Mbonenye, Christine

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2730314 Registered with Ofsted: 08/06/2023 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has created a positive environment for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to learn and play. She models positive behaviour and encourages children to share resources and take turns. This supports children's social skills. Children are given gentle reminders, when needed, to have 'kind hands' and understand rules such as not climbing on the furniture. The childminder uses praise and encouragement and reinforces positive behaviour. This helps children to know what is expected of them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder provides commentary as children play. She watches and encourages children to try things for themselves first. For example, she gives instructions to twist and turn buttons to make toys work. This builds children's confidence and helps to develop a positive attitude to their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder typically speaks with parents at drop-off time and is flexible in adapting her routine to accommodate children's changing needs, for example, different sleep patterns or mealtimes. She gives clear explanations throughout the day, which helps children to understand what is happening next. The childminder also speaks to parents regarding the importance of punctuality and attendance, which supports families to establish positive routines for future learning and subsequent moves to school.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder works with parents to find out about all children's individual needs when they first start. This helps her to build positive relationships, which supports children's emotional wellbeing. The childminder is fully aware of requirements for safer eating and tailors her practice to support babies at different stages of weaning and feeding. She sits facing children during snack and mealtimes to avoid any potential choking hazards.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has also increased her knowledge regarding safer sleeping and ensures she follows her procedures rigorously to support the wellbeing of all children. The childminder typically ensures children receive healthy and nutritious meals and encourages their independence as they develop their self-help skills. The childminder shows all children respect during personal hygiene routines. She promotes regular handwashing and asks for children's permission before changing their nappies. This helps children learn about their bodies and keeping safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder typically encourages all children's physical skills and time outdoors in the fresh air. She supervises younger babies as they crawl and develop their muscles as they begin to learn to walk. Children are given reminders about safety to support their wellbeing. The childminder typically talks to children about different emotions. This helps them to develop an understanding of how they are feeling and express any concerns as they continue to build positive relationships.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children are not typically provided with activities that appropriately match their stage of learning. For example, the childminder focuses on children learning to write letters rather than building on their fine motor skills. This can limit children's learning and impact on them being able to develop a secure foundation across the 7 areas of learning and development.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children are generally supported to increase their communication and language skills. Young children make sounds and repeat single words. They babble as they play and make their needs known. Children show increasing levels of concentration as they thread beads along wires, and they enjoy receiving praise and claps for their achievements. Children listen well to the childminder and enjoy interacting as they play.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children demonstrate their independence as they make choices in their play and try things for themselves. They demonstrate their self-help skills with the childminder as they wash their hands before eating snacks. Young children are encouraged to feed themselves and have progressed from drinking from bottles to drinking water from beakers. Younger children have recently mastered walking and are encouraged and supported to increase their balance and coordination.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder's knowledge of her curriculum is weak and she does not have a clear understanding of what she wants children to know or what she wants them to learn next. The childminder uses observations and identifies children's next steps. These do not always consider the different stages of learning effectively to ensure all children make sustained progress.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder follows children's interests and interacts with them as they play. Children make progress and learn some new knowledge and skills, although this is mainly incidental learning rather than a planned and sequenced approach.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder does promote children's communication and language well. She encourages back-and-forth interactions, introduces new words and encourages children to repeat sounds, which increases their early vocabulary. Children join in with singing, sharing books and listening to music to support their language development. The childminder counts with children to extend their understanding of numbers. Despite this, the curriculum for mathematics is not extended and new concepts are not included to increase children's knowledge further.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Young children enjoy pushing buttons and watching the animals pop up. They close the doors and strengthen their fine motor skills. Children are encouraged to play games and throw balls into a box to develop their large-muscle movements and increase their coordination.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder's ineffective curriculum limits learning experiences for all children, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or those who may face other barriers to their learning. She does not plan or provide learning that is age- or stage- appropriate to ensure all children make the best possible progress. The childminder typically uses observations and identifies next steps. These do not consistently build on what children need to learn next. The childminder's planning and assessment limit her ability to recognise any potential gaps in children's learning to support children with SEND effectively.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder understands the importance of knowing children well from the start and follows their interests. She recognises the importance of discussing any concerns with parents and knows how to make a referral to ensure children can access any additional support from professionals if needed. The childminder understands the requirement to complete progress checks for all children between the ages of 2 and 3 years. The childminder has previously worked alongside other professionals to support children with SEND.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder generally takes children on trips in the local area and supports them to learn about different cultures, religions and languages in their community. This helps all children to feel included and increases their understanding of others and their own uniqueness, which in turn promotes building positive relationships.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Overall, the childminder has a broad understanding of her strengths but does not have a clear plan in place to make improvements for any areas for development, for example, her overall curriculum knowledge and understanding of age- and stage-appropriate next steps to improve her practice for the benefit of all children. She has addressed an action from her previous inspection and has maintained a paediatric first-aid qualification to ensure she keeps all children safe. The childminder has completed her mandatory training and increased her continued professional development. Despite this, her ongoing professional development is not tailored to address any gaps in her knowledge to raise the quality of her teaching to a higher level.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder typically works with parents and carers and provides daily updates and photos of children's activities, routines and wellbeing. The childminder does not consistently share children's next steps with parents or ideas to continue their learning at home. She has not obtained information from previous settings children have attended to help her further understand what they know and can do. This does not support established partnership working or provide a consistent approach with children's care and learning.

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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 do not typically achieve well from the childminder's curriculum. She does not plan or sequence her curriculum to support children's learning fully across all areas, including mathematics. Next steps in learning are identified for all children through observations. These are not consistently age- or stage-appropriate to help all children practise the skills they need to achieve their full potential and progress further.

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

Children develop positive relationships with the childminder. She supports children to settle in well and is attentive to their needs. For example, she recognises when children are tired, hungry, upset or need extra support. The childminder regularly provides cuddles and offers reassurance when needed. This helps children to feel safe and secure and develop a sense of belonging.

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

Children typically enjoy a range of activities and resources and make independent choices as they play. Children are encouraged to share and take turns with their peers as they enjoy playing with the soft animals. The childminder supports children's communication and language skills. She encourages back-and-forth interactions, repeats different sounds and words and provides some commentary. The childminder asks questions and gives clear explanations. Young children are encouraged to copy words and are supported to build their vocabulary.

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

Children demonstrate their self-help skills as they use beakers to drink water, wash their hands and learn to feed themselves. They listen to the childminder and follow simple instructions. Children receive praise and encouragement to try new tasks for themselves

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Inspector:

Helen Craig and increase their concentration and resilience. The childminder works with families to encourage punctuality and regular attendance, which supports children's wellbeing and helps to develop positive habits for future learning.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

plan and implement an ambitious curriculum that covers all areas of learning, offering all children engaging experiences that build on what they already know and can do 27/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

strengthen knowledge of child development to ensure next steps are age- and stage-appropriate to help all children achieve further 27/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

focus professional development more precisely on addressing gaps in knowledge to support and extend children's learning and experiences 27/06/2026

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Action Completion Date

establish effective two-way communication with parents/carers and other providers to share information, including next steps and ideas to continue learning at home 27/06/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, parents 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,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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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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