Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY412978 Registered with Ofsted: 17/09/2010 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

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Safeguarding standards not met

The childminder has not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that adequately protects children from harm. The childminder has failed to ensure the safeguarding and welfare requirements are always met to assure children's safety and welfare. The childminder has a poor attitude to safeguarding children. She does not demonstrate that she could and would advocate for children to ensure their safety. The childminder does not demonstrate a secure understanding of safeguarding thresholds and local policies and procedures. Despite recognising when a child could be at risk, she does not make timely referrals. As a result, information is not effectively shared with other professionals to ensure children's safety. Although the childminder has accessed appropriate safeguarding training, she does not implement what she has learnt in order to meet her child protection responsibilities.

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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 Urgent improvement

Significant weaknesses in practice negatively impact on children's achievements, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those that face other barriers to learning and/or wellbeing. Children are not suitably prepared for the next stage of learning. Weaknesses in the interactions children receive and the poorly designed curriculum prevent children building essential skills and knowledge they require. For example, children are not supported well enough to develop their personal social and emotional development. They are not provided with tools to help them understand their own or others' emotions which prevents them from managing age- and stage-appropriate conflicts when they arise.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Children have good independence skills. For example, they independently wash their hands, get their lunch boxes ready for mealtime and dress for outdoors. Children develop communication and language skills as they play and communicate together. They use their imagination skills as they role play in the vets and have pretend telephone conversations. Older children are keen to share their knowledge and skills in early writing as they make marks on a vet's checklist. Children enjoy independent play and playing together.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

The lack of curriculum implementation impacts children's attitude to learning. Children become bored and begin getting into conflicts with one another. For instance, they want the same toy and begin pushing one another. The childminder does not identify quickly enough that the youngest and oldest children have become bored and need either further support to engage or offered more challenge. For example, children play with resources on offer such as role- play vets, play mobile phones and role-play cooking. However, this play does not keep them stimulated and engaged.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

The childminder spends a lot of time reminding children how to be kind to one another. This does not provide children with purposeful, engaging and enjoyable learning. It also does not prevent children from doing the same things repeatedly, indicating the childminder's approach to managing behaviour does not work for those children. However, she has not identified this and persists with trying to teach children right from wrong. The childminder does not make appropriate considerations for individual children when supporting behaviour, particularly children that have special educational needs and/ or disabilities. For instance, the childminder over directs children to make them focus on what she is saying. This over- direction demonstrates a lack of respect and care for children. It fails to support and teach children rules and boundaries effectively. This has a negative impact on children's ability to

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

Children at times build positive relationships with their peers. However, when conflicts arise, children are not supported well enough to develop tools to work these out together or independently. This prevents children from being able to begin to manage conflicts which are age- and stage-appropriate. Children attend regularly and when they do not attend the childminder works with parents to understand the reasons for absence.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Children's personal social and emotional development is not supported well enough. The childminder does not support children to be able to comfortably express how they are feeling. For example, the childminder tells children not to cry when they become distressed. She also uses stereotype language, such as 'big boys don't cry'. The childminder will also tell the children to stop and that they are making her sad. This has a negative impact on children's self-worth and puts unfair and inappropriate pressure on children. The childminder's approach to children's wellbeing can shame children into behaving well which in turn negatively impacts children's self-esteem.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

The childminder's lack of knowledge of the early years foundation stage requirements prevents her from being able to sufficiently meet the key-person requirement. She does not ensure that children are provided with tailored support to make the progress they can and should make. This prevents all children, particularly children with special educational needs and/or disabilities from catching up.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

The childminder does not work sufficiently in partnership with parents to promote children's health. For example, children have bottles with pure fruit juice and squash. They do not have access to water. This potentially has a negative impact on children's overall health including their oral health.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The childminder does not implement an effective curriculum. She does not have a good enough understanding of children's age and stage of development to implement a curriculum that focuses on what children need to learn next. The lack of curriculum implementation impacts children's attitudes to learning. Children become bored and begin getting into conflicts with one another. Children have limited opportunity to develop well physically. They have limited time outdoors and limited opportunities to move their bodies in different ways or learn fundamental skills, such as balancing, throwing and climbing.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The childminder does not understand how or when to use assessments to identify what children know and the support, they need next. This significantly impacts children's opportunities to develop essential skills and the knowledge they require to progress well. For example, when children join the childminder's provision she does not gather their current milestones to influence and direct her teaching. She does not identify when children may have special educational needs and/or disabilities or face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Therefore, children are not provided with opportunities to build on the skills they need. This does not ensure that children achieve as well they can and does not prepare them for their next stage of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The childminder supports children to develop communication and language skills at times. For example, she talks to children about what they are doing. She encourages children to enjoy books, they self-select books from a low-level shelf and enjoy sitting next to one another as they flick through the pages. The childminder does encourage children to develop an understanding of numbers. For example, she includes mathematical language as children are playing and helps them to think about what numbers come next. However, this is not consistently appropriate for children's age and stage of development.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

