Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2731763 Registered with Ofsted: 07/08/2024 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

Typically, all children achieve well from their starting points. The childminder monitors the children's progress and identifies any areas that children need support with. Generally, children develop the key skills they will need for school. They develop their physical skills outdoors, including balance and coordination using the large play equipment. They have plenty of opportunities to strengthen their hand muscles, such as through drawing and mark making with pens.

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Achievement Expected standard

Older children develop their communication and language skills well overall and engage in conversations, for example talking about what they have done at forest school in the morning and repeating refrains when they recreate a favourite story. The childminder uses additional strategies for children who may be experiencing difficulties with their speech and language to help them communicate their wants and needs and to help them catch up.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder and the adults she works with are good role models to children and are kind and respectful to one another and the children. They offer the children lots of praise and encouragement for their acts of kindness to help reinforce the positive behaviour. When minor incidents of frustration arise, the childminder helps children negotiate, supporting them in learning the consequences of their actions on others. On occasion, the childminder does not consistently follow through on her expectations, such as when she tells children not to take a soft toy out in the rain but then allows them to do so. This does not help children consistently learn the rules and boundaries.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children show they can play cooperatively, for example, when using the roundabout. Some children gently push the other children around and then they are encouraged to swap. The childminder has worked hard to help all children learn to wait their turn, using different strategies. This has helped children learn the importance of the daily routines and the expectations.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children show a positive attitude towards their learning. They are keen to engage in the activities and concentrate well overall. If children become sidetracked, the childminder helps re-engage them successfully. This means the environment is calm and children are ready to learn.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder monitors children's absences with her co-childminder. Together they help parents understand the importance of regular attendance to help children prepare for pre- school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder teaches the children about road safety when out. Together they stop, look and listen for the cars and show that they can follow instructions well. When at the park, the childminder reminds the children that the equipment is wet and slippery and that they must be careful otherwise they will hurt themselves. This helps children learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder places an emphasis on developing children's self-care skills. She fully supports children's toilet training and encourages parents to work in partnership when she knows children are ready for this. Children confidently and independently ask to use the toilet, or, when out, ask for the potty, and they know to use the tent to protect their privacy. This prepares children well for the next stage in their education, including pre-school and school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents in helping them understand the need to provide their children with healthy snacks and meals. She offers feedback on the foods their children enjoy and those they are not keen on, to help ensure the children have enough food to eat daily.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides plenty of opportunities for children to develop their early mathematical skills. She encourages the use of mathematical and positional language, for example by talking about how 'big' or 'little' the puddles are, when the children jump 'on' or 'off' the roundabout and how 'high' they can jump in the puddles. She supports their early counting skills when they count to 10 when waiting for the bears to be hidden in the wooded area.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children have regular opportunities for physical exercise in all weathers. They squelch in the pretend mud and splash in the water, moving their bodies in different ways. The childminder encourages the children to use the roundabout together. In dry weather, when it is safe to do so, she encourages the children to climb and practise their balance and coordination on the slide and climbing wall.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Generally, the childminder supports children's communication and language skills well. She engages children in conversations, recognises and praises them when they use newly learned words and repeats words back correctly to them. This promotes children's confidence in their communication skills. The childminder also uses hand signs to help those children with less language with their understanding, for example. However, there are times when the childminder does not build on or broaden children's vocabulary consistently. For example, when children point out the flowers they see, the childminder acknowledges their interest but does not help them explore the different parts, such as the petals, leaves or stems.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder checks children's progress carefully and identifies any possible gaps in their learning. She liaises carefully with parents to share information and to decide the best course of action, ensuring they are fully involved. The childminder seeks support and advice from outside agencies, the early years team and the local authority on implementing strategies to help reduce any barriers to children's learning. She also makes effective use of additional funding to provide extra resources that support specific areas of children's development. All children, including those with possible special educational needs and/or disabilities and those children learning to speak English as an additional language, make progress in their learning, and any gaps are closing steadily.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses a range of strategies to support all children to be involved and included in her setting. She supports children's communication through using techniques such as hand signs and picture cards to help them understand the routines and what is going to happen next.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works closely with her co-childminder and her co-childminder's assistants. They regularly discuss the children's development and individual needs and any strategies they are using to support their learning. The childminder has attended all mandatory training. She has also attended 'sign along' training and uses this with the children, especially for those children learning to speak English as an additional language and those with speech and language delay. This has helped children understand what they are doing now and next, and to wait for the next part of the routine, and has had a positive impact on their progress overall.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder reflects on her practice and identifies areas of strength and some areas she wants to develop further. She feels she has formed good relationships with the children and their parents, and this means children feel safe and secure in her care. The childminder now realises that she would benefit from additional training in behaviour management to help her be more consistent.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder reports that she has positive partnerships with parents. She explains that she talks to parents daily and offers feedback on their children's day through an online app. She involves parents in making decisions about what their children need to learn next and shares observations with them when she feels their children may need additional support. This helps them be involved in their children's 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 they are settled and at ease with the childminder. They wait patiently as they are eager to join her to go to the forest school area for a 'Bear Hunt'. The childminder encourages children's independence skills as they try to put their all-weather suits and shoes or boots on, with adult support when needed. Children show a positive attitude towards their learning as they walk to the wooded area, sit and have their snack, and become fully involved in recreating the 'Bear Hunt' story using actions, language and imagination.

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

All children demonstrate that they are familiar with the routines and the environment and they enjoy their time outdoors. They join in with activities and remain engaged in their learning for sustained periods. Children are sociable and communicate with one another, laughing and smiling, including those who have less-developed language skills, who are supported through modelling and gestures. Children show that they are proud of their achievements and are keen to show the childminder and the adults she works with what they have done, for example their drawings and when they find puddles they wish to jump in. The childminder and the adults value these moments and respond positively, extending children's interests through interaction and encouragement.

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

Overall, the childminder implements a balanced curriculum based on children's interests and individual needs, including children with possible special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning to speak English as an additional language. This helps ensure all children are included, supported and able to make progress from their starting points.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 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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Next steps

The childminder should consistently extend and broaden children's vocabulary to support their developing communication and language skills. The childminder should support children's understanding of rules and boundaries through clear and consistent explanations.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her co-childminder, her co-childminder's assistants and the 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 3 June 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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