Ratcliff, Chloe Alexandra Rose

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2799071 Registered with Ofsted: 25/09/2024 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 Needs attention

Children's progress across the curriculum, particularly in communication and language, is slower than expected. Although children begin to develop some independence, such as tidying away resources, they are not supported consistently well enough to develop personal care and self-help skills. In addition, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not always receive the targeted support they need to achieve as well as they could from their starting points. Assessment and teaching are not used effectively enough to address gaps in learning or adapt experiences to meet children's individual needs. As a result, some children do not make the progress they are capable of.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children appear happy, socially confident and engage in a suitable range of play experiences. They take turns, share toys and begin to develop respect and care for animals as they pretend to treat toy pets at the veterinary surgery. Children develop creative skills while decorating Easter bonnets and build some early mathematical understanding through puzzles and problem-solving activities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

The childminder does not place enough emphasis on promoting regular attendance and punctuality. Systems for monitoring attendance are not sufficiently established or used effectively. For example, she does not implement correct procedures to consistently identify patterns of absence or take timely action when children do not attend. This limits her ability to provide consistent learning and routines for all children.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

The childminder provides a positive environment, where expectations for behaviour are clear and generally understood. Children respond appropriately, showing kindness, sharing resources and taking turns. They demonstrate patience, for example, during mealtimes, and begin to understand how their actions affect others. Children are curious, engaged and play cooperatively with others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Relationships between the childminder and children are warm and nurturing. Children show trust and confidence in seeking reassurance and support, which helps them feel safe and secure. The childminder encourages collaboration and supports children to play together, helping them develop appropriate social skills. She considers children's ages when reinforcing expectations, supporting their understanding of boundaries and behaviour.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder does not monitor children's progress effectively and does not provide targeted support for children with additional needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, gaps in learning and emerging needs are not identified quickly enough, which affects some children's confidence and engagement. Children are not consistently supported to develop independence in their personal care. For example, they are not encouraged to manage tasks, such as wiping their noses. This limits opportunities for children to develop self-care skills appropriate to their age and stage of development. The childminder generally has appropriate policies in place, however, these are not consistently implemented well enough to fully promote children's individual needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder provides a safe and welcoming home environment, where children appear secure and comfortable. She forms warm and responsive relationships with children, which support their emotional wellbeing. Children enjoy daily opportunities for outdoor play and engage in a range of activities. Established routines help children to feel settled and develop a sense of security. The childminder builds positive relationships with children and their parents, helping to promote a sense of belonging. The childminder promotes healthy lifestyles, encouraging exercise and providing a balanced and nutritious diet.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder does not have a secure enough understanding of effective teaching or curriculum implementation to consistently support all children's learning well. Interactions are not always purposeful and do not consistently meet the needs of all children, particularly those with additional needs and/or special educational needs and disabilities. Assessment is not used effectively to identify children's starting points, monitor progress accurately or plan targeted support. As a result, teaching is not adapted well enough to meet emerging needs or address barriers to learning, and some children do not make the progress they are capable of.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum lacks clear structure and progression, particularly in communication and language, early mathematics and literacy. Although it broadly reflects the requirements of the early years foundation stage, learning is not sequenced well enough to help children build consistently on prior knowledge and skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder demonstrates an awareness of the curriculum and shows some ambition for some children's learning. She understands the importance of conversation and gives children time to think and respond, which supports their confidence and engagement. Children benefit from daily outdoor play, nurturing care and familiar routines that positively support their personal, social and emotional development.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder is committed to providing an inclusive environment, where children feel safe, welcomed and valued. However, she does not identify and assess children's individual needs quickly or accurately enough. Systems to recognise emerging or changing needs are not effective, meaning some children, including those with additional needs or special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not receive timely support to promote their learning.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder makes some adjustments to reduce barriers to learning, for example, by speaking clearly and regularly introducing new words in conversation to support children to develop their communication skills and vocabulary. However, these adjustments are not sufficiently well planned, consistently implemented or regularly reviewed. Adaptations are not always effectively matched to children's individual needs or stages of development, nor do they evolve in response to children's changing needs. As a result, inclusive practice does not typically support all children to make the progress they are capable of, particularly those who require additional support.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder does not monitor children's progress closely enough or review the effectiveness of the support provided. She does not use assessment information to inform and adapt her practice. Consequently, she does not have a clear understanding of how well children are progressing, what support is needed or whether the support in place is improving outcomes.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder maintains stable day-to-day operations and understands the context of the setting. Since the last inspection, she has taken action to improve practice by updating safeguarding procedures and strengthening risk assessments, which are now embedded in daily routines and support children's safety and wellbeing. She has reviewed aspects of the setting and identified some strengths. However, she does not focus actions for improvement sharply enough or consistently explore the underlying causes of weaknesses, which reduces the impact of changes on children's experiences and outcomes.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder makes decisions with children's best interests in mind. However, she does not consistently provide support that is closely matched to the individual needs of children who are disadvantaged or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She undertakes professional development to maintain her knowledge. However, training is not focused sufficiently on improving the quality of teaching and learning or addressing the specific needs of children within the setting.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Although the childminder provides a welcoming environment, she does not offer an ambitious curriculum for all children and does not monitor children's progress or track attendance effectively. She does not consistently support children to achieve as well as they could in order to secure better outcomes for all children.

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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

The childminder does not consistently carry out timely and effective assessments or monitoring to understand what children can do, nor does she use this information to provide targeted support. As a result, children with additional needs and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are not fully included in all aspects of the setting. Younger children communicate basic needs but their communication skills are not progressing at the expected rate. Learning experiences are not sufficiently tailored to meet individual needs, and the curriculum lacks ambition for all children. Consequently, some children do not receive the targeted support they need in communication and language, which limits their progress.

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

While children follow routines well, the childminder does not adequately support the development of early self-care skills. This includes managing personal needs, such as independently accessing tissues and wiping their noses. Attendance is not effectively promoted or monitored, which limits the childminder's ability to support children's emotional security and prevents children from benefiting from consistent care, routines and learning experiences.

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

Children appear happy in the childminder's home and engage enthusiastically in activities. They show curiosity and concentration as they build small towers with blocks and explore imaginative play, such as pretending to be vets. They dress in vet costumes and care for toy animals by applying bandages, taking turns as they play. Children develop hand strength and dexterity as they peel stickers from their backing. Walks in the local area, including trips to watch trains on the railway, support children's physical development and enhance their understanding of vehicles and the local community. Children are safe, welcome and valued. The childminder provides a warm and nurturing environment, where children form secure

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Inspector:

Victoria Jones attachments and seek comfort and reassurance when needed. Positive relationships between children promote cooperation and the development of social 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

The childminder should undertake targeted training to improve the quality of teaching and ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of all children 14/04/2026

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Action Completion Date

The childminder should ensure robust assessments, including the progress check at age 2, are implemented to ensure children's emerging needs are recognised and met 14/04/2026

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Action Completion Date

The childminder should implement robust and timely procedures for the monitoring of children's attendance 01/04/2026

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Action Completion Date

The childminder should implement effective strategies to promote the development of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those with identified gaps in their learning 14/04/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children and parents during the inspection.

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About this inspection

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this 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,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 16:00

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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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