Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY413700 Registered with Ofsted: 14/07/2010 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 typically develop across all areas of learning well. They happily share what they are doing and what they enjoy. Children show curiosity in their play and engage well with the resources available. They make their own choices and express their ideas. For instance, children confidently talk about their play and count when threading. They confidently use the correct language when naming sea creatures and sit looking at their favourite books repeating the story in rhyme.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children generally develop the skills they need for their next stage of learning. They learn how to be social. For example, children sit together at mealtimes, talking about what they did in the morning and what is on their plates. They learn to wait their turn, be patient and share, which prepares them for school. Children receive encouragement to have a go and keep trying. For instance, when threading smaller beads onto coloured laces, they are encouraged to keep trying when the holes become smaller. This supports children's sense of achievement and pride in what they do. However, due to the lack of some opportunities within daily routines, children do not consistently extend their independence skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder establishes clear and consistent routines that help children understand expectations and develop a sense of structure. This supports children to manage transitions smoothly throughout the day and contributes to positive behaviour. Children respond well to guidance and demonstrate an understanding of boundaries. The childminder promotes respectful interactions, encouraging children to take turns, share and cooperate during play. She offers gentle reminders to support children in developing these important social skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder actively supports children's social development by encouraging collaboration and shared play experiences. Children are given opportunities to work together, exchange ideas and build friendships, helping them to develop confidence in group situations. The childminder models positive interactions, reinforcing kindness and consideration for others. This supports their social development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents and carers to promote consistent routines, including regular punctuality. This consistency helps children to settle quickly and engage fully in their learning. Children show a growing understanding of daily routines and transitions and are able to anticipate what comes next, such as preparing for outdoor play or mealtimes. This supports children's emotional security. The childminder carefully considers each child's stage of development. Her expectations are realistic and inclusive. This ensures that all children are supported appropriately to manage their behaviour and make progress.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates effectiveness in meeting the care and needs of all children. She ensures that routines, activities and interactions are adapted to support their individual development and wellbeing. The nurturing and inclusive environment allows all children to feel valued, safe and supported. Effective partnerships with parents and carers enable the consistent sharing of information. This helps to maintain continuity for children between home and the setting. This collaborative approach supports children's overall wellbeing and ensures their changing needs are understood and met appropriately.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Well-established daily routines give children a clear structure, helping them feel settled and confident. At the same time, supervision and flexibility allow the childminder to meet children's individual needs. The childminder supports children's emotional development by helping them to recognise, express and manage their feelings. For example, when children become upset, she offers reassurance and comfort, enabling them to regulate their emotions and feel secure before returning to their play.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder promotes healthy lifestyles through nutritious meals and drinks, effective hygiene practices and regular physical activity. Children enjoy outdoor experiences and community activities, such as attending dancing groups. This supports their physical development and emotional wellbeing. Overall, children are well supported to grow in confidence and resilience. However, the childminder does not consistently provide further opportunities to develop children's independence. For example, during snack and mealtimes, she often prepares food, such as cutting bananas or peeling oranges, that children are capable of managing themselves. As a result, the childminder has not further enriched daily routines by encouraging children to take a more active role in these everyday tasks to support their growing confidence and self-care skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder shows a clear understanding of the importance of delivering a well- sequenced and meaningful curriculum that supports children's overall development. She reflects on her practice and identifies areas for improvement. For example, the childminder has strengthened children's mathematical understanding and encourages a cheerful outlook towards early mathematics. Planned activities in this area are beginning to have a positive impact, with children confidently counting and recognising colours and shapes. She also places an emphasis on supporting children's physical, personal and social development. She provides children with opportunities to develop their physical skills, such as outings at the park or in the garden through active play. The childminder plans routines and interactions to help to build children's independence, confidence and positive relationships with others.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children are encouraged to make independent choices in their play, and the childminder joins in to support their learning. However, the childminder does not consistently develop opportunities to extend children's thinking and deepen their understanding. For example, during a play activity involving magnets, the childminder acknowledges the concept but does not build further on children's curiosity.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports children's communication and language through regular interactions, conversations and play. She knows children well and adapts her approach to meet their individual needs. Ongoing observations and assessments provide an accurate picture of children's development, allowing for tailored support. The childminder adapts activities effectively to suit children's different ages and stages. For instance, younger children develop fine motor skills, while older children extend their learning through counting and identifying shapes and colours. This generally supports children's progress across the curriculum.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of working closely with external professionals to ensure that children receive the right support at the earliest possible stage. She understands the value of early intervention and is confident in identifying when additional guidance may be needed. The childminder seeks advice from relevant professionals, such as health visitors, speech and language therapists and local authority services. This proactive approach helps to ensure that any concerns are addressed promptly and effectively.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder also works in partnership with parents and carers, offering clear guidance to help them understand the range of external support available. This includes supporting families through referral processes and explaining how different services can help meet their child's needs. The childminder provides reassurance and practical support to parents when applying for additional funding. She ensures that parents feel informed and confident throughout the process.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates understanding of how funding for disadvantaged children can be used effectively to support the individual needs of the children. For example, she plans carefully to use this funding to enhance resources, adapt activities and provide targeted support to improve children's outcomes. By working collaboratively with parents and professionals, she ensures that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or barriers to learning receive appropriate, timely and well-coordinated support that enables them to make progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder draws on her early years experience to create a caring and supportive environment. She demonstrates a clear understanding of the setting's strengths, particularly in building effective relationships and supporting children's wellbeing. The childminder also recognises areas for development, such as extending children's learning opportunities more consistently.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder makes decisions with children's best interests at the forefront. She ensures children's individual needs and development are prioritised. The childminder builds positive partnerships with parents and carers. She works collaboratively to ensure that children's care and learning are consistent. The childminder actively seeks parents' views through feedback and questionnaires to improve her provision. For example, when parents said that their children were interested in cooking, the childminder incorporated this into the curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder provides a caring and stimulating environment that supports children's learning and development. She communicates effectively with other settings children attend, promoting continuity in their progress. The childminder is committed to professional development and completes relevant training, including supporting communication and interaction and curriculum areas such as mathematics. This has a positive impact on outcomes for children. The childminder reflects on her practice, but this is not yet fully consistent. She has not consistently developed more regular and precise self-evaluation, closely linked to children's emerging needs, to continually enhance teaching and the curriculum.

