills.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children benefit from a wide range of activities that promote their physical development. They strengthen their small muscles through hands-on experiences, such as using rollers and cutters in the dough. Children develop balance, coordination and core strength as they jump confidently between stepping stones and climb with increasing control.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder sets high expectations for children's behaviour. Clear rules and boundaries, such as good sitting and listening and waiting turns, are embedded throughout the day, helping children understand what is expected of them. Children respond positively to these routines and generally follow them well. When unwanted behaviours occur, such as throwing resources, the childminder intervenes promptly and calmly, addressing them in an age- appropriate and supportive way. This consistent approach helps children develop self- regulation and understand how their actions affect others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder places a clear emphasis on the importance of attendance. She maintains accurate records, communicates clearly with parents about expectations, and has procedures in place to support families where barriers to attendance arise. This ensures that children benefit from continuity, routine, and the full learning opportunities available to them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is an excellent role model, demonstrating respectful interactions and using polite language, such as 'please' and 'thank you'. She asks children's permission before joining their play, reinforcing their independence and teaching them to value one another's choices.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The environment is positive and nurturing. The childminder offers regular praise and encouragement, celebrating children's efforts and achievements. This helps children develop a 'can-do' attitude and the confidence to keep trying when they encounter challenges. Children play cooperatively with older children, naturally supporting younger ones by offering resources and helping them join in. Warm, trusting relationships are evident throughout the setting; children eagerly share their ideas and invite the childminder into their play, and younger children seek comfort and connection through snuggles and shared interactions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides a warm, welcoming environment where children confidently explore a wide range of learning experiences. Daily opportunities for outdoor play, including visits to local playgroups and parks, support children's social development and physical skills. Children communicate their needs effectively. For example, they inform the childminder that the sun is in their eyes, and the childminder responds promptly by closing the curtains. Babies and younger children have their personal needs met with care and sensitivity. Nappy changing is used as a positive interaction time filled with songs, rhymes and one-to-one engagement, while children progressing through potty training receive consistent praise and encouragement.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Healthy choices are embedded throughout the day, with nutritionally balanced snacks, such as pomegranate, mango, strawberries and grapes, and wholesome meals, like chicken biryani with vegetables. The childminder follows safer eating guidance and uses playful, motivating strategies to encourage children to try new foods. Mealtimes are social occasions, with the childminder sitting alongside children to model good manners. Independence is promoted through routines such as handwashing and putting on shoes and socks. However, opportunities for self-serving at mealtimes and allowing children to wipe their faces are less consistent. This does not enable children to demonstrate and use the self-care skills they are acquiring on a consistent basis. Children are developing an understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and safe, confidently explaining, for instance, that they wash their hands to stop germs from spreading.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supports children effectively in managing their emotions. She is attentive to their cues and recognises when they may benefit from some quiet time. With a calm and patient approach, she stays close, offering reassurance and gentle guidance until children feel ready to rejoin activities. This sensitive support helps children feel secure and builds their confidence in regulating their feelings.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder delivers a thoughtfully planned curriculum that considers children's interests and developmental needs. She accurately tracks the development of all children, understanding their starting points, their progress so far and what she would like them to learn next.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Generally, the childminder supports children's language skills well. She uses repetition and simple language, such as 'open' and 'shut', to support younger children's early communication and understanding. Teaching is highly descriptive, with the childminder modelling vocabulary and encouraging children to answer simple questions that help build early language skills. She repeats key phrases to support younger children and provides clear commentary during play. The childminder does not always maximise opportunities to extend children's growing vocabularies, sometimes relying on questions that only require one-word answers rather than open-ended questions that would encourage deeper thinking, more expression of ideas and develop children's conversational skills further.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Mathematical learning is embedded throughout the day, with numbers introduced through songs, stories and activities. During messy play, the childminder models the language of quantity, such as 'big', 'small', 'tall' and 'short'. Children confidently recognise shapes, such as circles and hearts, during craft activities. The childminder consistently observes how children interact with activities and uses what she observes to shape their next steps, ensuring that learning remains meaningful and responsive.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder prioritises children's physical development through various activities, such as morning exercises that teach them to move their bodies in different ways.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder does not currently have children on roll with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), although she is committed to promoting inclusion and ensuring that all children feel safe, secure and represented in the setting. She works closely with the local authority for additional support where needed and takes proactive steps to overcome language barriers by using key words from children's home languages, alongside visual aids, such as picture exchange cards, emotion cards, and rules of the setting visually displayed. This enables all children to communicate effectively and participate in decision- making.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The environment reflects the diversity of the children and wider community, with books and resources that positively represent different cultures and identities. Children confidently engage with these materials, for example, identifying the English flag to show where they are from, as well as recognising the Bangladeshi flag, which reflects the childminder's own heritage. Cultural celebrations are meaningfully embedded, with the childminder currently supporting children's understanding of Ramadan. Through these thoughtful approaches, the childminder fosters a secure sense of belonging and helps children develop respect for their own and others' backgrounds.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands the importance of planning, reviewing and assessing the progress of all children to identify gaps. She is clear about how to seek support to ensure that children receive the right level of help at the right time in the future should she have any children with SEND on roll.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates effective leadership skills and a clear commitment to delivering a high-quality early years provision. She regularly reviews all policies and procedures to ensure that they are meeting the needs of children, the families and the setting. The childminder is reflective. However, her self-evaluation does not yet identify that her interactions with children could be extended further to develop their communication and language skills, or that children need more consistent opportunities to develop their independence during mealtimes and self-care routines.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Ongoing professional development is prioritised, with the childminder regularly attending webinars online and participating in locally led workshops. She maintains close links with local authority professionals, seeking guidance when needed to continually enhance her practice. Communication with parents is a key strength. Families receive updates by text, morning messages, and verbal feedback at collection. A well-organised parent board provides information on oral health, nutrition and funding.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents describe the childminder as 'patient', 'kind' and 'nurturing'. They comment on her clear communication, flexible routines and the high-quality learning experiences she provides, including daily outings, clubs and activities that support their children's progress in speech, confidence and social development. Parents value the childminder's well-prepared meals and the way she goes above and beyond to ensure that children are comfortable, included and thriving.

