Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2782907 Registered with Ofsted: 08/04/2024 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

All children, including those who face barriers to their learning, achieve the key skills needed for their next stage of education. Children are keen and curious learners and show resilience when they face setbacks in their play. Children make good progress in their language development, confidently sharing their ideas and questions with the childminder. Children of all ages are developing a love of books, listening to stories with interest and turning pages confidently.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children have good physical development and enjoy cutting and squeezing play dough, supporting their fine motor skills and developing muscles in their fingers for future writing. Children are starting to develop an understanding of early mathematics. They show an interest in numbers and are developing an understanding of shapes. Children of all ages gain age-appropriate independence. Activities in the wider community help to extend children's understanding of the world around them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder sets clear, age-appropriate expectations for behaviour that all children understand and follow. She is quick to support children sensitively to achieve these expectations, when they need extra help. The childminder role models kindness and adapts her interactions for younger and less-confident children by taking their hand, getting down to their level and offering reassurance. The childminder's clear and consistent routines help children to feel secure and to develop a sense of belonging.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder encourages children to say please and thank you, when asking for resources. Younger children show pride as they help to take water bottles to the snack table. Children demonstrate warm and trusting relationships with the childminder and each other. They play well alongside each other and share smiles and giggles. Older children are mindful of younger children as they move around the childminder's home. Children of all ages show understanding of how to care for toys, helping to tidy resources away once they have been used.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is clear about the importance of regular attendance for children's progress and shares this expectation with families. She has procedures in place should a child not attend as expected.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder places a high priority on children's emotional and physical wellbeing. Secure and responsive relationships are quickly formed between the childminder and children in her care. The childminder recognises when children newer to the setting are feeling unsure and offers timely support. Children freely access comforter toys, helping them to start to manage their own emotions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children of all ages demonstrate an understanding of the childminder's routines. They know where to find their shoes before going outside and confidently carry their packed lunches to the table. The childminder supports children to learn to wash their hands before meals and after using the toilet. Older children take pride in helping to wipe the table before mealtimes. However, the childminder does not fully support children to understand why these routines are important.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder ensures that packed lunches provided from home are healthy, nutritious and safe for children to eat. A quiet and safe sleeping space is provided for children. The childminder ensures her daily routines enable children to sleep when they need to. This helps ensure children rest securely and comfortably.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has an effective overview of her curriculum. She places a particular focus on supporting children's personal and language skills. The childminder actively supports children's independence, giving them time, space and encouragement to learn to put on their own shoes and manage their own care needs. Even the very youngest child is praised for knowing their shoes go on their feet.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has meaningful conversations with children as they play. She introduces new words, sensitively supports pronunciation and responds warmly to toddlers' early language. The childminder regularly assesses children's development and quickly picks up where there may be early signs of delay. She works effectively to enhance support for those children, helping them to catch up rapidly with their peers. The childminder provides opportunities to develop early mathematical knowledge. She supports children to count, introduces the names of shapes and promotes understanding of capacity while the children are playing with water and sand.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

However, on occasions, the childminder's planned learning opportunities do not fully engage children with her curriculum aims. While the childminder recognises this, she does not always adapt the activity to fully meet children's interests. As a result, some planned learning opportunities do not fully support children's learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder provides an inclusive environment and has high expectations for all children's learning and development. The environment is organised to support participation for all children, and her interactions ensure all children feel valued. The childminder regularly assesses children's development and is quick to identify any emerging needs. She successfully supports children to make rapid progress in these identified areas. The childminder works effectively with parents and is clear about when she would seek additional support from other professionals, such as speech and language therapists. However, the childminder has not yet developed an ongoing relationship with other settings that children attend, to enable a two-way flow of information.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands how to use additional funding that families may be entitled to to help reduce the impact of any disadvantage they may face. She recognises the importance of supporting children's individual needs and priorities, accessing ongoing professional development to support this, for example, by identifying training around English as an Additional Language.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is dedicated, passionate and committed to her role. She has a clear focus on ensuring children in her care are emotionally secure and happy. She has a robust understanding of the requirements of the early years foundation stage. The childminder makes effective use of her membership to professional associations to keep abreast of new requirements, such as safer sleeping practices. The childminder values her ongoing professional development. She actively seeks out opportunities to enhance her knowledge that align with the identified needs of the children in her care or those soon to start with her.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has strong relationships with the parents of children in her care. She regularly communicates with them and shares resources and ideas to support children's ongoing development at home. The childminder works with parents to promote children's regular attendance. Parents compliment the care provided by the childminder and value the wide range of activities children take part in. They particularly praise the support given for their children's communication and physical skills. The childminder shares information with other settings, when children first transition to them. However, she has not yet developed an ongoing relationship with these settings. As a result, key information is not always shared in a timely manner.

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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 enjoy their time in the care of this experienced childcare professional. They settle quickly and form warm, positive relationships with the childminder and other children. The childminder places children's wellbeing at the heart of her curriculum. Regular observations and assessments ensure any barriers to learning are swiftly identified and addressed. The childminder values the contributions from families and ensures a meaningful two-way flow of information. Children attend regularly.

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

Children show high levels of motivation and resilience as they play and learn. Older children talk with the childminder about colours, size and shape names as they build with magnetic tiles. When their constructions collapse, they are keen to try again. Children watch closely as the childminder helps them understand how to build more secure structures. Younger children show delight as they look through the different coloured tiles and play peekaboo with the childminder.

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

Children develop fine motor skills as they play with play dough. The childminder provides excellent visual and verbal instructions as older children work out how much pressure they need to apply to make play dough balls or worms. Younger children eagerly explore the play dough, poking holes and squishing the dough between their thumb and finger. Outside, children run and develop their hand–eye coordination as they scoop sand or pour water into containers. Older children show delight as the water changes colour as it mixes, talking confidently about how they are making pasta to eat.

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

Children benefit from a range of outings in the local community that support their understanding of the wider world. They attend forest school sessions with the childminder, visit local playgrounds and shops and go on nature walks.

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About this setting

Operating hours: 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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Next steps

The childminder should continue to develop relationships with other settings that the children attend to support a regular flow of two-way information that supports children's care and development to the very highest level. The childminder should further develop her planning of adult-led activities to ensure consistent, high-quality learning opportunities that are of interest to all children are provided. The childminder should ensure children understand why regular handwashing and cleaning the mealtime table are important.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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 5 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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