Walton, Ann

Walton, Ann

Unique reference number (URN): 301457 Address: 14 Mayfair Crescent, Failsworth, Manchester, Lancashire, M35 9HY Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 18/03/1999 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Walton, Ann

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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 show great joy and delight as they play with trains. They solve problems and develop their critical thinking skills as they connect pieces of track together. This also requires children to master their refined coordination as they build a large and complex train track. Children are heard frequently giggling and laughing, illustrating their contentedness and enjoyment in the childminder's care. They roll and throw balls with force towards a target. This tricky task helps children to practise their gross motor skills. The range of daily activities provided by the childminder are inspiring and help to captivate children's curiosity as they become fully immersed in their play.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children often choose books during their independent play, showing a thirst to read from an early age. The childminder has a personal love of books and shares this passion for reading with children in her care. She reads with infectious enthusiasm, and children are captivated by her storytelling. Children make steady all-round progress and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children learn to take turns and follow rules as they play games. The childminder teaches children about their emotions and feelings through books and other focused activities. Children learn to play cooperatively and navigate age-appropriate behaviours. Children mix with a range of peers at toddler groups in the local community. They develop friendships beyond the childminder's home, expanding their social skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children have developed a 'can-do' attitude and repeatedly try until they succeed. For instance, younger children persevere to climb onto chairs. Their resilience helps them to approach challenge positively. Routines are flexible and adapted whenever necessary to meet children's changing needs. To illustrate, lunchtime is brought forward as children show signs of being hungry. They resume play after eating with refreshed eagerness and enthusiasm. The childminder provides children with plenty of praise to reinforce positive behaviours. Children respond well to this encouragement, and they are cooperative and respectful.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder regularly checks attendance patterns and acts quickly when children are absent. Attendance remains high each week, and the childminder accredits this to children's enjoyment in her care.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has introduced a new curriculum with a clear focus on helping children to develop skills and knowledge through play and exploration. She offers all children, including those who face barriers to their learning, activities closely linked to their interests, which helps to enthuse and excite children. The sharper, inclusive and more focused curriculum helps all children to make progress across all areas of their learning and development.

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Needs attention

The childminder uses simple and worthwhile assessment systems. She observes children continuously and records their capabilities through her tracking documentation. She knows what children can do and where they require additional help. This detailed knowledge is used to inform the childminder's targeted teaching.

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Needs attention

Children make steady progress across all areas, but make notable progress in their language skills. This is accredited to the language-rich environment the childminder creates. She provides ongoing narration as children play, talking continuously about what children are doing and can see. The childminder introduces new words to extend language, such as 'big train' or 'red tram'. She sings to children, further developing their language through rhythm and rhyme. Children are supported to become confident communicators.

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Needs attention

The childminder understands her role to be both a teacher and nurturing caregiver. She balances these 2 responsibilities extremely well. She guides and extends children's learning as they play through her subtle interactions. Equally, she offers warm affection and gentle encouragement to foster children's positive sense of self-worth.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder invests time and energy in getting to know children and families. She understands every child's background and unique needs. The childminder strives to offer an individualised and tailored experience. For instance, when caring for children with special dietary needs, the childminder adapts her mealtime arrangements to ensure that everyone is fully included. The childminder carefully considers activities she provides, to ensure children with different ages, interests and abilities are accommodated. Subtle adaptations are in place. For instance, older children enjoy playing familiar games with noughts and crosses, developing their critical thinking and cooperative play. Younger children are encouraged to make simple patterns with the game pieces, extending their knowledge of mathematical patterns. All children, including those with barriers to their learning, are well supported to achieve and make steady progress in their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder engages with wider agencies to support children in her care. Recent support from the local authority quality team has helped the childminder to refine and improve her inclusive curriculum. The childminder has secure knowledge of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities if these children enrol at her setting in the future.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder does not have adequate fire detection or fire control equipment available in her home, as required. She has completed 'fire marshal' training and knows the steps to take to respond to a fire emergency. The childminder has also considered the route to take to evacuate her home, if necessary. She has carefully evaluated the risk of fire in her home, and her detailed evacuation procedures mean she knows how to keep children safe in the event of a fire emergency, and they are not at significant risk. The childminder intends to swiftly rectify her oversight to provide appropriate fire safety equipment to fully promote children's welfare.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Occasionally, children are not safely seated when they are eating. For instance, children are sometimes allowed to continue playing while eating snacks. The childminder closely supervises children during snack time, and this attentive supervision helps to keep children safe. As such, the risks to children during snack times are reduced. The childminder has appropriate seating arrangements and safer eating procedures in place, which are observed diligently during other mealtimes. Her knowledge of how to keep children safe when eating is secure. However, current arrangements at snack time and the leadership of children's welfare would benefit from being reviewed through more rigorous self-evaluation, reflection and improvements.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder has fostered positive relationships with children, and attachments promote children's sense of belonging. This is a home-from-home environment, where children flourish in their emotional wellbeing because they are happy and settled. The childminder offers children additional emotional support when needed. She often praises children for their efforts, further fostering their sense of self-worth. All children's emotional wellbeing is nurtured well. The childminder is attentive to children's care needs and offers them flexible routines to support their emotional wellbeing. For instance, younger children are provided with a safe place to sleep when needed.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder's knowledge of her role and responsibilities is not sufficient. She has not kept up to date with changes in the early years foundation stage statutory framework. This means that she is not meeting all requirements. The childminder has completed some training about child development and is using her improved knowledge in this area to inform her teaching. However, further training is required to build knowledge and confidence in her duties.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder understands she has gaps in her practices to promote children's welfare. She shows commitment and capacity to address these swiftly. She has put in place sensible measures, such as close supervision at snack times and clear fire evacuation procedures, to minimise the impact on children.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder is experienced and has worked in the early years sector for several decades. She comments that she loves her job, and this passion helps to drive her daily. Improvements have been made since the last inspection, and the childminder demonstrates grit and determination to continue this journey of development to raise standards and offer children and families the best start in their lives. The childminder works closely with the local authority quality team to help her evaluate her provision and drive improvements.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has developed a vast network of childminder friends. She meets with these colleagues often, and together they discuss and share good practice ideas. These professional discussions help to reinforce the childminder's sense of positive wellbeing. Partnerships with parents are well established. Parents trust the childminder and value her support and care for their children. They comment positively about their experiences of the childminder's nurturing service.

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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 are confident, independent and happy. These personal attributes are displayed because children are reassured by the childminder's kindness and affection. Children greet visitors with a friendly wave and an inquisitive smile. They invite new people into their games, showing a wonderful sense of assurance and belonging. The childminder creates a relaxed and friendly atmosphere for children. This helps to foster children's emotional resilience.

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

Children benefit from daily trips and outings in the local community that enrich their learning experiences. They visit playgroups, libraries, parks and shops to develop an awareness of the wider world they live in. Children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning and the eventual move to school. The childminder has excellent links with the local primary school, which helps her to manage transitions to school smoothly. This means that children's learning and care are seamless between the childminder's setting and school. Children learn empathy and respect for living animals. They are fond of the childminder's pets, and they learn tolerance as they play gently with these animals. This is a home-from-home setting where children are well supported both emotionally and developmentally.

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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 appropriate fire detection and fire control equipment is always accessible, for use in the event of a fire emergency 15/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

implement safer eating procedures consistently, including snack times, to promote children's welfare every time children eat 15/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve knowledge of roles and responsibilities, to ensure all requirements of registration are understood and met 15/06/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children 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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Address:

14 Mayfair Crescent Failsworth Manchester Lancashire M35 9HY

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Address:

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

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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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