Bowcher, Teresa Elisabeth Rose

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2848751 Registered with Ofsted: 01/08/2025 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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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder creates an environment where children are valued and receive support tailored to meet their specific needs. She knows children and their families very well, enabling her to identify emerging needs quickly and put effective strategies in place without delay. The childminder works in close partnership with parents, health professionals and other agencies, ensuring that children receive coordinated support that helps to reduce barriers to learning. She carries out regular, ongoing assessment to develop an understanding of children's progress, making informed adjustments to adaptations as they learn. This enables her to respond effectively to children's changing needs. Additional funding is used thoughtfully and has a significant impact on children's development. For example, targeted resources, adapted routines and specialist advice have significantly improved children's physical development, communication and willingness to try new foods.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder's extensive experience of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is reflected in her secure understanding of individual children's needs and the carefully considered adaptations she makes to teaching, routines and the environment. She also promotes inclusion by helping children develop respect for differences through meaningful experiences, such as regular visits to a local dementia care home and learning to care sensitively for the family dog with a visual impairment. Parents value the personalised support they receive and feel well informed about their children's progress.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children make progress from their individual starting points because the childminder knows them well and uses ongoing assessment to identify their next steps in learning. Children develop increasing confidence, independence and a broad range of skills that prepare them appropriately for their next stage of learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop their communication and language skills well and become increasingly confident in expressing their thoughts and ideas throughout the day. Younger children use an expanding range of words, sounds and gestures to communicate their needs and respond to familiar questions and routines. Older children speak with confidence, sharing their ideas. For example, they explain that strawberries should be cut into smaller pieces to help keep younger children safe from choking. Although children make suitable progress overall, the curriculum is not implemented consistently throughout the day to ensure that all children, particularly the youngest, benefit from equally ambitious teaching and sustained interactions that maximise learning at all times.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder establishes clear expectations for children's behaviour and creates a calm, nurturing environment where children feel secure and valued. She is generally consistent, fair and respectful in the way she manages behaviour, helping children understand expectations through clear explanations, positive role modelling and timely intervention. The childminder communicates her policies clearly to parents, including expectations around attendance.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are regularly praised for acts of kindness, cooperation and perseverance, which encourages them to develop positive attitudes towards their learning and relationships. Daily routines provide children with a predictable structure while remaining flexible enough to meet their individual needs.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children develop increasing independence as they prepare snacks, apply their own sun cream, pour drinks and help care for younger children. The childminder also promotes respect and empathy by teaching children to care for their friends, treat animals gently and build positive relationships with older members of the community through regular visits to a local care home. When disagreements arise, she responds calmly, helping children recognise their emotions, consider the feelings of others and find appropriate solutions. However, at times, older children need extra support to manage their behaviour and emotions. This can reduce the time available for uninterrupted teaching and interactions with younger children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder creates a warm, caring environment where children feel safe, secure and emotionally supported. As a result, children are confident, resilient and able to focus fully on play and learning opportunities. She knows children well and adapts daily routines to reflect their individual care needs, recognising when they need reassurance, rest or additional encouragement.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's health is promoted effectively through nutritious home-cooked meals, opportunities to grow and taste fruit and vegetables, regular hydration and daily outdoor play. Mealtimes are relaxed and sociable. Children discuss what they are eating, make healthy choices without pressure and develop a positive relationship with food. Robust procedures are in place to manage allergies safely, minimise the risk of cross-contamination and ensure children's dietary needs are consistently met. Children also learn how to keep themselves safe through daily routines such as applying sun cream, wearing hats in hot weather and understanding why activities are set up in shaded areas in the garden.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder maintains a comfortable environment during periods of hot weather, adapting sleep routines and providing quiet alternatives when children are unable to rest. She supports children's emotional wellbeing through calm, responsive interactions.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a broad and engaging curriculum that is rooted in children's interests, individual development and everyday experiences. She gathers detailed information when children join and uses ongoing observations, assessments and discussions with parents to identify appropriate next steps in learning. Activities are typically planned carefully around children's interests and linked to a book-themed curriculum, while remaining flexible enough to respond to children's changing needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children develop a range of knowledge and skills through practical experiences, such as preparing healthy snacks, growing fruit and vegetables, caring for animals, visiting the library and taking part in community activities. The childminder promotes communication and language through singing, stories, signing and purposeful conversations, regularly adapting her teaching with visual prompts, props and sensory resources so that younger children can participate successfully. For example, children listen excitedly as the childminder reads familiar favourite books, pausing while they guess and then explore what is hidden behind the flaps. She reinforces learning at home by sharing activities with families and responds positively to information parents share about children's achievements.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children develop independence, mathematical understanding and healthy lifestyle habits through meaningful daily routines. However, the curriculum is not implemented consistently for every child throughout the day. At times, the childminder prioritises meeting the learning needs of the older children and limits the time available for sustained interactions with younger children. As a result, younger children's learning is not always extended to help them make the best possible progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder strives to provide children with a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment. She has established effective systems to gather detailed information about children before they start, enabling her to understand their individual needs and plan appropriately from the outset.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents, other childminders and external professionals to support children's learning, development and wellbeing. This ensures the provision continues to meet the needs of all children effectively. Parents speak highly of the care their children receive and appreciate the regular communication, activity ideas shared and opportunities to continue learning at home. This consistency between home and the setting contributes positively to children's progress, wellbeing and confidence. The childminder also collaborates with a local network of childminders to plan shared events, exchange ideas and provide children with wider social experiences, such as sports days, library visits and intergenerational activities with a local care home.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder regularly reflects on her practice, identifies areas for development and implements changes to improve children's experiences. This ensures the provision continues to meet children's needs effectively. She uses additional funding well to remove barriers to 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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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 are generally happy and settled and enjoy their time in this warm, welcoming and homely setting. They form secure relationships with the childminder, who knows them well and responds sensitively to their individual personalities, interests and routines. Children are confident to make choices about their play, explore resources independently and share their ideas, knowing that their views are listened to and valued. Children experience a varied curriculum that helps them learn through meaningful, real-life experiences. They enjoy growing fruit and vegetables, preparing healthy snacks, visiting the local library, taking part

