Sheffield, Jess Eleanor

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2839364 Registered with Ofsted: 10/06/2025 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 typically make progress through positive interactions. They learn about their emotions, which helps them to learn to share new resources. Children learn to wait for their turn patiently when they explore a sensory box. They can concentrate well and focus. Children explore the construction pieces at the table for an extended period, working hard to build and connect the pieces.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children display perseverance and fine-motor skills. They are motivated to try a new plan and share their ideas, such as discussing that they are going to make a 'unicorn' next. Children explore activities and are curious. They excitedly explore a farm-themed tray outside, sharing their knowledge and learning new vocabulary. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities join outings and make progress in their social development. Older children explore concepts, such as mindful play, to help manage their emotions. These skills are important for the next stage of their learning journey. However, children do not benefit from consistent information being shared to support their transitions on to the next education setting.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder uses routines to promote children's positive behaviours and attitudes towards their learning and each other. The childminder is nurturing, enthusiastic and consistent in her interactions. She knows each child well. The childminder has high expectations for children's behaviour. She implements new strategies to support children, such as exploring their emotions. Children respond well to the childminder supporting their positive behaviour. For example, the childminder uses individual strategies to promote turn- taking. Children typically develop their skills and receive praise. The impact of this is that children learn to take turns and enjoy the positive praise.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children learn about their emotions during games, such as recognising that they stomp when they are angry. They learn new vocabulary and talk about what makes them sad or scared. The childminder acknowledges and names children's feelings. Overall, the childminder is inclusive in her approaches to behaviour. The childminder models ways to regulate emotions, and children learn through consistent support. This means that children generally have positive attitudes to learning and exploring.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is swift to praise children when they show kindness to friends. Interactions between the childminder and children help children to become confident. The childminder uses her knowledge of each child to support them to engage well with learning. The childminder promotes attendance for all children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder creates a secure, fun, safe and welcoming setting. Children enjoy their play and mealtimes. The childminder plans outings and groups that make a difference to children, ensuring they are ready for school. Children learn to be safe as they walk to the market or stay-and-play groups. They know to listen and look for cars. Children follow nature trails and learn about feeding chickens on a trip to a local attraction.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supports individual routines for each child, working in partnership with parents and carers. Her relationships with families enable her to achieve positive outcomes for children. The childminder builds deep attachments with children, providing reassurance and a stimulating environment. Children thrive and feel a sense of belonging. The childminder works with parents when there are delays in children's speech, and asks sensitive questions to establish if there are any changes at home. She uses children's interests to support them emotionally. For example, the childminder uses children's interests, such as space or planet play, to engage those who are upset. This enables children to calm and rejoin their play.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder encourages parents to add healthy foods to their children's lunch boxes. Younger children sit at the table with the childminder. Older children enjoy the independence of sitting together at a lower table. This enables them to chat and still be safe while eating. The older children talk about their progress in toileting and praise each other. Children learn about recycling and taking care of the environment. Children settle to sleep well and are checked regularly. The childminder promotes independence as children organise their own recycling after their lunches.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder organises and plans a range of activities. Children access opportunities to build their personal, social and emotional skills through play and adult-led activities. The childminder plans experiences and trips that create opportunities and form a broad curriculum. Overall, children make progress across the areas of learning in this setting. The childminder teaches children mathematical vocabulary. For example, when children create tractors from play dough, she encourages them to cut out the shapes and name them. Children learn about concepts such as recycling and taking care of the environment. For example, they ask to recycle their packets after lunch, organising food waste and talking about which section is for their cardboard. The childminder then extends the learning with another activity. She encourages children to organise a box of recycling and talks about plastic and paper. The childminder adds new words and models new language, which

