Elwick, Linda

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 111331 Registered with Ofsted: 10/09/1996 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 form secure and trusting relationships with the childminder. The childminder supports children well to learn to play cooperatively and navigate age-appropriate behaviours. She explains to older children how to share with younger children and show their friends how different toys work. The childminder provides children with plenty of praise to reinforce their positive behaviour. Children respond well to this encouragement, and they are cooperative and respectful. For example, older children politely ask for different toys to be put out. Younger children are learning how to say 'please' and 'thank you' with gentle encouragement from the childminder.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children respond positively to the calm and consistent approach of the childminder. They have developed a 'can-do' attitude and repeatedly try to do things for themselves before asking for help. Children are developing independent skills as they make choices about their play and attempt tasks on their own. The childminder promotes good attendance and understands the importance of following up any periods of absence. She makes reasonable adaptations and tailors children's experiences to their preferred ways of learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has fostered positive relationships with children. Through her regular and positive interactions, she helps children to develop secure attachments, a sense of belonging and the confidence to explore. The childminder shares her time well between the children, which makes them feel valued. Children are effectively supported to manage their emotions as a result of the childminder's gentle and consistent guidance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's emotional wellbeing is nurtured well. The childminder ensures that care routines meet children's needs and are safe, such as mealtimes, nappy changing and rest times. She adapts the care she provides to support children's individual circumstances and to reflect routines at home. Overall, children are supported to learn about healthy lifestyles, although handwashing before eating is not always consistently promoted. Children enjoy occasional visits to the local nature reserve but have regular access to the childminder's garden to benefit from the fresh air and be physically active.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder ensures that children are safe. She supervises children closely and teaches them how to move safely around her home and how to care for her pets.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works positively with families and maintains warm, trusting relationships with them so that children can access the provision consistently and feel secure in her care. Although the childminder is not currently caring for any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or children eligible for additional funding, she does have past experience and is confident to seek external support for children where necessary. The childminder works with parents whose children need extra support with their care needs,

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Needs attention

such as feeding. She offers advice and suggestions and supports parents to continue their engagement with external professionals.

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Needs attention

The childminder understands each child's background and unique needs. She primarily uses her own experience and professional judgement, rather than any curriculum guidance to identify any gaps in children's learning. Typically, she identifies their learning needs accurately and supports children to make steady progress in their learning. However, there has been a lack of focus on certain aspects of the curriculum, which impacts on their ability to make the best possible progress.

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Achievement Needs attention

In general, are becoming well prepared for school. However, the lack of focus on the curriculum for understanding the world, means that the childminder has not guided children to make sense of the diverse world in which they live and their community. Children are not fully supported to secure breadth and depth in their knowledge and skills in this aspect of their learning and development.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children are confident and welcome visitors to the setting. They are kind to each other and the childminder's positive support for their language development, means that children communicate their needs well. Children are resilient and confident to try and problem solve for themselves. For instance, when two toys become tangled together, children calmly persevere for some time, trying to separate the toys themselves, before asking the childminder for help.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder has not focused on all 7 areas of learning and development as part of her curriculum. Children have had limited opportunities to make sense of the world around them and experience their local community. While the childminder has now recognised this, any action taken is still at an early stage and it is not yet possible to determine the impact of the improvements the childminder intends to make.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

There are other aspects of the curriculum that the childminder delivers generally well. For instance, she introduces simple mathematics during her everyday interactions with children. Her kind and gentle nature means that children feel settled and secure. The childminder supports children's communication and language development effectively. She narrates children's play and models conversations during role play. The childminder repeats words for younger children to copy, such as 'strawberry', and introduces new vocabulary to older children, such as 'windy' to describe the bends in a train track. Through conversation, the childminder also highlights when words rhyme, such as 'train' and 'Spain'. However, she does not make the most of her interactions with children to fully extend their learning.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has not utilised her time since her last inspection to focus on improving her practice. She only has a broad awareness of her strengths and weaknesses, and her actions lack the precision needed to bring about timely improvement. There is limited evidence of a commitment to professional development. There are also weaknesses in the childminder's provision to support children's understanding of the world. However, the childminder has now recognised this and shows a positive attitude towards developing this aspect of the curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has developed good relationships with parents. Parents report that they are very happy with the care provided and know their children are safe when with the childminder. The childminder provides daily feedback to parents about their children's care and the activities they have participated in. However, this information is not always detailed to enable parents to have a clear picture of their children's progress and development. In addition, the childminder has not considered giving parents detailed information about the EYFS and how children develop, to help parents understand what their children should be achieving and when.

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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 has not, until recently, reflected on her practice. While she has begun to identify some improvements and has a renewed vigour to do so, she has not sought or attended any professional development opportunities since her last inspection. She has not identified gaps in her curriculum, most specifically for understanding the world. Nevertheless, the childminder generally delivers other aspects of the curriculum well. For example, she supports children to develop good social skills and children treat each other with kindness. They are fond of the childminder's pets and learn respect for living things. The childminder helps children to be independent and builds their communication and language skills. She models conversation during pretend play and introduces words for the youngest children to copy. Children are confident to invite visitors to join their play and they make choices about what they want to play with.

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

The childminder has been minding for many years and while there have been some lapses in the quality of her practice, she is kind, gentle and friendly and children enjoy their time with her. The childminder gets to know the children well; she understands and values their unique personalities and enjoys setting out toys and games that reflect their interests. Children show that they feel secure in her care and they benefit from the trusting relationships the childminder builds with their families.

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

The childminder has a sound understanding of the barriers that may affect children's learning, including the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She promotes regular attendance and punctuality.

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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

develop reflective practice and undertake regular and relevant professional development opportunities to ensure ongoing improvements to the provision 01/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

provide parents with more detailed feedback about their child's learning and achievements, as well as more detailed information about the early years foundation stage and the stages of children's development 01/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve the curriculum for understanding the world by increasing the frequency and range of children's personal experiences in order to make sense of the world around them and their community 01/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

develop teaching skills to consistently support children's play and help extend their learning even further. 01/07/2026

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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 inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children and parents during the inspection. Registration date: 10/09/1996

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About this inspection

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

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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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