Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2718273 Registered with Ofsted: 08/02/2023 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 generally make suitable progress across the areas of learning from their starting points. In the main, younger children gain increasing confidence in communication and language through daily songs, stories, conversations and familiar routines. Children begin to use words and short phrases to express their needs, join in with familiar rhymes and respond to simple questions during group activities. The childminder generally support children's understanding by modelling language, repeating words and allowing children time to respond.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children build early mathematical understanding through counting songs, matching colours, comparing sizes and practical play experiences. They also strengthen physical skills through outdoor play, movement activities and opportunities to use tools and resources safely. In the main, children with communication and language delays or emotional barriers to learning generally make progress through targeted support, nurturing interactions and partnership working with parents and external professionals.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are developing some of the age-appropriate skills needed for their next stage of learning. They are learning to take turns, make choices independently, follow simple instructions and manage aspects of self-care, such as handwashing, feeding themselves and tidying away toys.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder generally establishes a positive environment with clear and consistent expectations for behaviour. Children are encouraged to use good manners, take turns and help tidy away resources. The childminder uses praise, reassurance and simple language appropriately to help younger children understand expectations and develop positive social skills. Children generally respond positively to reminders and are beginning to play cooperatively alongside their peers.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Relationships between the childminder and children are warm and nurturing. Younger children seek comfort and reassurance confidently from the childminder. The childminder supports children's emotional wellbeing through discussions about feelings, calming strategies and sensory resources. Children generally feel safe, secure and valued within the setting.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children typically show positive attitudes towards learning and engage appropriately in activities that reflect their interests. For example, children become absorbed in singing familiar rhymes, exploring books and engaging in small-world play linked to transport and animals. However, some younger children find it difficult to maintain concentration during longer group activities and transitions occasionally interrupt children's engagement in play and learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder generally considers children's ages, stages of development and individual circumstances appropriately when supporting behaviour and routines. Flexible settling-in arrangements and close communication with parents help children develop confidence and emotional security. The childminder also works appropriately with parents to promote consistent attendance and familiar routines, helping children feel settled, secure and ready to learn.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are generally supported appropriately through secure care practices and nurturing interactions. Children develop close attachments with the childminder and assistant, which helps them feel safe, reassured and emotionally secure. The childminder supervises children closely throughout daily routines, including mealtimes, sleep routines and outdoor play. Children benefit from healthy meals, regular outdoor experiences and support for oral health and self-care routines.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder generally supports children to develop emotional security and confidence. Children are encouraged to recognise and talk about feelings through discussions, stories and daily interactions. The childminder uses praise, reassurance and calming strategies appropriately to help children manage emotions and return positively to play and learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Care routines generally meet children's individual needs appropriately. Information about allergies, dietary requirements and preferences is gathered from parents before children start attending and reviewed regularly. Food is prepared safely and children are supervised closely during mealtimes to help reduce choking risks and support safer eating practices. Overall, the childminder adapts routines sensitively to reflect children's emotional needs and family circumstances.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Partnership working with parents and external professionals generally supports children's welfare effectively. Children with emotional barriers receive appropriate support and monitoring, helping them feel included and able to participate in daily routines and experiences.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder generally understands the curriculum priorities for the young children attending the setting. Overall, she places an appropriate focus on communication and language, personal, social and emotional development and physical development to help children build secure foundations for future learning. Since the previous inspection, the childminder has strengthened planning and assessment processes so she is clear about what children need to learn next while continuing to follow children's interests and individual stages of development.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is generally appropriate and supports children's early communication, social and physical development. Children join in enthusiastically with songs, rhymes and action games that help develop listening, attention and vocabulary. She introduces mathematical language during play, including counting, colour recognition and comparisons, such as 'bigger' and 'smaller'. Children also benefit from outdoor learning, oral health activities and nature walks, which broaden their understanding of the world around them. The childminder generally adapts activities appropriately for children who may need additional support with communication, behaviour or emotional wellbeing. The childminder generally uses assessment appropriately to monitor children's progress and identify next steps. However, at times, communication and language interactions are less effective when younger children cannot consistently observe the childminder's facial

