Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2863147 Registered with Ofsted: 02/12/2025 Registers: EYR

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Safeguarding standards not met

The childminder has not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that adequately protects children from harm.

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Safeguarding standards not met

The childminder does not implement robust arrangements to assure the suitability of all assistants and individuals living on the premises. She has not responded to previous requests by Ofsted to provide information so that suitability checks can be completed. In addition, the childminder has failed to notify Ofsted of several changes that have occurred since registration that have impacted on her living arrangements and also the adults who may have access to children. This has prevented Ofsted from completing checks as required. The childminder has failed to follow robust recruitment procedures to assure the suitability of assistants. She does not gather relevant information or ensure that references are undertaken. On occasion, unvetted individuals are left in sole charge of children. These breaches undermine the culture of safeguarding and demonstrate a lack of commitment to promoting children's safety.

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Safeguarding standards not met

The childminder holds the designated safeguarding lead in the setting and has completed the required training. However, she does not hold a robust knowledge of routes for referral, including in the event of an allegation made against a member of staff. The childminder does not understand her statutory responsibility to obtain, share and act on information with relevant agencies, including children's social care, when safeguarding concerns arise. These significant weaknesses in leadership do not ensure children's safety and welfare are adequately protected.

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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 Urgent improvement

Children, particularly those who are not meeting typical milestones, do not achieve well from their individual starting points. Their progress over time is limited, as the support provided is not sufficiently targeted to help them catch up quickly enough. In particular, children's physical development is not effectively supported. Opportunities to develop essential skills such as climbing, balancing and coordination are limited and not deliberately planned for. Some children spend extended periods of time sitting on the floor with limited engagement in purposeful physical play or adult interaction to extend their learning. Older children do not demonstrate strong problem-solving skills or persevere when faced with a challenge. When adults explain or question children, it does not consistently extend children's thinking or check their understanding effectively. Adults frequently do tasks for children that they are

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Achievement Urgent improvement

capable of doing for themselves. Consequently, children do not have sufficient opportunities to practise and consolidate key skills, including those that support school readiness, such as independence, early problem-solving and thinking skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

The childminder fails to promote a learning environment where adults have high expectations for children's behaviour and attitudes to learning. She does not make effective use of information from parents or external agencies to support continuity in children's behaviour, routines and emotional needs. Adults do not make good use of interactions during activities to develop children's resilience, perseverance and engagement in learning. Questioning and modelling are not used effectively to extend children's thinking or to encourage sustained engagement. As a result, children do not always develop the focus or resilience needed to overcome any setbacks they encounter, particularly when a task becomes challenging or is unfamiliar.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

Children's attitudes to learning are variable. While they are generally settled and familiar with daily routines, they do not consistently demonstrate high levels of motivation or curiosity. Adults promote turn taking and encourage good manners. They support children to join in activities, such as group games, where they are suitably supported to wait their turn. However, weaknesses in planning impact on children's level of engagement overall. Support for the youngest children is often incidental. Adults carry them around and place them within the vicinity of games designed for older children. The limited attempts to adapt activities results in young children being left out. The childminder has a suitable understanding of her responsibility to encourage children's regular attendance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Children's welfare and wellbeing are not effectively promoted. Weaknesses in leadership, including safeguarding and vetting, mean that arrangements to promote children's safety and emotional security are not robust. The childminder does not ensure that children are cared for by suitable adults or that children's wider welfare needs are fully understood and met.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Children do not consistently develop the resilience needed to manage changes and challenges in their emotional wellbeing. The childminder does not work effectively in partnership with parents to obtain sufficient information about children's home circumstances. Although children appear comfortable in the setting, inclusive practices overall are limited. Not all children are supported effectively to participate fully in activities or have the same access to experiences that reflect their needs and capabilities. Consequently, the right level of support for children's emotional security is not guaranteed.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Adults do not always follow procedures to support children's welfare consistently. At times, supervision of children at mealtimes is not sufficiently robust. This undermines the effectiveness of arrangements intended to promote children's welfare and reduce risks such as choking. Adults are, however, in hearing of children. They are aware of the importance of preparing food in line with children's individual dietary needs, including stages of weaning, where appropriate. They follow basic food safety practices when handling and serving meals. Children are also provided with meals and snacks that reflect the generally balanced diet.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The childminder does not design or implement a curriculum that is inclusive and meets the needs of all children. She fails to make effective use of information from parents or external agencies to support continuity in children's behaviour, routines and emotional needs. As a result, younger children do not achieve expected milestones, and older children do not develop critical thinking skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

