Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2813733 Registered with Ofsted: 20/12/2024 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 generally achieve well from their different starting points. The childminder provides a wide range of resources for children to explore and children become curious in finding out about how things work. For example, children spend extended amounts of time pouring sand into different containers in the sand pit and throwing gliders in the garden. Children also benefit from outings with the childminder, where they learn about their community and meet people who are different from themselves.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are learning to communicate clearly. They ask for what they want by using the words modelled by the childminder. Children speak with confidence; assured that the childminder is attentive and will be responsive to what they say. This encourages children to express themselves confidently, which is an important skill for school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children thoroughly enjoy physical activity and healthy eating. Children squeal with glee as they watch the childminder slice open a watermelon before enjoying a slice. They run around the spacious garden and take frequent breaks to drink water or milk.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder's relationship with children is warm and caring. Children demonstrate the secure attachments they feel with their childminder as they approach for cuddles, comfort and reassurance. The childminder uses care routines such as nappy changes, settling down to sleep to have conversations with children and singing to them gently.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Typically, children enjoy their time with the childminder. They enjoy playing with a wide range of toys and resources, which the childminder rotates to keep children engaged. Outdoors, they have opportunities to play in different areas as they hop on stepping stones, race cars and play in the sand. Relationships with parents and families are sensitive and supportive. The childminder collaborates with parents to ensure that children's needs are met. She is flexible and adaptive to children's changing needs, such as managing children's allergies effectively.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder promotes personal hygiene. Children learn how to wash their face with a cloth after eating, and wash their hands after using the toilet independently. The childminder promotes children's physical health. She talks to children about which foods are healthy, and plans activities where children can practise brushing their teeth. The childminder provides healthy meals and snacks for children that meet their nutritional needs. Mealtimes are social, and children are encouraged to try new things alongside their friends.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder swiftly identifies any barriers to learning. She demonstrates an effective understanding of learning and development, and acts promptly when children are not meeting the expected milestones.

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Needs attention

She seeks specialist support for children; building on her continuous professional development to enhance her own understanding of how to help children overcome barriers to learning. Typically, the adjustments she makes have a positive impact upon children. For example, on the advice of professionals, the childminder adapts her environment to increase opportunities for children to move freely and be physical in their play. The childminder makes thoughtful adaptations to her practice to ensure all children are included. She uses thorough risk assessments when taking children on trips to ensure all children can attend safely. She celebrates family diversity on occasions, such as Mother's Day, and adapts recipes to ensure children with allergies can enjoy baking.

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Needs attention

The childminder demonstrates an effective understanding of how to support disadvantaged children. She maintains effective relationships with families to help her understand the challenges they face, and how her practice can support children effectively. Children benefit from a range of experiences outside the setting such as regular visits to a zoo. The childminder knows how to use any additional funding to support individual children effectively.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

The childminder has appropriate expectations of children's behaviour but does not help children understand these. For example, the childminder asks children to help tidy up, but does not ensure that children do as she asks.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

While the childminder takes some steps to teach children social skills, such as turn-taking and being kind to each other, this is not consistently effective. When children display unwanted behaviour towards others, the childminder often uses confusing language, such as saying 'kind, thank you'. She recognises when children find some situations difficult to manage, such as sharing with younger children, and establishes that this is something she wants children to learn. Though the childminder has taken some steps towards managing challenging behaviour, she has not yet implemented these fully. The relationships the childminder builds with children are warm and trusting. Children share their concerns with her and she is gentle and calm in her approach. This gives children a sense of security and confidence.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

The childminder effectively promotes attendance. Children are reassured by the routines they have on arrival, and separate from parents cheerfully. The childminder works with families to encourage them to build healthy routines that support future attendance at school.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder plans an ambitious curriculum that she aims to deliver through a range of experiences and activities. She considers what she wants children to learn based on the assessments she makes of their prior knowledge and skills. However, the childminder does not consider how she will teach children what she wants them to learn. For example, the childminder provides a wide range of resources for children to use in the garden, but does not fully consider how to use these to help children reach their next steps. As a result, children have insufficient challenge and direction in their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The support that the childminder offers during planned activities does not always match the needs of all children. Often, children will choose not to engage with an activity because it does not align with their interests, such as being active. On these occasions, children will often go to play independently, and they miss opportunities to learn alongside their peers. Children generally make progress in each area of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder has accurately identified the need to enhance the mathematics curriculum. Though she uses basic shapes and counting in the activities she provides, mathematical concepts are not explicitly taught. For example, children might count the steps they take in the garden, but not explore the relationships between numbers and quantities fully.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder does not always take actions that allow her to achieve high standards of education and behaviour as she intends. She has made variations to the number of children she cares for. At these times, she keeps children safe but she is not able to provide the high- quality teaching and support for behaviour that meets the needs of the children in her care. The childminder is reflective about this and recognises that some changes in practice are necessary.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has not employed an effective system to evaluate her practice and accurately identify areas for improvement and attention. This prevents her from precisely focusing her attention on areas where it is needed most. She does seek parents' input on her practice and is open to feedback. She is passionate about her profession and wants the best for all children in her care. When she does identify an area for improvement, she seeks training and specialist support to improve her practice.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder engages with parents very positively. She helps parents understand how to access support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and appreciates the benefits the support can have. She helps parents understand children's progress, especially in areas that children find challenging. This encourages parents to have high ambitions for what children can achieve.

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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 attending the setting and arrive smiling and excited to share their news from home. They busily explore the garden, looking for bugs or completing a nature scavenger hunt. The childminder ensures that children have lots of choice in their play and they independently access a wide range of toys and resources. Children enjoy discovering the new activities that the childminder provides each day such as using spray bottles and toothbrushes to clean marks from pictures of teeth. The childminder has a good understanding of how children develop and learn, and plans an ambitious curriculum across the 7 areas of learning. However, children do not always receive the high-quality teaching and learning experiences they need to be highly engaged and excel in their learning. Children generally achieve well from their starting points. Children are physically active in their play and enjoy daily outings to local parks, playgroups,

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

The warm and supportive approach provided by the childminder helps children to feel a sense of belonging. Children seek out the childminder to show her the shapes they have made from magnetic tiles, and tell her about their plans. The childminder listens carefully to what children say and is responsive to children's needs. The childminder's approach to inclusion ensures that all children have equal opportunities to benefit from the practice and provision provided. Barriers to children's learning are typically reduced.

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

Children do not receive the consistent support they need to learn how to manage their own behaviour and emotions. At times, children find it difficult to share or be patient with others. The childminder does not effectively teach children skills such as sharing and taking turns in order to develop positive social skills. The childminder has high expectations of children's behaviour but does not consistently support children to meet these standards.

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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

ensure children's behaviour is supported and managed in an appropriate way 01/09/2026

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Action Completion Date

make exceptions to the usual ratios only when all children's individual needs can be met 01/09/2026

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Action Completion Date

consider children's needs and interests to deliver a challenging experience for children in all areas of learning and development 01/09/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with children, parents and 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

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:45 - 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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Our grades explained

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

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Urgent improvement

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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