Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2805083 Registered with Ofsted: 25/02/2025 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 make progress from their starting points. They communicate confidently for their age and stage. Older children use extended sentences, repeat letter sounds and use new words in play, such as naming vehicles and animals like 'scorpion'. Younger children eagerly join in and use gestures and simple sounds or signs to communicate needs.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop independence and self-care skills. They wash their hands and pour drinks independently, use open cups to drink and independently apply their sun cream and put on their shoes. Children listen well and tidy resources very well, following familiar routines and co-operation skills. They build physical skills manipulating dough play and pouring and transferring water. Coordination is developed as children enjoy riding bikes, running, climbing and using outdoor equipment.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop early literacy and mathematics through everyday play. They smile as they make letter shapes, count the insects they collect and explore the colours of the insects. Children learn to share, take turns and cooperate well. They are increasingly ready for their next stage of learning because they build confidence, communication, independence and social skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has established a calm environment with clear routines and commonly understood expectations. Children know the sequence of the morning, including mealtimes, playtimes and outdoor play. This helps them feel secure and supports positive behaviour. They respond well to familiar songs and routines, including singing as they tidy up together before moving to the next part of the day.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Relationships between the childminder and children are warm and respectful. Children approach the childminder confidently, ask for help, cuddles of reassurance and share their ideas. They generally show confidence with each other. Older children eagerly invite others into play, take turns with resources and cooperate during activities. When children find sharing difficult, the childminder helps them consider others and understand the impact of their actions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children develop independence through everyday routines. Typically, they choose and label their cups, pour their own drinks, put on their own shoes and eagerly help tidy resources. The childminder monitors attendance and understands the importance of following up absences promptly. The childminder reflects and adapts her practice promptly to meet individual children's needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's care needs are typically met through secure relationships, clear routines and appropriate supervision. Children appear settled, confident and comfortable in the childminder's care. The childminder works with families and professionals when children need additional support, helping children develop confidence, independence, communication and social skills.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder maintains suitable arrangements for hygiene, nappy changing, sleep, premises safety and risk assessment. Children learn to follow hygiene routines, including washing hands before eating. They are supported to understand personal safety through everyday discussion, including road safety, safe outdoor play and how to behave safely around dogs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children benefit from regular outdoor play and physical activity. They run, ride bikes, pour water, use outdoor equipment and explore natural materials, which supports coordination, strength and wellbeing. They develop independence by pouring drinks, using open cups, applying sun cream and managing shoes and belongings.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides healthy snacks and understands the importance of balanced diets. However, despite sharing guidance with parents on healthy eating, most packed lunches contain processed or unhealthy foods. The childminder replaces food where needed and has given written guidance, but further work with families is needed in order to help children consistently enjoy a diet that supports their health, wellbeing and healthy lifestyle choices.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a broad curriculum that reflects children's interests and prioritises personal, social and emotional development, physical development, communication and outdoor learning. Children benefit from regular nature-based experiences, local walks, visits and well-resourced indoor and outdoor play. The childminder knows children's interests and next steps and adapts daily activities to help them learn.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children explore vehicles in the sand, repeating complex words like 'excavator' as they transfer sand between vehicles, building coordination and communication skills. Learning experiences help children develop curiosity, independence, physical skills and early literacy and mathematical understanding. Older children confidently identify colours like 'yellow' and 'orange' and show early mathematics skills as they count items up to eight. Children build early literacy skills as they explore letters, naming the starting letter of words and use vocabulary linked to their play. Younger children watch, copy and join in with increasing confidence.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Assessment is used to review what children know and can do, including through observations and tracking shared with parents. The childminder has identified mathematics as an area to develop further and is seeking advice to improve this aspect of the curriculum. Teaching generally supports children's engagement and learning. However, some interactions remain too brief. The childminder often comments on children's play but does not consistently extend vocabulary, ask questions that deepen thinking, or help children make links in their learning. This limits children's opportunities to further develop their thinking, communication and language skills.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder typically creates an inclusive environment where children are known as individuals and supported to feel safe, welcomed and valued. She reviews children's development regularly through observations, tracking information and discussion with families. This helps her notice when children may need additional support with communication, independence, social development or emotional wellbeing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands the graduated approach and knows how to record concerns, seek advice and refer to external agencies, including health visitors, speech and language services, early help and local authority special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) support. She understands how to work with families and professionals when children's progress is not as expected.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Support is adapted to children's circumstances. The childminder works with families and other professionals to provide additional sessions where possible, build children's confidence and support social development, communication and independence. Children who may face barriers to learning generally make progress from their starting points, including in feeding, drinking, self-care, communication and confidence.

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Inclusion Expected standard

There are currently no children receiving early years pupil premium or with identified SEND. However, the childminder explains how funding could effectively be used to reduce barriers, for example through training, resources, calming equipment, outdoor clothing or experiences that broaden children's opportunities.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands the provision she offers and is reflective about what works well and what needs to improve. She describes her practice as child-centred and has correctly identified parent partnerships, inclusion and meeting children's individual needs as important features of her work. She has also recognised that mathematics could be built more purposefully into everyday practice and is seeking external advice to support improvement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder keeps her knowledge up to date through online training, reading updates and using childminding forums for advice and guidance. She understands safeguarding responsibilities, safer recruitment, attendance monitoring, risk assessment and how to seek support from external agencies. She makes decisions in children's best interests, including for children who may be disadvantaged, known to social care or need additional support.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a reflective approach to practice and responds positively to professional feedback and challenge. She regularly reviews the provision to ensure it meets the needs of all children and adapts practice where necessary. The childminder maintains effective relationships with families, who speak highly of the care provided and report that communication is effective and consistent. Parents describe children as happy, settled and making progress in their learning and development.

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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 display a sense of feeling secure, welcome and valued in this childminder's home. They arrive happily, settle quickly and move confidently between familiar routines, resources and play spaces. They know what happens next, such as snack times, when to put on sun cream and enjoy outdoor play, which helps them feel safe and ready to take part. Children develop a sense of belonging because the childminder know them well, responds to their care needs and supports them to join in with others.

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Inspector:

Victoria Jones Children achieve through a broad range of practical experiences. They explore dough, making letter shapes, building their hand strength and early literacy and creative skills. They smile as they build structures from magnetic shapes. Books are readily available and young children enjoy looking at the images on the pages. Children of all ages enjoy exploring water as they play together, pouring water between containers and into pipes. They build an understanding of nature as they explore a toy 'bug hotel', finding toy insects and matching them to images in a book. Toddlers develop coordination as they push toy buggies, ride bikes, run outdoors and manage putting their shoes on. They further learn independence skills through washing hands, choosing their belongings, pouring drinks and tidying up.

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Inspector:

Children communicate confidently for their age and stage. Older children use extended sentences, confidently share their ideas and use language in imaginative play. Younger children watch, copy, join in and grow in confidence alongside older children. Children learn to take turns, share resources and cooperate during group play. They use polite language and some signs to say 'please' and 'thank you'.

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Inspector:

Children thrive because routines, supervision and risk assessment help keep them safe. They learn about hygiene, road safety, dog safety and safe outdoor play. Children benefit from frequent outdoor and nature-based experiences that support curiosity, physical development and social skills.

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Next steps

The childminder should enhance interactions by using more purposeful questioning, discussion and vocabulary during play and routines, so children's thinking, communication and language understanding are extended further. The childminder should work more closely with families to improve the nutritional quality of packed lunches so that food provided consistently supports children's health, wellbeing and healthy lifestyle choices.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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: 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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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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