Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2797189 Registered with Ofsted: 29/07/2024 Registers: EYR

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Safeguarding standards not met

The childminder has not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that adequately protects children from harm.

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Safeguarding standards not met

The childminder has not met her key statutory safeguarding responsibilities. She has failed to ensure that assistants, whose suitability has not been cleared by Ofsted, do not have unsupervised contact with children. The childminder has also failed to ensure that any assistants working directly with children are suitable to do so before counting them in ratio. This compromises the safety of children.

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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

Generally, all children make positive progress from their starting points. They develop their skills across the 7 areas of learning. Children build their physical skills. For example, they climb on a climbing wall one step at a time and show control and coordination. They learn new vocabulary in their play and use words such as 'big', 'fill' and 'long'. Babies learn to say their first words, such as 'bubbles and okay'. They take their first steps with encouragement and support, practising these new skills safely.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children engage confidently with one another, express what they would like to play with and approach the childminder with assurance. They listen attentively to stories and join in by talking about the pictures and using actions. This supports their communication and language skills and prepares them for their next stage of learning. Some children do not achieve as well as they could due to the variability of the next steps that the childminder sets for children.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations for all children's behaviour and attitudes to learning. She typically promotes kindness and consideration through her gentle approach. The childminder teaches children about sharing and taking turns. She uses helpful guidance, such as singing a song about sharing to help children develop their social skills. Children join in and sing with the childminder. They generally get along with one another as they sit together to build towers and play in the sand. The childminder regularly celebrates children's efforts by saying 'super learning'. She rewards them, such as with high fives, to reinforce positive behaviour. Children feel proud of their achievements. The childminder talks to children calmly, and quickly addresses unwanted behaviour to help them understand and control their actions. However, the childminder and any assistants do not consistently embed this practice to enable children's best possible behaviour or help them fully

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children develop secure attachments with the childminder. They go to her for cuddles and comfort. The childminder has a caring and nurturing approach, which supports children's emotional security. Routines are thoughtfully adapted by the childminder to meet children's emerging needs, such as when they become hungry or tired. The childminder promotes regular attendance with families. She quickly identifies when children do not arrive on time and follows this up in a timely manner.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, the childminder plans her curriculum across the 7 areas of learning well. She focuses rightly on the development of communication, physical, and social skills for younger children. The childminder observes children through play and uses assessment to support their development. However, the next steps she identifies are not precisely matched to children's age and stage of development. The childminder does not consistently use her observations and assessments sharply enough to refine her daily teaching interactions.

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Needs attention

The childminder promotes children's communication and language effectively. She reads stories and sings with children often, which supports their listening and attention skills. She models new vocabulary and comments as children play. Babies develop their first words and older children build on their learning through the childminder's effective questioning techniques .

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Needs attention

All children develop their physical and mathematical skills generally well because of the careful support from the childminder. The childminder provides tools, such as spades, for children to scoop sand when filling buckets. She encourages babies to practise walking. Older children are motivated to climb a small climbing wall in the childminder's provision with control and coordination. They play hide and seek with the childminder and develop their counting skills as they count from 1-10. The childminder helps children use mathematical language, such as 'big' and 'long', for instance when they build towers and compare sizes of blocks. This helps children to develop coordination and practise early mathematics.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Typically, the childminder identifies children's emerging needs quickly. She works closely with parents and carers to ensure children receive appropriate support. The childminder has made adaptations to her premises, such as installing a ramp, to prepare for any future children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) that she may welcome in the future. She demonstrates clear knowledge of how to support children with SEND, including when to seek advice and guidance from other professionals to support her practice. The childminder works together with early years experts to ensure all children receive tailored support that helps them make progress in their learning and development. She uses supportive strategies that benefit all children, such as singing personalised songs to encourage sharing. The childminder spends time with children to help them control their emotions and provides resources that help children maintain focus during learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands her responsibilities for supporting any children in receipt of early years pupil premium funding. She implements advice from other professionals and knows the importance to monitor the impact she would expect to see if children were in receipt of this funding. The childminder supports children who speak additional languages. She learns key words in their home languages and celebrates children's uniqueness.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder does not promote healthy, balanced and nutritious meals for children effectively. For example, she does not fully understand her role for promoting a healthy diet with parents and carers. The childminder has not carefully considered any guidance she may provide for parents about how to provide a healthy packed lunch. She is not alert to when children's main packed lunches consist of unhealthy and processed foods, such as crisps, chocolate and biscuits. This practice does not fully promote children's healthy lifestyles and wellbeing.

