Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2800280 Registered with Ofsted: 23/08/2024 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 excellent progress from their starting points. They develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for the next stage of learning. Children become confident communicators. They express their ideas clearly, use rich vocabulary and recall previous experiences to support their learning. Children demonstrate resilience, persevere when faced with trickier tasks and take pride in their achievements. They express and manage their feelings appropriately and build positive relationships with their peers.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children become independent as they make decisions, manage everyday tasks and take responsibility for themselves. Children facing barriers to their learning achieve successfully because these barriers are identified and reduced at the earliest opportunity. This enables them to participate fully alongside their peers. Children transfer their knowledge and skills to new experiences. They show curiosity, self-assurance and a readiness for school. As a result, children leave the setting as confident, kind and resilient learners who are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder establishes calm and consistent routines that help children to feel secure and develop positive attitudes to learning. She has high expectations of children's behaviour and independence, supporting them with warmth, patience and reassurance. Children understand what is expected because routines are embedded throughout the day. Simple cues, such as the alarm signalling it is time to prepare for school, enable children to move confidently from one routine to the next without repeated reminders.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children confidently manage familiar routines. For instance, they independently register themselves, collect their belongings and prepare for the walk to school. The childminder helps children to recognise, express and regulate their emotions. She reassures them that it is okay to feel differently when something is new. The childminder supports children to communicate their feelings appropriately. She adapts her approach to meet children's individual needs. For example, the childminder uses imaginative strategies during the walk to school to encourage children to follow expectations while remaining engaged. Children eagerly participate in group experiences that promote cooperation, turn-taking and respect for one another.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children behave well because they feel safe, valued and understood. They demonstrate enthusiasm for learning, cooperate with their peers and respond positively to familiar routines. The childminder promotes the importance of regular attendance by working closely with families to establish consistent routines and support smooth daily transitions. Her calm and consistent approach helps children to develop self-assurance, resilience and the confidence to manage their own behaviour.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places children's welfare and wellbeing at the heart of her practice. She carefully considers children's physical health and emotional needs when planning the day. The childminder adapts routines to meet children's individual needs. She offers healthy snacks when children need them, rather than at set times, ensuring they maintain a healthy appetite for nutritious meals. Daily routines promote positive hygiene, healthy lifestyles and keeping safe. This enables children to develop positive habits from an early age.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children confidently wash and dry their hands before eating, peel fruit, chop it safely using child-friendly knives and pour their own drinks from jugs. This develops their independence alongside healthy eating habits. The childminder promotes oral health through practical experiences. She keeps toothbrushes at the setting so routines can be reinforced where needed, supporting children and their families. The childminder encourages children to drink water throughout the day, recognising the benefits for their health and independence. She adapts her practice during periods of extreme weather. For instance, the childminder provides shaded outdoor spaces and introduces indoor physical activities when it is unsafe to remain outside.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children develop a secure understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and safe. They confidently make healthy choices, understand the importance of personal hygiene and learn how to manage risks during everyday experiences, including when walking in the local community. As a result, children develop the confidence, independence and knowledge to support their own wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder designs a curriculum that builds progressively on what children know and can do. She carefully selects experiences that reflect children's interests while developing the knowledge, skills and vocabulary they need for their next stage of learning. The childminder chooses resources purposefully to encourage children's sustained engagement. This enables children to explore their ideas in depth without becoming overwhelmed by too many resources.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is responsive and builds on children's curiosity. The childminder extends children's learning through purposeful questioning. She introduces new vocabulary and encourages children to predict, test and reflect on their ideas. During colour exploration, children confidently explain what they think will happen before testing their predictions and solving problems together. Daily walks through the local community become rich learning experiences. Children compare the size of plants, count bees visiting lavender and recall that butterflies are attracted to buddleia. When children discover an unfamiliar flower, the childminder values their curiosity by encouraging them to photograph it so they can research the answer together later. This demonstrates that children's learning continues beyond the moment.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children confidently apply their previous learning in new situations. They explain their thinking using an increasingly rich vocabulary. Children become curious and independent learners. This is because the childminder skilfully balances direct teaching with time for children to investigate, solve problems and make discoveries for themselves

