Holt Kerry-Louise

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 220444 Registered with Ofsted: 15/12/2000 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

Overall, the childminder creates a calm, positive environment where children feel happy, settled and confident to explore. Relationships between the childminder and children are warm and secure. Children seek reassurance when needed and confidently approach the childminder during play. This supports children to feel safe and develop trust.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder uses consistent daily routines to help children understand what's happening next. This offers children a sense of security and helps them understand behavioural expectations. The childminder sets age appropriate tasks, such as tidying away after play and sitting together during story time. Children show positive manners and willingly help when asked. When difficulties arise, the childminder uses gentle reminders and supportive guidance to help children resolve disagreements amicably.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder supports children to build friendships, learn to share, take turns and play kindly with one another. She supports children to understand their own emotions and those of others. For instance, she reminds children to use 'kind hands' when they have difficulty sharing resources and explains that some behaviours can make others feel sad. However, sometimes the childminder does not offer activities which engage younger children resulting in some minor negative behaviours. The childminder works closely with parents to promote good attendance and punctuality, helping children develop consistent routines that prepare them well for school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder builds secure and responsive relationships helping children to develop secure attachments with her and seek comfort from her when upset or unsettled. This helps children to feel safe and to develop a sense of emotional security. Generally, the childminder supports children to become independent in managing their own hygiene routines. For instance, children wash their hands before meals and after toileting. Overall, the childminder ensures that all children feel valued and well supported, by getting to know them and their families well and giving children opportunity to talk about themselves.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder establishes effective sleeping and feeding routines that take account of children's individual needs to support their emotional wellbeing. She makes sensitive adaptations to support those with special educational need and/or disabilities during mealtime to ensure they can still take part in the daily routine.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children benefit from the childminder's nutritious, home cooked meals, which they thoroughly enjoy. As they eat, children confidently identify foods such as carrots and peas and talk about keeping healthy. They remind one another that cake is a special treat, usually saved for celebrations like birthdays. The childminder further supports children's understanding of healthy eating and oral health through books and practical activities. In addition, she invites the local dental nurse to visit, giving children the opportunity to learn about caring for their teeth and to practise effective tooth brushing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a understanding of how to identify and respond to emerging concerns about children's learning and development. She works effectively with parents, carrying out regular observations and assessments to monitor children's progress over time. The childminder develops partnerships with parents and external professionals, ensuring that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face additional barriers receive timely and appropriate support. If needed, she makes referrals to external agencies, enabling children to access the specialist services and funding they need to make progress. For example, she works with the community nurse to support children with specific dietary needs.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children with communication or language delays benefit from small-group time that focuses on pronunciation of words. The childminder generally models new vocabulary and engages in conversation as children play. However, she does not always provide younger children with sufficient processing time before responding, which can hinder confidence, reduce participation, and limits opportunities for language development.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder accesses training to develop her understanding of how to support children with SEND. This has helped her to understand children's needs and how to make adaptations to ensure children are able to take part. For example, mealtimes have been adjusted to ensure all can be included in the social experience.

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Achievement Needs attention

Overall, children make variable progress in their learning. Younger children, in particular, do not consistently build on what they already know and can do. During interactions, the childminder often moves on too quickly and does not give younger children enough time to think, process, and respond. As a result, younger children are not supported well enough to make secure progress in their speech and language development.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children gain some of the skills they need to prepare for their next stage of learning. They follow a well-established daily routine that helps them develop important self-care skills, such as toileting and handwashing. Children also begin to build the independence needed for future learning and their eventual transition to school. They learn to manage simple tasks for themselves, for example dressing for outdoor play. Older children develop their small- muscle control as they chop fruit and use cutlery confidently at mealtimes. The childminder works well with other professionals to implement targeted support for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities helping them to make typical progress in their learning .

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder has made some progress in developing her curriculum. However, weaknesses in curriculum implementation and teaching practice, means that learning is not consistently well matched to children's needs, particularly for younger children. As a result, not all children make the progress they are capable of. When identifying next steps in learning the childminder relies too heavily on tracking documents rather than drawing on her own observations and professional knowledge. This leads to next steps that do not match children's emerging needs. Teaching is variable and does not always provide the support children require to learn through play. For example, during a life cycle activity, the level of challenge is too complex for younger children. They quickly lose interest and do not benefit from the intended learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

That said, the childminder knows the children well and provides a warm and engaging play environment. She supports children's personal, social and emotional development through regular outings in the community that help them to learn about the world around them. They gain valuable social skills when they attend toddler groups and meet with other childminders and their children. This supports children to learn important life skills and how to socialise with others.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder welcomes guidance from external professionals, such as those from the local authority. She has made several improvements since the last inspection. This includes developing her curriculum and identifying next steps in learning. However, she has yet to develop a secure curriculum for the youngest children to ensure activities are adapted to meet their individual stage of development. Her practice is overly dependent on tracking documentation, with limited use of real-time observations and her own knowledge. This leads to next steps that are not well aligned with the emerging needs of younger children. In addition she has not reflected on the quality of her interactions with the youngest children particularly in communication and language. As a result, the youngest children do not always receive learning experiences that are appropriate for their developmental stage, which can slow their overall progress.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder builds working partnerships with parents and carers. She gains relevant information from the start to help her understand children's needs and any barriers to their learning. The childminder keeps parents informed of their children's routines, activities and development. Parents share positive feedback regarding the care of their children. For example, they comment that the childminder has their children's best interests in mind. They also say she has had a positive impact on their children's confidence and social skills, helping their personalities to flourish.

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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 are happy and enjoy their time with the childminder. They form warm and nurturing relationships and confidently seek comfort and reassurance when needed, showing they feel safe and secure. They attend regularly, settle quickly and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. For example, they are all eager to join in with actions songs, waving scarves in the air as they move their bodies to the actions.

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

Overall children enjoy their learning, they have daily opportunities to explore the garden, regardless of the weather. Older children independently prepare for wet weather play, putting on their own wet suits and helping younger children find their shoes. However, the curriculum for younger children is not as well developed, and some activities are pitched at too high a level. As a result, younger children's learning is not always carefully planned, which can limit their ability to make the best possible progress. There are also inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and interactions. While some children benefit from targeted support, such as one-to-one sessions, further improvement is needed to ensure that younger children benefit from a ambitious curriculum.

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

Children are encouraged to develop early independence through everyday routines. At mealtimes, older children practise using a knife to chop fruit as younger children use cutlery well to feed themselves, helping them build confidence and coordination. Children are starting to enjoy shared activities that help them develop early friendships and turn-taking skills. The childminder encourages children to play together and cooperate. For example, children take turns on the indoor climbing frame, where they practise climbing, balancing and negotiating space.

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

Children who experience barriers to learning are offered sensitive, well planned support. Detailed information about each child is gathered when they first start, enabling personalised routines that reflect home practices and support continuity of care, encourage participation and build confidence and self-esteem.

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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

improve the delivery of an ambitious curriculum for younger children 22/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

develop more effective use of assessment to improve teaching to help younger children to achieve their developmental next steps and their full learning potential. 22/06/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, parents and assistants 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 : 07:30 - 18:00

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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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Our grades explained

A quality assurance visit by an additional inspector was carried out at this 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

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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