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Inspector:

Keiley Pedro in community activities and caring for the childminder's blind dog. These experiences help children develop an understanding of healthy lifestyles, respect for others and the world around them. Younger children are included in activities through the thoughtful use of songs, visual prompts, sensory resources and interactive stories, enabling them to participate alongside older children.

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Inspector:

Children particularly enjoy spending time outdoors, where they have regular opportunities to explore the natural environment. They move confidently between activities and eagerly join in with games, developing increasing control and coordination. Younger children are supported to participate safely, helping them to build confidence and become more independent in their movements. Children show growing self-help skills as they pour their own drinks, prepare food, apply sun cream and help care for younger friends. They learn to be kind, respectful and considerate through the childminder's calm guidance and positive role modelling. Regular praise helps children develop confidence and encourages them to recognise and repeat positive behaviours. Children also benefit from opportunities to socialise with larger groups through regular meetings with other childminders and visits to the local community.

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Inspector:

Children show they feel safe, and the childminder has clear routines that promote their health and wellbeing. She helps them understand how to keep themselves safe in hot weather, carefully manages their allergies and adapts their routines to meet their individual needs. Parents value the close partnership they have with the childminder and appreciate the regular communication about their children's learning and development. The childminder encourages regular attendance, helping children establish secure routines and maintain continuity in their learning.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure the curriculum is implemented consistently so that all children's learning is extended, to help them make the best possible progress. The childminder should give older children opportunities to learn the skills needed to manage their own feelings and behaviour so that they become more independent in regulating their emotions.

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About this inspection

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

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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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