Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2629639 Registered with Ofsted: 21/05/2021 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 consistent progress from their individual starting points and gain experiences that build purposefully on what they already know and can do. Communication and language develop particularly well. Children are engaged in meaningful conversations throughout the day, encouraged to explain their ideas, recall previous experiences and develop increasingly complex vocabulary. Children confidently join discussions, answer questions and share their own experiences and demonstrate that their contributions are valued.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children become increasingly independent learners. From a young age, they learn to try and solve problems independently before seeking adult support. Older children confidently take responsibility for helping prepare activities and supporting younger children, demonstrating growing maturity and confidence.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children demonstrate secure mathematical understanding through practical experiences. They count, compare, recognise patterns and explore shape, space and measure during everyday play. They confidently apply these skills while constructing, sorting, exploring and problem-solving with their friends.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children show sustained levels of concentration and engagement. They persevere when learning becomes challenging, take pride in their achievements and demonstrate the confidence and resilience needed for a successful transition to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children understand expectations because routines are consistent, predictable and supported by positive relationships from the childminder. The well-established routines allow children to move smoothly between activities while remaining engaged and enthusiastic learners.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Behaviour is excellent throughout the day. Children cooperate willingly, listen carefully to instructions and demonstrate excellent manners without prompting. They confidently share resources, take turns and work together during group activities. Children demonstrate consistently caring attitudes towards one another. Older children naturally model kindness, respect and consideration for younger children, who readily follow their example. This creates a calm, nurturing environment where children of all ages cooperate well. They develop empathy and learn to treat others with kindness through the positive relationships and role modelling from the childminder.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children's emotional development is consistently supported. Children identify and understand their feelings. They are encouraged to think about fairness, kindness and the impact of their behaviour on others. Children respond positively to this approach and quickly resolve minor disagreements with the childminder's guidance. Language used is adapted to ensure that the child understands the specific vocabulary being used to label their emotions dependent on their age and developmental stage. For example, younger children learn to recognise being 'happy' and 'sad', while older children are supported to explore more complex emotions such as 'nervous' and 'disappointed'.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Independence is woven throughout daily routines. Children confidently take responsibility for practical tasks, make choices about their play and demonstrate increasing resilience when faced with challenge. The childminder celebrates effort as much as achievement, helping children develop confidence in their own abilities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has established effective partnerships with parents, who share the setting's high expectations for regular attendance and active participation in children's learning. This ensures children benefit from consistent routines, uninterrupted learning opportunities and secure relationships that help them make consistent progress.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's wellbeing is promoted exceptionally well through secure relationships and thoughtful daily practice. The childminder is highly responsive to children's emotional and physical needs. She recognises when children require reassurance, adapting her approach sensitively to ensure every child feels safe, understood and valued. For example, when a child becomes upset at mealtime, they are spoken to individually. They are spoken to softly and given time to explain why they are sad. Children demonstrate emotional security and confidently seek support when they need it.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Healthy lifestyles are promoted consistently through discussions around nutritious food choices, hydration, physical activity and keeping safe in different weather conditions. Children enjoy daily opportunities to develop their physical skills in a stimulating outdoor environment that has been carefully designed to promote challenge while minimising unnecessary risk.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children develop an excellent sense of belonging because the childminder celebrates their individuality. Their achievements, interests, families and cultures are recognised and valued throughout the setting, helping children develop confidence in who they are. For example, children are encouraged to request their favourite songs and everyone enjoys dancing to these. Open discussions are held about how children from different cultural backgrounds may eat differently, such as with their hands or using different utensils. Children explore this with the childminder and all children enjoy eating in these different ways.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children approach visitors with confidence, readily sharing their ideas and experiences. This reflects the secure relationships they have developed with the childminder, who consistently listens to them, values their opinions and encourages them to become confident, resilient individuals.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The curriculum is ambitious, well organised and delivered by knowledgeable adults who understand how children learn through play.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Language development is central to teaching. The childminder and her assistants introduce new vocabulary, such as 'hydration' during meaningful interactions, encouraging children to explore words, explain their thinking and engage in extended conversations. Skilled questioning encourages children to reflect, predict and solve problems while the childminder and her assistants carefully follow children's interests to sustain engagement.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is responsive and highly engaging. The childminder and her assistants successfully extend children's learning through sensory exploration, imaginative play, stories, music and outdoor experiences. They encourage children to investigate, compare, observe changes and make connections between new learning and previous experiences. For example, children talk about the vegetables they grow. They explain how they planted a seed and it needed water to grow into a plant. They link this knowledge to previous learning about keeping their own bodies healthy, knowing they too need water.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Mathematics is embedded naturally throughout the curriculum. The childminder makes effective use of spontaneous opportunities for counting, comparing, recognising patterns and discussing shape and direction during children's chosen activities. For example, children and the childminder make footprints during water play and children are encouraged to look at who has bigger feet.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder carefully balances support with challenge. She encourages children to persevere when difficulties arise, providing sensitive guidance that enables children to experience success independently. As a result, children develop positive attitudes towards learning and approach new experiences with curiosity and confidence.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children experience a genuinely inclusive environment where everyone is welcomed, respected and encouraged to succeed. The childminder knows children's individual personalities, interests and family circumstances exceptionally well. This enables her to respond quickly to children's emotional needs and tailor support appropriately. For example, the childminder's knowledge of the home circumstances enables her to adjust the children's routines and activities. This includes knowing a child needs sleep or to eat at an earlier time. When children have changes in their home life, such as a new sibling, activities are specifically planned to help them understand and process this change. Children who require additional reassurance receive calm, nurturing one-to-one support that helps them regain confidence and participate fully in learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder successfully creates opportunities for children of different ages to learn alongside one another. Activities are adapted skilfully so every child can participate at an appropriate level while benefiting from shared experiences. Younger children gain confidence from observing older peers, while older children develop empathy, patience and leadership skills.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children with medical or dietary needs are fully included. Careful planning ensures they remain safe while participating alongside their friends during meals and daily routines. The childminder works closely with families to ensure children's individual needs are consistently met. She has proficient knowledge of early years pupil premium and how to use this, as well as the types of support that are available to families who qualify for this.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder uses regular observations and discussion with parents to quickly recognise if a child is not making progress or meeting their developmental milestones. Her professional relationships with other agencies ensure that support and/or adjustment is put in place for children as soon as concerns are identified while further referrals are made if required. The childminder is acutely aware of the importance of a consistent approach, supporting her assistants to be knowledgeable and skilful in any interventions put in place to support children.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children's identities and family lives are celebrated through daily conversations, personalised resources and meaningful learning experiences. The childminder demonstrates genuine interest in children's home lives, helping children develop a strong sense of belonging within the setting.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder leads a highly effective team that shares a clear vision for providing high- quality care and education. Expectations are consistently high, and she ensures her assistants demonstrate an excellent understanding of children's individual needs, interests and stages of development. Teamwork is a notable strength, with adults communicating effectively and supporting one another to ensure children receive consistently high-quality experiences throughout the day.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder makes thoughtful decisions that prioritise children's safety and wellbeing. Risk assessments are used effectively to adapt provision when circumstances change. During periods of exceptionally hot weather, planned activities are reviewed and amended so children can continue to learn safely through carefully organised indoor and outdoor experiences. The childminder ensures appropriate ventilation, shade, hydration and cooling activities while maintaining a stimulating curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Relationships with parents are highly effective. The childminder knows children and their families exceptionally well and uses information shared by parents to respond sensitively to children's changing emotional and developmental needs. This strong partnership supports continuity in children's care and learning.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Inclusive leadership is evident throughout the provision. The childminder carefully considers how children with medical, dietary and cultural needs can participate fully in everyday experiences. Procedures for managing allergies are robust, and thoughtful adaptations ensure every child is included without drawing unnecessary attention to individual differences. For example, considerable thought is put into the menu that is developed for the children so that all needs are catered for while the food served remains extremely similar for all children.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder continually reflects on practice. Observations of the assistants' practice and discussions with them enable specific professional development to take place that ensures the best support and outcomes for all children. The childminder promotes an environment where children, families and staff all feel respected, valued and supported.

