Fuller, Susan Louise

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 120664 Registered with Ofsted: 02/03/1999 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

The childminder has created a calm and nurturing environment where children feel safe and settled. She develops secure attachments with children, who seek her out for reassurance and confidently look to her for guidance. Children respond very well to her gentle instructions and understand her expectations for behaviour. Through positive role modelling, they learn how to form healthy relationships and they develop a sense of belonging and security.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are well supported to understand and manage their emotions. The childminder skilfully teaches them to listen to each other and share and take turns, for example when they wait for their turn to choose a book at story time. She does this consistently, and her teaching is impactful with regards to promoting positive behaviour. She helps children to develop high levels of self-control, patience and respect for others as part of their daily routines.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder promotes good attendance by working closely with parents to ensure that children benefit from all activities and learning opportunities. She has appropriate policies and procedures in place to support this.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides a warm, nurturing and emotionally secure environment where children's welfare and wellbeing are always put first. Children form strong, trusting relationships with her and show they feel safe, valued and confident in her care. She knows each child extremely well and responds to their individual needs with patience, understanding and genuine care.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder's home is calm, well organised and predictable, helping children feel settled and secure. Clear routines and expectations support children's emotional wellbeing and help them understand what will happen next. The childminder models positive behaviour at all times, showing kindness, sharing and good manners, which children copy naturally in their play and interactions. Children are encouraged to become increasingly independent in simple self-care tasks, such as washing their hands, brushing their teeth and wiping their noses. The childminder supports them gently, ensuring that they stay clean and healthy while learning to do things for themselves. Healthy habits are built into the day, with children learning to use tissues properly, check they are clean in a mirror and wash their hands afterwards. Daily toothbrushing is carried out safely, and children take pride in their oral hygiene.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder also promotes healthy eating and physical wellbeing. She provides nutritious meals and works closely with parents to support whole food choices, sleep routines and self-care strategies. Activities, such as pizza making, help children learn about nutrition and develop fine motor skills. Parents are kept well informed through daily conversations and shared updates, and they feel confident their children are well cared for.

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Expected standard

Overall, children thrive in this setting and show high levels of happiness, confidence and wellbeing.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder monitors children's development and progress carefully and has an excellent understanding of child development. This enables her to identify quickly when children show gaps in their learning or may have special educational needs and/or disabilities. She takes prompt action to discuss any concerns with parents and signposts them to appropriate support.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder works closely with parents and other professionals to adapt her environment and implement recommended strategies. She has previously supported children with barriers to their learning, such as hypermobility and neurodiversity. She rigorously monitors children's progress to ensure that any support they receive has a positive impact. This means that all children are able to access the full curriculum and make progress from their individual starting points.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder provides a well-resourced and inclusive environment so that all children can participate fully in all activities and learning experiences. This promotes equality of opportunity and ensures that no child is excluded from learning. Children who may face barriers to learning are supported to learn alongside their peers with confidence and a clear sense of belonging, and all children are helped to achieve their best.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education and make progress across the curriculum, including children who face barriers to their learning. In the care of the very experienced childminder, they become curious and confident learners who explore their environment and use resources imaginatively.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically develop their social skills. They learn to listen to each other, for example, during circle time, and very young children demonstrate kindness as they share resources with their peers. They are able to focus on tasks for sustained periods and work cooperatively with each other.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children learn to persevere. They celebrate excitedly when they master a new skill. They develop resilience and confidence to try new challenges.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a balanced curriculum and uses assessment effectively to monitor children's progress and plan learning experiences that build on what children already know and can do. The childminder places a clear emphasis on communication and language. Children enjoy daily story times and develop a love of books. The childminder carefully selects books that match children's stages of language development and help them tune into different sounds. She encourages them to attempt new and challenging words such as 'helicopter' and praises their efforts and models correct pronunciation. This helps children to build confidence and extend their vocabulary. Mathematical language is introduced naturally through daily activities as children talk about size, colour and number. Children use new words in their play and develop their communication skills, which prepares them for the next stage of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports children's emotional and physical wellbeing. Children benefit from regular opportunities to play outdoors. They visit the nearby allotment, and the childminder helps them to feel part of a small community. Children's small-physical skills are supported well through a wide range of hands-on activities, including arts and crafts and experiences such as making their own pizzas. These opportunities help children develop coordination, hand strength and fine motor control in meaningful and enjoyable ways. All children benefit from a broad variety of activities that support their overall development effectively, and the childminder ensures that learning remains engaging, purposeful and well matched to children's interests. However, on some occasions, younger children are not as seamlessly included in group activities as they could be to enable them to participate fully at their developmental level.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents to help them extend their children's learning and development at home. She promptly discusses with them if gaps in children's learning or development begin to emerge and offers practical suggestions to help overcome them. This creates a collaborative approach to children's care and learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is reflective in her practice and regularly reviews her provision to ensure that it suits children's stages of development, so they continue to make progress through the curriculum. Although the childminder completes regular training, she has not considered how to sharply focus on the areas that would most strengthen her practice.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works diligently to ensure that children are well supported through transitions to other settings. She prepares children through conversations about what to expect and forwards their starting points and next steps to the new setting, so they can continue to build on these. She also works closely with other settings children attend, engaging in active dialogue about their development and behaviour so both settings understand what children know and can do. This ensures that children receive a joined-up and consistent approach to their learning and development.

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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 thrive and learn in the care of the kind childminder who provides a safe and nurturing environment. She knows each child and their backgrounds well. Children form warm and trusting relationships with her, and they feel safe and secure in her care. This gives them the confidence to express themselves, make choices and engage enthusiastically in play. Children experience a calm and well-organised day, with routines that are predictable and reassuring. They choose where to play and explore, and they help with simple tasks. They move smoothly between activities, and the environment is designed

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Inspectors:

Marlene McEleney Tracy Bartholomew around their needs and stages of development. This helps children feel valued and listened to.

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Inspectors:

Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education. They enjoy sharing books as part of the daily routine, and the childminder carefully selects books that are suited to children's stages of development. These shared experiences help children develop a love of books, learn to listen as part of a group and strengthen their sense of belonging. Children learn important social skills. For example, the childminder encourages them to listen to each other when choosing songs to sing. This helps children learn to take turns and consider the needs and wishes of others.

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Inspectors:

Children are generally encouraged to try and persevere. The childminder allows them the time they need to complete everyday tasks independently, such as undressing. She encourages them to 'have a go' and provides just enough support for them to succeed. Children show pride in their achievements and celebrate their successes. This helps them to develop confidence, resilience and a sense of achievement.

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Next steps

The childminder should adapt group activities so that the younger children are fully included and able to participate meaningfully at their development level. The childminder should embed her professional development even further to enhance a culture of continuous improvement linked to deepening learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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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About this inspection

The inspection started on 27 January 2026. Inspectors returned on 5 May 2026 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 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

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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