Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2750191 Registered with Ofsted: 30/04/2024 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 Expected standard

Children approach their learning with curiosity and enthusiasm. They explore the environment, make independent choices and engage readily with the wide range of resources available to them. Children who speak English as an additional language make clear progress in their understanding and use of English and communicate with increasing confidence.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop a love of books and recall stories they have previously shared. This demonstrates their growing understanding and enjoyment of reading. They apply early mathematical skills as they count, compare lengths and heights and discuss shapes during their play. Older children explain their thinking. For example, they describe how they are painting within the outline of a shape. Younger children communicate their understanding by pointing to resources. Children celebrate their achievements by clapping with excitement.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are generally prepared for the next stage in their learning, including the move to school. However, activities and resources for the youngest children do not always provide sufficient challenge or opportunities for them to engage actively, make choices and participate fully in their learning, limiting progress in some areas of their development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder establishes clear routines that help children understand what to expect throughout the day. Children respond positively to these familiar routines, which promotes a strong sense of security and supports their emotional wellbeing. The childminder builds warm, trusting relationships with children, enabling them to feel safe and confident. She interacts calmly, acknowledges children's achievements and uses praise to encourage positive behaviour and participation.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Visual timetables displayed throughout the setting help children anticipate daily events and strengthen communication and understanding, particularly for those who are developing their language skills. Visual choice boards also support children in making decisions during snack time and promote independence. However, these are not used consistently, meaning that children do not always benefit from the childminder's intended support strategies.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally behave appropriately and engage well with one another and with adults. For example, children are supported when challenging behaviour occurs. However, consistent approaches to behaviour management are not yet applied. This limits opportunities for children to receive clear, predictable guidance that helps them understand expectations and develop strategies to regulate their emotions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder promotes regular attendance by sharing her attendance policy with parents, which emphasises the importance of children's consistent participation in learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder places children's wellbeing at the centre of her practice by developing secure relationships that help them feel safe, settled and valued. An effective key-person system ensures that children receive consistent care and support while building trusting relationships with familiar adults. Daily circle times encourage children to recognise and express their emotions. The childminder introduces emotional vocabulary that reflects children's stages of development, beginning with simple feelings such as happy and sad before extending this to words including 'worried' and 'shy'.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder promotes healthy lifestyles through daily routines and meaningful interactions. Children follow clear handwashing procedures and understand the importance of keeping themselves clean. They enjoy nutritious snacks and lunches, choosing from healthy options while adults sit alongside them, encouraging conversation, extending language and promoting independence during mealtimes. Strategies to support children's communication of choices are not yet used consistently, limiting opportunities to further develop their communication skills and independence.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents to provide continuity between home and the setting for eating, sleeping, nappy changing and toileting routines. She provides appropriate equipment and resources that meet the needs of children at different ages and stages. Children drink water regularly throughout the day and benefit from daily outdoor play and visits within the local community, supporting their physical health, emotional wellbeing and understanding of healthy lifestyles.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a clear vision for what she wants children to learn and delivers a curriculum that reflects their interests, developmental stages and individual next steps. She adopts a curiosity approach, following children's ideas while providing experiences that extend their learning. She plans learning by reflecting on previous learning, reviewing individual targets and agreeing how each adult will support children's progress.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Communication underpins every aspect of the curriculum. The childminder supports many children who speak English as an additional language and uses purposeful interactions to introduce new vocabulary, model language and develop understanding. Children demonstrate increasing confidence in using English as they progress through the setting. However, she does not use communication strategies, such as visual aids, consistently, meaning children do not always gain the full benefit of planned learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder weaves stories, rhymes and songs throughout the day, encouraging children to listen attentively, join in with familiar words and develop a love of language. Daily circle times provide opportunities for children to recognise and discuss emotions, introducing vocabulary such as 'worried' and 'shy' while encouraging children to express their feelings.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The curriculum also promotes physical development and early mathematics. Children climb, balance, run and use wheeled toys outdoors to develop coordination and control. Everyday experiences encourage counting, recognising shapes, exploring patterns and investigating colour through meaningful play. The childminder enhances the curriculum through regular visits within the local community, including trips to the museum, park and mobile library, providing children with meaningful experiences that broaden their knowledge of the world, promote language development and extend their learning beyond the setting.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder holds a qualification in special educational needs and places inclusion at the centre of her practice. She gathers detailed information from parents to help her identify potential barriers to learning. Where barriers are identified, she implements targeted support from an early stage. She observes children carefully and reviews their progress regularly. This ensures that her planned learning and the environment reflect the children's individual needs. For example, she provides visual timetables and symbols to help children communicate before they have the vocabulary to express themselves. However, as yet, these strategies are not implemented consistently, meaning children do not benefit fully from them. She models language throughout daily interactions to extend children's understanding and use of English. She adapts the environment so children can fully participate and explore independently.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children enjoy sensory experiences and carefully chosen resources that support their individual learning goals. They explore and experiment with wet sand, pushing it through a sieve and talking about how it feels between their fingers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder provides support to children and families who speak English as an additional language. For example, she uses translation technology to ensure key information, routines and processes are understood so that families can participate fully in their children's learning. She provides resources for the children in their home languages. When children are identified with special educational needs and/or disabilities, the childminder provides sensitive and practical support for families. She helps them understand and complete referral processes, ensuring they can access appropriate services and interventions. The childminder works collaboratively with other professionals and puts agreed strategies into practice to support children in meeting their individual targets.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder generally provides effective leadership that supports ongoing improvement across the setting. She has a secure understanding of the quality of her provision and regularly evaluates practice to identify priorities for development. She works closely with any assistants to review the effectiveness of the curriculum and the learning environment, ensuring that improvements typically have a positive impact on children's experiences. Clear policies and procedures are generally implemented effectively to help ensure the setting meets statutory requirements.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder establishes warm, respectful relationships with children and their families. She places high importance on partnership working and typically provides comprehensive induction presentations to parents before children start. These presentations explain all aspects of the provision and are available in a range of languages to promote inclusion and support families in developing their understanding of English. She also provides each family with a book to encourage shared reading at home and promote early literacy. When additional support is needed, the childminder works effectively with other professionals, including the local authority and specialist services. She generally implements advice promptly, incorporates agreed targets into children's plans where appropriate and reviews progress regularly to help ensure children receive coordinated support that meets their individual needs. Parents speak highly of the care, guidance and communication they

