Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2788472 Registered with Ofsted: 06/06/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

p.1

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.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

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.

p.1

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children develop warm, trusting relationships with both their peers and the childminder, who establishes clear, age-appropriate expectations and boundaries. She has a secure understanding of each child's individual needs and provides sensitive and consistent support to help them feel safe, secure and valued. As a result, children behave exceptionally well and confidently follow the setting's routines and expectations. They demonstrate kindness, empathy and respect for others, including the living creatures they encounter during nature walks, treating them with care and consideration.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder is an excellent role model who consistently promotes positive behaviour and social interactions. She encourages children to share resources, take turns and work together cooperatively. For example, older children naturally support younger children by encouraging them to closely observe the small stones and natural objects they discover during walks. They also model safe behaviour by helping younger peers identify and remove obstacles from their path. These positive interactions help children develop robust social skills, cooperation and mutual respect. Consequently, children develop a strong sense of belonging, feel valued and included, and demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning and interacting with others.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has effective systems in place to promote and monitor children's attendance and punctuality. She works closely with families to ensure that children attend regularly and benefit from the full range of learning opportunities on offer.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder creates a warm, nurturing and welcoming environment where children feel safe, secure and eager to learn. She has established clear and consistent routines, which children follow confidently and independently. The childminder places a robust emphasis on promoting healthy lifestyles and developing children's self-care skills. For example, children independently wash their hands before meals and after returning from outings, demonstrating a good understanding of healthy hygiene practices. They also take an active role in daily routines, helping to prepare breakfast and returning their plates to the kitchen after eating.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder is an excellent role model who consistently promotes children's understanding of how to keep themselves safe. She skilfully embeds safety messages into everyday experiences and outings, helping children develop an awareness of risk and how to manage it appropriately. For example, children carefully check for hazards before crossing roads and demonstrate a secure understanding of road safety. During nature walks, they confidently and safely move large logs or obstacles from their path, showing pride in their ability to contribute and help others. These experiences support children in developing confidence, responsibility and positive attitudes towards managing risks safely.

p.2

Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children form positive, trusting relationships with the childminder, who is highly intuitive and responsive to their individual needs. She supports children's emotional development effectively by encouraging them to talk about their feelings and understand the emotions of

p.2

Expected standard

others. The childminder consistently promotes good manners, helping children develop positive social skills. Through her warm interactions, frequent praise and encouragement, and timely comfort and reassurance, children feel valued and emotionally secure. As a result, they develop resilience, confidence and enthusiasm for learning, and approach new experiences with a positive attitude.

p.3

Achievement Expected standard

Overall, children make steady progress from their starting points. Gaps in learning are closing quickly. However, children's English language is not progressing at the same rate as other areas of learning, which limits their ability to build firmer foundations for effective communication.

p.3

Achievement Expected standard

Children develop a broad range of skills across all areas of learning, which prepares them well for the next stage of their education. They demonstrate secure early mathematical understanding, confidently counting to ten and identifying a range of shapes and colours. Children also develop their physical skills successfully. For example, they enthusiastically participate in games of hide-and-seek, taking turns to hide and find hoops. These experiences help to strengthen their gross motor skills, balance, coordination and understanding of turn-taking.

