Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2787427 Registered with Ofsted: 20/05/2024 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 Expected standard

All children achieve well from their starting points because the childminder completes meaningful assessments regularly to check progress and inform planning. Next steps are almost always appropriate, and reflective discussion ensures that they remain focused on learning rather than interests alone. Ongoing, accurate assessment supports strong progress for every child, and the childminder confidently uses assessments to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities continue to move forward.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make rapid progress in communication and language because the childminder uses skilled interactions, effective modelling, new vocabulary and thoughtful questioning to deepen children's understanding and extend conversations. As a result, children become confident communicators who express their needs, share ideas and engage meaningfully with others.

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Achievement Expected standard

The childminder ensures that disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive targeted support, including visual cues, simplified language and structured communication opportunities. Through consistent, responsive interactions, all children make strong, sustained progress. In their physical skills, younger children challenge themselves to balance on balancing stones and develop confidence to climb on larger apparatus. Children pour from larger jugs and learn to hold the jug while they fill it up at the tap. The younger ones copy this modelled activity, showing resilience. The children are prepared for their next stages in their education.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder understands the importance of monitoring attendance and would use attendance trackers to identify patterns that may indicate emerging needs, seeking support from the professionals if required. Children demonstrate consistently positive behaviour and strong social awareness, showing kindness, consideration and respect towards one another throughout the day. They share resources confidently, take turns and work cooperatively to create shared narratives during play, such as becoming doctors and checking temperatures.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder models positive behaviour and encourages children to try their own ideas, promoting creativity, problem-solving and independence. Children follow instructions well and complete routines, such as handwashing, with enthusiasm and no fuss. They show high levels of engagement, remain focused during activities and display positive attitudes to learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Communication is a strength, with children confidently sharing their thoughts, ideas and experiences. They enjoy talking about their activities at snack time and listen carefully to one another during shared discussions. Role play is used effectively to explore routines, such as brushing teeth and using the potty, helping children understand healthy habits in a relaxed, meaningful way.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The environment is calm, nurturing and consistent, supporting children's emotional security. Children collaborate well, show empathy and respond sensitively to peers, demonstrating strong social and emotional development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children experience high levels of wellbeing because they have regular access to physical activities throughout the day, including opportunities to develop both their large- and small- physical skills. Daily outdoor play and visits to local national parks support children's physical development, emotional wellbeing and connection with nature. Children also attend local childminder groups, benefiting from social interaction within the wider community. Younger children are encouraged to use bikes and safely challenge themselves, while independence is promoted as they are encouraged to 'try first', developing resilience and confidence.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides a calm, nurturing and consistent environment where children feel safe, secure and happy. She engages children in meaningful conversation, offering praise and enthusiasm to build confidence and self-esteem. Communication and language are woven throughout daily routines, with children sharing ideas at snack time, listening to one another and following routines, such as handwashing, with increasing independence and ease.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Role play is used effectively to promote wellbeing, self-care and social development. Children explore real-life routines, such as brushing teeth, washing hands and visiting the doctor, using imaginative play to build confidence, cooperation and problem-solving skills. Through these meaningful experiences, children develop healthy habits, strong social skills and a positive sense of self.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a clearly sequenced curriculum that sets out what children should learn and the order in which knowledge and skills are taught, ensuring strong preparation for future learning and school readiness. The curriculum is an entitlement for every child, and all children, including those attending part time or across multiple settings, access an equally ambitious offer. The childminder ensures that disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive high-quality learning opportunities and are supported to overcome any barriers to learning or wellbeing through adapting her teaching activities during the day.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is effective, and assessment is used well to check what children know and can do, ensuring that no child falls behind. Activities are tailored to children's starting points and adapted to meet individual needs, developmental stages and learning styles. However, the childminder does not always identify precise next steps for children. This means that some planned activities are not consistently targeted to what children need to learn next.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The curriculum places a strong emphasis on personal, social and emotional development so that babies and children feel safe, secure and happy. Communication and language are prioritised, with a love of books and early literacy promoted through daily experiences. Mathematics is taught explicitly through real-life resources, supporting early understanding of number, size and capacity. Physical development is strengthened through a range of activities, including climbing, nature play and outdoor exploration. Equality and diversity are embedded through imaginative play and stories, helping children recognise similarities and differences and understand what makes them unique.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of identifying additional needs by observing children's behaviours among peers and recognising when further support may be required. She is confident in using an assessment cycle should a child present with emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in the future. When concerns arise, the childminder is willing to hold sensitive but necessary conversations with parents to share observations and discuss possible additional needs. Even when parents find this difficult, she remains committed to working in partnership to agree next steps. If concerns continued, she will seek guidance from the local authority to ensure that the child receives appropriate support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder can access further training to strengthen her SEND knowledge and makes appropriate adjustments, such as reducing overstimulation, creating quieter zones and offering smaller learning spaces. She uses Makaton and visual supports alongside consistent routines to help children understand what will happen next. Teaching is adapted by adjusting activities, expectations and levels of support to meet individual needs. She has identified how she would use early years pupil premium funding to provide sensory resources if required. The childminder follows statutory guidance on healthy lunchboxes and applies this consistently. She has a clear foundational SEND knowledge and understands how to work with local special educational needs teams, speech and language professionals and dual settings to ensure that information is shared effectively. She is proactive in developing her inclusion practice and has identified special educational needs as a key area

