Hatton-Smith, Michelle

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY349672 Registered with Ofsted: 01/05/2007 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 Strong standard

Children build secure foundations across all areas of learning that prepare them well for the next stage of education. They are extremely enthusiastic about books and develop a clear enjoyment of stories, often choosing to look at books independently and joining in with familiar parts of narratives with growing confidence. Children who speak English as an additional language make notable progress from their starting points and use English confidently to communicate with adults and peers. They confidently talk about their experiences and proudly share what they know, such as explaining how many candles were on their birthday cake and how many there will be next year. Children concentrate well in activities and show high levels of engagement, becoming absorbed in their play and learning for sustained periods. They follow their own ideas, persist when completing simple tasks and show pride when they succeed.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder establishes highly consistent expectations for behaviour and social interaction, which she embeds through precise and repeated modelling in her own language. She deliberately uses key phrases such as 'wait for your turn', 'my turn, your turn' and 'we listen to each other', which children soon begin to use themselves during their play without adult reminders. This shared language helps children learn how to cooperate, negotiate and manage minor disagreements with increasing independence.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder ensures that expectations for behaviour and social interaction are accessible to every child. She adapts her approach through repetition, modelling and additional support where needed, helping children understand expectations and participate positively with others. Positive relationships underpin all aspects of practice. The childminder engages with children in a calm, attentive and responsive manner, valuing their ideas and encouraging them to share their thoughts. Children show trust and confidence, and they approach new experiences with curiosity, enthusiasm and perseverance.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning, becoming deeply engaged in activities and returning to ideas to develop their thinking further. Where children attend on varied patterns or return after periods away, the childminder provides continuity by revisiting important skills and experiences in different contexts. This enables children to quickly reconnect with their learning, maintain confidence and continue to build their knowledge and skills over time, regardless of their attendance pattern.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places children's welfare and wellbeing at the heart of what she does, creating a calm and emotionally secure environment where children feel safe, valued and confident. She uses clear explanations and consistent expectations to help children understand how to care for themselves and keep safe. Children demonstrate that these messages are deeply embedded in their behaviour. For example, when they return from walks, they put their belongings away independently and go straight to wash their hands without being prompted. Children also remind one another to wait by the door 'to keep yourself safe', showing that they understand and apply what they have learned about keeping themselves safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder promotes children's physical health through meaningful everyday experiences. She explains why wearing a sun hat is important when playing outdoors and encourages children to enjoy a varied diet that includes a wide range of fruit and vegetables each day. At mealtimes, she reminds children to take smaller bites and explains why this helps them eat safely. Children then demonstrate this understanding independently by adjusting how they eat without adult prompting. The childminder carefully adapts her support so that every child can take part, experience success and become increasingly independent. As a result, children feel secure, develop confidence in their own abilities and readily apply what they have learned about keeping themselves healthy and safe.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder designs a very well-sequenced curriculum that builds carefully on what children already know. She uses children's interests as a starting point while ensuring they develop important knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. The childminder uses repeated story experiences where children increasingly recall key events, anticipate what might happen and explain characters' feelings, showing growing control of language for thinking as well as recall.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder develops vocabulary and early mathematics skilfully through everyday experiences, so children apply learning independently. During snack time and cooking, she introduces language such as 'full', 'empty', 'half', 'more' and 'less', and children begin to use these spontaneously when describing their actions. In counting activities linked to real objects such as fruit, candles and items in stories, children move from accurate counting to early reasoning, explaining what changes when one item is removed or identifying how many more are needed with increasing independence. They use mathematical language to describe and solve simple problems in context.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder ensures that all children can access the curriculum by building on their individual interests, experiences and starting points. She adapts her questions, language and level of support so that children can engage with new ideas and develop their thinking. For example, she uses additional modelling, visual support or further questioning where needed, while ensuring children remain appropriately challenged. The childminder responds skilfully to children's ideas as they arise, extending their thinking without taking over their play. As a result, children sustain their engagement, communicate their ideas clearly and develop confidence as learners.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder uses ongoing observation, daily interactions and the two-year progress check to identify quickly when children need additional support. She knows children extremely well and works closely with parents to understand their strengths, interests and any areas where they may need extra help. For example, when a child is less confident with physical skills, she adapts activities, adjusts resources and breaks instructions into manageable steps so the child can participate successfully. She plans learning in small, achievable stages and revisits new skills regularly, helping children build confidence and make secure progress from their starting points.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities thoughtfully and adapts experiences so everyone can take part fully. She uses picture cards to help children communicate their needs and sets simple individual targets, such as taking- turns or maintaining attention, which are practised naturally through everyday play and routines. She works with parents and external professionals to review children's progress and refine strategies when needed. As a result, children experience success frequently and develop confidence in their own abilities.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder values and celebrates children's home languages and cultures. Children who speak English as an additional language hear and use familiar words alongside English, and the childminder reinforces meaning through gestures, repetition and visual cues. For example, she repeats key words in different languages during stories and uses translation tools to help children make connections between languages. This enables children to communicate with increasing confidence, participate fully in activities and make substantial progress while maintaining pride in their home languages.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder provides highly reflective leadership that is firmly focused on helping every child flourish. She knows children and their families extremely well and uses her detailed understanding of their interests, strengths and individual circumstances to shape their learning and care. She regularly reviews children's progress and quickly adapts activities, resources and support when children need extra help or greater challenge. As a result, children experience learning and care that closely match their individual needs and help them make secure progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is committed to continually improving her practice. She actively seeks out training and specialist advice and uses what she learns to strengthen children's experiences. For example, she draws on guidance from other professionals to refine strategies that support communication, development and inclusion. She carefully reviews the impact of new approaches and makes further adjustments where needed, ensuring that support continues to reflect children's changing needs.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder builds highly effective partnerships with parents and other professionals. She shares detailed information about children's learning and provides practical ideas that families can use at home to build on children's interests and next steps. When children attend more than one setting, she works closely with other providers, sharing information regularly and building on what children are learning elsewhere so that experiences are joined up and consistent. She also works proactively with nurseries and schools to help children become familiar with new environments and approach transitions with confidence. This collaborative approach ensures that children and families feel well supported and experience continuity in their learning and care.

