Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY311276 Registered with Ofsted: 22/09/2005 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is attentive to the individual needs and emotional wellbeing of each child. He provides children with gentle reminders about how to behave sensibly, such as walking when indoors and sitting down when eating. As a result, children behave well. They are keen to explore boxes of resources and are independent when selecting what they want to play with. The childminder gives children choices so that they have a voice in what they do.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children learn to manage aspects of their own safety. For example, as they sit on their knees on a chair, he reminds them how to sit in a safe way to prevent accidents. By giving an explanation, he helps children to understand what is being asked of them and why it is important. When children face challenges, the childminder provides reassurance. The childminder's calmness helps to build secure relationships with each child. He knows them so well and shows compassion and empathy to any difficulties they are experiencing at home. He adapts his provision to ensure children can attend as and when required, which is a valuable support when families are facing difficulties.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

All children demonstrate high levels of wellbeing because of the childminder's caring approach. He has positive relationships with children and is in tune with their emotional needs, providing reassurance, encouragement and help when needed. The childminder labels different emotions to help children understand their feelings. This is particularly effective when they experience feelings of frustration. He utilises different techniques to help deescalate any situations arising, such as directing children to a different activity.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children benefit from regular physical activity and rest times that the childminder thoughtfully arranges. He offers new foods and encourages children to drink water and stay hydrated. This helps children to develop positive attitudes to a healthy lifestyle. Safety of the children is a priority for the childminder, in both indoor and outdoor environments. He helps children to learn about road safety when walking outside through providing clear and consistent expectations of holding each other's hands and listening to his instructions. Toileting needs are well supported through sharing top tips with families and being patient when children are starting on their journey to being independent in this area of personal hygiene. He offers privacy and dignity to children who are having their personal care needs met.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children, including those who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing, do not receive a broad and high-quality education that consistently covers all areas of learning. They are not fully prepared for the next stage in their education. The childminder places a greater emphasis on some aspects of learning and, as a result, other areas are not consistently covered with sufficient detail. This impacts upon their ability to gain some foundational skills needed when they transition to school.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children do make some progress. For example, children demonstrate well-developed social skills. They engage in turn-taking games and acquire important sharing skills. Children learn to work together, with gentle and consistent expectations being provided to promote harmony and respect for the needs of others. Children follow instructions with little support and help with routines, such as tidying away resources on a table in readiness for snack time. Children become inquisitive and learn how to look for similarities and differences as they explore interesting objects within a basket. The childminder uses descriptive language as he models how to touch and compare the different surfaces on each object. This helps children to make connections between hearing the new vocabulary while feeling the appropriate texture.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder has ambition and knows what he wants the children to learn, but he lacks clarity about what he will teach and when. This leads to inconsistencies in the quality and effectiveness of teaching across different areas of learning. Learning does not always build upon what children already know or help them to achieve their next steps. The childminder acknowledges this and seeks to improve his curriculum design and delivery through completion of quality training.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

There are some positive aspects of the childminder's teaching, especially in the area of personal, social and emotional needs. The childminder helps children develop positive relationships with each other. For example, he provides mark-making tools and encourages turn-taking, giving gentle prompts and praise as children wait with patience for a particular colour. In addition, he supports children's language development by introducing new vocabulary, such as 'kaleidoscope' when he shows the children how to look through coloured parts of blocks. He encourages the children to gain a different perspective by laying on the floor and looking around from this viewpoint and helps children to learn about shapes and their properties as he shows the children how to build towers. Relevant adaptations are made to help children with barriers to their learning to access the curriculum. For example, the childminder utilises tactile resources to help develop the focus

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

and attention of children who enjoy learning through sensory exploration.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder does not consistently deliver a high-quality, effective and broad curriculum to all children or effectively evaluate the impact it has on children's progress. This weakness in practice means that children do not receive a consistently high standard of teaching across all areas of learning.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder has created an environment where all children are made to feel welcome, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. He places a high focus on supporting children's wellbeing and emotional development and works closely with families to share relevant information about children's welfare. This means he can provide support to all children and their families during the different challenges they face. Delays in children's learning are identified and monitored appropriately, with any concerns shared with families and, where necessary, professional support sought. The childminder understands the difficulties some children face and provides additional emotional help when needed. He shows great empathy for children and families where difficulties may arise. The childminder has appropriate ideas about how to spend any additional funding received to appropriately help individual children develop.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has not prioritised improving his knowledge of how to design and implement a highly effective, broad curriculum that meets the needs of all children who attend his setting. While he acknowledges this as a requirement, he is yet to resolve this issue. The childminder does not plan time for completion of professional development to enhance his skill set in this area.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Safety of the children is a priority for the childminder. The indoor environment is safe and secure, with a range of practices being implemented well to ensure it meets the needs of children with allergies, intolerances and medical needs. He implements a collaborative approach with local schools for children who attend both settings, which ensures that they share relevant information to help children's needs to be effectively met. He makes adaptations to his practice to ensure that children facing challenges to their physical health are able to access both provisions. Relationships with parents are very effective. The childminder communicates with families well and shares information about children's development. When facing challenges that result in emerging barriers in children's learning, the childminder provides further support and help.

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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

The experienced childminder wants the best for minded children who attend. He has ambition and a suitable understanding of what he wants children, including those who are disadvantaged, to learn. However, there are weaknesses and inconsistencies in how the curriculum is designed and taught. The process of assessing the impact that his teaching has on individual children is not always robust enough. At times, adaptations are not successfully made to ensure that children consistently achieve well from their starting points.

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

The childminder has created a safe and welcoming environment that includes a range of varied resources. He is kind and attentive and provides reassurance to children when they need support. Children enjoy learning, eagerly using play foods in the role-play kitchen to make different meals, which they are keen to share with others. The childminder is an enthusiastic play partner, extending children's play by offering different ways to use resources. He takes time to engage in conversations with children, listening to what they are telling him, and this lets them know that their views are important and helps them to feel valued. The childminder has close, caring relationships with the children. He fosters a positive sense of belonging, and children often approach him for a reassuring cuddle or to ask for his help. He helps children work together and engage positively with each other through turn-taking games and engaging children in small-group conversations.

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

Children learn to complete tasks for themselves. They develop independence skills, in particular at mealtimes, confidently sitting at a table and showing good levels of competence when drinking and eating. Levels of attendance are monitored and the childminder makes changes when required to make the setting as accessible as possible.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:00 - 16:30

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

implement a broad and exciting curriculum for all ages of children that consistently meets the individual needs of each child 30/03/2026

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Action Completion Date

complete relevant, high-quality training to improve knowledge of how children develop and learn. 30/03/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, the co-childminder, children and parents 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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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

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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