Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2781946 Registered with Ofsted: 12/06/2024 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 Strong standard

Children make secure and sustained progress and develop solid foundational skills, which prepare them well for their next stage of education. They develop confident communication skills and use descriptive language during their play. They recognise numbers, shapes and patterns in the environment. Children count confidently, recognise numerals and begin to understand quantity. They show secure recall when talking about past experiences, such as when they picked strawberries and visited a care home. Children match foods from familiar stories and recognise caterpillars and butterflies during activities. They scoop rice, thread beads and manipulate dough, supporting their hand strength. They manage hygiene confidently and demonstrate mature social skills. Children show high levels of engagement in their play and learning, recognising foods from 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' story, for instance, and matching them confidently as they act out the story.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make significant progress from their starting points. Children with SEND, who were previously non-mobile and those who had limited speech, now walk confidently and use language more frequently, for instance. They explore environments with determined confidence and respond well to sign-supported language. All children are well prepared for school and show independence, curiosity and resilience.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder sets clear and consistent expectations for children's behaviour. As a result, children behave extremely well and respond positively to the rules and routines. They show kindness and empathy towards their friends, because the childminder acts as a caring and kind role model. Relationships are harmonious and joyful. Children demonstrate secure attachments. When tired, they seek the childminder for a cuddle and enjoy stories close beside her. They drink water throughout the day and respond well to gentle reminders about safety. Attendance is excellent and children are eager to arrive and engage in a day filled with learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Older children help younger children with tasks and happily share resources. The childminder provides clear, age-appropriate guidance that helps children remember reasons for the rules. Children respond well and show respectful attitudes towards the childminder.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Routines run smoothly and thoroughly support emotional security. Children tidy away before snack and wash their hands with great confidence. They manage transitions well and follow instructions with ease. Children show positive attitudes to their play and learning. They explore sensory materials with curiosity, for instance, show patience and take turns. Children develop emotional regulation rapidly. The childminder models a calm manner, consistently, which helps children to manage their own feelings and behaviour. Sign-supported language and clear routines support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to engage positively in their learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder promotes children's welfare through warm relationships and consistent routines. Children seek her out for comfort and she responds with gentle reassurance. They return to play quickly, which shows emotional security. The childminder has created a home- from-home space where children feel safe and secure. Children demonstrate secure attachments. When tired, they seek out the childminder for a cuddle and enjoy stories, close beside her. They show patience and take turns, with older children supporting younger ones, which strengthens their relationships. Children benefit from rich, varied experiences that open their eyes to new possibilities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Healthy lifestyles are embedded. Children drink water throughout the day, eat healthy foods, talk about germs and follow hygiene routines confidently. The childminder reminds children to sit safely on chairs and explains why this is important These routines strengthen children's awareness of their own safety. The childminder supervises children closely and maintains safe routines, such as during mealtimes and when children sleep. Children show independence during mealtimes and help tidy away with confidence. They demonstrate impeccable manners and mature social skills, enjoy outdoor play each day and benefit from fresh air and exercise.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder works with a range of professionals, when needed. She understands that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities may be more vulnerable. Her vigilance and reflective approach support children's wellbeing and help keep children safe. She is highly attuned to every individual child and plans delightful experiences for them. For example, she takes children to a water park to provide an introduction to swimming. Children show happiness and confidence throughout their day. They engage deeply in activities and benefit from the childminder's nurturing approach.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder provides a curriculum that is purposeful, rich and well matched to children's needs. She designs experiences that help children understand the world that they live in. Children visit a church, where the childminder helps them learn religious celebrations and traditions. They attend music sessions in the village and explore different sounds. The childminder takes children to visit the woods, where they toast marshmallows and make fruit platters. These experiences broaden and deepen children's understanding. Children with barriers to learning are skilfully supported through meaningful adaptations that allow all children to take part in the learning experiences.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is calm, relaxed and responsive. Children explore dough and use pipe cleaners and beads to make caterpillars. They squash and roll the dough, which strengthens hand muscles. The childminder uses descriptive language such as big, little, shiny and talks about colours, such as light blue, to describe the beads. This builds children's range of vocabulary and supports their communication skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children explore water walls and investigate tubes. They notice that some tubes cannot extend and look closely at how they are positioned. The childminder helps them to understand why the tubes do not extend. This strengthens problem solving and thinking skills. Children explore how caterpillars turn into butterflies through real-life hatching experiences. The childminder introduces a second set of caterpillars alongside the first to help children understand the progression.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder promotes inclusive practice that is thoughtful, responsive and well embedded. She adapts activities so that all children can participate. The childminder considers different learning styles and ensures children access experiences in ways that suit them. She has completed training in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and uses this knowledge confidently, to identify children's unique needs, for example.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children with SEND receive highly responsive support. Their progress is monitored and assessed in depth and shared with parents and carers and relevant professionals. The childminder works with a range of professionals, such as speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and health visitors. She bridges any gaps in learning, through appropriate support, while waiting referrals for external support are processed. The childminder supports families to understand strategies that can be used at home as well as in the setting. She uses simple signs to support language, building on communication skills for non-verbal children. She also supports vocabulary development through modelling and repetition. The childminder adapts routines for sensory needs, such as providing fidget toys and quiet spaces.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder ensures all children are included in all parts of the provision, celebrating their uniqueness. She provides experiences that children may not access at home, such as dough, water play and community visits. Parents and carers describe their children's significant progress and feel that they were 'meant to find her'. They comment on her kindness and the way her inclusive approach prepares children so well for the next stage of their education.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates reflective and well-informed leadership. She attends training that meets the needs of children extremely well. She has completed specialist courses to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and uses this knowledge confidently. She designs learning plans that support children superbly and strengthen her partnerships with parents and carers. The childminder evaluates her practice continuously. She considers the impact of her practice on children and adapts provision thoughtfully. Her reflective practice and commitment to improvement support continuous development.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder designs a curriculum that prepares children well for their next stage of learning. Children benefit from varied and exciting experiences that enrich learning in meaningful ways. Attendance is excellent. Parents understand the value of attending regularly, especially for children with SEND. Parents describe the childminder as kind, loving and supportive. They feel involved in learning and know how to support their children at home. The childminder manages procedures, risk assessment and hygiene confidently. She works with other professionals when needed and shares information appropriately. The childminder works with other childcare providers, including local schools, to support children in seamless transitions. She is keen to strengthen community partnerships even further.