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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 feel secure and valued in this welcoming setting, where their interests, experiences and achievements shape their learning. They confidently talk about things that matter to them and enjoy revisiting special memories. For example, children look through photographs of previous experiences and proudly explain that 'bees make honey', linking this to eating honey with crumpets. They know that their ideas are listened to and that what they say is important. Children develop warm and caring relationships with each other. They show kindness and consideration, noticing when a friend's belongings need putting away

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About this setting

Unique reference number (URN): EY349672 and helping without being asked. They learn to cooperate, take turns and include others in their play, using language they have learned to negotiate and solve problems together.

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About this setting

Children approach learning with curiosity and enthusiasm. They eagerly choose favourite stories, join in with repeated phrases and become deeply absorbed in activities that capture their interest. They persevere when faced with challenge and show pride in their achievements. For example, when a book becomes stuck on the shelf, children carefully work out how to remove it, talking about it being 'tricky' and celebrating when they succeed. Children confidently share what they know, such as explaining how many candles were on their birthday cake and how many there will be next year.

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About this setting

Children become increasingly independent and relish opportunities to do things for themselves. They return from outings, put away their belongings and wash their hands independently because they understand why these routines matter. Children who speak English as an additional language participate fully and communicate with growing confidence while continuing to value and use their home languages. Children arrive happy, settle quickly and flourish in a setting where they feel they belong and where they are encouraged to be confident, capable learners.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to remove barriers for children who need extra help to realise a transformational impact on all children's achievement and wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke to the childminder, parents and 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. Type: Childminder

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 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

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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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