Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2791397 Registered with Ofsted: 14/08/2024 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

Children make secure progress from their starting points. They gain the knowledge and skills needed for their next stages of learning because activities reflect their interests and stages of development. Children communicate with increasing confidence with adults and their friends. They use an expanding vocabulary to describe what they see and do during their play and routines. Children build confidence, communicating and expressing their ideas with increasing accuracy over time.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children show enthusiasm and curiosity as they explore learning experiences. For example, during story time, children confidently identified sea creatures, named colours and counted as they shared the story with the childminder. They responded thoughtfully to open-ended questions and increasingly shared their own ideas and experiences, all of which help children strengthen their communication, vocabulary and early mathematical understanding.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children also demonstrate increasing concentration and independence during activities and routines. They confidently make choices, explore resources independently and show pride in their achievements. As a result, children develop confidence, curiosity and positive attitudes towards learning. They are well prepared for their next stages of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder creates a calm and purposeful environment where children clearly understand behaviour expectations. She models kindness, respect and patience consistently. Children respond well to this and behave calmly and cooperatively throughout the day. Clear and predictable routines help children feel secure and understand what happens next. Children move confidently between activities because routines are well established and the childminder provides sensitive support when needed.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Relationships between the childminder and children are warm and responsive. Children readily seek reassurance, share their ideas and enjoy conversations throughout the day. The childminder responds calmly and sensitively to the children's emotional needs, helping them develop confidence and positive relationships. Children learn to cooperate, take turns and share resources with gentle guidance. They become increasingly confident managing routines and showing consideration for others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder supports children's attitudes to learning through well-established routines and positive encouragement. For example, children happily joined in with the tidy-up routine before snack time, carefully helping to prepare the table and making sure everyone had the cutlery, bowls and water they needed. They showed kindness and consideration for one another, demonstrating pride in helping and taking responsibility. Children remain highly engaged during stories, group activities and play because expectations are clear and routines are consistently reinforced.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder works closely with families to establish routines that support attendance and readiness to learn. She communicates regularly with parents about children's wellbeing and daily experiences. This shared approach helps children settle quickly and participate confidently throughout the day. As a result, children demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning, willingly try new experiences and enjoy learning alongside their friends.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places children's welfare and wellbeing at the centre of her practice. She provides a warm, nurturing and supportive environment where children feel safe, valued and emotionally secure. Close relationships between the childminder and children help them develop confidence and secure attachments. These positive relationships are evident in children's confidence to seek reassurance, support and encouragement throughout the day, and in the way they confidently engage in play and daily routines.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Healthy lifestyles are promoted through well-established daily routines. The childminder provides balanced meals and snacks and encourages children to make healthy choices. For example, children confidently choose and prepare different fruits at snack time while talking together about foods they enjoy. They develop increasing independence as they help prepare the table, serve themselves and enjoy eating fruit, including produce they have helped to grow in the garden. These experiences help children develop an understanding of healthy eating, while strengthening their independence during everyday routines.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children benefit from regular opportunities for outdoor play and physical activity. The childminder makes good use of her garden and provides daily outings to local parks, soft play and community activities. This helps children develop confidence exploring different environments and supports their physical wellbeing. Positive hygiene routines are embedded throughout the day. Children confidently wash their hands before meals and increasingly manage aspects of their personal care independently. Care routines are organised thoughtfully to ensure children remain safe, supervised and engaged at all times.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder adapts care routines and experiences thoughtfully to support children's individual needs and emotional wellbeing. This inclusive approach helps children feel safe, secure and fully included within the setting.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder provides a rich curriculum that reflects children's interests and supports their development across the areas of learning within the early years foundation stage. She understands how young children learn and plans experiences that build on what children already know and can do. Her priorities include developing children's communication, confidence, independence and sociability. As a result, children build securely on their knowledge and skills over time.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Interactions are purposeful and build on children's interests and developmental stages. The childminder observes children and adapts activities to extend their thinking. For example, during an 'under the sea' activity, children identified sea creatures, compared their size and position using mathematical language such as 'bigger', 'smaller', 'under' and 'over', and shared their favourite sea animals. The childminder extended children's thinking through carefully timed questions and gave them time to think before responding. These experiences developed children's communication, mathematical understanding and confidence. Children's communication and language develop through engaging and interactive experiences throughout the day. During a project inspired by the World Cup, children proudly identified different countries' flags, confidently named colours and talked about countries, travel and passports. The childminder built on children's enthusiasm, extending

