Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2804240 Registered with Ofsted: 04/09/2024 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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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder actively promotes inclusion and focuses on ensuring every child can access the full curriculum and experiences on offer. She gathers detailed information about how to meet children's specific care needs and attends training, such as that provided at the hospital, to ensure she has the skills to do this effectively. The childminder works closely with children and their families to discuss how they can be supported in her setting. She creates extensive targeted plans with families and other professionals involved in children's healthcare. This helps her to know exactly what to do in an emergency and how to administer any ongoing medication safely and precisely. She is aware of how to use additional funding so that it has a significant impact on the children for whom it is intended.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder helps children to understand and celebrate differences and diversity. She provides a range of activities that help children learn about disability, teaches them about calendar festivals and celebrates cultures. The childminder prepares the environment to ensure it fully reflects the backgrounds of families who attend and thoughtfully considers any barriers to learning and participation before they start. For instance, she makes changes to the setting that will help her to support families who speak more than one language.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically develop the skills they need to start school, including those children with identified areas of delay and barriers to their learning. The childminder works closely with schools to find out about the skills children need to learn before they move on. For instance, older children show confidence to ask for help when they need it and have effective social and self-care skills. They show enjoyment in their learning and generally concentrate well, particularly when they engage in outdoor learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make secure and appropriate progress across each area of their learning and make swift progress in their mathematical development. Children develop their physical skills as they practise filling and emptying containers in the sand tray outdoors. Older children show determination as they use their small physical skills to bandage the doll and dress them in the play clothes. Overall, children are skilful communicators. They show confidence as they share ideas and chat as they explore the bug tray, stories and picture cards.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is a positive role model for children. She consistently provides them with support and reassurance. Children develop good levels of self-esteem and self-confidence. They are proud of what they can achieve and are eager to show this to others. Overall, children's behaviour is very positive and they are keen to join in with activities. Children benefit from established routines and attend regularly. This helps them to feel safe and secure in the setting. The childminder is working on supporting all children to fully participate in daily routine activities, such as circle time and mealtimes. For instance, children practise 'marching' into the dining area, and the childminder reflects on ways to sustain their concentration at circle time.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is aware of children's changing circumstances and things that may affect their learning. For example, she recognises when some children are tired as they have been on holiday and are catching up on sleep. In addition, the childminder makes adaptations to support children who are less confident around new people. For example, she provides opportunities to attend the local toddler group on a one-to-one basis to help them develop their social skills.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children have secure relationships with the childminder. They show they feel safe in the setting and seek out reassurance and comfort when needed. The childminder respects children's dignity and privacy. She gently asks young children if they can have their nappy changed and adapts this routine by taking their favourite toys. This helps them to go to be changed willingly and promotes their emotional wellbeing. Older children use the toilet independently, and the childminder teaches them to close the door and wash their hands.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder prioritises children's safety, health and welfare. Children benefit from fresh air and exercise each day and learn about the importance of good oral hygiene. Although children are supervised effectively during mealtimes, their independence is not consistently promoted. For example, some children sit in high chairs instead of using a seat at the table. Overall, children benefit from healthy, freshly cooked meals. They talk about trying new fruits, and the childminder praises them. She ensures their food is safe to eat. For instance, she chops blueberries into halves to avoid children choking.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, the childminder provides a curriculum that is broad and interesting for children. She prepares activities around the setting to help children practise their skills and build on prior learning. For example, children eagerly discuss the caterpillars they saw emerge into butterflies. They use the magnifying glass to look at other bugs and insects and match them to the cards. The childminder extends their learning and encourages them to consider the bugs' features, such as how many legs and spots they have.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children show enjoyment outdoors as they splash in the water and count the frogs and lily pads. They experiment with floating and sinking as they transfer objects from the mud kitchen. Children demonstrate strengths in their mathematical awareness. For instance, during song time, young children choose the number 2 accurately when see this numeral on the sausage during the 'five sizzling sausages' song.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Typically, children use effective communication and language skills throughout their play. However, the childminder does not sharply focus her teaching to consistently extend this area of their learning and, on occasion, the correct language is not modelled to children. Although group times focus on supporting children's language and vocabulary through songs and stories, the childminder acknowledges that group times need further development to make a greater impact for all children and help them to focus their attention.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder establishes and maintains positive relationships with children and their families. She regularly shares information with parents to promote children's health and safety, such as online safety leaflets and oral hygiene information. In addition, partnerships with other professionals involved with children are effective. This helps to promote continuity for children. The childminder ensures children are safe and secure in her setting. She implements highly detailed and effective assessments, care plans and emergency plans to help her meet children's individual needs and promote inclusion.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is dedicated to making continuous improvements to her setting. She has a clear oversight of the effectiveness of the curriculum and identifies the strengths and areas to enhance. For instance, the childminder acknowledges that children are not consistently engaged during group time and is working on ways to develop this.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder provides any assistants with regular supervision meetings and peer observations to reflect on practice. They access regular training opportunities and have positive relationships with the local authority early years advisers. However, the childminder has not created a targeted programme of professional development to focus on improving teaching so that interactions with children are of consistently high quality. The childminder and any assistants she works with provide support to each other and this promotes their wellbeing. The childminder provides any assistants with clear policies and procedures, such as those for safe sleeping.

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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 feel safe and secure with the childminder. They explore the indoor and outdoor environments and show enjoyment as they participate in activities and experiences. The childminder provides a welcoming, well-resourced setting for all children to grow and develop. Children generally achieve well from their starting points and typically make progress across every area of their learning. Overall, they develop the skills they need to start school and build secure foundations for the future.

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

Older children develop positive social skills. They show confidence in speaking to visitors and use appropriate vocabulary to communicate their preferences. Young children thoroughly enjoy playing imaginatively, and together they wrap the dolls in bandages and pretend they are in hospital. Children independently access activities that interest them. They use wooden rods to catch the sea animals and recall some of the names correctly. Children develop a love of stories from an early age and enjoy exploring the sensory books that link to the sea creatures. They use the sketcher pad and attempt to draw an octopus, naming the main features and developing their pencil control skills. Outdoors, children dig in the sand and enjoy sensory play in the water. They show awareness of number and shape and benefit from practising their skills as they use brushes to make marks and shapes on the pathway.

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

All children benefit from warm, caring relationships. The childminder promotes their emotional wellbeing and meets their individual needs well. She has robust knowledge and understanding of any individual barriers to their learning, including any medical needs, and implements appropriate risk assessments to ensure their safety.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:30

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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 sharply focus her teaching during children's play and exploration to help children make the best possible progress towards their individual learning goals. The childminder should implement further ways to fully promote younger children's independence, particularly at mealtimes, to help them prepare for the next stages in their learning. The childminder should reflect on the impact of training on outcomes for children and implement a focused programme of professional development that enhances her own teaching skills and those of any assistants she works with.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with children, the childminder and her assistant 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 17 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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