Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY302718 Registered with Ofsted: 08/04/2005 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 Urgent improvement

Children do not achieve as well as they should in this setting. The childminder has low expectations of what children can accomplish, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those facing other barriers to learning. As a result, children are not consistently supported to reach their full potential. The childminder does not demonstrate a secure understanding of how children develop at different rates or why some children may make slower progress.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

While some children develop their communication and social skills, others are not encouraged to interact with others. Some children develop physical skills, for example throwing balls, however, other children display signs of distress at the boisterous behaviour. Children develop creative skills as they create images with paint or mould dough into shapes. Some children are curious and make steady progress but others struggle or do not to engage in learning experiences, and those with additional needs are not supported effectively to participate or succeed. Children do not achieve the expected levels of development for their age.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

The childminder has low expectations of children's behaviour and reports that hitting, pushing and other unsafe actions are normal for children of this age. Children do not develop the social and emotional skills needed to form positive relationships or be ready for the next stage of learning. Children's needs are not consistently noticed or responded to, leading to poor self-control, lack of respect for others and repeated incidents of unruly behaviour that affects the wellbeing of others and sometimes causes injury to others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

The childminder lacks a strategic approach to monitoring and supporting behaviour. Positive behaviour strategies, including guidance on sharing, turn-taking and managing emotions, are not implemented consistently. Children do not receive sufficient support to understand the impact of their actions on others, limiting their personal, social and emotional development. Most children are curious and while some children engage in play, others struggle to find activities that interest them. At times, some children become upset and wander around the room aimlessly.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

While the childminder monitors attendance and punctuality, routines are not consistently used to support children's engagement and readiness to learn. Daily routines and transitions do not reinforce positive behaviour or help children develop independence, positive attitudes to learning and self-regulation skills.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

The childminder does not promote children's welfare or emotional wellbeing. While she has positive bonds with children and offers reassurance through cuddles, she often fails to notice when children need attention or support and does not guide children to understand and express their emotions. Procedures to keep children safe are not consistently implemented, resulting in children regularly standing on chairs or the sofa, pushing others and engaging in unsafe behaviour.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Not all children show that they gain a sense of security or that they are valued in the setting. The environment is not consistently welcoming or structured to support safe, enjoyable play, learning and social interaction. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other additional needs, are not provided with targeted support, and barriers to learning and wellbeing are not reduced. Consequently, some children display signs of stress, are disengaged or struggle to regulate their emotions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Daily routines and transitions are not used effectively to promote children's personal, social, and emotional development. Children's physical wellbeing, independence and understanding of how to keep themselves safe are not prioritised, leaving them at risk and unable to fully benefit from learning opportunities.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The childminder does not have a secure understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching, and the decisions made to bring about improvements are limited. The curriculum lacks coherence and ambition and does not fully meet all the learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage. The childminder does not accurately identify children's individual next steps. Monitoring and assessment of children's progress are weak, limiting the childminder's ability to adapt teaching to different starting points, needs or stages of development.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The childminder does not consistently provide purposeful support for all children's language and communication developments and to build their vocabulary. The implementation of the curriculum is weak and interactions with children do not extend their learning further. The childminder does not teach mathematics explicitly. While some children, including those who speak English as an additional language, are making steady progress, others show limited interaction and do not communicate for extended periods of time. Personal, social, and emotional development are not prioritised consistently, and children do not always receive the guidance or challenge they need to develop confidence and independence. There is a focus on developing children's physical skills with indoor ball games and daily trips to the local park, where children build core strength and balance.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The childminder does not adapt the curriculum planning and teaching effectively for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or children facing other barriers to learning. Reasonable adjustments are not made, and timely referrals are not completed.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

The childminder has not yet embedded an inclusive culture across the setting, and the quality and impact of inclusive practice require urgent improvement. Systems for identifying and assessing children's individual needs are not sufficiently effective to ensure that all children receive appropriate support. Strategies to meet children's individual needs are not consistently planned or implemented, and referrals for additional support are not made in a timely way, when concerns arise. The childminder demonstrates an understanding of how additional funding can be used to support children. Barriers to learning are not consistently addressed and not all children have full access to the curriculum. While some children make progress, such as developing physical coordination through activities like rolling and throwing balls, or learning about the wider world through resources that introduce animals and countries, others do not engage as well.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Some children, including those who speak English as an additional language, develop communication skills. However, other children struggle to participate, particularly in developing social skills and communication and language.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

At times, some children spend extended periods without interacting with others, and support to encourage participation is limited. Monitoring of children's progress is not sufficiently effective, resulting in inconsistent outcomes and some children not making expected progress or developing a strong sense of belonging within the setting.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder does not demonstrate an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision and does not take sufficient action to address areas for development. Systems for monitoring the quality of care, education and safety are not robust. There is limited evaluation of how practice impacts on children's learning, development and wellbeing. As a result, weaknesses in teaching, behaviour management and inclusive practice remain unaddressed.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

At times, decisions made by the childminder do not fully prioritise children's best interests. This affects the quality of supervision, safety and care that children receive. Consequently, children are not always supported effectively and their individual needs are not consistently met.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Professional development for both the childminder and her assistant is also insufficient. They do not regularly engage in relevant training or professional learning to maintain up-to- date knowledge of child development, safeguarding requirements and inclusive practice. This limits their ability to reflect on and improve their practice.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Weaknesses in leadership, monitoring and professional development reduce the setting's capacity to drive improvement. As a result, the quality of provision is inconsistent and does not ensure that all children receive the high-quality care, learning opportunities and support they need to make good progress.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not 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 not 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's learning and development are not consistently supported. Behaviour management is insufficient, and children regularly push each other, or take toys from others. The childminder does not provide children with consistent messages about behaviour expectations. Children routinely stand on chairs, sometimes causing accidents when other children are pushed off, highlighting inadequate supervision and oversight. While the childminder and assistant have first-aid knowledge and respond when children fall, these incidents show that safety is not consistently maintained. Not all children engage in learning. Children do not benefit from purposeful play that is carefully planned to inspire their curiosity and engagement. Some children show signs of boredom and, at times, distress when the boisterous play of other children goes unchecked. Communication and language development are inconsistent. While some children, including

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

those who speak English as an additional language, make progress, others do not interact or communicate for extended periods. The childminder does not provide targeted strategies to support speech development for all children.

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

Children's individual needs are not met consistently, and barriers to learning are not effectively reduced. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are not identified or referred for support, and the childminder does not take prompt action to adapt learning for their needs. As a result, not all children gain a sense of belonging and do not thrive in this setting.

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

Some children are curious and engaged, enjoying creative activities, such as gluing sequins onto card, and moulding dough, which support fine motor development. Children take part in physical activities, such as throwing and kicking balls, and are guided to develop healthy attitudes to food and exercise through balanced meals and daily outdoor play. These opportunities help some children develop coordination, confidence and physical skills.

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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

ensure that staffing arrangements meet the needs of all children and ensure their safety 13/02/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that children are adequately supervised to ensure their needs are met 13/02/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve understanding of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities 13/02/2026

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Action Completion Date

plan and implement an ambitious curriculum for all children, which builds on what they know and can do 25/02/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve training to ensure all adults working with children understand their role and responsibilities and how to implement the curriculum, so that children gain the knowledge and skills they need for the next stage in their education 25/02/2026

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About this setting

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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, the assistant, children and 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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