Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2777386 Registered with Ofsted: 23/04/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR

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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 develop increasing independence in everyday routines. For example, they confidently support snack preparation by cutting fruit, helping to set up and distribute items for their peers. This promotes responsibility, builds confidence and enables children to recognise their own achievements, which they share proudly with staff and friends. These experiences contribute greatly to their personal, social and emotional development. The childminder works closely with parents through regular meetings to review the children's progress and to agree their next steps across all the areas of learning. This collaborative approach ensures consistency in support and helps children to make secure progress, significantly reducing gaps in their learning over time.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children benefit from a language-rich environment where communication is consistently promoted. They are exposed to a wide range of vocabulary through daily interactions, storytelling and shared book experiences. This fosters early literacy development and supports children to develop a love of reading. Children recognise and use their diverse home languages within the environment, build confidence in communication, feel valued and develop a positive sense of identity. As a result, children develop the appropriate knowledge and understanding that they need for their next stage of learning and future success.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places children's safety and wellbeing at the centre of her practice. She implements robust risk assessments and clear procedures that are consistently applied by the childminder and assistants. The childminder carefully records accidents and routinely reviews these to identify and minimise potential hazards within the environment. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are supported effectively to understand how to keep themselves safe, both in the home and during outings in the community.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder promotes highly effective hygiene practices. Children independently wash their hands at appropriate times and demonstrate growing confidence in managing their personal care needs. They are well supported during toilet and potty training. Children develop a strong understanding of why hygiene is important. For example, children explain that soap helps to remove germs and prevent illness. This has a very positive impact on children's understanding of healthy practices and strengthens their independence and self- care skills.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides a wide range of healthy and nutritious meals and snacks. She consistently promotes the importance of a balanced diet. For example, during mealtimes, the childminder and assistants skilfully engage children in discussions about healthy foods and how different foods affect their bodies and teeth. Children greatly benefit from frequent opportunities to develop their gross and fine motor skills through active play indoors and outdoors. These experiences support children's physical development effectively and help them develop a secure understanding of a healthy lifestyle and overall wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates a clear and ambitious vision for what all children should know, understand and be able to do, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She designs a well-considered curriculum based on children's individual interests, backgrounds and developmental needs, ensuring that learning is purposeful and meaningful.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The curriculum is carefully adapted to reduce barriers to learning and to meet children at their different stages of development. For example, during a Europe-themed week, children explore countries linked to their backgrounds. Older children are encouraged to ask questions and extend their thinking through deeper discussions, while younger children engage in activities such as colouring flags, supporting their early understanding of colour and fine motor control.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is highly effective and responsive to children's needs. The childminder knows the children exceptionally well and uses this knowledge to identify precise next steps that build on what they already know and can do. She enriches the environment with consistent language modelling, introduces new vocabulary during themed activities and actively encourages children to communicate with both peers and adults. Targeted one-to-one interactions ensure that children are well supported and well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Mathematical development is embedded throughout daily experiences. For example, during a peg puzzle activity, the childminder skilfully introduces mathematical language as children talk about shapes, count pieces and solve problems together. This consistent and intentional approach ensures that children develop strong foundations across all areas of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children arrive confidently and settle into established routines with ease. They understand what is happening next, which supports a calm and predictable environment. The childminder and assistants establish clear routines and expectations for children. Although routines are clearly communicated by the childminder and assistants, at times, some younger children experience waiting periods, for example when washing hands after meals. This occasionally leads to brief moments of restlessness while they wait for the next activity to begin.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children build positive relationships with their peers and engage happily in their play. They demonstrate developing social skills, including sharing resources, using equipment carefully and tidying away their things when finished with them. They show respectful behaviour and contribute to a caring environment where children look after one another and the space they share. The childminder and assistants model positive behaviour and provide consistent guidance to support children's understanding of appropriate behaviour and cooperation with others. Children show positive attitudes towards learning and engage enthusiastically in a range of themed activities. For example, children are enthusiastic as they learn about different countries, identify flags and talk about the places connected to their families. The childminder ensures that activities are adapted to children's ages and stages of development, which supports inclusive participation for all children, including those with

