Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2799898 Registered with Ofsted: 13/08/2024 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 Strong standard

All children make rapid and sustained progress from their starting points. They develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for the next stage of learning. Children demonstrate a wide range of skills across the curriculum, using increasing vocabulary to express their ideas and knowledge confidently. Young children accurately name different toy vehicles and describe their features, including the cabin on a cement mixer and the ladder on a fire engine.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop positive relationships, playing cooperatively, sharing resources and taking turns. They use a range of mathematical vocabulary and explore positional concepts such as 'up', 'down', 'under', and 'through' as they investigate different resources in the water tray. Children confidently join in with songs and puppet shows, while developing independence through managing self-care and caring for their belongings. They show pride in their achievements and put their drawings in their bags ready to take home without prompt from the childminder.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder consistently establishes clear expectations, routines and boundaries so children understand what is expected of them and feel safe, secure and ready to learn. She continually models respectful behaviour and supports children to develop positive relationships, encouraging them to share, take turns and care for each other. She consistently provides stimulating activities and opportunities to encourage children's focus and sustained concentration. Children spend extended periods of time persevering and finishing a colouring of characters they have a particular interest in.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder provides a well-organised environment and has high expectations for children's behaviour. She consistently and sensitively helps children to follow clearly embedded routines, such as packing away toys before choosing new ones. She skilfully adapts this for younger children by giving gentle reminders, breaking tasks down and encouraging and praising children. The childminder continually reinforces kindness and emotional awareness, reminding children to look out for each other when they accidentally bump into one another.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder always maintains high expectations, including during transitions. For instance, children independently sit on the outside bench while they wait for the childminder to lock the door before walking to the park. She adapts her approach effectively to ensure children with barriers to learning, such as speaking English as an additional language, feel part of the group and can join in with all aspects of the day. The childminder works closely with families to promote regular attendance, punctuality and positive habits for the future, including school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder consistently provides responsive and nurturing care that reflects children's individual needs, routines and experiences at home. She builds secure attachments quickly, creating relationships where children confidently seek her support, share ideas, celebrate achievements and invite her into their play. She always responds warmly, listens carefully and values each child's uniqueness. The childminder continually supports children's emotional wellbeing by offering choices, checking how they feel and asking, 'How do you feel about that?' and, 'Are you happy with that?'

