Buckle, Claire Marie

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2830815 Registered with Ofsted: 23/03/2025 Registers: EYR

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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 secure progress from their individual starting points. Children show enjoyment of books from an early age. They choose books independently, handle them with care and turn the pages confidently. Children are familiar with stories and spontaneously name characters they recognise. All children engage well in shared reading experiences with the childminder.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children's communication and language skills develop well. The childminder's frequent interactions help children to learn new words and practise using them during stories and play. Children listen carefully and join in conversations. This supports their growing confidence and ability to express their ideas and needs.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who may face barriers to learning, achieve well from their starting points. Children learn through play, showing curiosity, creativity and enjoyment. They build skills across all areas of learning. They develop their physical skills though building activities, outdoor play and regular opportunities to explore the wider community.

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Achievement Expected standard

Overall, children achieve well and develop the key knowledge, skills and positive attitudes they need to support a smooth transition into their next stage of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder creates a warm and positive environment where expectations for behaviour are clear. She reinforces these expectations through consistent routines. Children behave well. They listen to instructions and follow the routines of the setting. Relationships between the childminder and children are nurturing, which helps children feel secure and confident.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder models respectful and positive behaviour. She encourages sharing, turn- taking and cooperative play. Children play together calmly and show kindness towards one another. Children seek the childminder for reassurance and comfort when needed. She responds with care and kindness and acts as a positive role model.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder prepares children for changes in routine by explaining what will happen next and giving gentle warnings before transitions. This helps children manage routines calmly. She promotes the importance of punctuality and attendance. She works closely with parents to support regular attendance, particularly for children who face barriers to learning, and monitors attendance carefully.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Typically, children show positive behaviour and attitudes to learning, and routines are clear and well understood.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder knows children well and responds appropriately to their individual needs. She works closely with parents from the start and uses a gentle settling-in process that allows children and parents to move at their own pace. This helps children to feel secure as they become familiar with the setting. The childminder considers children's ages, stages of development and individual needs when adapting routines and expectations, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are calm, happy and increasingly confident. They seek reassurance and comfort when needed and show trust in the childminder. She responds calmly and patiently, which helps children to settle and communicate their needs appropriately.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children develop positive relationships and know what happens at different times of the day. The childminder prepares children for changes in routine by giving warnings before transitions, such as moving to snack time. She uses supportive language and calm reminders to encourage gentle play and turn-taking. She manages personal care routines sensitively, including nappy changing, and reminds children about personal privacy.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

At mealtimes, the childminder recognises individual dietary needs and manages these sensitively. She supports children to make choices. She generally encourages children to develop some independence skills, such as drinking from a cup and helping to pour water. There are opportunities for the childminder to further support older children's independence, for example by encouraging them to clean their own hands before snack times, to develop healthy habits for themselves.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder encourages children to express their feelings through calm modelling and supportive communication. Children show that they feel cared for and emotionally secure within the setting.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children enjoy a learning environment where they feel safe, cared for and keen to explore. The childminder builds warm, trusting relationships with children, helping them feel confident and secure. This supports children's personal and emotional development and helps them engage positively in learning throughout the day.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder's curriculum places a clear emphasis on developing children's communication and language skills. Children regularly choose books and enjoy sharing stories together. The childminder sits alongside children, follows their interests and rereads familiar stories, helping children to join in, talk about what they can see and learn new words. She uses clear and simple language to comment on children's play. Children are introduced to and use Makaton signs, which supports understanding and helps ensure all children can communicate and take part.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder knows the children well and uses this knowledge to shape the curriculum, so it reflects what children need to learn next. Overall, children build some important skills that help them become more independent and ready for the next stage of learning, such as drinking from a cup and putting on shoes and coats. Children develop early mathematical understanding through everyday activities and stories, where they learn about number, shape and colour in meaningful ways. Sensory and imaginative experiences are planned to spark curiosity and help children remain engaged for longer periods.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

At times, activities are not closely focused on what children need to learn next, and some include too many ideas at once. This limits children's deeper learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder gathers relevant information from parents to help her understand each child's background, routines and individual needs. She uses this information to support children as they settle into the setting and to help them feel understood from the start. The childminder knows children and their families well and takes account of differing circumstances when planning care and daily routines.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder provides a calm and supportive environment where all children are included in daily activities. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face barriers to learning. She adapts routines and activities so children can take part with their peers. For example, she uses sensory resources to support regulation, and motivating resources, such as pop-up toys, to support children's attention, curiosity and engagement.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works in partnership with parents and maintains regular communication. This helps to ensure shared approaches to support children's learning. She understands when children may need additional support and knows how and when to seek advice from the local authority or other professionals if required.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Typically, children feel welcomed, included and able to take part in the life of the setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder builds positive and trusting relationships with families. Parents feel informed and supported. Communication is open and regular. The childminder understands that families have different circumstances and works closely with parents to support children's wellbeing, inclusion and progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is committed to growing and developing her practice. She uses what she knows about children to plan her curriculum. The curriculum has a clear focus on communication and language. Children enjoy books and stories from an early age. This helps them to develop attention, listening skills and confidence in using language. Parents and carers notice the progress children have made.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder values training and reflective practice. She works with other childminders through local groups and community activities. This supports shared learning and gives children opportunities to build friendships. She also seeks advice from local authority staff about how to review children's progress and identify next steps.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder monitors children's learning carefully. She completes required progress checks and shares these with parents. She knows when to seek further advice and support and works with families to do this. There are opportunities to extend learning more consistently so children continue to make secure progress across all areas of learning.

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

Children feel happy, safe and confident in the childminder's care. They separate from parents calmly and show that they feel secure and comfortable. The childminder builds warm, responsive relationships, and children confidently seek her out for reassurance, conversation and shared play.

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

Children enjoy choosing their own activities and remain engaged in their play. They show a strong interest in books and stories from an early age. Younger children sit close, explore sensory books, lift flaps and point to pictures, while older children confidently name and describe characters, such as 'The Gruffalo'. Children listen attentively and remain focused for long periods. The childminder joins children, talks with them about what they can see and models new words, helping children extend their language.

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

Children play together and behave well. The childminder joins in play and helps children achieve their ideas. For example, she supports them to build a house using magnetic shapes. Purposeful mathematics is woven into play, with children counting objects, talking about size and shape and learning early number through everyday activities.

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

Children develop their physical skills by being active. They stack blocks, building strength in their hands and developing coordination. They also enjoy daily trips into the community, including parks and local groups. These experiences help children explore the world, build confidence and enjoy learning together in a calm, nurturing environment.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure all planned activities are sharply focused so children excel in their learning and development. The childminder should strengthen expectations for children's independence, particularly for older children, to help them build confidence and readiness for the next stage of learning.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children during the inspection. She spoke with, and read written accounts from, parents and carers.

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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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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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