Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2783769 Registered with Ofsted: 01/07/2024 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children form positive relationships with other children. From a young age, they learn how to share and take turns as the childminder teaches children why this is important. They wait patiently for their turn during small-group games and know that they will all get a go.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder explains to children what is happening within the routine so that they are well prepared for change. When children are getting ready for the garden, sometimes, the routine is slightly chaotic but generally managed well.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations for children. She praises them highly and children respond happily. She celebrates their achievements and helps children to feel good about themselves when they try new things and manage more challenging tasks.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents to help them understand the importance of regular attendance so that children benefit from all activities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The relationships between children and the childminder are warm and trusting. This helps to build children's confidence and supports their ability to learn.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is aware of how the routine and other aspects of practice would need reviewing to take account of the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who face other barriers to their learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder is kind and caring. She works closely with parents to fully understand each child's care routines, such as dietary information, toilet training and sleep patterns. The childminder is aware of how this would need to be adapted to take account of the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who face other barriers to their learning and care needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children show they feel safe and secure. They form trusting relationships with the childminder and approach her easily when they need some comfort and individual attention. The childminder settles children to sleep in a calm and gentle way. She knows each child's preferences and follows individual routines to help children feel secure. Sleeping children are regularly checked to make sure they stay safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children spend much time outside and benefit from plenty of fresh air and exercise. They learn how to move in a variety of ways to build their core muscle strength. Some discussions take place around oral hygiene, and children are aware of the importance of toothbrushing routines as they practise these regularly. This has been supported by a visit to the dentist. However, the provision of snacks and meals does not always fully support children's good health, and the childminder recognises this is an area of practice to develop further.

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Achievement Needs attention

When purposeful activities are planned, children enjoy them. However, the inconsistencies in teaching hinder the levels of progress children make. Despite this, children are excited to learn how to do new things, such as rolling dough into the shape of a snail. Children enjoy filling large pipettes with water and are fascinated to watch the water spray out.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children follow simple instructions and enjoy listening to stories. They regularly sing songs together and love dancing along to their favourite music.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children begin to show awareness of number, and they start to count things as they play. For instance, children count the 5 new tortoise eggs and begin to recognise numbers within the environment.

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Achievement Needs attention

When children visit the beach, they delight in searching for sea creatures in the rock pools and study them closely. These opportunities help children to become more interested in their learning and build their natural curiosity. This supports them well when they move on to school.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder's understanding of what she would like children to learn is still developing. Activities are arranged, but these sometimes lack clear intention and are not always linked precisely to what children need to learn next. This means children's opportunities to build knowledge and skills over time are occasionally hindered, particularly in relation to their mathematical knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teaching is variable and not always focused on individual children's priority learning needs. For instance, during activities, opportunities to support language and the introduction of new vocabulary are not always explored fully. When the childminder asks children questions, she often does not give them sufficient time to process what they have been asked and respond. This reduces children's opportunities to use their language to communicate and engage in conversation. When teaching is better, children have ample time to follow their own interests, such as when they decided to look for snails in the garden.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Sometimes, the childminder does not make the most of her interactions with children as opportunities to extend and build on children's learning. For instance, when children play outside, she tends to supervise their play rather than interact and support learning more effectively. When her interactions are more focused, she talks to children, shows them how to do new things and encourages them to have a go themselves.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder ensures children have opportunities for outings to enrich their learning. This helps them become more aware of the natural world and to be physically active by visiting parks, the woods and beach.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder knows each child well. This enables her to understand and become familiar with the individual likes and learning styles of each child. However, she does not always use this precise knowledge to plan activities that are specific to individual children. This means the levels of progress children make are sometimes variable.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder is aware of the barriers some children face that may affect their learning. She makes some adjustments to take account of individual children's needs. For instance, she uses a visual timetable to help some children understand the routine of the day in picture form. She recognises that promoting inclusion is an aspect of her practice that she can develop further. She plans to complete training to enable her to use alternative forms of communication to help children who require additional support in this aspect of their development.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder recognises the adjustments she would make to support individual children. This includes children who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who face other barriers to their learning. The childminder works sensitively with parents to identify whether children are eligible for additional funding to support their learning and care needs.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder is still developing her skills in accurately reflecting on her practice. She is able to clearly identify some of the strengths of provision and where further developments could be made. She accurately recognises that her knowledge of how to adapt her curriculum to take account of different children's learning requires strengthening, and she is working hard to deepen her knowledge in this area.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has completed all mandatory training. However, other training she has completed has not yet made a full impact on developing her practice. This is an area the childminder is fully committed to. She has a relevant programme of support and training opportunities in place to build her knowledge and skills and further develop her practice.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has adequate processes in place to ensure children receive their full funding entitlement. She shares relevant information with parents to ensure they understand this and are able to access what they are entitled to. The childminder forms positive working relationships with parents, and they value the service she provides. They approach her for help and support when needed. This helps to strengthen the links between the childminder and parents and carers.

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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 being with the childminder. She plays alongside them and listens to their ideas. She provides a caring, nurturing presence, and children approach her confidently when they need comfort and reassurance. Children demonstrate how happy and safe they feel. They move around the childminder's home with ease and know where their favourite toys are stored so they can find them easily.

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

Children develop friendships. They learn to play alongside one another and begin to learn to share and take turns. The childminder helps children understand how to do this, for instance, as they wait for a turn on the slide at the park. Children show patience and tolerance and are kind and respectful to one another. Despite their young age, they already show levels of empathy and help to cheer their friends up when they are sad.

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

Children make progress in their learning. Although activities are not always planned with clear purpose, children do make progress from their individual starting points. The childminder helps children to become independent. For instance, she gives children the opportunity to try putting their own coats and shoes on before going outside. Children learn to manage these tasks well.

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

Children attend regularly because the childminder works closely with parents to help overcome any barriers to attendance. She offers a flexible service, which parents appreciate. This helps to ensure children arrive on time and benefit from the full programme of activities.

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

Children's unique qualities are valued and every child and family is made to feel welcome. The childminder knows what each child likes to do and how they like to play. However, she understands that her planning of activities needs to take better account of this information to support children's learning more effectively.

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

Children behave well. They understand the childminder's simple expectations and she praises them highly and offers a happy, positive, homely environment.

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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 knowledge and understanding of how young children learn and develop so that teaching can be adapted appropriately and interactions with children are purposeful and support learning 11/09/2026

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Action Completion Date

develop the curriculum to ensure it is ambitious and delivered appropriately to meet children's different ages and stages of development and that it supports them to make effective progress in all aspects of learning and development, particularly in their social skills, language and communication, and mathematical knowledge 11/09/2026

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Action Completion Date

use high quality interactions with children to thoroughly support their learning and encourage children to build on their existing knowledge and skills. 11/09/2026

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:00 - 19:00

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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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Age range of children at the time of inspection

The childminder should make better use of mealtimes to support children's learning, particularly in relation to their understanding of how to stay healthy.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children and parents 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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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

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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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