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children benefit from having individual next steps in learning. Young children have next steps to support their progress in physical development. Older children are working towards more independence, and the skills needed to transition on to school. As a result, children make progress at their stage of development. Children enjoy a range of activities in the setting. For example, children share and take turns during a building activity. They offer pieces to their friends and discuss what they plan to build. Children count how many pieces they need to recreate the pattern on the leaflet. The childminder supports children to build their independence. She models counting out the pieces and the children repeat this.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Typically, the childminder teaches children well. However, she does not tailor some activities to children's individual stages and ages. At these times, younger children do not receive support to extend their learning. This results in some children not making rapid progress or engaging fully with the curriculum.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children are happy and feel safe in the care of this childminder. She uses her knowledge of children to identify adaptations that she can make for them. For example, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have targets from other professionals. The childminder incorporates these into outings, building confidence for the children and their parents and carers. Parents trust the childminder to keep their children safe while extending their opportunities for learning. The childminder celebrates these achievements and shares photos with professionals.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works in partnership with professionals and partner settings. Children make progress because she follows their advice and works closely with parents of children with SEND. Children with complex needs enjoy extending their learning and the childminder has high ambitions for them. The childminder highlights children's needs or delays in their development during health checks and discussions with parents. Children enjoy a rich and inclusive range of activities and experiences.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses funding well to improve outcomes for children with SEND, such as creating a sensory box. This is new to the setting and is already having an impact. For example, children with SEND are now playing alongside other children and sharing the new resources. Children who experience changes at home are well supported. The childminder has positive relationships with parents. This enables her to share advice and promote wellbeing for children in her care. The childminder works in partnership with another childminder. This helps children to thrive in her care through their shared knowledge and experience.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Typically, the childminder can identify other barriers to children's learning. However, she has developed her understanding of how to plan targeted support for children with barriers to their learning, or identify professional development to meet children's emerging needs. This means that at times, younger children do not receive the targeted support they need to close gaps in their communication and language development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a firm commitment to her work. She has high standards for her care and considers what should be her next priority. The childminder has identified that younger children in her care needed more support to learn about their emotions. She therefore has developed strategies and purchased resources to improve her provision. This is already beginning to have an impact on children's development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder engages with professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in the setting. The childminder understands her families well and how to help them. The childminder has reviewed opportunities for professional learning. She has identified that her knowledge of supporting children with SEND can be strengthened. Her ethos is to ensure that children are cared for individually. The childminder's home-from-home feeling means that parents feel comfortable to share worries. The childminder can relate and help and advise through trusting relationships.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Overall, children are well prepared for their next stage in learning. However, the childminder does not share information with other settings when children leave her setting. This does not strengthen children's transitions or support them to move seamlessly on to a new setting.

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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 their day in this welcoming setting. The childminder greets children warmly and chats to their parents and carers. Children have a lovely sense of belonging, sharing stories from home and chatting at snack time. The childminder works well with parents, creating a home-from-home feeling that parents value. Children show curiosity for the activities that are set out for them to enjoy. They make tractors and ice creams from play dough on arrival. They talk about circles for the wheels, and flavours for the ice creams. Children enjoy experiences that help them to develop age-appropriate physical skills. This includes developing their hand strength and learning mathematical vocabulary.

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

Families praise the care and support that children receive in this setting. Children enjoy playing in the garden, exploring water play and the farm-themed tray, and moving heavy loads of cereal from one to the other. Regular walks support children's physical development, independence and understanding of the world. Children experience a broad range of outings to the local honey farm and parks that are further away. The childminder

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Inspector:

Amelia Joyner takes children out in her car to meet with other childminders. These experiences support positive relationships between children, and encourage social skills and children to play well together. The childminder includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities in all aspects of the setting. For example, she plans soft-play trips to promote their physical development skills.

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Inspector:

Children show a real sense of belonging and enjoy spending time in this setting. They follow the routines well, taking their shoes off on arrival and collecting them to put on to go outside. Younger children look at books and explore the play equipment outside, persevering to get in and out of the toy car. Older children enjoy chatting to the childminder at lunchtime, who praises them for opening their own packaging and peeling bananas.

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Inspector:

The childminder builds supportive relationships with parents. Children enjoy nurturing attachments. This means they are able to manage their emotions and regulate their feelings. The childminder knows each of her key children well, and collects lots of information from parents at registration. She is able to spot children's emerging needs and shares these with parents. The childminder's frequent interactions with children help them to progress, achieve and thrive. The childminder knows that reduced attendance can be a barrier to children's learning, so reviews attendance regularly.

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Next steps

The childminder should share information with other professionals at points of children's transition, to ensure children move seamlessly on to the next stage of learning. The childminder should develop her understanding of how to plan targeted support for children with barriers to their learning and identify training and professional learning, to support continuous improvement to meet children's emerging needs.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, parents and carers 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.

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About this setting

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

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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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