Goulding, Alexandra Lucy Sarah

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2768256 Registered with Ofsted: 22/01/2024 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

All children make steady progress from their starting points and typically develop the necessary skills for the future. Children enjoy their time with the childminder and develop a love of books. They choose to sit and look at books independently. They also enjoy listening and joining in when the childminder reads to them. This helps to strengthen their early communication skills.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make choices in their play. They enjoy using their imagination and love to dress up. As they play with play dough, they use a variety of tools to support their fine motor skills and make pretend cups of tea for the childminder. Children use polite manners as they say 'thank you' to the childminder when she shares out the play dough.

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Achievement Expected standard

Older children practise some independence skills during daily routines. For instance, they use the toilet and start to learn how to put on their own shoes. However, they do not understand the importance of washing their hands before eating meals. Children confidently make their needs known. For example, they tell the childminder when they need to use the toilet or are feeling hungry. However, children are not yet confident in understanding how their behaviour affects others.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder delivers her curriculum through a range of learning experiences in the setting and on outings. For example, children make new friends at local playgroups and develop their physical skills at the park.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder successfully supports children's mathematical development and understanding of concepts by drawing their attention to mathematical ideas during play. For example, during role play, the childminder encourages children to compare sizes and find out if objects are 'big' or 'small'. She role models naming shapes and offers activities for children to problem-solve, such as having a go at completing a variety of different locks on a jigsaw board.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports children's communication and language skills effectively. When children need extra help with their speech, she speaks clearly and slowly and models how to say words correctly. The childminder reads stories to children and asks older children questions about the book to encourage their thinking skills and conversation. Through her interactions, she models language and widens children's vocabulary.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, the childminder supports children's personal, social and emotional development effectively through secure attachments and offering cuddles when children need them. However, she does not yet fully support children in developing a deeper understanding of how their behaviours affect others.

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Needs attention

The childminder has identified curriculum and teaching as areas for improvement, but she has not yet translated these intentions into a clear or well-sequenced plan. As a result, the quality of education is not consistently high.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has experience of supporting children who need extra help. She demonstrates her ability to tailor experiences and remove barriers, enabling all children to access learning and daily routines effectively. The childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of how to seek support and make the necessary referrals as needs arise. She undertakes relevant training to gain knowledge and confidence to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Families are valued partners, with regular and responsive communication. From the start, the childminder gathers detailed information from parents and gets to know children and families well to help her provide experiences unique to the individual child. The childminder monitors children's progress. She uses her observations to plan activities following their interests that support learning and wellbeing. She engages parents effectively through discussion, maintaining effective partnerships that reinforce inclusion and consistency between home and the setting. The childminder works on the same next steps children are working on at other settings they attend to provide continuity and to embed new skills.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands how to use additional funding to support children's individual needs and help them make secure progress.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

The childminder does not consistently teach children clear rules and boundaries. For example, she asks children to walk when they are indoors or to share, but she does not reinforce these messages when relevant. This means children do not always have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. At times, the childminder does not correct children's unwanted behaviour, for example when they push or block their peers from joining in an activity. Therefore, children do not learn effectively the difference between right and wrong or how their behaviour affects others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Children develop warm and trusting relationships with the childminder. They are settled, confident and happy in their surroundings. Children generally demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They are keen to join in with activities and show sustained concentration over time. Children show pride in what they are doing. For example, as children sit as a group and roll a ball, they clap and cheer when the ball successfully reaches their peers.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Attendance is promoted through clear communication with parents. Absences are recorded and monitored where needed. Children attend regularly and settle quickly.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder does not always ensure children are safely seated or supervised while eating. For example, older children stand for snack time and walk around the room with food in their mouth, and the childminder has her back to them. This does not adequately protect children from the risk of choking. The childminder has not yet established appropriate safety measures to support children during mealtimes.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Hygiene routines are not always reinforced consistently. For example, self-care routines are not always modelled clearly, and children's toileting routines are not carried out in a way that protects their privacy. Children are not fully supported in managing their personal care.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder encourages children to be physically active. Children spend time outdoors daily and go on outings to the local park. The childminder helps children develop their physical skills, such as building strength and coordination on outdoor equipment. She works with parents to ensure they understand the importance of oral health and avoid sugary foods and drinks in children's lunch boxes.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Children benefit from experiences in the local community. Visits to local shops, parks and playgroups help them to understand similarities and differences in people and communities beyond their immediate environment. These experiences support children's sense of belonging and contribute to their overall wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder completes some professional development opportunities that help her to extend her own knowledge of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and develop some aspects of her teaching. That said, she does not identify underlying causes of weaknesses, and professional development opportunities are not targeted specifically enough to bring about effective improvement. This means that there are gaps in her knowledge, and she has not kept up to date with changes to the statutory framework. Additionally, the childminder does not implement clear rules and boundaries to support children's behaviour. This means children do not fully understand the expectations within the setting.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has developed positive relationships with parents and communicates effectively. She shares regular updates about what the children have been doing and what they have achieved. She sends photos to parents so they can see what their children have been doing. The childminder supports parents by providing healthy food guidelines to follow and additional support, including about the use of dummies.

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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 are happy and settled at the childminder's home and enjoy the activities on offer. However, some aspects of the childminder's practices do not prioritise children's safety and good health effectively. For example, at times, the childminder does not closely supervise children at mealtimes, and she does not encourage them to wash their hands before eating.

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

Children enjoy playing group games with each other, such as rolling a ball back and forth with their friends. Typically, they enjoy each other's company as they explore a play dough activity together, sharing tools. However, the childminder does not consistently support children to understand and follow behavioural expectations or to consider how their behaviours can impact others.

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

The childminder plans activities that she knows children will enjoy. In the garden, children take part in a range of activities that promote their physical development, such as running, kicking balls and chasing bubbles. They are pleased with themselves as they catch a bubble and shout 'pop!' Children enjoy exploring water play and use their imaginations as they spend time making potions. Their imaginary play is supported further as they make up storylines, pretending to put toy figures on a carousel.

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

Children develop a love of books. They enjoy sitting and looking at books independently and listening to the childminder read. Older children join in conversations, talking about the book and what they can see in the pictures. Younger children enjoy making the sounds of the animals in the pictures. These activities support children's developing communication and language skills. The childminder models a variety of words and explains what they mean to help children develop their vocabulary.

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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

ensure babies and young children are seated safely and monitored consistently during mealtimes for their safety 10/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that children have sufficient privacy when using the toilet 10/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

strengthen hygiene routines to ensure self-care is consistently modelled and reinforced 10/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

provide clear boundaries and expectations for children to help them understand and learn what is right and wrong and how their behaviour impacts others 10/05/2026

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Action Completion Date

focus professional development to broaden knowledge and evaluate practice effectively to identify areas for improvement 10/05/2026

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children during the inspection and reviewed feedback from parents.

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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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