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder generally maintains a strong focus on professional development. She completes mandatory training and continues to extend her knowledge through further qualifications, including childcare and special educational needs. Recognising that future admissions will mostly include younger children, she has identified further training to extend her expertise. She generally supports assistants to access training, shares learning from professional development and prioritises staff wellbeing through regular supervision and protected time for administrative responsibilities.

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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 separate from their parents with confidence because they feel safe, secure and valued. Children are welcomed warmly and experience a strong sense of belonging because the childminder knows them and their families well. Children benefit from strong, secure relationships because the key-person system is well established, giving them the confidence to explore and engage deeply in learning. Children's individual needs are met through accurate assessment and tracking systems, which identify their next steps and ensure activities build on what they already know and can do.

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

Children benefit from an inviting indoor and outdoor environment that is organised thoughtfully to maximise learning opportunities. They move independently between activities, access resources confidently and understand the daily routine. They eagerly anticipate familiar parts of the day, such as story and wriggle time, joining in enthusiastically and encouraging one another to participate.

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

Children communicate their ideas with enthusiasm and seek out adults to share their achievements. They proudly demonstrate their counting skills and celebrate new discoveries during play. For example, children mix red and white paint outdoors and excitedly explain that they have created pink. Children's language and thinking are extended through meaningful conversations. They are supported to express their needs and make choices using visual aids where appropriate. Children will further develop their communication skills and confidence through the consistent use of these resources.

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

Children develop an understanding of the wider community through regular visits to local places, including museums, and by attending playgroups with other childminding settings. These experiences help children develop confidence in different social situations and broaden their understanding of the world around them.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Birmingham Children benefit from effective partnerships between parents and the childminder, ensuring information about their learning and development is shared regularly. Regular attendance provides children with continuity in their care, learning and development, enabling them to make sustained progress.

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Next steps

The childminder should adapt activities more effectively to meet the differing developmental needs of younger children to maximise their engagement in learning. The childminder should implement her strategies for behaviour and communication consistently so that children benefit fully from the support these are intended to provide.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistants and children during the inspection.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Children Act 2006 on the quality and standards 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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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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