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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 confidently and settle quickly into play, exploring the activities on offer, searching for caterpillars and butterflies, for instance. They scoop rice and fill cylinders, watching carefully to see what happens. These experiences build curiosity and early mathematical awareness. Children move between dough, threading and sensory play. They manipulate dough and use pipe-cleaners and beads, which strengthens hand muscles, control and coordination skills.

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

Children experience a warm, community-focused environment where they are happy and attend very well. They visit lakes to feed ducks and paint with water colours along the shore. They explore how sticks can be used for painting, gather leaves and look at shapes and patterns. These experiences deepen children's understanding of the natural world and broaden their awareness of the joy of learning in different places. Children visit the library for rhyme-time sessions and learn to care for books. They visit a local care home where they share pictures, photos and talk with residents. These interactions build confidence, empathy and social understanding.

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

Daily routines are consistent and help children feel secure. They wash their hands before snack and talk about germs. They sit at the table and eat healthy foods, such as fruit, cheese and bread sticks. Children demonstrate independence and manage hygiene routines confidently. When low-level challenging behaviour occurs, the childminder stays calm and models more regulated responses for children to copy. Children respond instantly and settle well.

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

The childminder works closely with parents to share experiences for children both at home and in the setting. This joined up approach means that children access learning that is tailored to meet their individual needs. Children with barriers to learning are very well prepared for the next stage in their education because support plans identify clear targets that help children to close any gaps in learning rapidly.

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Next steps

The childminder should build on the already secure partnerships with community professionals and other childcare providers, enabling her inclusive practice to reach even further beyond the setting and enrich children's experiences in even more meaningful ways.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children, parents and carers 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

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 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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Our grades explained

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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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

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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