The quality of teaching is inconsistent. This is particularly evident for the youngest children, who are not consistently engaged in meaningful learning experiences. Adults place children near activities without clear intent for their participation. Their interactions are minimal and do not support children's engagement or extend children's learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Adults' support for older children does not promote key skills for school readiness. Adults rely on questions that test children's knowledge, rather than extending children's thinking or developing their understanding. They introduce new information using vocabulary and concepts that are not matched to children's current level of understanding. In these instances, explanations are not adapted to help children build on what they already know. As a result, children are not able to make meaningful connections in the learning and opportunities for children to develop new skills, and learning over time is limited.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

The childminder does not identify or support children effectively. She does not have a secure understanding of the needs and circumstances of children who may face barriers to learning, and, as a result, she does not take timely action to help them succeed.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

The childminder does not work in effective partnership with parents, her assistants or other professionals to identify children's needs or to inform decisions about the support children require. The information gathered from parents and other professionals is not sufficiently detailed or comprehensive enough to enable her to fully understand children's needs and circumstances. As a result, decisions around support and intervention are not informed by a complete picture of children's experiences and development.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

The childminder does not ensure that eligible children receive their entitlement to additional funding. Her poor knowledge of the funding available has prevented her from devising a strategy that supports improved outcomes for children. The childminder does not identify clear priorities, monitor the impact of support or evaluate whether actions are helping children to make better progress. As a result, opportunities to address barriers to learning and close gaps in children's development are missed. Some children do not receive the help they need to catch up and do not make the progress of which they are capable.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder has a limited understanding of the requirements of the early years statutory framework. This has led to a number of breaches in the statutory requirements that impact on children's safety and wellbeing overall.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder does not make decisions that consistently promote the best interests of children. This is particularly evident for children who face barriers to learning. The childminder does not have a secure understanding of the needs of some children and does not take effective action to ensure they receive the support they need. This includes supporting eligible families to access additional funding so that children can receive their full entitlement to funding. Consequently, some children do not receive the help necessary to support their learning, development or wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder's monitoring and evaluation of the provision is ineffective. She has not identified significant weaknesses in the provision. The childminder does not provide effective support for the professional development of assistants. There is limited evidence of targeted supervision, coaching or training to improve their knowledge and practice. The childminder does not use opportunities to engage with external agencies or professional networks to support ongoing improvements. As a result, expectations for what children can achieve are not high enough, and they do not benefit from an ambitious curriculum. Overall, the childminder demonstrates a limited capacity to secure the improvements required.

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

Weaknesses in safeguarding significantly undermine the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements. While children are happy in the setting and develop warm relationships with the childminder, her poor knowledge of identifying and acting on concerns does not guarantee that children will be kept safe.

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

Children who require additional support are not identified or supported effectively. Opportunities to help children achieve important developmental milestones, including physical development, are missed. Activities are not always matched to what children already know and can do, and adults do not use interactions effectively to extend children's learning. As a result, some children become disengaged and do not experience sufficient challenge to help them develop problem-solving skills. At these times, children wander between activities without a clear purpose. They spend periods of time observing rather than participating and show limited curiosity or enthusiasm for learning. Children enjoy spending time with their friends and take part in a range of activities throughout the day. They are familiar with daily routines and make choices in their play. At times, they benefit from individual attention, such as reading a favourite story or being

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

pushed on a swing. Adults meet their care and health needs suitably well. Children rest comfortably and enjoy a range of healthy and nutritious meals.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure any person who may have regular contact with children, including individuals living or working on the premises where the childminding is being provided, are suitable and have passed any required checks to fulfil their roles 22/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that the designated safeguarding lead has a secure knowledge of managing allegations and is able to take appropriate action in line with the local safeguarding partnership arrangements 22/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

maintain records and obtain and share relevant information with parents and carers, other professionals working with the child, social services and Ofsted, as appropriate, to ensure the setting is safe and efficiently managed, and the needs of all children are met 22/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve the oversight of the curriculum to ensure that all children, including those who may be at a disadvantage in their learning, are provided with an ambitious curriculum that motivates children and enables them to make the progress of which they are capable 01/09/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve the quality of adult interactions with children so that activities and teaching are matched to children's developmental needs and provide appropriate challenge to help them make progress from their starting points 01/07/2026

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:30 - 16:30

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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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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistants 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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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