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

expressions clearly during group activities. Some routines and transitions also occasionally interrupt children's concentration and sustained involvement in play and learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder generally creates an inclusive environment, where children's individual needs and circumstances are understood and supported appropriately. Observations, progress checks and regular discussions with parents help the childminder identify children's starting points, emerging needs and any barriers to learning or wellbeing. Overall, the childminder adapts routines, expectations and activities sensitively to help children feel emotionally secure and included within daily experiences.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive appropriate support. Overall, the childminder identifies emerging concerns early and introduces suitable strategies, including visual prompts, repetition, turn-taking language and emotional support approaches to help children communicate and engage positively. The childminder works appropriately with parents and external professionals, including the wider professionals who support children with SEND, to review children's progress and adapt support where needed. This means, children generally make progress from their starting points.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder also supports children who may face barriers to learning or emotional wellbeing. For example, behaviour expectations are adapted sensitively to support children experiencing changes in family circumstances or emotional distress. Parents are signposted to local support services, including parenting and healthy lifestyle workshops and services. This helps children and families feel reassured, supported and included.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder generally demonstrates an appropriate understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development. Since the previous inspection, she has taken suitable action to strengthen planning, assessment and curriculum delivery. The childminder has focused particularly on improving communication and language opportunities, behaviour support strategies and the clarity of curriculum intentions for younger children. Since the last inspection, an assistant has joined the setting and induction arrangements have been implemented appropriately to support consistency in practice and safeguarding knowledge.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a secure understanding of how to meet the statutory requirements. For instance, required documentation, including safeguarding records, attendance registers, accident records and policies, are maintained appropriately. She understands her responsibilities regarding safeguarding, complaints, safer recruitment and notifying Ofsted of significant events.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Professional development is generally used effectively to support improvements in practice. The childminder engages in ongoing training, including safeguarding, safer sleep and the 'Prevent' duty. Recent pedagogy training has helped the childminder and assistants to reflect on how children learn through repetition, familiar routines and opportunities to revisit experiences over time. Weekly meetings and ongoing discussions with the assistants support communication, consistency and shared understanding of children's development and welfare needs. The childminder considers workload and wellbeing appropriately through regular discussions and shared responsibilities within daily routines.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Partnerships with parents and the wider community are positive. Parents receive regular updates regarding children's care and progress through daily discussions and online communication systems. Parents are also encouraged to contribute to children's learning experiences and wider curriculum opportunities. She works with the local authority, advisory services and the local borough special educational needs coordinator team to help strengthen practice and support children's individual needs.

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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 happily and settle quickly into the warm and welcoming environment. Information gathered from parents about children's routines, interests and emotional wellbeing helps children feel reassured, secure and ready to play and learn. Younger children develop close attachments with the childminder and assistant. They confidently seek comfort, reassurance and praise and respond positively to the nurturing interactions they receive.

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

Children generally enjoy their learning and engage positively in experiences that reflect their interests and stages of development. For example, they enthusiastically join in with familiar rhymes, action songs and small-world play linked to transport and animals. In the main, children begin to use increasing vocabulary and simple phrases during play and daily routines. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported appropriately through repetition, modelling and visual prompts, helping them take part alongside their peers. Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning as they explore books independently, build towers, count objects and recall previous experiences from nature walks and outings.

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

Children typically behave appropriately for their age and are learning to take turns, share resources and play alongside others. They are developing increasing confidence in expressing their feelings and making choices during play and routines. Children benefit from secure care practices and appropriate supervision during mealtimes, sleep routines and outdoor play, which helps them feel safe and supported. Children's individual needs and family circumstances are generally understood well, helping them feel included, valued and able to participate fully in daily experiences. Through daily routines and interactions, children are developing some of the communication, social and self-care skills needed for their next stages in learning.

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Next steps

The childminder should enhance communication and language interactions by more consistently positioning herself at children's eye level when speaking, to help younger children observe facial expressions, hear language clearly and further develop vocabulary and understanding. The childminder should consider how routines and transitions are organised and paced to minimise interruptions to children's play, so younger children maintain engagement, concentration and involvement in learning for longer periods.

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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 assistants 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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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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