Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2771341 Registered with Ofsted: 22/01/2024 Registers: EYR

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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

Children generally achieve well from their different starting points across all areas of learning. Children adore regular outdoor experiences in their local community. This supports their physical development and ignites their interest in the natural world. They become more confident and improve their social skills. Children are prepared for the next stage of learning. For example, older children enjoy learning about the sounds that letters represent and show increasing confidence in building their vocabulary. Children who have barriers to their learning make sustained progress from their starting points, particularly in their communication and language development. All children gain a sense of pride when they do things well or manage tasks for themselves.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children have opportunities to strengthen their understanding across many areas, which helps them to connect what they are learning. When exploring a range of fruit and vegetables, children receive encouragement to describe what they look like. They enjoy chatting about how eating healthy food makes them feel better. This supports their growing communication and language skills and emotional development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children typically behave well at this homely setting. The childminder has created an environment that positively supports children's learning. Children develop their social skills and learn to share and take turns. The childminder provides children with gentle reminders about how to behave and play in the environment. Children form secure attachments because the childminder invests time to get to know each child well. She considers each child's needs carefully, helping all children to feel included and involved.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Routines are flexible and responsive to children's needs. This supports children to be successful. Occasionally, the childminder does not provide children with enough time to prepare for their next transition. This means that at these times, children do not regulate themselves with increasing independence. The childminder responds well to children's cues. She offers comfort in the form of cuddles or reassurance, which supports children to regulate their feelings. The childminder monitors children's absences. She talks to parents and carers about the importance of regular attendance and punctuality and the impact this has on establishing effective routines.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has developed a curriculum that is typically well sequenced. This ensures that children's development is supported over time, in all areas of learning. The childminder regularly assesses what children know and can do so that she can tailor teaching to meet their needs. Children develop new vocabulary and are exposed to mathematical language through daily routines, play and planned activities. Children show growing curiosity and experience awe and wonder as they explore the ice outside. They learn new words, such as 'frosty', 'freezing' and 'icy'. The childminder encourages children to touch and explore the ice and describe how it feels in their hands.

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Urgent improvement

The childminder has not yet considered how background music distracts children. These distractions interrupt the childminder's purposeful interactions. Consequently, children's engagement is sometimes affected, but it does not impact on their overall learning and achievement.

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Urgent improvement

The childminder uses the outdoor environment to support children's physical, personal, social and emotional development. For instance, children enjoy daily outdoor play. They manage climbing up and down the steps, running, jumping and splashing in puddles. Children also enjoy frequent visits to the local park each week. The childminder uses these experiences to support children's confidence, independence and emotional security. Children also engage with weekly storytelling sessions at the local library, which provide important exposure to shared reading and oral storytelling.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder warmly welcomes all children and uses assessments to find out if children need extra help to catch up. She observes how children are doing and works with parents and carers to support children to feel settled and included. Parents describe the setting as a welcoming, inclusive and positive place for children. The childminder makes careful adaptations to ensure all children are catered for. For example, she introduces new vocabulary by personalising her interactions and uses visual cues. This personalised adaptation helps to build on what children know and already understand.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder generally has a sound understanding of how to structure support for children with special educational needs and /or disabilities. The childminder is willing to work with wider professionals to reduce barriers for children who are disadvantaged or known/previously known to children's social care. The childminder has forged relationships with the local authority and other external agencies. She has participated in training to understand the referral processes and can guide parents to access additional support if it is needed.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

The childminder does not implement safe sleeping arrangements to ensure children's wellbeing needs are met. She does not have an up-to-date understanding of the guidance around keeping children safe while they sleep. She has not sought professional development opportunities to improve her knowledge of safe sleep practice. This lack of effective oversight in practice could have a significant impact on children's wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Children develop an understanding of what contributes to positive health. They talk about why exercise and healthy foods make them feel better. The childminder works in partnership with parents and carers to modify screen time exposure to ensure that it is balanced. Children understand the importance of washing hands, using soap and water and why drying their hands using paper towels minimises infections. The childminder encourages children to 'catch a sneeze' in a tissue and to clean their hands after they have wiped their nose. This further supports children to understand what contributes to a healthy lifestyle.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

The childminder recognises when children need support to understand their emotions. She has calm and relaxing areas within the home. The childminder engages children gently to encourage them to express how they are feeling, which positively supports their emotional development.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder has not identified that children's sleeping arrangements are not in keeping with guidance to ensure safety and wellbeing. She has not made effective use of training to update her knowledge to address these weaknesses in practice. This has resulted in breaches to requirements. The childminder is reflective and demonstrates the willingness to implement the necessary changes.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder is part of a childminder network and shares ideas with other childminders, for instance to promote activities that support children's social skills and emotional wellbeing. The childminder has identified that further training would help to strengthen her confidence in supporting children with special educational needs and /or disabilities. The childminder has forged effective partnerships with parents and carers. They speak very positively about the childminder. Parents report that their children 'are saying more words' and 'making more progress' since joining the setting.

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

The childminder does not ensure that arrangements for children to sleep and rest are consistently effective in keeping them safe. She has not ensured that her knowledge around safe sleeping is up to date so that her practice is in line with guidance. As a consequence, there are breaches to requirements. These inconsistencies could have a significant impact on children's wellbeing.

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

Children show that they feel settled in the childminder's home. They engage enthusiastically in their learning. Children are confident and happy and form secure bonds with the childminder. Older children confidently choose their own activities. They use their imagination creatively, such as when playing in the role-play area and dressing up as their favourite character. Younger children enjoy exploring a range of sensory toys that support their overall development. The childminder acknowledges and praises children's achievements, which motivates them to persevere. When children create their own pictures, she celebrates their efforts, and children rejoice in their success. This positive reinforcement accelerates children's confidence and supports the development of healthy self-esteem.

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

The childminder typically promotes positive behaviour by modelling and encouraging children to follow instructions, cooperate and take turns when using resources. As toys are used and start to accumulate on the floor, the childminder actively involves children in tidying away. She teaches them to care for the resources that they use. As a result, children develop their social skills and gain an emerging sense of responsibility.

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

The childminder plans activities and experiences that build on children's interests, so that all children, including those who may face barriers to learning, enjoy learning and make progress. For example, when exploring and naming different types of fruits and vegetables, the childminder uses open-ended questions that draw attention to the similarities and differences. Children respond by using vocabulary to describe how one pepper is 'long and pointy' and the other is more 'round and short'. Exploring in the garden, the childminder invites children to splash in puddles, boosting their physical development and personal enjoyment. The childminder encourages children's mathematical skills well. She counts with children, supporting their understanding of numbers.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure that they understand and implement safety guidance with regards to children's sleeping arrangements to ensure their safety and wellbeing 08/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

target professional development to ensure that they have a secure understanding of their responsibility to implement procedures and practice that promote children's health and wellbeing. 08/06/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children, parents and carers 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,Friday : 08:00 - 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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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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