p.3

Achievement Expected standard

Children show high levels of curiosity and engagement during activities that encourage exploration and discovery. For instance, they use magnifying glasses to closely examine their surroundings and search for natural objects that match the pictures on their activity sheets. Children quickly learn to observe, compare and investigate, helping to develop their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. This deepen their understanding of the world around them and foster a genuine sense of wonder and fascination in learning.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a clear vision for what she wants children to learn and achieve. She has developed a well-sequenced curriculum that encompasses all areas of learning and is designed to help children become confident, independent and curious learners. Through regular assessments, she closely monitors children's progress and swiftly identifies what they know, can do and need to learn next. She uses this information effectively to plan purposeful, age-appropriate experiences that build on children's existing knowledge and skills. However, the childminder does not consistently prioritise opportunities for children to learn and reach a good standard of English language during the daily learning routines.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder places a great emphasis on helping children develop an appreciation and understanding of the natural world. She provides a wide range of meaningful opportunities for children to explore their environment and extend their knowledge. For example, children learn to identify a variety of insects, including dragonflies and ladybirds, while discussing their distinctive features and characteristics. These experiences help to broaden children's vocabulary and deepen their understanding of the world around them. During walks along local nature trails, children are encouraged to observe the colours, textures and scents of flowers, promoting curiosity and sensory exploration. The childminder also supports children's early mathematical development throughout everyday activities and play. For instance, she encourages children to count the geese they see in the park and join in counting aloud during games such as hide-and-seek.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder focuses on children's physical and emotional development. She sensitively helps children recognise and understand different feelings, often using stories and books as a basis for discussion. This also helps develop children's early reading skills.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations for all children and is committed to helping them make the best possible progress. She quickly identifies emerging needs and makes thoughtful adaptations to the environment, routines and activities to ensure that individual requirements are met effectively. This inclusive approach enables children to access learning opportunities that support their development and wellbeing.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of how to support children who speak English as an additional language. She sensitively uses children's home languages to help them settle, feel secure and develop strong, trusting relationships. This supports children's sense of belonging and emotional well-being. However, on occasion, the frequent use of children's native languages slightly reduces opportunities for them to practise and extend their English communication skills, which limits their progress in becoming confident English speakers.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents, carers and other professionals to ensure that children receive the support they need to thrive. She actively collaborates with inclusion partners, health visitors and other agencies where appropriate to promote positive outcomes for children. In addition, she regularly engages in targeted professional development opportunities, demonstrating commitment to continually enhancing her knowledge, skills and practice.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder carefully assesses, records and monitors children's progress across all areas of learning. She regularly shares this information with parents and carers, keeping them well informed about their child's development. Through ongoing communication and guidance, she encourages families to play an active role in supporting learning at home.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a clear understanding of her setting's strengths and areas for development. She is reflective in her practice and remains committed to providing high- quality care and education for all children.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has established effective partnerships with a range of professionals, including inclusion partners, educational advisers and health visitors. She actively seeks opportunities to develop her knowledge and skills through regular training and ongoing professional dialogue with colleagues and specialist agencies. This supports her ability to respond appropriately to children's individual needs and maintain good standards of practice. However, the childminder does not consistently use professional development and support from external agencies to evaluate and improve her practice and strengthen her provision further.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has also developed effective and collaborative relationships with parents and carers. Parents speak highly of the care and education their children receive and particularly appreciate the wide range of trips, outings and enriching experiences that the childminder provides. She maintains regular communication with families and ensures that parents are actively involved in their child's learning and development. This positive partnership working helps to promote continuity of care and learning, supporting children to make secure progress and achieve positive outcomes.

p.5

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

p.5

Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.5

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

Children are happy and well settled at this nurturing setting. They attend regularly and the childminder has effective systems in place to monitor children's attendance to ensure they do not miss out on meaningful learning opportunities. The childminder ensures that children benefit from consistent routines and creates a stimulating environment that covers all aspects of their learning. She carefully considers children's abilities, needs and interests when engaging them in a wide array of exciting nature-based activities.

p.6

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

Children flourish in the care of this warm and supportive childminder, who actively encourages them to make choices and take ownership of their learning. For example, after returning from an outing, children independently choose to explore the cars and play mats. They carefully line up the vehicles, confidently identifying the different 'trucks' and 'blue cars' while playing cooperatively alongside their peers. These experiences foster children's curiosity, critical thinking and emerging communication skills, while also strengthening their social development.

p.6

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

Children develop warm, trusting relationships with the childminder, who is consistently attentive and responsive to their individual needs. They feel safe, secure and valued, receiving gentle reassurance and affection when needed. This sensitive support helps children regulate their emotions and develop an understanding of the setting's expectations and boundaries. Children also demonstrate empathy and respect for the natural world, showing great care and fascination when feeding geese during walks along local nature trails. They approach the animals calmly and gently, displaying a strong sense of responsibility. Through the childminder's consistent encouragement, praise and positive role modelling, children learn to be kind, considerate and self-assured. As a result, they feel included, respected and emotionally secure, supporting their growing confidence and resilience.

p.6

Next steps

The childminder should consistently use and promote English during interactions, routines and activities to strengthen children's communication and language development, particularly for those who speak English as an additional language, so that they build secure foundations for future learning. The childminder should continue to implement professional development and advice from external professionals at her setting to benefit children's learning and outcomes.

p.6

About this inspection

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

p.6

About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.7

6

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.

p.7

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.8

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.8

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.

p.8

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.8

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.

p.8

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.9

Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9