Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY382066 Registered with Ofsted: 03/10/2008 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

Children's behaviour is positive and they follow the expectations of the childminder and routines well. The childminder gives consistent, calm, clear reminders in a differentiated way, tailored to the developmental levels of individual children. Children listen and respond well to these reminders of her expectations. Regular attendance is promoted by the childminder, and this helps children to understand the routines of the setting, which are implemented well. Children understand the importance of sitting when eating, walking inside rather than running and only climbing on designated equipment outside, which helps keep them safe. Children participate in tasks such as tidying-up time, which helps them to understand the importance of keeping their physical environment clear to prevent accidents.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Minor upsets between children are resolved quickly as the childminder intervenes promptly. She distracts children's attention away from small instances of conflict and redirects their focus. This de-escalation is effective and the atmosphere within the setting is of relative calm. Children persevere well, supported by the childminder, who sits with them and gives encouragement when challenges occur. Children show delight when able to complete activities for themselves and are keen to share this milestone with the childminder and receive praise. This helps children to keep trying in the future when facing challenges and to develop a positive attitude when overcoming challenges.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Developing high levels of welfare and wellbeing in all children is a key priority for the childminder. She knows children well and is responsive to their needs. By doing this effectively, children are settled, happy and content. The childminder helps children to make healthy lifestyle choices. This includes encouraging them to drink water, try new foods and eat a balanced diet. The childminder understands the importance of accessing the outdoors on a regular basis and has spare items of clothing so that children are able to go outside in a safe way, regardless of the weather.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's privacy is respected, especially during personal care times. This helps children to gain a healthy sense of what is appropriate. The childminder takes a lead in managing the toileting needs of individual children and is very patient as children acquire this new skill. The childminder helps children to understand their emotional health. For example, she supports children to recognise different emotions and provides helpful ways for children to learn to manage any overwhelming feelings positively. The childminder has developed positive relationships with children and their families and gives extra support when they face difficult circumstances at home.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children, including those who face barriers to learning, are not fully prepared for the next step in their education because the curriculum is not of a consistently high standard. Children receive inconsistent teaching, with some aspects of learning covered more effectively than others. This impacts children's ability to develop some foundation skills that are important when transitioning to school.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children's personal, social and emotional needs are met well. The childminder is attentive to any changes in their emotional wellbeing and provides additional support and comfort during such times. This helps them to feel safe and confident to engage in a wide range of activities. Children learn to follow instructions. They listen, process and respond appropriately to information given to them by the childminder. For example, when asked, they sit well at a table for mealtimes and demonstrate high levels of independence when eating. Children are confident to make choices. They express their preferences and interests to the childminder, who is attentive and makes herself available to provide help when required. This helps to alleviate any feelings of frustration.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder does not deliver a robust, broad and effective curriculum to all children. She is very experienced and knows what she wants children to learn, but this is not consistently planned or delivered. The curriculum does not always build upon what children already know, and the different developmental stages of children are not always accommodated effectively. On occasion, children lose interest quickly. However, there is some effective teaching happening and, at times, the childminder does help children to acquire skills. For example, she helps them to form positive relationships with each other, supporting them to share and take turns. She takes children to explore the local environment and takes account of their preferences for specific places of interest, so they are motivated to learn about the natural world.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Communication skills are good and the childminder talks to the children about what they are doing, increasing their language development. Some children enjoy listening to familiar stories as the childminder is an engaging reader. Provision for disadvantaged children and those who face other barriers to learning and/or well-being is largely positive. The childminder prioritises children's personal, social and emotional needs, giving encouragement and praise and reinforcing how important they are to her and the setting. This helps them to feel safe, settled and ready to learn.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder does not implement a high-quality curriculum that is consistently effective for the differing developmental stages of all children. Her assessment methods are not embedded securely enough to fully understand the impact the teaching has on individual children. This reduces the impact on children who do not make consistently high levels of progress in all areas. Children who experience barriers to their learning are cared for well. The childminder is empathetic and is aware of how impactful some challenges can be on children. She gives additional emotional help to children during these times and makes effective adaptations to ensure they can access her provision and receive the stability that this consistency offers. The childminder has created a welcoming setting where all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those facing barriers to their learning, are

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Inclusion Needs attention

made to feel valued and important. She identifies any delays in children's learning and shares her findings with families and other professionals as required so that additional help can be sought where needed. The childminder has appropriate ideas about how to spend any additional funding received to help individual children develop.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder does not develop and deliver a robust and effective curriculum that is consistently effective at supporting children's development across all areas of learning. She does not successfully evaluate the impact that the curriculum has on all children's development. The childminder understands the importance of this requirement but has not yet prioritised this within her workload.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder implements different policies to promote children's safety. She captures information about children's allergies, food intolerances and medical needs before children join, so that she can put plans in place to ensure the environment is a safe place for each child. The childminder makes clear her expectations of children's behaviour when out and about in the community. She explains how children should behave when walking along the pavement to ensure they are safe.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has effective relationships with local schools and fosters positive relationships with settings where shared care is in place. Sharing relevant information about children's welfare and wellbeing means that she can put effective plans in place to remove barriers to attendance. The childminder adapts her usual routines to help children access both settings. The childminder has positive relationships with parents. She shares relevant information about their child's development and welfare. When families face challenges, she supports them well, understanding the needs of the children.

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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 childminder is very experienced and committed to providing her best for all of the children who attend her setting, including those who face barriers to their learning. Whilst she has an idea about what she wants children to learn, this is not part of a broad and well- planned curriculum. She does not have a robust assessment plan in place to monitor the impact her teaching has on children's developmental levels, and this has a negative impact upon their attainment. The childminder's setting is welcoming and safe. It is resourced with a range of developmentally appropriate items that children self-select with confidence. Children are enthusiastic explorers, moving around the environment and directing their own play. They move individual coloured beads around a wooden activity cube, demonstrating levels of perseverance and concentration. The childminder is kind, caring and attentive to the individual needs of children, and with this nurturing support, they settle quickly. She fosters

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

positive relationships through being encouraging and gives praise to children as they complete tasks for themselves, so they feel confident in their own abilities. She also fosters positive relationships between children through encouraging and supporting them to engage positively with each other.

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

The childminder gives children choices so that their opinions can be taken into account, for example, asking which book they would like to read. This helps them feel valued and confident to make their needs and ideas known. Children learn to be independent as the childminder encourages them to complete tasks for themselves. She makes adaptations to her practice to accommodate individual needs. She advocates for regular attendance, and this helps children to form friendships and gain an understanding of routines.

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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, her co-childminder/assistant, 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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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 06:30 - 16:30

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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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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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