Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2808240 Registered with Ofsted: 17/10/2024 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

Children are prepared for the next stage of their education. They develop secure language skills as they begin to easily communicate their needs to the childminder and to one another. Children begin to develop early mathematics skills. They correctly describe some shapes, such as squares and triangles as they carefully construct with magnetic tiles. Children are also beginning to gain an understanding of numbers and counting and use this knowledge during their play.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop secure social skills that support their interactions with one another. They learn about their emotions and the impact of their actions on others. Children are kind and often share resources happily during play.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are also learning some tasks for themselves as they learn to feed themselves and self-select activities. However, opportunities for older children to practise their independence skills could be strengthened to challenge them even further.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder provides high quality interactions with children that promote continuously positive behaviour. She provides explicit praise to children, especially when they have kind and friendly behaviour towards others. Children are patient and understanding as the childminder's teaching supports them to build a deeper understanding of the other children's needs. As a result, play is harmonious and children thoroughly enjoy each others company.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder generally has high expectations for all children's behaviour. She recognises how to adapt her expectations for children's different ages. However, the childminder could further embed her expectations for older children during routines so that her teaching is more impactful at times of the day such as tidy up time.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children develop secure bonds with the childminder. They greet her with beaming smiles as they arrive and come inside for a cuddle. Children excitedly bring books to the childminder and sit with her. Relationships between the childminder and children are warm and nurturing.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has a robust approach to attendance. She works closely with parents to understand any barriers they may face to attendance. The childminder carefully records any instances of absence and supports parents to understand the importance of regular, punctual attendance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has a clear focus on children's wellbeing across her setting. She supports children well as they play, offering them opportunities for a drink of water, active play and healthy snacks. This supports children to establish healthy habits as they develop and grow. Children enjoy plenty of access to the outdoors. The childminder sets up her garden to engage children's interests. She supports them to explore their physical abilities as they climb, jump and slide together.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder ensures care routines are carried out with the utmost respect and sensitivity. For example, she kindly asks children if she can change their nappies. Throughout the experience she talks to children and sings songs with them to help them to feel safe and settled. This promotes children's emotional wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Overall, the childminder provides a safe and welcoming space in which children are extremely well settled. Although the childminder is supporting children's early independence skills, she has recognised that some children need more challenging opportunities to increase these skills and plans to develop this further.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has designed a curriculum that is typically ambitious and well-sequenced. She fully understands children's current stage of learning and generally plans effectively to help them achieve the next stage in their education.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides children with plenty of opportunities to develop their language skills. She encourages ongoing conversations and interactions during play. For example, the childminder plays imaginative games with children and they talk about different flavours of ice creams and different drinks they can make in the play kitchen. Children also enjoy singing and movement games. They interact closely as the childminder sings to them and together they practice new actions and words.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder is highly focused on supporting children to develop secure social skills. She promotes their understanding of sharing and taking turns consistently. The childminder extends her curriculum beyond her setting, taking children on outings to playgroups and farm parks to broaden their interactions with other children, adults and the wider community.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

At times, the childminder's expectations of what children can achieve during routines such as tidy-up time, are less ambitious. For example, children are not expected to tidy away their own toys. This means that children's understanding of responsibility and independence is not consistently extended.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder is knowledgeable and has clear strategies in place to ensure children's individual needs are identified promptly. Assessment is used consistently and purposefully. For example, when children first start at her setting, she completes starting point assessments. This enables her to fully understand how best to support each child. The childminder uses this information to create tailored learning opportunities for all children.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder does not currently care for any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, she generally has a good understanding of how she would plan to work with other professionals and parents to support children's needs. The childminder also recognises how she plans to take a graduated approach to support children's progress. The childminder has identified that her knowledge of working with children with SEND could be strengthened even further and has highlighted this as an area for professional development.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder supports all families and provides and inclusive environment that supports children at different ages and stages of development. She knows how to support children and families who may be at a disadvantage, such as those who may be known to, or previously know to children's social care.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a secure understanding of her setting and the children who attend there. She works closely with parents and generally, these partnerships are highly effective in supporting children's education and care. For example, parents speak very positively about the information they receive about their child's activities and progress. The childminder has identified that she would like to strengthen this further, by developing how she shares information about children's next steps in learning and how she supports parents to extend this further at home. The childminder has not yet established channels of communication with other early years settings that children attend. This means that, in some instances, a joined-up approach to children's care is not fully promoted.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of ongoing training. She keeps all mandatory training up to date and refreshes her knowledge of first aid regularly. Typically, the childminder understands her settings strengths well and has clearly identified areas that she would like to improve and professional training opportunities for the near future. For example, the childminder has evaluated her curriculum and recognises that it could be more ambitious in some areas of learning for older children. The childminder plans to align her training to support this.

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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 are very well settled in the childminder's home-from-home setting. They quickly come inside and explore different toys, such as building blocks and sensory shakers. Children are stimulated and excited during their play and learning. The childminder builds warm and nurturing relationships with children. As a result, children feel safe, happy and secure.

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

All children achieve well because the childminder has a sound understanding of children's individual stage of development. The childminder plans activities that link to children's current interests and builds on their current knowledge. For example, as children construct with different objects, the childminder develops their understanding of magnetic force through conversation. Children are inspired and motivated as they discuss other toys that also have magnets.

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

Children regularly benefit from enriching experiences out in the local community. For example, they visit the local library and have trips out to the park with the childminder. Children learn about the area in which they live. The childminder promotes children's social skills and often takes them out where they can interact with other children. This supports young children to develop confidence and an understanding of playing alongside others and helps to prepare children for the next stage of their education.

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

Children attend the setting regularly and punctually. The childminder works closely with families to promote consistent attendance and raises their understanding of the importance of routine in preparation for school.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday : 07:45 - 09:00,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:45 - 17:30,Monday : 15:15 - 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 develop the curriculum further so that expectations for all children's developing independence skills are consistently ambitious. The childminder should strengthen channels of communication with other early years settings that children attend so that children consistently benefit from a joined-up approach to their care.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke to the childminder, parents and children 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 15 July 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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