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Urgent improvement

The childminder provides a safe, welcoming environment where children enjoy their learning. Children enjoy spending time outdoors being physically active for a good proportion of the day. They explore their environment and show natural curiosity. For instance, they chase and pop bubbles as they run actively in the garden. This helps to support their physical skills and confidence. Hygiene practices are in place. Children understand the importance of washing their hands. For example, they use tissues to wipe their nose after sneezing and then wash their hands. In addition, children recognise when they have not washed their hands before mealtimes and act on this independently. This supports children's self-care needs well.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder has failed to notify Ofsted to apply for new assistants to work in her home, which is a legal requirement of her registration. This lack of action has prevented Ofsted from being able to obtain the required suitability checks for any assistants working on the premises where childminding is taking place. This means that assistants working in the setting have not had their suitability cleared. The childminder does not demonstrate that she understands the requirements to ensure the suitability of assistants and has allowed unchecked assistants to work directly with children. Furthermore, she has permitted unchecked assistants to be counted in the childminding ratios. These breaches to the statutory requirements compromise the safety of minded children.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Parents say they value the support they receive, including guidance on managing children's behaviour at home. They report that their children settle quickly, enjoy attending the setting and feel safe. Parents note the progress their children have made since starting here, for example in their independence, toilet training and communication and language skills. Although parent partnerships are effective, the childminder has not yet fully promoted the importance of healthy diets. The childminder accesses training to develop her teaching practice. She uses this new knowledge effectively to support children's learning and development.

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

The childminder does not have effective oversight of her setting. She has failed to identify breaches of the statutory requirements that impact on the safety of children. For instance, the childminder has not ensured that any assistants working with children, including those who have unsupervised contact with children, are suitable to do so. She has not taken the correct steps to notify Ofsted of any new assistants, which is a legal requirement of her registration. This has prevented Ofsted being able to obtain the required suitability checks to ensure assistants are suitable to work with children.

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

Children develop a sense of belonging at this welcoming childminder's home. They form trusting relationships with the childminder who greets children warmly on arrival. Children are supported to put away their own belongings, such as water bottles and bags. They settle quickly into their play and learning. Children are encouraged to engage in familiar activities. This supports their morning routine and helps children to feel secure. Attendance is promoted well by the childminder. She works with families to ensure children arrive on time and follows up on any absences to maintain continuity in children's learning.

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

All children benefit from routines that support their welfare, including safe eating and sleeping practices. However, some aspects of daily practice are not implemented effectively. For example, the childminder does not fully understand her role in how to promote a healthy diet. She does not recognise when children's meals consist of unhealthy foods. This does not fully promote children's understanding of healthy lifestyles and wellbeing.

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

Children enjoy building models, for instance when using plastic blocks. They use their imagination well and enjoy learning to create pretend aeroplanes stating, 'it's going to fly'. Children are ably supported by the childminder to extend their ideas by explaining that aeroplanes have wings to help them fly. Children also enjoy scooping sand and filling buckets to make sand castles together. They demonstrate positive relationships with their friends. Children show care and consideration through their interactions with others.

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Next steps

The provider is not meeting the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

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Next steps

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure that anyone whose suitability has not been checked by Ofsted does not have unsupervised contact with children 17/07/2026

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:30

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Action Completion Date

ensure any assistants working directly with children are cleared as suitable by Ofsted before being included in the staff: child ratios 17/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the following action by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

improve understanding of providing healthy, balanced and nutritious meals for minded children, including promoting this with parents 17/07/2026

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About this inspection

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