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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 creates a warm, nurturing and safe environment where children thrive. Children feel secure, and they confidently explore because the childminder fosters a positive atmosphere filled with praise and encouragement. This helps children develop a secure sense of belonging and pride in their achievements. Children are eager to share their creations, such as taking home their dough shapes to show their parents what they have made.

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

Children form secure, trusting attachments to the childminder, who knows them well. The childminder engages children in playful interactions, such as peekaboo, waiting until the last moment to reveal her face and anticipating their delighted giggles that fill the room. These exchanges strengthen relationships and support children's emotional development.

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

The childminder is responsive to the individual and changing needs of children. She sensitively adapts routines to prioritise each child's wellbeing, adjusting sleep times, activities and the pace of the day as necessary. The childminder works closely with parents when children are teething, have a cold or have experienced disrupted sleep. This flexible, child-centred approach ensures that children feel secure, settled and ready to learn.

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

Children develop a genuine love of books. They independently choose favourite stories to share with the childminder; younger children point to pictures of interest, while older children join in with repeated and familiar refrains. Children begin to handle books with increasing confidence, using the illustrations to tell their own bedtime stories to a group of dolls they have carefully lined up. The childminder actively promotes shared learning between home and the setting. Children regularly bring in their own books to share, and they also enjoy borrowing books from the childminder to take home. This strengthens continuity in their learning, encourages a love of reading beyond the setting and helps families feel involved in their child's development.

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

Children develop problem-solving skills and confidently use tools for a purpose. When searching for a missing puzzle cube, they independently select a microscope, understanding that it will help them see objects more closely.

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Next steps

The childminder should develop her knowledge and understanding of how to extend children's communication and language skills so that they have more opportunities to express their thoughts and develop their vocabulary. The childminder should continue to further promote children's independence by providing opportunities for them to be more self-sufficient, especially during mealtimes.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 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 and children and sought the feedback 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.

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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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