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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 provides a warm and welcoming environment, where children feel happy, settled and secure. The setting has a home-from-home feel, which helps children to relax and enjoy their time. Children develop close and trusting relationships with the childminder. This supports their sense of safety and confidence. The childminder has an effective understanding of each child and their family. She ensures that activities and daily experiences reflect children's individual interests and needs.

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

The provision is inclusive. The childminder respects and values children's views and choices. For instance, she asks children to complete questionnaires detailing their preferences, dislikes and activities they would like to participate in within the setting. This tailors the children's experiences. For example, children say they really like the story of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. The childminder used this to deliver activities to support children's understanding of healthy eating and develop their language.

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

The childminder recognises that regular attendance and a sense of safety are vital in supporting the children's emotional wellbeing. When children feel secure, they are more confident to explore their environment with curiosity and independence. For instance, children remain deeply engaged in playing games, spending time looking at books and participating in songs, with clear focus and enjoyment. The childminder carefully models key skills to support this development. All children, including those who may experience barriers to learning, benefit from consistent encouragement and meaningful praise. This helps to build their confidence and supports them to thrive.

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

The childminder makes effective use of the local community to enrich children's learning and development. For instance, she plans regular outings to the library, park and farm. The childminder uses these experiences to provide valuable opportunities for children to meet others, build confidence and develop important social skills. These experiences also support children's understanding of the wider world and the community they are part of.

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Next steps

The childminder should further enrich routines to continually enhance and further develop children's independence. The childminder should use more precise evaluation to further enhance the curriculum and teaching.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children, and read written comments from parents and carers 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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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:45 - 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

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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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