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder develops a detailed understanding of children's individual strengths, needs and family circumstances. This enables her to identify emerging barriers to children's learning and wellbeing at the earliest opportunity. The childminder uses observations, assessment and detailed chronologies to monitor children's progress and adapt support as needs change. The childminder does not wait for children to meet external thresholds before taking action. She recognises that early intervention gives children the best chance to succeed.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children receiving early years pupil premium funding and those experiencing other barriers to their learning or wellbeing make meaningful progress. This is because the childminder carefully tailors support to their individual needs. The childminder makes effective use of early years pupil premium funding, including securing private speech and language support where this cannot be accessed through other services. She introduces personalised visual timetables, shares photos of forthcoming activities with families and implements targeted communication strategies. This helps children to feel secure, reduce anxiety and prepare confidently for their sessions. The childminder works closely with parents and carers, health professionals and schools to promote continuity in children's care and learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder reviews the impact of the support she provides. She adapts strategies in response to children's progress. The childminder continues to advocate for children, gathering evidence and implementing targeted interventions where children do not meet referral thresholds. As a result, children become increasingly confident, communicate more effectively and participate fully alongside their peers.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has a clear vision for the children in her care. She wants them to become confident, kind, independent, resilient and curious learners. This ambition underpins every aspect of her practice. The childminder continually reflects on the quality of her provision. She uses feedback from parents and carers and self-evaluation to strengthen children's experiences. The childminder has thoughtfully reduced the number of resources available at any one time to encourage children's deeper engagement and a broader range of play. She embraces technology thoughtfully to support reflection and reduce administrative workload while maintaining confidentiality.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is committed to continually strengthening her professional knowledge. She keeps up to date with changes to statutory guidance, researches developments in practice and introduces new approaches that improve children's experiences. The childminder continues to advocate for children when external referral thresholds are not met, gathering evidence, implementing targeted strategies and working alongside families until children receive the support they need. Partnerships are a significant strength of the provision. The childminder develops highly positive relationships with parents, schools, health professionals and the wider community to promote continuity in children's care and learning. She actively seeks collaboration with other providers to support children's transitions whenever possible. The childminder weaves diversity meaningfully throughout children's experiences. This helps children to develop

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

respect for different people, cultures, families and abilities while recognising that every child is unique.

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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 happy and eager to begin their day. They settle quickly because they feel safe, welcomed and valued within this calm and nurturing setting. Children have secure and trusting relationships with the childminder. This gives children the confidence to express their thoughts, share their feelings and make independent choices about their play and learning. They confidently express their emotions because they know these are listened to and acknowledged. Children play cooperatively, show kindness and consideration towards one another. They readily include their friends in play. Children develop a deep sense of belonging. This is because the childminder recognises them as individuals and reflects their interests, experiences and family life in everyday conversations and experiences.

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

Children enjoy learning that is purposeful, engaging and tailored to what they already know and can do. They eagerly explore their local community, recognise familiar plants and wildlife and talk confidently about the world around them during their daily walks. Children are naturally curious, ask thoughtful questions and make meaningful links between their previous learning and new experiences. Children communicate confidently, using a rich vocabulary to describe their thinking, solve problems and explain their ideas. They persevere when faced with trickier tasks, take pride in their achievements and develop increasing independence through familiar daily routines. Children make excellent progress from their starting points. They develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for the next stage of their learning.

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

Children flourish because the childminder understands their individual strengths, interests and needs from the moment they start. They receive the support they need to overcome barriers to learning and wellbeing. This enables them to participate fully alongside their friends. Children learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe through meaningful everyday experiences. They develop respect for themselves, for others and for the world around them. Children leave the setting as confident, kind, curious and resilient learners who are well prepared for their future.

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Next steps

The childminder should continue to build on her highly effective work to remove barriers for children who need extra help to realise a sustained and transformational impact on all children's achievement and wellbeing over time.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, 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

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 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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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

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

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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