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

their vocabulary and understanding as they shared their ideas. These experiences strengthen children's communication, understanding of the world and confidence during conversations and play.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children also benefit from opportunities to explore creativity and self-expression. They independently select resources, make choices and share their achievements with adults and their friends. The childminder encourages children to revisit learning at home by sharing books, activities and ideas with families, helping to promote positive attitudes towards learning and continuity between home and the setting.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children benefit from a highly-inclusive environment where they are well known, valued and supported to take part fully in daily experiences. The childminder knows children well and carefully considers their individual starting points, interests and next steps when planning learning. She observes children's development closely and adapts experiences to help ensure every child can participate confidently and make good progress. This thoughtful and responsive approach helps to reduce barriers to children's learning and wellbeing.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder supports children who speak English as an additional language effectively through close partnership working with parents and carers. She provides consistent support throughout routines, conversations and play experiences. The childminder uses children's home languages alongside repetition, visual cues, gestures and familiar routines to help children understand and communicate confidently. Children also benefit from regular opportunities to experience an additional language through planned activities. These positive interactions help children feel understood, emotionally secure and increasingly confident participating within the setting.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates a secure knowledge and understanding of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may require additional support. She monitors children's progress carefully and understands the importance of working closely with parents, carers and external professionals to help ensure children receive timely and consistent support where needed. Her training and experience have strengthened her confidence in adapting resources, interactions and the environment to meet children's individual needs. This helps children participate successfully alongside their peers.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder prioritises children's emotional wellbeing effectively. For example, children have access to a sensory quiet area where they can rest, regulate their emotions and enjoy quieter time when needed. The childminder adapts experiences thoughtfully according to children's confidence levels, emotional needs and stages of development, helping children feel safe, secure and included.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates thoughtful and reflective leadership. She is committed to providing high-quality care and education and continually reflects on children's experiences, interests and stages of development. She adapts the provision to meet children's changing needs and carefully plans learning around their starting points and next steps. This helps children remain engaged, confident and motivated in their learning.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder knows the children exceptionally well and regularly reviews their progress to help ensure they continue to make secure progress over time. She demonstrates a secure understanding of child development and continues to strengthen her professional knowledge through ongoing training and reflective practice. This commitment supports the continued development of the provision and helps ensure children receive consistently high- quality learning experiences.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Partnership working with parents and carers is highly effective. The childminder communicates regularly with families about children's experiences, routines and development. She encourages parents to continue children's learning at home through shared books and activities, helping to promote continuity between home and the setting. Parents describe the childminder as 'exceptional, reliable, creative and caring'. They value the regular communication they receive and comment positively on the varied learning experiences, outings and activities their children enjoy.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder monitors children's attendance carefully and works closely with families to help maintain consistent routines that support children's wellbeing and readiness to learn. Through reflective practice, strong partnerships and a clear commitment to continuous improvement, she ensures the provision continues to meet children's individual needs effectively.

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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 safe, welcomed and valued from the moment they arrive. They form secure and trusting relationships with the childminder, who knows them well and responds sensitively to their individual needs. Children settle quickly and move confidently around the setting, choosing activities that interest them and seeking support from the childminder when needed. The childminder provides reassurance and encouragement when children require it, helping them to feel emotionally secure and develop confidence in themselves and others. Families are warmly welcomed into the setting and positive relationships between home and the childminder help children feel a strong sense of belonging.

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

Children enjoy their time at the setting and participate enthusiastically in a range of experiences. They are encouraged to make choices, explore and develop increasing independence through daily routines and play. Children enjoy caring for the fruit and vegetables they grow in the garden. They proudly show visitors what they have planted and enjoy eating their home-grown produce together at snack time, helping them learn about healthy lifestyles and develop a sense of achievement. Children demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning and are eager to participate in the experiences provided.

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

Children develop strong social skills. They learn to share, take turns and show consideration for others through warm interactions and clear expectations. The childminder supports children to build positive relationships and develop respect and kindness towards others. As a result, children are kind, cooperative and increasingly confident when interacting with others.

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

Children benefit from an inclusive environment where their individual needs, interests and circumstances are understood and valued. The childminder adapts experiences to ensure

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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

all children can participate confidently and achieve well. Children develop confidence, skills and resilience over time and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of children, including those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, parents and carers 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 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. 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

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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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