Arrowsmith, Holly Louise

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2773212 Registered with Ofsted: 29/01/2024 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 Strong standard

Children make effective progress from their starting points and show growing confidence and independence in daily routines and interactions. As a result of consistent, high-quality interaction focused on communication, children are supported to develop language and vocabulary early. They move from using single words to speaking in full sentences, with this progress being noticed by parents. They are able to take part in extended conversations with the childminder and visitors and confidently use language during play and activities. For example, they hold full conversations on a pretend phone with family members during imaginative play.

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Achievement Strong standard

They demonstrate increasing independence in everyday routines, such as preparing their snack using age-appropriate tools, select resources for themselves and move confidently between indoor and outdoor learning environments.

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Achievement Strong standard

The childminder supports the children well for their next stages of learning, including school readiness, and works with other professionals where needed to share information and support transitions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder provides a calm and respectful environment where clear expectations for behaviour and daily routines are consistently in place. Warm and trusting relationships help children feel secure and support positive attitudes towards learning. She also builds strong relationships with parents, helping to ensure consistency between home and the setting.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are familiar with daily routines and respond well to gentle reminders, such as washing their hands before snacks and following the sleep routine, including choosing a story before nap time. The childminder responds to children's individual stages of development and adapts her approach accordingly, to meet their needs. She recognises when children need time to move between activities and return to them later, helping them stay focused and involved in what they are doing. As a result, children are becoming more independent, can self-regulate and are able to manage their own choices during play and routines. They respond well to praise and encouragement and often return to activities they enjoy.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder models positive behaviour throughout the day, helping children learn key social skills such as sharing and taking turns. Flexible settling-in arrangements and close partnership with parents help children feel settled and support consistent attendance from an early stage.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder consistently provides warm and responsive care that supports children's emotional wellbeing and helps them feel safe and secure. She knows the children and families well and continually adapts care routines thoughtfully to meet individual needs. Positive relationships with parents support continuity between home and the setting, particularly for younger children and those settling into new routines.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children show secure attachments with the childminder and demonstrate a clear sense of security in her care. They are confident, relaxed and seek reassurance when needed. These positive relationships are also reflected in how they respond to unfamiliar adults, remaining calm and comfortable in their presence.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's physical health and wellbeing is promoted effectively. They enjoy healthy meals and are consistently encouraged to develop independence during mealtimes, including preparing snacks using age-appropriate tools under close supervision. Hygiene routines are established very well, with children independently following self-care routines, such as washing their hands before eating.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder carefully plans sleep routines to meet children's individual needs. She supports children to settle calmly after choosing a story and listening to quiet music, helping a smooth transition to rest. She is consistent in recording regular sleep checks to ensure safety and wellbeing. Children are happy, settled and emotionally secure within the setting.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has an accurate understanding of the curriculum and teaching she provides and ensures it is planned according to children's stages of development and individual interests. She prioritises all areas of learning through carefully planned experiences across daily activities, such as kitchen role play, name recognition and mark making. The childminder uses ongoing assessment, such as tracking and the two-year progress check, to monitor children's development and identify next steps to provide support and appropriate learning opportunities.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

High expectations are maintained throughout daily routines, including snack time and sleep preparation, where children independently follow familiar routines such as preparing their own snacks under supervision. The childminder prioritises children's communication and language development, including through regular conversations, storytelling and play. She consistently encourages their early mathematical understanding during play and activities, such as making play dough, to enable them to explore counting and quantities. The childminder uses clear instructions during activities to support children's understanding such as visual recipe cards.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder provides a well-resourced, diverse and accessible learning environment, encouraging children to explore freely indoors and outdoors between activities and revisit experiences throughout the day. She supports younger children's personal, social and emotional development through praise, appreciation and positive interactions during activities.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder keeps parents fully informed about children's daily experiences and routines through verbal discussions and written updates. She recognises the importance of understanding children's individual needs. Barriers to learning are swiftly identified and reduced through adaptations to provision and interactions, based on children's ages and stages of development. For example, the childminder consistently reviews the environment to suit the individual needs of each child.

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Inclusion Strong standard

To support children's development across all areas, she provides learning opportunities outside of the setting. For example, childminder regularly attends weekly events and workshops with the children, in the local community. When additional needs are identified, the childminder works in partnership with parents and seeks advice from relevant professionals when required.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children experience consistent routines during the day, for example independently selecting a book to read with the childminder, while preparing for nap time. Inclusive practice is consistently supported through clear expectations and positive interactions, helping children to feel valued, included and supported within the setting.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Settling-in is flexible, with additional visits offered so that children and families can become familiar with the environment and routines at a pace that suits them. Information gathered from parents during this process is used to maintain continuity between home and setting routines.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is committed to enhancing children's experiences and supporting their development. She has a clear vision for providing a welcoming environment where children feel safe and valued. Drawing on her extensive experience in early years, she maintains a strong overview of her provision and reflects carefully on the needs of the children currently attending, making thoughtful adjustments where needed. For example, she has recently adapted the environment and resources to suit the younger children attending. She also makes considered decisions about group sizes, choosing to keep numbers low when caring for very young children so she can carefully meet their individual needs. She has clear oversight of her provision and is confident in recognising where improvements can be made. The childminder uses assessment information effectively and seeks advice from professionals, such as the local authority adviser, when needed. This supports her in

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

meeting children's needs well, particularly where there may be barriers to learning.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder takes part in ongoing professional development and attends regular training through the local authority. She also makes use of local community experiences to extend children's learning and maintains informal contact with other childminders, which provides valuable support. Key documentation, including policies and risk assessments, is well organised and regularly reviewed to support effective practice.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder builds trusting relationships with parents, supports smooth transitions and ensures consistent communication so children experience continuity between home and the setting. She also maintains links with local pre-schools, supporting children's readiness for their next stage of education.

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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 arrive at a calm and welcoming environment where they are greeted warmly and quickly settle into familiar routines. They move freely between well-organised indoor and outdoor areas and independently choose from a wide range of resources that are accessible and carefully planned.

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

Children are supported to develop across all areas of learning through everyday routines and play experiences. The childminder promotes communication and language and early literacy through mark making, story times and conversations with the childminder during

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Inspector:

activities and mealtimes. She encourages children to practise early mathematical skills during daily activities and play, for example comparing quantities and discussing shapes and sizes. Physical development is supported through activities such as using tweezers, football, mixing and pouring.

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Inspector:

The childminder uses assessment strategies to record children's progress and plan appropriate next steps in learning. Where children have barriers to learning, she works closely with parents and seeks external advice when appropriate, providing targeted support which helps children to make progress over time.

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Inspector:

Children build secure relationships with the childminder and confidently approach her for support and reassurance when needed. They respond well to familiar routines throughout the day, including washing their hands before snack and settling calmly for rest time after choosing a book. Independence is encouraged consistently. Children prepare parts of their own snack, make choices about what they would like to eat and use age-appropriate tools, such as toddler knives, safely under supervision.

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Inspector:

Children play cooperatively and are supported to share and take turns. The childminder adapts activities and interactions in response to children's interests, allowing them time explore different experiences and return to activities later in the day. She promotes attendance through ongoing communication with parents and flexible settling-in arrangements. The childminder shares daily updates and photographs with parents to help maintain consistency between home and the setting.

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Next steps

The childminder should continue to sustain her work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. She should also continue to focus on creating a more transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of young children and children who face additional barriers to learning, ensuring they continue to feel secure, make strong progress and are well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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. Sunbul Munir

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About this setting

Operating hours: Wednesday : 09:00 - 17:00,Thursday : 09:00 - 17:00,Friday : 09:00 - 17:00

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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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