Hogg, Katie

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2765185 Registered with Ofsted: 04/03/2024 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 Expected standard

Children typically make secure progress through the curriculum. Their speech and vocabulary steadily develops. From younger babies making responsive cooing sounds and babbling, to older children using words that are newly taught to them. Children develop good relationships with their peers, which supports them in their play and in extending each other's ideas. However, the childminder does not always take every opportunity to extend children's learning further.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children, including those who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing, make steady progress from their starting points, such as learning to pull themselves up to stand and beginning to walk using surfaces to pull themselves along. Children are well prepared for their next stage of learning, building upon their current experiences to consolidate their learning and progress forward. Children are highly engaged in learning and motivated to listen to interesting stories and fill in the blanks when staff miss words in sentences for them to find.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children show positive attitudes to learning in this calm environment. They know the routines very well, and take part willingly, such as when it is time to tidy up. The childminder has established a positive environment and sets out boundaries and rules for children. However, she does not consistently and clearly reinforce these boundaries and rules to make a highly impactful difference to children. While they are commonly understood and generally applied fairly, there are some incidents of unwanted behaviour that get addressed but the desired behaviour or boundary is not reinforced.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has built secure and responsive relationships with children that helps them to feel valued. The childminder is a positive role model and, as a result, children learn to collaborate well with each other and get along with others, incorporating them in play. The childminder actively promotes the importance of punctuality and attendance to families, and has an attendance policy that ensures any absences are swiftly followed up. The childminder considers each child's age and stage of development when supporting their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children build warm, trusting relationships with the childminder. This means that they are confident to share any concerns or worries in age- and stage-appropriate ways.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder understands the quality of the curriculum, and places children at the centre of her decisions to bring about improvements. Her curriculum design is typically effective to meet all of the learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage, however, the childminder does not take every opportunity to extend children's learning further.

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Needs attention

The childminder intentionally narrates and holds warm and responsive conversations with children to support their language skills. These interactions mean that children build their vocabulary and communication, particularly their mathematical knowledge. For example, children count their grapes out for snack time.

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Needs attention

Children's physical, personal, social and emotional development are prioritised. The childminder comforts children, when they need it, and utilises useful resources to support explicit teaching of naming and managing emotions. Children's physical skills are encouraged, ranging from sensory boards to allow children to experience undulating floors, to progressing on using the climbing equipment at the local park.

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Needs attention

The childminder seeks to support every child, including those who face barriers to learning or wellbeing, through early identification and making reasonable adaptations to meet their individual needs. She uses different forms of assessment to check what children know and can do, and creates tailored next steps from these assessments.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses appropriate assessment tools to assess children's individual needs and circumstances to identify any potential barriers to learning or wellbeing. This is achieved through the starting points she gathers from the 'All About Me' forms, baseline assessments, ongoing observations and statutory checks such as the progress check at age 2.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder reviews the support she has in place for children and would make adaptations or reasonable adjustments to support children to keep making steady progress. She works with other agencies to support children across all areas of learning. She works closely with children and their families, securing positive relationships. She utilises these relationships to gain feedback and shape children's opportunities and experiences, building upon children's starting points. For example, the childminder introduces stories and concepts of care for babies, for children who are about to become a sibling for the first time.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands how to use any additional funding appropriately. She explains she would use it to reduce any barriers to learning or wellbeing for each individual child, such as buying specific resources.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder fails to keep children within sight and hearing at all times when they are eating, and does not ensure that all children have access to drinking water at all times. This is a breach to the statutory requirements. The childminder is aware of her duty to meet these requirements, and shows a willingness to put these matters right going forward.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder ensures that children's basic individual needs are met, such as individual care routines, including milk, nappy changes and toilet training. The childminder has very responsive, warm interactions with children, which helps them to build secure relationships. The childminder supports children to make progress across all areas of learning. She supports children to understand their physical development, personal safety, health and wellbeing through regular conversations and activities. For example, the childminder incorporates oral health activities and speaks to the children about visiting the dentist. Children are also supported to recognise, express and manage their emotions through meaningful activities to support them to develop a secure sense of emotional wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has a broad awareness of the setting's strengths and areas for development. However her actions lack precision. For example, she completes regular general training, but it is not specific in tackling the underlying causes of weakness. Her programme of professional learning is broad, generic and insufficiently targeted on improving her knowledge and skills to have a positive impact on children's learning and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder is currently building a cabin in her garden to care for children. She is excited and passionate about the developments and has put appropriate risk assessments in place. The childminder makes decisions to benefit children, particularly those who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing, to support them in reducing gaps. This is achieved through working with external partners, such as families and local schools. The childminder gathers information about each child and uses this information to provide them with experiences and opportunities to build on what they already know and can do. For example, she regularly visits local parks with children, considering those who may not have had the experience of visiting a park before.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder considers her own workload and wellbeing, but prioritises the children. She feels that her workload is manageable and she has set clear boundaries to maintain a healthy balance.

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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 warmly welcomed into the setting. They settle quickly and explore the toys around them. They use their own knowledge to access certain toys, such as teeth cleaning, and the childminder supports them to build upon this. For example, she uses this as an opportunity to talk about visiting the dentist. The childminder talks to children about making healthy choices; however, she does not always keep children within sight and hearing throughout mealtimes or ensure that all children always have access to drinking water.

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

Children are happy and willing to explore because they feel safe and secure. They are thoughtful towards their peers, encouraging others to play with them. For example, children collaborate well and build on each other's ideas. Children are engaged in their play and are motivated to keep trying and have a go. For instance, the childminder offers frequent praise, which encourages children to repeat actions, building on what they already know and can do. Children achieve well because of this enjoyment and, through their experiences of the curriculum, are well prepared for their next steps. For example, the childminder shares important information with schools and supports children to be school ready as they progress through the curriculum.

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

The childminder prioritises early identification of any gaps in learning or barriers to wellbeing. She works with families and is willing to engage with other professionals to support each individual child and close any identified gaps.

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

Children feel valued and included in all aspects of the setting. For example, they choose their own snacks and activities throughout the day. The childminder has warm interactions with children and speaks to them frequently, giving them a clear understanding of what is happening now and what will happen next. She is welcoming and has built strong relationships with children and their families.

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About this setting

Children have a positive attitude to learning, seeking out experiences and support from the childminder to extend their learning. They generally understand behavioural expectations, and the childminder typically identifies incidents of unwanted behaviour quickly. Children feel safe, and the childminder fulfils her duties as the designated safeguarding lead, actively promoting attendance and punctuality with families. She values each child as an individual and supports them to grow and flourish.

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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 that all children are always within sight and hearing when they are eating 14/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that all children always have access to drinking water 14/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

develop a more detailed awareness of the quality of provision, particularly areas for development 28/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that training is specifically targeted to improving the outcomes for children 28/05/2026

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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

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): 2765185

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 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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