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

special educational needs and/or disabilities, enabling them to engage successfully in learning experiences. The childminder actively promotes the importance of regular attendance and communicates this effectively with parents. As a result, children benefit from consistent routines and continuity in their learning. Children develop secure relationships with adults and peers and achieve positive learning outcomes.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a consistent commitment to inclusive practice. She undertakes relevant training and professional development linked directly to the children in her care. This supports her to accurately identify, understand and support children's individual needs effectively, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to learning or wellbeing. She works in close partnership with parents to share information and align strategies, and she signposts to additional support where needed. She understands how additional funding can be used flexibly to meet the children's needs, for example to provide additional resources or to implement targeted support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder gathers detailed information about children before they start, including their interests, backgrounds and circumstances. She uses ongoing observations, discussions with assistants and focused interactions to assess needs and adapt activities and the environment. This reduces barriers to learning and supports the children's steady progress from their starting points. For example, she uses children's interests to support their understanding of routines and expectations. This helps them develop confidence and supports their engagement as they settle in.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder monitors children's experiences and identifies when additional support is needed. Where required, she adapts her practice and works closely with families to support the children's access to learning. Established routines provide children with a sense of security and help them understand and anticipate what will happen next. At times, transitions between activities are less gradual, meaning some children who need additional processing time are not always fully prepared for changes in activity.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has created a safe and nurturing environment where children and families feel welcomed and valued. She builds trusting relationships with children and parents and values children's individual backgrounds, cultures and home languages. Parents describe the setting as 'safe' and praise the childminder's 'strong communication'. They receive regular updates throughout the day and verbal feedback about the children's day at collection times. The childminder also meets with parents to discuss children's development, helping to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive consistent support and make progress from their starting points. The childminder knows the local community well and regularly takes children to local parks to broaden their experiences and opportunities for social interaction. She also maintains positive relationships with other childminders. The childminder has effective procedures in

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

place that align with the requirements of the early years foundation stage. She accurately identifies the strengths of the setting and areas for further development. For example, the childminder regularly reviews risk assessments to ensure that hazards are continuously minimised. The childminder and assistants reflect on practice regularly, and they are motivated to improve the outcomes for children. She is committed to ongoing professional development and accesses training tailored to the interests and needs of the children attending the setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Although routines are generally established, at times, some children experience extended waiting periods during daily routines. As a result, children occasionally lose interest while waiting for the next part of the routine to begin. Children generally understand the routines and expectations. However, they are not always consistently prepared for transitions between activities. This means that some children who are still becoming familiar with routines are not always fully ready for what happens next.

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

Children arrive eagerly and confidently at the setting. They enter a nurturing environment that parents describe as a 'family away from home'. They settle quickly into familiar routines and show excitement in seeing their peers, often inviting others to join their play. Children

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Inspector:

Annelie Krause build positive relationships with the caring childminder and assistants, as well as with each other. They move confidently within the environment, recognising their own photos and familiar symbols that help them identify their towels, personal boxes and beds. This supports children to navigate the environment independently and strengthens their sense of belonging.

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Inspector:

Children know routines well and engage enthusiastically in a wide range of activities, indoors and outdoors. They enjoy their learning and are motivated to explore activities linked to the weekly theme. Children benefit from regular outings to nearby parks, where they develop their large-muscle groups and strengthen coordination and balance through climbing, balancing and exploring different terrain. These outings also provide meaningful opportunities for children to learn about traffic safety and the important rules needed to stay safe in the community. Children respond well to consistent strategies, such as the use of a stop-and-go sign, which helps them to understand when it is safe to cross the road.

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Inspector:

Children benefit from a communication-rich environment where they are eager to engage in conversations and activities. They confidently express themselves and listen to others, including those who speak a wide range of home languages. Activities are carefully adapted to meet children's individual needs, interests and abilities. This ensures all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make positive progress. Children behave well, feel safe and are valued as individuals. They are included, supported and encouraged to flourish.

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen transition arrangements so all children are consistently prepared for changes in activities and fully supported to move smoothly between routines. The childminder should refine daily routines to minimise waiting times so children remain consistently engaged and fully involved in learning experiences throughout the day.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistants, parents 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.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:15

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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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