Mullaney, Sonya Rebecca

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY392361 Registered with Ofsted: 03/06/2009 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 make steady progress from their starting points. They develop the social skills needed for future learning. For example, they enjoy games together and laugh happily. They play cooperatively and get along well with others. A focus on supporting children's emotional wellbeing means children feel safe, are secure and can participate in all activities. Mathematical development and concepts, as well as language development, are seamlessly woven into all activities.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children communicate confidently, sharing their ideas and demonstrating what they know and can do. They use their early vocabulary to engage with visitors to the childminders, showing developing social confidence. They benefit from time to explore, and work things out for themselves, such as how to make the soft sand mailable by adding water. Through these experiences, children grow in confidence as independent thinkers who can tackle problems successfully.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder provides the children with a warm, nurturing environment, where they are eager to investigate and engage with a range of activities. The children know the daily routines. For example, they help to tidy up before getting out more resources.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children's behaviour is appropriate to their stage of development. They typically play happily together, as they learn to share resources and interact with friends. The childminder has clear rules and boundaries in place to help support the children as they develop their social skills. For example, the children take turns to choose a song at song time. She makes effective use of praise to acknowledge acts of kindness as children interact with their friends. This motivates children to keep trying and helps them to persevere. Children are kind to one another and play cooperatively. They show genuine care for their friends and are mindful of others of differing ages and abilities. When minor disagreements occur, the childminder supports them sensitively and teaches them how to share and take turns. Children generally display positive attitudes to learning. They demonstrate genuine enthusiasm for the experiences the childminder provides.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder completes accurate attendance records and has clear procedures to follow if a child is absent to ensure children's safety and maintain continuity of care.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder is passionate about providing an environment, where children feel safe and ready to learn. She ensures that her policies and practices reflect the high priority that she places on children's wellbeing. The childminder is nurturing and professional in her approach to building positive relationships with children and families right from the start. For example, the childminder engages with parents and carers to support a secure settling-in process. This enables children to develop close and meaningful bonds with the childminder. The childminder identifies environments that children may find challenging and fun. For example, children benefit from social opportunities at a local music group, and messy play sessions. Therefore, routines are well structured, yet adaptable, to precisely meet children's individual needs. The childminder regularly checks in with children through the day and identifies their cues to ensure they are content and emotionally secure. While she reassures

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

children when they are tired, she recognises that her curriculum for supporting children to identify a wider range of emotions is still developing for younger children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder ensures that children receive interactions that promote their understanding of good health. For example, children have many opportunities to access the fresh air outdoors where they run and jump. They are consistently provided with positive information about looking after their teeth and staying active throughout the day.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, the childminder has an effective understanding of her curriculum. It is based on children's interests and themes she introduces. For example, she builds on children's interest in dinosaurs and animals. Children separate them into species and sizes as the childminder confirms what the children know and then extends their understanding, adding additional information into their conversations. This helps children stay engaged in activities they enjoy.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder skilfully weaves mathematical learning into everyday interactions. For example, she introduces concepts of 'full', 'empty', 'half full' and needing 'more', as they fill the bubble machine. Children pick out the shapes of the fruit as the childminder reads 'The Hungry caterpillar' story. This shows that children are developing a strong foundation in early mathematics. The childminder places a strong focus on language development. She consistently comments on children's play. She repeats their words and introduces new vocabulary. Children are extremely enthusiastic as they join in singing songs of their choice. As a result, children develop secure communication skills and a wide vocabulary.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder prioritises children's physical development. Children show delight as they jump and dance to familiar songs. The childminder encourages them as they take part in running races. This helps children build strength in their large muscles. It also supports the development of secure physical skills. However, the childminder should provide further opportunities for children to develop their independence skills within their daily routines. For example, putting on coats and shoes.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder reviews children's progress regularly. This means she has a secure knowledge of what children know and need to learn next. This helps the childminder to identify any barriers to children's learning so that she can implement specific plans to support them. Although no children with barriers to their learning currently attend, the childminder has a sound knowledge of how to support children's learning and development and where to seek professional advice and guidance if needed. She gathers information about children's starting points and liaises with parents regarding children's next steps in their learning and development. The childminder monitors children's speech closely and uses her professional knowledge to extend children's vocabulary and strengthen their understanding of words. This helps children develop the skills to request help when needed to ensure their needs are met. Furthermore, the childminder has a clear understanding of how to support other groups of

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Inclusion Expected standard

children, including those who may be at a disadvantage. She consistently maintains high expectations for all children's learning through her well-organised curriculum. The childminder makes adaptations to ensure that all children can access learning successfully including the youngest children. She engages in regular training to keep her knowledge of supporting children with special educational needs and /or disabilities up to date.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a reflective approach to her practice and is committed to improving the quality of education and care she provides. The childminder reviews the learning environment carefully and makes adjustments to keep children engaged and extend their learning. She works closely with parents to monitor children's progress, completing the progress checks when children are aged between 2 and 3 years and regularly sets next steps for children's learning. The childminder has undertaken additional training for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to help identify possible targeted support at the earliest opportunity. This approach helps children to achieve and make steady progress across all areas of learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Some areas of the curriculum are not yet ambitious enough, such as developing children's independence, particularly putting on coats and shoes in readiness for the eventual move to school. She has taken proactive steps to enhance her ongoing professional development to enable her to improve outcomes for children in her care. She understands the responsibilities of her role and works in partnership with families and other professionals to support all children's learning and wellbeing, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Her commitment to continuous improvement ensures that children benefit from a safe, nurturing and well-organised environment.

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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 safe, happy and settled in this warm, welcoming setting. They form trusting relationships with the childminder, who knows each child very well. Before children start, the childminder works closely with parents to understand their routines, interests and needs. This helps children feel secure from the outset and ensures that the childminder shapes the curriculum around their individual starting points.

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

Children engage in their learning with enthusiasm. They show curiosity and enjoyment as they explore activities designed to build their thinking skills. For example, they actively engage in looking at a picture dictionary. They recall pictures they already know and explain what they are such as a 'crab who lives in the sea'. They ask questions and clarify their understanding. The childminder's calm encouragement helps children to develop confidence in their abilities. She listens carefully to children and provides them with genuine choice in their play, as they independently decide what they wish to access.

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

Children cuddle with the childminder joyfully and happily sing songs. Children demonstrate that they feel confident to express their emotions. The childminder values children as individuals and supports them to regulate their feelings. She teaches children about the language of emotions in an age-appropriate way. The childminder helps the children develop a strong sense of belonging. Many of the children's siblings have previously attended and the childminder builds long-term, positive relationships with families. The childminder cares for the children, includes them fully, and helps them make steady progress from their starting points. As a result, they thrive. They develop the confidence, social skills and early knowledge they need for their next steps in learning.

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About this setting

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

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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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Next steps

The childminder should provide more opportunities for children to further develop their independence within their daily routines. The childminder should review the curriculum for children's personal, social and emotional development to support children to further understand and manage their emotions and those of others.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder

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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. This data is from 13 May 2026

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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. 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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