Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2826037 Registered with Ofsted: 30/04/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR

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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 make positive progress from their starting points, particularly those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They build confidence over time to access the learning provided. Children develop their communication and language skills well. Children listen to their favourite books, where they enjoy talking about the pictures and identifying characters from the story. They develop a passion for reading, accessing stories independently in the provision where they enjoy retelling in their own words. Children also enjoy choosing a familiar nursery rhyme. They join in with actions and words with their peers.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop their larger muscles well. They enjoy going up and down the slide and balancing on ride-along bikes and cars. They also develop their smaller muscles in the provision, such as rolling small balls and completing age-appropriate jigsaws. Children develop key skills to prepare them for future success in their independence. Although children make positive progress in all areas of learning, they are not yet supported to progress even further. For example, on occasion, children do not have enough time to respond to questions and due to weaknesses, they sometimes do not sustain attention.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children follow the rules and routines set out by the childminder. For example, children know to sit while eating and lie on a mat for nap times. When the childminder reinforces rules, she gently supports children's understanding by guiding them through what they can do and explains how to keep themselves safe. The childminder also talks about what is happening next with children to support their understanding and ease anxiety. This particularly supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder helps children to wait their turn, through modelling whose turn it is now, and giving children choices of other resources to play with while waiting. Children develop patience. They also work well as a team, tidying toys to where they belong.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children build their confidence over time. Typically, the childminder provides opportunities for children to be independent, such as washing their own hands and getting their own water bottles. They also independently access resources and toys in the provision. The childminder plans new activities for children to explore, where she models how to achieve. Children eagerly join in. However, from time to time, the childminder does not support children to sustain attention, particularly during activities. For example, some children lose interest in listening to the end of a story, impacting on them having a positive attitude towards learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder promotes positive attendance and punctuality through sharing policies with parents and follows up any unexplained absences.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Typically, the childminder supports children's understanding of a healthy lifestyle. Children explore and try new fruits to develop their food palette during snack. The childminder plans plenty of opportunities for children to explore the outdoors in her garden or out in the community. Children know to wash their hands after toileting and before eating. Generally, she talks about why it is important to wash our hands to support children's understanding of positive hygiene. During mealtimes, the childminder models manners, where children copy. She also supports children to meet their own personal needs, working closely with parents and other settings. For example, she shares consistent strategies to help children during toilet training.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder gets to know the children well through interactions and discussions with parents. She implements toys of interest in the provision to support children to settle into her home. She also uses strategies to support children to feel calm during times of transition, such as using a home toy comforter. Children develop positive bonds with the childminder, where they seek comfort and reassurance when upset or hurt. She also changes her menu to support those children with allergies and intolerances.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has established an ambitious curriculum focusing on developing children's communication and language. She builds on children's knowledge, understanding and skills. For example, she introduces new words to broaden children's vocabulary such as 'hand glider' when children point to one in the sky. She plans activities based on the children's next steps in learning. For instance, using different coloured paints and balls to develop children's understanding of colour and mixing. Generally, she adapts her interactions, such as using simple words for younger children and longer phrases and sentences for older children. She also adds resources to support those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to communicate. She narrates her actions alongside children's play while asking age- and stage-appropriate questions. However, on occasion, the childminder does not allow children enough time to think and respond to her questions to support language

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Typically, the childminder follows children's interests to develop their understanding. For example, when children show an interest in an insect, she names and identifies their features. Children develop their understanding of the world around them. The childminder also provides opportunities for children to develop their mathematical understanding through different interactions and routines, such as counting down before going down the slide and comparing the sizes of objects.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works closely, gathering information from parents and uses her own observations to assess children's development. She then identifies appropriate next steps in learning for children. Typically, she puts in place support to build on children's gaps in learning. For example, the childminder works effectively with outside agencies to support individual children's needs. For instance, she implements a communication board shared by speech and language therapists to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). She also uses flash cards to help children with SEND identify how they are feeling in the moment, alongside the childminder modelling language to support their communication and language development.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Generally, the childminder reduces barriers to children's wellbeing. She works well with parents, sharing consistent strategies to reduce dummy and bottle use. The childminder implements predictable routines and talks to children about any changes, to support children who have any possible anxiety. This particularly supports those children with SEND. The childminder offers flexible settling-in sessions, working with families and the children. This helps children build their confidence in accessing the childminder's home. The childminder also uses additional funding to support those children eligible based on their needs, which she discusses with parents beforehand. For example, she plans more opportunities in the community to support the children's next steps in developing their social skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder can identify her strengths and some areas of improvement. She keeps up to date with any changes to the early years statutory framework and attends mandatory training to ensure children are safe. She also ensures her assistant attends and is knowledgeable in supporting the children in their care. She follows the correct safety procedures to make sure assistants are also suitable in ensuring children are safe. She supports her assistant's wellbeing through having regular conversations. The childminder works closely with other local childminders to gain their advice and knowledge to improve the quality of care and education she provides. For example, she put in place resources, so children know where toys and resources belong. This supports children to tidy up and be responsible for their environment. However, the childminder is yet to instil a culture of continuous professional development to embed high-quality teaching.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works well with parents, sharing information on what children are learning next to support possible home learning. She gathers information from parents proactively before children attend to adapt the provision and support if required, such as implementing shared communication boards to support those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder also works with the local schools, sharing information on children's progress and any concerns. This supports continuity in care and education.

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

Children settle quickly into the childminder's home, where their interests are regularly followed to help them engage and feel comfortable. For example, when children show an interest in birthdays, the childminder models singing the song. Children enthusiastically join in. Children feel safe and secure, where they enjoy playing with toys and resources, which are readily available. They are also eager to join in with activities planned by the childminder. During these activities, children wait their turn, supported by the childminder who uses their names to state whose turn it is. They learn strategies to help develop patience. For example, the childminder encourages children to play with other toys. She also gives them options when children struggle to choose while waiting. Children learn to communicate their needs and wants with their peers, modelled well by the childminder. Additionally, they socialise within their local community where they develop their confidence

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

in meeting other children. Overall, children develop their social skills well and this helps prepare them in their next stage in learning.

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

Children develop their independence skills through plenty of opportunities provided by the childminder. During toilet training, children are encouraged by the childminder to have a go at dressing themselves to support them to manage their personal needs. Children drink from open cups and use age- and stage-appropriate cutlery to also build on their self-feeding skills. They know and put their bottles where they belong and access them independently when they need a drink.

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

Children make positive progress in their communication skills. The childminder swiftly identifies children's needs and works closely with outside agencies. She implements

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:00 adaptations to support their development, particularly those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, she uses communication boards to also help children with SEND build on their language skills. She also uses flash cards to support naming children's emotions in the moment. Children develop their emotional understanding. The childminder puts in place embedded routines to support children to settle, which especially helps those children with SEND.

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Next steps

The childminder should consistently support children to have back-and-forth conversations, giving them enough time to respond to her questions. The childminder should effectively support children to sustain attention, particularly during planned activities. The childminder should instill a culture of continuous professional development to embed high-quality teaching.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with 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. Local authority: Nottinghamshire County Council

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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. 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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