Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY542296 Registered with Ofsted: 28/12/2016 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 achieve well across the areas of learning. They develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for their next stages of learning. Babies develop secure attachments with familiar adults. They gain confidence as they crawl, pull themselves up and begin to walk. Older children develop independence, concentration and social skills through daily routines and play. Children develop communication, personal and social skills through their daily experiences. They enjoy books, songs and conversations with familiar adults. However, adults do not always extend children's language to build their thinking and speaking skills. Despite this, children learn to cooperate, share and build friendships. They show confidence when making choices and leading their own play. Children who may need extra help benefit from support tailored to their individual needs. The childminder works with parents and other professionals to help reduce barriers to learning and development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children know what adults expect and move smoothly between activities. Children behave very well. They show kindness, patience and respect towards one another. Children learn to share, take turns and cooperate during play. They use good manners and develop positive relationships with adults and their peers. Adults model the behaviour they want children to show. They use praise consistently and recognise children's achievements. As a result, children develop positive attitudes to learning and engage well in activities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children play harmoniously together and manage minor disagreements appropriately for their age. They show consideration for others and wait patiently for their turn during play. Older children demonstrate kindness towards younger children and include them in their experiences. Children concentrate during play, persist with challenges and enjoy learning. Babies and younger children explore confidently because familiar adults provide reassurance and support. Children with differing needs take part fully in routines and activities alongside their peers.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder promotes the importance of regular attendance and maintains appropriate records. Children develop increasing independence as they tidy away resources and manage personal routines. However, adults do not always encourage older children to take greater responsibility during everyday tasks. As a result, opportunities to strengthen independence are sometimes missed.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children form secure attachments, settle well and confidently explore their environment. They develop a strong sense of belonging through nurturing care, secure relationships and consistent routines that support their wellbeing. Adults know children well and respond sensitively to their individual needs. They comfort babies quickly and provide reassurance when needed. Adults promote healthy lifestyles. They provide nutritious meals and encourage children to keep hydrated. Adults manage dietary requirements carefully to keep children safe. Children benefit from fresh air and exercise through energetic play indoors and outdoors. They climb, balance, run and explore with confidence. Adults supervise children closely and support younger children as they develop emerging walking skills. The childminder works closely with parents and carers and other professionals to meet children's individual needs. Adults

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

adapt care and support so that children who may need extra help participate fully in daily experiences.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Adults support children to manage personal care routines and make healthy choices. Children learn to use the toilet, wash their hands and meet their needs with growing confidence. However, adults sometimes do things that older children can do for themselves. This limits opportunities to strengthen children's self-help skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder designs a curriculum that reflects children's interests, development and individual needs. She gathers information from parents and uses observations to identify what children know and can do. She works with assistants to support learning throughout the day.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Adults provide a balance of exciting child-led play and adult-led experiences. They support children's communication, physical development and personal, social and emotional development through everyday interactions. However, they do not always extend children's speaking skills consistently. At times, adults use closed questions or allow limited time for children to respond. As a result, adults do not always maximise opportunities to deepen children's language and thinking.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Despite this, the childminder and assistants know children well. They provide warm interactions and respond sensitively to children's care and learning needs. Adults support younger children to develop confidence, mobility and independence. They work with parents and professionals to help children who may need extra support to access learning and make progress. They engage children in group activities, share stories and sing action nursery rhymes. Adults introduce early mathematical concepts through counting and encourage children to solve problems as they complete puzzles. This helps children develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for their next stages of learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a sound understanding of inclusive practice. She gathers information from parents and carers and uses this to identify and meet children's individual needs. Children with differing needs learn and play alongside their peers. The childminder works closely with parents and follows advice from other professionals when needed. Children with specific health and dietary requirements receive appropriate support. Adults manage dietary requirements carefully to ensure children eat safely. The childminder recognises when children may need extra help with their development. She works closely with parents and other professionals to implement advice and strategies that help reduce barriers to learning and development. As a result, children make progress from their starting points. Children who need additional support benefit from warm relationships and consistent

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Needs attention

care. Adults know children well and provide reassurance that helps children feel safe and secure.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has not secured sustained improvement over time. She has repeatedly allowed adults to work with children before Ofsted completes the required suitability checks. Although she has taken action to address these breaches, she does not yet consistently identify and address weaknesses through her own monitoring and evaluation. The childminder's self-evaluation lacks precision. She recognises the provision's strengths but identifies priorities for improvement less accurately. Consequently, she does not focus improvement actions sharply enough on weaker aspects of practice or on sustaining improvements over time.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder does not monitor assistants' practice precisely enough. Consequently, she does not identify inconsistencies in practice or address them promptly. As a result, assistants do not consistently deliver the curriculum with the same level of effectiveness. The childminder has only recently sought additional support to strengthen practice. However, she has not ensured that professional development addresses identified weaknesses consistently or improves assistants' practice across the provision.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Despite this, the childminder has addressed weaknesses identified at previous inspections and monitoring visits. She has ensured that assistants have completed the required suitability checks and hold current first-aid qualifications. The childminder understands her safeguarding responsibilities and implements appropriate policies and procedures. She builds positive relationships with parents, who value the care, support and communication she provides. The childminder knows children well and works with parents and professionals to support children who may need extra help with their learning, development or wellbeing. She has started to build links with the local authority to strengthen practice.

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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 arrive happily and they separate from their parents with confidence. They receive a warm welcome from adults who know them well. Children, including those who may need extra help with their learning, development or well-being, feel safe, secure and valued. Children form close relationships with the childminder and assistants. Babies seek reassurance when needed. Adults respond with warmth and sensitivity. This helps children develop a strong sense of belonging. Children enjoy varied play experiences. They confidently make choices about their play. They concentrate for sustained periods as they build, solve puzzles, share books and explore their environment.

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

Children make friends and play cooperatively. They learn to share, take turns and show kindness. They use good manners and treat others with respect. Children benefit from familiar routines. They know what happens next and move confidently between activities. This supports their emotional wellbeing and helps them manage daily routines confidently. Children enjoy singing stories and their favourite nursery rhymes. They listen carefully and join in enthusiastically. Babies smile, clap and move to music. Older children recall stories and share their ideas confidently. Children develop healthy lifestyles. They enjoy nutritious meals, fresh air and daily exercise. They climb, balance, run and play energetically outdoors. Babies strengthen their mobility as they crawl, pull themselves up and begin to walk.

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

Children with differing needs learn and play alongside their peers. The childminder works closely with parents and carers and follows professional advice when needed. Children

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About this setting

Unique reference number (URN): EY542296 receive appropriate support. Children who need extra help with development benefit from targeted support and make progress from their starting points.

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About this setting

Children develop increasing independence mostly, during routines. They make choices, help tidy resources and manage aspects of personal care. Children are happy, motivated learners who show confidence in their play and learning.

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Next steps

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

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Action Completion Date

develop a more precise and evaluative approach to self-assessment so that priorities for improvement are identified accurately and improvements are sustained over time 04/09/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve support, coaching and professional development for assistants so that they consistently deliver the curriculum effectively across all areas of learning and development 04/09/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistants, children and 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. Type: Childminder

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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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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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

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.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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