Sturley, Lucy Elizabeth

Sturley, Lucy Elizabeth

Unique reference number (URN): 2776429 Address: 17 Herald Street, Aylesbury, HP22 7BS Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 27/02/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: Sturley, Lucy Elizabeth

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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 Strong standard

Children make clear progress across all areas of the curriculum because they are given frequent, meaningful opportunities to develop their next steps throughout the day. They are very well prepared for the next stages of their learning, particularly in communication and language, where they confidently ask questions, share ideas and engage in purposeful conversations. Clear working partnerships with local preschools and schools ensure that transitions are smooth, well planned and fully supportive of each child's needs. Children demonstrate high levels of confidence and growing independence, naturally practising and refining their skills during play and daily routines. All 7 areas of learning are clearly embedded across the provision, enabling children to make sustained and secure progress over time. Physical development is a particular strength, with children consistently supported to build coordination, strength and confidence through rich indoor and outdoor opportunities.

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Achievement Strong standard

As a result, children thrive and achieve extraordinarily well. Children with delayed speech and limited vocabulary on entry develop the ability to use simple sentences to communicate their needs and ideas. Targeted interventions, including small-group language support and consistent adult modelling, enable them to make secure progress from their starting points.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder creates a warm, positive and nurturing environment where children are highly engaged, motivated and ready to learn. Children demonstrate excellent behaviours for learning because she consistently supports and extends their play, ensuring that they are always challenged, stimulated and never bored. Every moment becomes a purposeful learning opportunity, with the childminder skilfully weaving curiosity, exploration and challenge into daily routines. Strong, trusting relationships underpin a harmonious and respectful culture, where children feel secure, valued and confident to manage their own feelings. The childminder's relationships with the children are extremely close and nurturing, enabling children to feel deeply supported and emotionally safe. Attendance is consistently strong, and the childminder uses research to monitor attendance patterns closely and offers flexible session times when needed to help families maintain regular, reliable attendance.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Routines are clearly shared with parents, promoting consistency, punctuality and smooth transitions that benefit both the children and the setting. Children confidently share resources and play alongside one another in a calm, cooperative environment. Explicit praise is embedded throughout the day, reinforcing positive behaviour and building high levels of confidence and self-esteem. As a result, children demonstrate kindness, cooperation and respect, reflecting the strong behavioural expectations and the childminder's unwavering commitment to their welfare and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are promoted to a very high standard, with fresh drinking water always accessible and handwashing routines firmly embedded, even for the youngest children who wash their hands safely with gentle supervision. Young children are encouraged to pour their own water, directly supporting their next-step targets and building early self-help skills. Children cut their own snacks with sensitive guidance, developing fine motor control, independence and safe tool handling. Strong, nurturing relationships underpin children's emotional security. The childminder knows each child extremely well and makes a significant, positive difference to their wellbeing and development. Physical development is strongly prioritised, with regular opportunities to climb, run, explore green spaces, attend local groups and engages in active play that promotes healthy habits. Personal safety is consistently reinforced, with children learning how to use knives safely, sit appropriately at

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

the table and wash their hands correctly. The childminder remains mindful of babies as they crawl and climb. Children consistently make healthy choices and decisions. They use their understanding of how handwashing, fresh air, fruit and water support their bodies and wellbeing. The childminder anticipates children's needs sensitively, responding promptly when babies becomes tired or unsettled to maintain emotional security. Policies are reviewed regularly in line with statutory requirements, and the week is well structured to provide routine, continuity and reassurance.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder provides a rich, ambitious and inclusive curriculum that is firmly shaped by children's interests, their next steps and the childminder's child development knowledge. Her secure understanding of child development enables her to identify gaps swiftly and plan with precision, for example recognising when additional fine motor opportunities are needed to support early pencil-grip development. Carefully planned activities, such as jigsaws, watering plants, threading and pouring from a jug, are used purposefully to strengthen children's hand muscles and coordination. Mathematical learning is woven naturally throughout the day, with children cutting fruit into halves and quarters, counting insects in stories, comparing quantities in puzzles and noticing how many pieces remain during snack preparation. Next steps are clearly reflected in the environment; babies are supported in their walking, singing and dancing, while older children are encouraged to develop their fine

