Gibbs, Louise Claire

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2858379 Registered with Ofsted: 05/12/2025 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 Strong standard

Children thrive in this happy environment. They consistently demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning as they confidently join in with both adult-led and child-led activities. Children show sustained concentration and enthusiasm, particularly for those activities that interest them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder promotes the importance of regular attendance to parents, which helps children to develop positive habits for future learning, including starting school. She records and quickly identifies any reason for non-attendance. Children understand the behavioural expectations in the setting and follow them respectfully. Any minor altercations are dealt with fairly and swiftly. The childminder is kind and gentle and consistently promotes kindness, respect and good manners. This has a positive impact on how children behave and treat both each other and the environment. The atmosphere at the setting is loving and caring, and children are well supported during their play. Positive behaviour and achievements are consistently reinforced through praise, helping children to feel valued and confident. Children are thoughtfully encouraged to express their worries and feelings, which supports their emotional wellbeing effectively.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children who face barriers to their learning are swiftly identified and provided with individualised support to enhance their development and help to close gaps in their learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places a strong emphasis on supporting and promoting children's health and wellbeing. She creates a safe and welcoming environment and builds responsive and secure attachments with children. Consequently, children feel able to express themselves, become engaged in their learning and separate from their parents with ease. Children benefit from constant access to the fresh air where they delight in running around with their friends. The childminder reminds them how to keep themselves and others safe as they play on climbing frames and throw balls. She consistently supports children to understand and manage their emotions. This helps children to learn to cooperate with each other and begin to identify their feelings.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children confidently wash and dry their own hands and are beginning to manage their own toileting. The childminder respects children's need for privacy during intimate care routines. She ensures that her child-centred approach provides children with dignity in a comfortable and safe environment.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Snack times and mealtimes are used as an opportunity to talk about children's food preferences and diet. Children are keen to contribute their opinions and knowledge about fruit and vegetables. These routine experiences help influence children to develop lifelong healthy habits. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are provided with a safe predictable environment, which helps to reduce anxiety and helps children to understand what is expected of them.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children, including those who face barriers to their learning or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, progress well from their starting points. They demonstrate a high level of enjoyment as they play with their friends. Children show their dexterity as they use pipettes to scoop up water and post items into the mouth of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. They develop their balancing and large-muscle skills as they negotiate obstacles, climb and throw balls.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children build on their vocabulary and language in everyday routines and play. They make choices from a range of books available to them and confidently ask the childminder and her assistants to read them a familiar story. Overall, children access a range of age and stage appropriate tasks and activities that help them to progress to the next stage in their learning, such as going to school.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides an inclusive broad and balanced curriculum that covers all areas of development and learning. Children are encouraged to develop their independence through everyday routines, such as tidying toys and toileting. Literacy is embedded through activities, which helps foster a love of books from a very early age. Mathematics is taught with confidence and is woven into all areas of children's learning effectively.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children's emotional, social and personal development is very well supported through an inclusive, nurturing and well-structured environment in which children develop confidence, independence and make steady progress. The childminder uses observations and assessments, which identify when children are at risk of falling behind. She works with parents and outside agencies to ensure that every child has their unique individual needs met.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

However, there are times when the childminder's teaching is not consistently adapted for the age and stage of individual children, which slows their progress. For example, there are times when activities are very generalised and the intended learning is pitched too high for very young children. Nonetheless, children are motivated to learn and demonstrate high engagement.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder supports children effectively to achieve their next steps. She carries out regular observations and uses assessments to establish what children need to be learning next. The childminder is able to signpost parents to external professionals when additional support and/or advice is required. She reflects on her provision and has discussions with her assistants that help her to plan children's next steps and make improvements in her practice. The childminder regularly reviews her training needs and any training needs of the assistant she works with. This enables her to provide an inclusive curriculum that contributes to meaningful improved outcomes for children, particularly for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Overall, the childminder understands the importance of providing high-quality childcare for all children and, as a result, children, including those who face

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Inclusion Expected standard

barriers to their learning, make progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands what she does well and is keen to reflect on areas where she can further develop. She ensures that she regularly reviews her setting so that resources and activities reflect children's current interests and contribute to their enjoyment. The childminder reflects on her skills and those of any assistants she works with and regularly seeks out training to help improve her practice and outcomes for children. Her commitment to supporting children's wellbeing and building effective partnerships with families enables her to understand the unique needs of children, including children who face barriers to their learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is experienced in supporting children who may face barriers to their learning. She is able to implement strategies and provide targeted support for those children who need support with their communication. For example, she routinely uses sign language and visual cues to support children effectively to have their own choices or understand what is about to happen next.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a sound understanding of each child's progress, their existing knowledge and what they need to be learning next. She uses this information to plan her curriculum. However, she has not yet fully considered the age and stage of children's development when setting up activities, which means there are occasions when children are not able to fully benefit from the intended learning.

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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

Children show that they are happy and feel safe at this welcoming setting. They seek out their friends to play with, and they happily join in with the activities that have been planned for them. They feel safe in a welcoming and nurturing environment in which they are valued for their unique interests, abilities and learning styles, and the childminder supports them accordingly. Children's wellbeing is a priority at the childminder's practice, and it is supported by a consistent two-way flow of information with parents and any assistants that the childminder works with.

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

Children begin to respect and value each other under the gentle guidance of the childminder. She creates an environment in which children can build and strengthen their social skills, which helps prepare them for the next stage in their learning, such as going to school. The childminder has a sound knowledge of how to support children to make the progress that they are capable of. She ensures that children who face barriers to their learning are well supported in the setting. The childminder works closely with parents and other agencies to find strategies that meet children's individual needs. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure and are becoming confident in their interactions with other children and adults. They happily approach the childminder for reassurances and cuddles. Through their bonds with other children, which includes invitations to play, children are developing their social skills.

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

Through regular attendance, daily activities and play, children develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to secure a positive start in life. Children demonstrate that they are very socially confident. They communicate their needs effectively and form positive relationships with the childminder and their friends. The childminder has the knowledge and systems in place to help the early identification of those children who face barriers to their

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About this setting

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

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. learning, such as children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This allows her to provide interventions to support those children who most need it.

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Next steps

The childminder should take a more focused approach to the planning and adaptation of her teaching to meet the needs of all children and develop their learning even further.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistants and 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. This data is from 15 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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