The childminder's attitude towards inclusion is poor. She does not proactively assess children's needs and implement effective strategies to support children. For example, should she need to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) she simply says she would purchase resources to support children's learning. She does not recognise or identify that specific tailored teaching, and multiple professional working could be required. This demonstrates a poor understanding of what inclusive practice means and therefore the childminder's ability to implement such practice cannot be assured.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Despite recently attending a course which focused on inclusion, the childminder's knowledge remains significantly below expected standard. This demonstrates a concerning lack of understanding of children with SEND which prevents the childminder from providing all children with the tailored support that they need and deserve in order to thrive.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder has not made improvements since her last inspection. The steps she has taken because of previous actions have been insufficient and ineffective. She has had repeated actions raised for several welfare requirements and learning and development requirements. The childminder does not effectively self-evaluate her provision, practice and teaching to provide children with a high-quality early years education. This prevents children from making progress in all areas of their development. The childminder is reliant on Ofsted to tell her when she fails to meet the expected standards. However, she continues to not meet these expected standards when actions are raised. This demonstrates that the childminder does not have the capacity to see where improvements are needed and therefore make changes. This impacts the care and education children receive.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder has attended further professional development courses, however, her knowledge remains poor. She has not applied the training to her practice. For example, she has completed training to help her support children's personal social and emotional development, understand safeguarding procedures, implement a curriculum and ensure inclusive practice. However, her ability to meet the early years foundation stage requirements (EYFS) within all these areas remains insufficient. This lack of progress prevents all children getting the support they need.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder does not work in partnership with other professionals. This breach in the EYFS requirements significantly impacts her ability to effectively safeguard and protect children and ensure their individual needs can be well supported. For example, when children join from other settings she does not work with the other setting to understand children's current milestones and safeguarding information. This particularly has a negative impact on children that require multi-professional working, such as children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This lack of proactive work with others compromises children's safety and prevents other professionals contributing appropriately to children's overall health and wellbeing.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not 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 not 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 do not achieve as they should as they do not access high-quality care and education due to the consistent breaches in requirements and the weaknesses in the childminder's skills and knowledge. Children are not provided with an emotionally secure and safe space to learn. They are not supported to express and regulate their emotions which has a negative impact on their personal social and emotional wellbeing. Children's health needs are not robustly supported and drinking water is not available for them to stay hydrated throughout the day.

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

Children do not have their tailored needs supported by the childminder. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing do not have arrangements in place to ensure their needs are effectively supported to enable them to progress well. They do not benefit from partnership working with other professionals as the childminder fails to do this effectively. This lack of proactive working with others compromises children's safety and prevents other professionals contributing appropriately to children's overall health and well-being.

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

Children's safety is compromised by a weak safeguarding culture. Children's life at home or elsewhere is not taken into consideration when safeguarding thresholds are reviewed by the childminder. Therefore, the childminder does not take appropriate action in line with local safeguarding policies and procedures. Children are not advocated for by the childminder to ensure their safety.

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

Children, at times, show enjoyment in activities. For instance, they use art and craft materials to make role-play ice creams and are keen to show their ice creams to the other children and the childminder. They build positive relationships with their peers and confidently talk about which children are present as they point to their pictures of the childminder's family tree.

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Next steps

The provider is not meeting the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

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Next steps

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

improve your knowledge of safeguarding thresholds taking into consideration concerns in children's life at home or elsewhere and what action you must take in line with local safeguarding policies and procedures 28/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve your skills and knowledge of early years education by effectively applying skills you have learned, so that children are provided with high-quality early years education 28/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure a consistent and effective key-person system is implemented for all children to enable them to receive tailored support to meet their individual needs 28/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure children have access to fresh drinking water daily 28/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

implement effective behaviour management strategies that consistently support all children to learn how to regulate their behaviour and express their emotions 28/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

strengthen arrangements in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure their individual needs are known and effectively supported to ensure they make progress 28/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure relevant information is obtained and shared effectively with parents, carers and other professionals as appropriate to ensure all children's needs can be met and they receive continuity in their care and education 28/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

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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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:00

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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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Action Completion Date

design a curriculum that is understood and implement it effectively with a clear plan of what children need to learn next to make progress 22/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

use assessments effectively to identify gaps in children's learning and provide a clear plan of what children know and need to learn next to achieve well 22/06/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with children, the childminder 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. This data is from 14 May 2026

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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

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