Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY294427 Registered with Ofsted: 23/11/2004 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 currently attending typically make steady progress from their starting points, particularly in their communication and language. Babies develop early physical skills, such as beginning to roll, while toddlers increase their vocabulary and use single words to express themselves. Children are curious and motivated learners, who explore resources with sustained concentration. They share their experiences with the childminder in an age- appropriate way and respond positively to her praise. Children show a sense of pride and achievement, with big grins when finishing a drawing or peeling the backing off a sticker. Children who may face barriers to learning or wellbeing, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not benefit from processes that support early identification and assessment. However, this does not have any impact on the children currently attending.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children begin to understand early mathematical ideas, including shapes, colours and counting. For example, during pretend play in the toy kitchen, they count eggs with the childminder's support. Children ask for support from the childminder, which she is happy and willing to give.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children listen to boundaries, show respect for resources and demonstrate emerging self- control. They are well prepared for their next stage of learning as they develop confidence, curiosity and early learning skills, but do not consistently experience every opportunity to develop independence to support the childminder's aim of them being school ready.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has established a calm and positive environment in which children are happy, settled and confident to explore. She sets clear expectations for children's behaviour, which children understand well. The childminder supports children to stay within the commonly understood boundaries through gentle reminders. She acts as a warm and responsive role model, demonstrating turn-taking and cooperation. The childminder offers specific praise to reinforce children's positive behaviour.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children form secure and trusting relationships with the childminder and like to 'check in' with her as they play. The childminder knows children well. The childminder considers their starting points, individual needs and personal circumstances when supporting them to meet expectations and progress to their next steps. Children are motivated and engaged and enjoy learning because activities build on their interests and developmental stages. When children need comfort, the childminder responds sensitively, helping them to manage their emotions and feel a sense of belonging. She does this through warm hugs and reassurance, completing a task for or with the child. However, she does not yet provide children with the support or tools they need to manage their own emotions independently.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children in the setting have positive attendance. The childminder is clear about how she would promote the importance of regular attendance. She is willing to offer support to

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Needs attention

families should concerns arise. The childminder shares her expectations with parents, helping to create continuity for children between home and the setting.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder designs a broad and balanced curriculum that builds on what children already know and can do. She gains insight into children's starting points through observations and conversations with children's families when they first start. She uses this information to shape learning to children's individual needs and plan for their next steps. The childminder follows children's interests. As a result, children are highly motivated and engaged in their learning for sustained periods of time.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children's communication and language are prioritised across all areas of learning. The childminder builds children's vocabulary through repetition and modelling language, including within their early mathematical learning. She promotes children's physical, personal, social and emotional development through a mix of child-led play and planned outdoor experiences and opportunities to support each child's next steps.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations for all children and monitors children's progress through photos and written observations. She uses these to plan each child's next steps and focuses on a child-led approach. The childminder sequences learning and uses assessment to check children's progress and shape next steps. The childminder makes thoughtful adaptations, such as providing toddlers with chunkier paint sticks to support their emerging fine motor skills, with options to fine tune those skills into slimmer pencils and age- appropriate scissors. Her thoughtful and responsive approach ensures that children receive support to make progress across the curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The children currently attending the setting receive purposeful, high-quality teaching. However there are currently not robust procedures in place to provide intentional support for children who may face barriers to learning or wellbeing, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder has policies and procedures in place to support children's welfare and wellbeing. However, these are not well developed or consistently embedded. The childminder's assessment of risks is very broad, and they are not fully thought through or carried out thoroughly enough to fully promote children's welfare and wellbeing. For example, the childminder does not actively promote online safety, as she feels it does not yet affect the children in her care. The children currently attending have healthy, varied diets, so the childminder does not deem it necessary to further promote healthy eating.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder builds warm and nurturing relationships with children. Through frequent and positive interactions, she helps them to develop secure attachments and the confidence to explore, while regularly seeking reassurance from her. Children receive support to develop an understanding of their physical health through daily opportunities for movement, such as visits to local parks, open fields and music-and-movement activities. Individual care practices meet children's basic needs. The childminder adapts routines appropriately for the youngest babies, including personalised feeding and sleeping arrangements.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Babies and toddlers receive comfort to manage their emotions through gentle words and physical reassurance. However, the childminder does not explicitly teach children to recognise or name their emotions, nor does she provide strategies to help them to develop the skills needed to control their own feelings and emotions. While children's individual care needs are generally met, children who may face barriers to learning or wellbeing, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not yet benefit from sufficiently developed or intentional support.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder is not yet fully secure in identifying gaps in children's development and learning. She does not have thorough systems in place to support her in quickly and accurately identifying the individual needs of children who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Although she implements advice from external partners when it is provided, she does not routinely seek this support herself or identify when there is a need to seek further support for individual children. For example, when concerns are raised by other settings, the childminder works cooperatively with professionals to follow guidance and support individual children. However, this is a reactive approach, rather than proactive.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder does not use a thorough assessment process to plan for children or as a point to review from. This impacts her ability to identify any potential signs or indicators of special educational needs and/or disabilities. Her knowledge of how to access specialist advice, or which professionals to approach to reduce children's barriers to learning, is limited. The childminder is currently in the process of completing training to develop her skills in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, this is not currently reflected or embedded in her practice. She has not accessed or used early years pupil premium funding. The childminder recognises the need to strengthen her professional practice so that children's needs can be identified and supported more effectively. The childminder has established positive relationships with families and maintains regular communication, including the use of parent satisfaction surveys to gather