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates clear leadership and governance through reflective practice, thoughtful decision-making and a consistent focus on children's wellbeing and progress. She draws on a supportive local childminder network, using shared knowledge, discussion and professional dialogue to enhance practice and maintain a positive work–life balance. Professional development is research-based rather than course-led, with the childminder proactively seeking information when challenges arise, for example researching behaviour and emotional development to better understand a child's stubbornness and adapt strategies effectively.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder confidently uses an assessment cycle to ensure targeted support and sustained progress for all children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The curriculum values outdoor learning, varied activities and a nurturing environment where children are settled, content and happy. Clear partnerships with parents are built through open communication, daily online app updates and daily photos, ensuring that families feel informed and involved. Parents speak highly of the setting, describing their children as excited to attend and praising the regular progress updates and collaborative support during key milestones, such as toilet training. Leadership ensures a safe, consistent and ambitious environment where every child thrives.

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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 experience a calm, nurturing environment where routines are predictable and expectations are clear, helping them feel secure and confident. They enjoy daily access to the outdoors, exploring nature, visiting local national parks and developing strong physical skills. Younger children are encouraged to try first, building resilience and independence, while activities such as biking, climbing and nature play allow them to challenge themselves safely.

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

Children benefit from a rich, language-focused environment where the childminder engages them in meaningful conversations, models new vocabulary and uses sustained shared thinking to extend ideas. They talk confidently at snack time, share what they enjoy and listen respectfully to one another. Role play is a central part of their day, supporting communication, social interaction and understanding of real-life routines. Children become doctors, nurses or patients, check temperatures, talk about keeping healthy and practise brushing teeth using dolls and mirrors. These experiences help them develop healthy habits, independence and early self-care skills.

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

Children behave kindly and cooperatively, sharing resources, taking turns and showing empathy towards peers. They work together to create shared narratives, solve problems

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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:30 - 18:00 and explore their own ideas with enthusiasm. The childminder models positive behaviour, uses praise and encouragement and ensures that the environment remains calm and consistent, supporting emotional wellbeing.

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About this setting

Children who may need additional support are well understood and fully included. The childminder observes carefully, adapts activities, uses visual cues and simplified language and is confident in using ongoing observation and assessment to ensure that every child can access learning and make progress.

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About this setting

Overall, children are happy, settled and deeply engaged. They develop confidence, curiosity and strong social skills, making this a joyful and enriching place to grow and learn.

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Next steps

The childminder should continue to engage with training to develop her practice further. The childminder should identify even more accurate next steps to target individual learning further.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with childminder, 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. Local authority: Surrey

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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. 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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