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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 settle quickly into this warm, welcoming home where they are greeted by the childminder who genuinely knows and values them. Strong, affectionate relationships help children feel emotionally secure and confident to explore, ask questions and express themselves. Children of all ages play happily alongside one another, with older children naturally supporting younger friends and celebrating each other's achievements. The childminder works closely with parents and carers to encourage excellent attendance and punctuality, helping children thrive in a reliable daily routine.

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About this setting

Type: Childminder Children are active, curious learners who enjoy a rich variety of experiences that reflect their interests. They investigate sensory materials, sing favourite songs, build imaginative worlds, care for dolls, grow vegetables and explore the outdoor environment with enthusiasm. These carefully planned activities ensure any barriers to learning are addressed while supporting all children to make consistent progress in each area of their development. The childminder and her assistants join the children in their play, listening carefully to their ideas and encouraging them to think more deeply without interrupting the flow of their learning. Children develop confidence because they are trusted to do things for themselves. They help prepare activities, tidy resources, dispose of tissues independently and contribute to daily routines. The childminder and her assistants celebrate these achievements, helping

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About this setting

children develop resilience and pride in what they can do.

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About this setting

Children are kind and considerate. They patiently wait for turns, use manners and show genuine care for one another. When children become upset or need reassurance, the childminder responds immediately with warmth and sensitivity, helping them to understand and manage their feelings before returning confidently to play. Children leave each day feeling valued, included and excited about learning.

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Next steps

The childminder should continue to promote the high-quality professional development for her assistants to further enhance their expertise in implementing the curriculum.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistants, children 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. Registration date: 21/05/2021

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:30

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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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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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