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has risk assessments in place but does not thoroughly consider all aspects of risk and the impact this may have on children. She does not implement robust measures to significantly reduce risk, including to her own health. While the premises overall are safe, there are some aspects that have not been fully thought through, such as the storage of planks of wood within reach of the children.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The provider has failed to notify Ofsted of changes to people living or working at the premises. Furthermore, she does not have a secure knowledge of what needs to be notified and when. The childminder has experience and a broad general knowledge of professional learning but does not focus enough on developing or improving her practice. She builds positive relationships with parents and carers. She has a broad awareness of the setting's strengths. She identifies the need to build upon her professional development and knowledge by accessing further training, as highlighted at her previous inspection. However, despite recognising this, the childminder has only completed one mandatory training course since that time and is only just undergoing further training for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Her improvement actions, while focused on the right area for development, lack precision and are not sufficiently focused to secure meaningful

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

improvement in a timely manner. While the childminder is willing to work with external agencies, she does not proactively seek professional guidance. She does not have a secure understanding or knowledge of how to identify emerging needs and secure timely support for children who may face barriers to learning or 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

The childminder only has a broad awareness of her strengths and weaknesses, and her actions lack the precision needed to bring about timely improvement. Training needs identified at the previous inspection have not been fully addressed, and there is limited evidence of commitment to professional development.

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

Children enjoy a welcoming environment. However, the childminder does not fully identify or assess some risks robustly enough, including around her own health. She does not have secure processes in place for identifying any gaps in children's development. She lacks the knowledge and understanding required to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those with other barriers to learning and wellbeing effectively.

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

Children are happy and settled in this childminder's calm home. They enjoy a balanced curriculum that the childminder teaches through varied child-led activities and planned days out. The childminder supports children to work towards their next steps. She follows children's interests closely, which means they are highly motivated, engaged and eager to learn. Children typically make progress from their starting points, developing age- appropriate knowledge and skills. For example, younger babies receive encouragement to roll, while toddlers benefit from a clear focus on vocabulary development. Children form positive relationships with the childminder, who offers regular reassurance and models warm and respectful interactions.

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

The childminder supports children's sense of belonging by valuing their uniqueness and celebrating their achievements. She is responsive and caring, encouraging children to have a go. However, the childminder often steps in very quickly, which can sometimes limit opportunities for children to persevere and build independence.

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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

access opportunities for professional development to gain appropriate skills and knowledge and to develop processes for identifying and supporting children with special education needs and/or disabilities 10/04/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that risk assessments are robust and well implemented to promote children's welfare and 10/04/2026

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:30 - 15:30

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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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Action Completion Date

gain a secure knowledge of when and what to notify Ofsted about 10/04/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children present 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

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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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