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder plans routines and transitions carefully so children understand how to keep themselves safe and develop independence. She teaches children safety awareness during outings, reminding them about walking on pavements, holding hands and moving safely near roads. She provides daily opportunities for physical activity through outdoor play and using equipment to develop children's coordination and confidence. She encourages healthy lifestyles by providing calm mealtimes where children develop independence, social skills and healthy eating habits, while ensuring all dietary requirements and preferences are carefully supported.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder reinforces hygiene routines, encouraging children to wash their hands independently by reminding them to 'rub, rub, rub in between fingers' and supporting them to choose their own towels. She works closely with parents to adapt sleeping, toileting and eating routines as children's needs change. She continually reviews safety procedures, including introducing new measures following extreme temperatures to keep children safe and well cared for.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has designed a highly ambitious, broad and well-sequenced curriculum that she implements consistently through purposeful play, embedded daily routines and real-life experiences. She knows precisely what she wants children to learn and continually builds on their previous knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. The childminder uses detailed assessment of children's learning to accurately identify their next steps. She successfully adapts her teaching to reinforce existing knowledge or introduce new concepts and/or skills at the right time.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder consistently uses high-quality interactions to extend children's thinking and language. She narrates children's play, introduces new vocabulary, asks thoughtful questions and makes purposeful links to children's previous learning. For example, when children notice birds during a walk, she explains why a particular bird is female by referring to its colour. This helps children make meaningful connections with what they already know. The childminder naturally weaves mathematical language into everyday experiences. She skilfully extends children's mathematical understanding as they count steps, compare sizes, explore shapes and use words such as 'higher', 'lower', 'under' and 'through' during water play.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder ensures her teaching is always responsive to children's individual needs and interests. She adapts her language, resources and activities so that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, can participate fully. Her carefully planned and meaningful experiences ensure children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning journey.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder knows children and their families well. She uses regular, accurate assessments of children to identify emerging gaps in their learning and development at the earliest opportunity. She continually reviews children's progress and acts promptly when concerns arise. She involves parents from the outset and works closely with health visitors and other professionals to secure the support children need.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has a secure understanding of local referral procedures and the services available to support children and their families. She makes timely referrals, accesses additional funding where appropriate and implements professional advice without delay. While children wait for specialist support, the childminder skilfully adapts her teaching, routines and resources to reduce barriers to learning. For example, she introduces sensory resources to help children regulate their emotions and uses simple language and sign language to strengthen communication. She continually reviews the effectiveness of these strategies with parents and works closely with other settings to promote continuity in children's learning and care.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder supports children who speak English as an additional language with skill and sensitivity. She gathers key words and phrases from families, uses voice recordings and consistently values children's home languages while extending their English vocabulary through daily routines and play. She regularly updates her knowledge through professional development to ensure her practice reflects children's individual needs. This inclusive approach enables all children to access the full curriculum alongside their peers and make rapid and sustained progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates effective leadership through her secure oversight of children, families and the quality of care she provides. She continually reflects on her practice, using her detailed knowledge of children, families and the local community to make informed decisions that have a positive impact on outcomes for children. She regularly gathers feedback from parents and uses this to adapt her provision and ensure children's individual needs are fully understood and supported.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder maintains high expectations for herself and the children and reviews her curriculum, environment and resources regularly to remove barriers to learning. For example, she adapts her environment when caring for babies, creating safe spaces for them to practise mobility skills and carefully positioning high chairs and sleep mats to support their welfare. She identifies gaps in children's learning promptly and provides timely interventions to help children make progress.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder maintains secure safeguarding knowledge, reviews policies and procedures regularly and ensures all aspects of her practice promote children's safety and welfare. She continually develops her knowledge through targeted training and uses this effectively to meet children's needs. The childminder balances her workload and wellbeing effectively. She builds positive partnerships with parents, childminders, pre-schools and schools, sharing information about children's progress and planning transitions carefully. She uses additional funding effectively to support individual children and ensures every child feels included and valued.

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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 flourish in this welcoming and highly inclusive setting where children feel safe, valued and eager to learn. They confidently explore the childminder's thoughtfully planned curriculum through meaningful play and first-hand experiences that continually build their knowledge and skills. Children show curiosity as they investigate open-ended resources, confidently share their ideas and eagerly return to favourite activities while embracing new challenges. For instance, children try different ways to climb up on large equipment at the park. Children benefit from the extensive range of real-life experiences the childminder provides. They develop confidence and independence in different environments and develop their social skills.

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

Children develop secure, trusting relationships with the childminder. They frequently seek her out to share their achievements, invite her into their play and ask for support when needed. At the park, children enthusiastically encourage the childminder to join them. They say, 'Come on, it's your turn climb up.' Children laugh and joke with the childminder, demonstrating that they feel emotionally secure and highly valued. Children confidently communicate their needs, preferences, and ideas. Those who speak English as an additional language or have emerging communication skills successfully express themselves, as the childminder consistently adapts her communication and uses familiar words, signs and visual prompts to help them participate fully. The childminder understands the importance of regular attendance and punctuality and promotes this with parents.

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

Children behave thoughtfully and show respect for one another. They willingly share resources and take turns without prompting. Children happily tidy away their toys before lunch and proudly respond, 'Of course I can' when the childminder asks them to help. They listen attentively during stories, enthusiastically join in with familiar songs and use finger puppets to create imaginative performances. Children confidently manage age-appropriate risks outdoors, independently follow established safety routines and demonstrate growing independence by finding their own shoes, caring for their belongings and making choices throughout the day. These rich experiences help children become confident, resilient learners who are securely prepared for the next stage in their education.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain her robust self-evaluation processes and inclusive ethos to ensure continual improvement and high standards and focus on creating a transformational impact on outcomes and experiences for all children.

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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

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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:00

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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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