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

motor control, speech and language, independence and problem-solving skills. Learning is consistently connected to children's previous experiences, helping them make meaningful links, for example recalling swimming with armbands or discussing insects from a familiar story. Physical development is strongly promoted through access to bikes, cars, prams and climbing equipment, ensuring that children build strength, balance and confidence. Daily routines are well established, helping children feel secure and understand what comes next. Every interaction is used as a learning opportunity, with the childminder skilfully questioning, addressing misconceptions and adapting in the moment to ensure that all children make strong, sustained progress.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates highly effective leadership and a deep understanding of her setting. She has thoughtfully developed her practice over time to ensure that her setting remains purposeful, productive and well equipped for children to make strong, sustained progress. She documents changes to the setting's context carefully and works in close partnership with families to prepare them for transitions, including maternity leave arrangements and collaboration with other childminders, to maintain continuity of care. Families consistently report that their children feel safe, well cared for and supported with patience and genuine compassion. Parents describe significant improvements in their

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Expected standard

children's speech, language and social development, attributing this progress to the childminder's extensive experience, professionalism and unwavering dedication. They highlight the warm, nurturing relationships she builds with each child, creating a secure, home-from-home environment where children play confidently and engage in rich, hands-on learning experiences. Parents feel fully supported, noting clear communication about daily routines, progress and important transitions, such as moving from breast to bottle. They describe her as a caring, committed professional who provides personalised childcare of a very high standard. Families value the high-quality garden space, healthy meals and the childminder's supportive, approachable manner. Children arrive excited and leave relaxed and content, demonstrating the positive impact of her attentiveness, patience and genuine care. Self-evaluation is ongoing and meaningful, with relevant training regularly

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Expected standard

implemented to enhance practice and improve outcomes. The childminder demonstrates a clear commitment to inclusion by recognising the importance of ongoing training to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively, ensuring their individual needs are met and they make good progress. Engagement with families remains excellent, with highly positive feedback reflecting the strong relationships, trust and satisfaction within the community.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder identifies children's needs quickly and has a secure understanding of when referrals should be made and who to contact. Even though no referrals have been required to date. She recognises the importance of working effectively with professionals. This includes health visitors, speech and language therapists and the local authority special education needs team to ensure that children receive timely and appropriate support. She is confident in seeking advice from professionals, communicating clearly and implementing recommended strategies to support children's development. The two-year progress check is completed thoroughly, allowing for early identification of any emerging needs and ensuring that families are well informed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has a secure understanding of each child's individual needs. She uses this knowledge to plan purposeful next steps that enable them to make steady, consistent progress. Although no child currently receives early years pupil premium, the childminder understands how this funding can be used to enhance provision through resources, training or specialist support if required. Through this proactive and informed approach, children's needs are met promptly and effectively, ensuring that all children are included, supported and able to thrive.

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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 welcomed into the setting by an extremely kind and nurturing childminder who greets them warmly, creating an immediate sense of safety and belonging. They arrive with enthusiasm, often running in eagerly and joining their friends with confidence. From the moment they enter, children have the autonomy to make their own choices, supported by a childminder who has already anticipated their favourite activities. Older children gravitate towards jigsaws and books, while babies delight in dancing robots and sensory play. This thoughtful preparation ensures that children feel valued, understood and excited to learn.

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About this setting

Children show consistently high levels of engagement and curiosity because the childminder has built their confidence through strong relationships, gentle encouragement and meaningful challenge. They are thoroughly prepared for their next steps. Clear developmental goals are embedded throughout the environment, enabling children to practise skills naturally across the day. Older children strengthen their fine motor skills through everyday routines, such as peeling and cutting fruit, using mathematical language such as 'halves' and 'quarters' as they prepare snacks to share. Every interaction becomes a learning opportunity, with the childminder skilfully linking experiences to children's own lives, for example connecting a picture of a bird swimming to a child's memory of using armbands in the pool.

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About this setting

Children benefit from an abundance of outdoor experiences, both in the well-resourced garden and the wider community. They attend local dance sessions, meet with other childminders to build social confidence and explore parks and green spaces to strengthen their physical development. Parents highly value these enriching opportunities.

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About this setting

Throughout the day, children demonstrate positive behaviour, high engagement and growing independence. Consistent routines, clear expectations and frequent praise help them feel secure and capable. They wipe up spills, water plants and take pride in helping others. As a result, children thrive in a warm, joyful and deeply supportive environment where they feel confident, cared for and ready to learn.

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Next steps

The childminder should continue to further embed the curriculum to develop exceptional standards.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, parents 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. Unique reference number (URN): 2776429

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Address:

Registered person: Sturley, Lucy Elizabeth

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Address:

Operating hours: Wednesday,Thursday,Monday,Tuesday : 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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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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