Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2780497 Registered with Ofsted: 28/03/2024 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children form secure, trusting relationships with the childminder, which helps them to feel safe, settled and confident within the setting. As a result, children are ready to engage positively in their learning. The childminder promotes a strong culture of regular attendance and works closely with families to establish consistent routines. Parents speak highly of the childminder's professionalism, noting that children frequently talk about her at home, which they find reassuring. Children demonstrate high levels of engagement, sustained concentration and very positive attitudes towards daily activities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has clear and consistently applied expectations for children's behaviour and attitudes to learning. She places a strong emphasis on developing children's personal, social and emotional skills and support for these is effectively embedded into daily practice. Through calm, sensitive interactions, children are supported to recognise and manage their own feelings and behaviour. This helps them to regulate their emotions and respond appropriately in different situations.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children benefit from meaningful opportunities to develop independence as part of everyday routines. For example, they confidently pour their own drinks, prepare healthy snacks and independently put on their coats and shoes. The childminder also encourages children to manage their personal hygiene, including washing and drying their hands. She successfully establishes a calm, respectful and harmonious environment, where children behave well and develop the skills needed for the next stage of their learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children show high levels of enjoyment in their play and learning. The childminder provides a warm, nurturing and inclusive environment, where children feel valued, respected and confident to explore independently. As a result, children separate confidently from their parents at the start of the day. They arrive relaxed and enthusiastic, demonstrating a deep sense of belonging and strong, trusting relationships with the childminder.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places a strong emphasis on children's physical and emotional wellbeing. She is highly attentive and consistently responsive to children's individual needs, providing calm, sensitive reassurance that supports their emotional development effectively. She skilfully recognises when children require comfort, rest or additional support and responds appropriately, helping children feel safe, understood and secure at all times. Safe sleeping protocols are firmly embedded and are tailored to meet each child's needs and parental preferences.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Well-established and thoughtfully planned routines support children to develop long-lasting healthy habits. Children are encouraged to develop independence in caring for themselves, follow good hygiene practices and gain a clear understanding of the importance of making healthy choices for their wellbeing. The childminder knows the individual needs of the children well and uses this knowledge to provide highly personalised care and support.

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Expected standard

Consequently, children form strong attachments, feel emotionally secure and show high levels of confidence and wellbeing, enabling them to thrive.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make steady progress from their starting points and acquire the skills and knowledge needed to be ready for the next stage of learning. Children are confident communicators, who benefit from frequent and purposeful opportunities to develop and extend their vocabulary and to use language meaningfully in a range of contexts. As a result, they demonstrate independence and confidence.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are motivated learners and sustain concentration in activities. They show positive attitudes to learning, including perseverance and resilience. Mathematical development is well supported, and children confidently practise their counting skills in everyday situations, such as during the school run, where they enjoy counting vehicles and recognising numbers in the local environment.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop their physical skills well. Opportunities to build strength and coordination are regularly provided through outdoor play and visits to local facilities.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder consistently promotes children's early communication and language development through well planned and purposeful interactions. She models rich language effectively, encouraging children to listen attentively, respond appropriately and extend their vocabulary through meaningful conversations. This enables children to develop the confidence and skills needed to express their needs, ideas and emerging thoughts, supporting their progress in communication and language.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children's physical development is prioritised from the earliest age. As part of the curriculum on offer, children learn to balance, practise crawling and their first steps and move freely while learning to navigate the outdoor environment. This is further supported through visits to local parks and attractions, where children have opportunities to apply and extend these skills. The curriculum presents broad opportunities for children to develop their gross and fine motor skills. These include rolling, shaping and manipulating play dough to create letters, shapes and patterns using a variety of tools. However, the childminder is not providing the targeted support that is needed to refine these skills, ensuring children achieve the control, precision and dexterity to apply these skills across all areas of development.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children show clear enjoyment during story times, joining in and predicting what might happen next. The childminder makes story time fun by giving children opportunities to mimic animal noises and copy actions linked to familiar stories. These learning experiences support children's growing love of stories, language and early literature.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder creates a safe, caring and inclusive environment, where all children feel secure, welcome and confident. She works effectively with parents to gain a clear understanding of each child's individual needs, interests and family circumstances. This enables her to support children sensitively and appropriately from the start. As a result, children settle quickly, form secure relationships and show growing independence within familiar daily routines.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has consistently high expectations of all children, regardless of age and stage of development. She generally adapts learning experiences effectively to ensure that every child can participate fully and achieve well. Children behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a growing understanding of the strengths of the setting and areas for improvement. She has an increasing confidence in evaluating her practice and is using these reflections to identify priorities for improvement that enhance the quality of education, particularly for disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This approach supports the continual development of a broad and inclusive curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is committed to working closely with relevant professionals from health and education to support children's individual needs. She ensures that statutory requirements are fully met and that policies and procedures, including those relating to safeguarding, health and safety and inclusion, are implemented consistently and effectively to promote children's welfare.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents speak positively about the childminder's professionalism and the clear, regular communication they receive about their children's experiences and progress. The childminder establishes strong partnerships with families by sharing information daily, responding to feedback and working collaboratively to support children's learning, safety and wellbeing. This ensures that children's needs are understood and met consistently.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder continually develops her knowledge and skills through a wide range of training opportunities. Recent professional development has strengthened her understanding of safe sleep practices and healthy eating for young children. The childminder's leadership is effective in ensuring a safe, well-organised and supportive environment, where children feel secure and make steady progress.

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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 works in close partnership with parents to ensure children experience a nurturing and inclusive home-from-home environment. Effective information-sharing supports continuity of care and promotes positive attendance.

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

Children feel safe and secure and demonstrate high levels of confidence and engagement in their play and learning. A well planned and carefully implemented settling-in process enables children to develop strong, secure attachments with the childminder. As a result, children separate confidently from parents, make independent choices and show curiosity and

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About this setting

Registration date: 28/03/2024 motivation to explore the learning environment. This has a positive impact on children's emotional wellbeing and readiness to learn.

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About this setting

Children's behaviour and attitudes are consistently positive. They demonstrate respect for one another and show a willingness to cooperate and share. The childminder skilfully supports children's personal development by helping them to recognise, understand and manage their emotions. Across the age range, children play harmoniously together, reflecting trusting relationships and a strong sense of belonging. Children's communication and language is prioritised. Children demonstrate a strong enjoyment of books, songs and stories. The childminder models language effectively through high-quality interactions and engaging storytelling, providing frequent opportunities for children to practise new vocabulary and extend their spoken sentences. This supports children's thinking, problem- solving skills and overall progress.

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Next steps

The childminder should further reflect on her own practice, so she has a detailed understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for improvement. The childminder should further create opportunities for children to refine their fine motor skills, enabling them to build strength, control and precision.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, parents and carers 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. Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday : 07:30 - 17:30,Thursday : 07:45 - 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

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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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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