Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2791919 Registered with Ofsted: 16/07/2024 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 Expected standard

Children generally make progress from their starting points and develop their problem- solving skills. When reading books, they recognise familiar pictures, recall words and repeat new vocabulary. Children use details in the illustrations to identify unfamiliar objects and predict what might happen next. When completing jigsaws, they match colours and shapes and rotate pieces to find where they fit. Children try different approaches when their first attempt does not work. These experiences develop children's memory, reasoning, language and perseverance.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically develop their creativity, coordination and ability to express their ideas. For example, they make hats from paper plates and choose colours and decorative materials for their designs. They use brushes, glue and small craft items with increasing control and talk about what they are creating. Children concentrate as they complete each stage and take pride in wearing and showing their finished hats. Overall, this encourages them to make decisions, develop their fine motor skills and complete tasks with increasing independence.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally form positive relationships with the childminder and one another. The childminder uses a calm tone, reassurance and age-appropriate redirection. She uses songs and phrases, such as 'my turn' and 'your turn' to help children practise sharing. The childminder plans visits to playgroups and other childminders to give children further opportunities to play alongside their peers and develop social confidence.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children typically show curiosity and a willingness to learn. They make independent choices, attempt unfamiliar tasks and respond positively to encouragement. The childminder uses calming spaces, sensory resources, visual timetables and breathing activities to help children generally express their emotions and return to play when they feel overwhelmed. The childminder records children's arrival and departure times. She contacts parents and carers within the hour when children are unexpectedly absent. The childminder records the reasons given and monitors repeated or unexplained absences for possible safeguarding concerns.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally behave calmly, use polite manners and listen to instructions. However, the childminder does not consistently make her expectations for children's behaviour clear. For example, when young children throw puzzle pieces or paint on inappropriate surfaces, she responds calmly. However, she sometimes tidies away or cleans up without involving them. The childminder does not consistently explain why these actions are inappropriate or show children how to put matters right. Consequently, children do not always understand consequences, follow expected routines and take age-appropriate responsibility.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder generally provides responsive care based on information gathered from parents and carers. Her settling-in arrangements are effective. She welcomes parents during visits and introduces separation gradually according to children's individual needs. The childminder uses familiar words, comfort strategies and home routines to help children form secure attachments, communicate their needs and feel safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Mealtimes typically promote children's safety, health and independence. Children wash their hands, sit securely at low tables and practise feeding themselves. The childminder supervises them closely and checks that all food, including items brought from home, has a suitable size, shape and texture to minimise choking risks. She works with parents to support children who are selective eaters, offering familiar and nutritious meals while introducing new tastes and textures sensitively and without pressure. This approach helps children to eat enough and gradually widen the range of foods they accept. The childminder ensures that children can access fresh water throughout the day, particularly during hot weather.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's individual health, dietary and care needs are understood and met consistently by the childminder and any assistants she works with. Careful checking of ingredients, measures to prevent cross-contamination and suitable dairy-free alternatives reduce the risk of allergic reactions. Babies sleep safely because the childminder follows safer sleeping guidance and monitors them regularly.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder generally designs an appropriate curriculum around children's starting points, interests and stages of development. She prioritises communication and language, personal, social and emotional development and physical development for younger children. The childminder uses observations, photos and brief notes to help her identify what children know and can do and plan what they need to learn next.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is typically purposeful and helps children to connect new ideas with familiar experiences. For instance, while children cut paper, the childminder introduces language about length, shape, pattern and texture. She compares serrated strips of paper with spaghetti and helps children to recognise that a circular pipe cleaner resembles a bracelet. Tearing, cutting, gripping and squeezing also develop children's fine motor skills. The childminder adapts activities when children's interest changes. She provides repeated opportunities for children to practise their developing skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder models new words, narrates children's actions and encourages them to speak in longer sentences. However, she sometimes asks several questions in quick succession. This means children do not always have sufficient time to retrieve vocabulary, organise their ideas or explain their thinking before another question is introduced. This reduces opportunities for them to develop fuller and independent responses.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder typically identifies children's individual needs by observing their development, assessing their progress and speaking regularly with parents and carers. Before children start, she gathers information about their routines, home languages, interests and development. The childminder acknowledges words that children use in their home languages and models the English equivalents. This approach helps children to communicate confidently and extend their vocabulary.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has generally adapted her provision to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. When supporting children with delayed communication, she uses picture cards, visual timetables, objects of reference and predictable routines. The childminder plans activities involving vehicles, moving objects and number puzzles to help children communicate, sustain their attention and begin to play alongside others. She has shared successful approaches with their families and the settings children move on to. This supports consistency and continuity in children's care and learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder knows how to seek advice from local early years services, health visitors and speech and language therapists. She understands how to use additional funding to reduce children's individual barriers. For instance, the childminder has purchased a range of sensory resources, a light table and books and funded outings. This helps children to remain engaged, develop their sensory and communication skills and broaden their experiences beyond the setting.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder generally has high expectations of herself and aims to provide inclusive care and learning for children and their families. She reflects on her practice through parental feedback, discussions with other childminders and online learning. The childminder has welcomed support from the local authority early years team and undertaken training. She uses this information to review her provision, update procedures and identify priorities for improvement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder monitors the suitability of adults who live or work on the premises. The childminder offers her assistants supervision and training, and together they set targets for improvement. For example, she encourages them to be more confident in making independent decisions throughout the day and in organising interactive activities that they can adapt to children's individual needs. The childminder considers her assistants' wellbeing and workload alongside her own. She deploys them for emergency cover or additional support when needed.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Professional learning typically develops the childminder's practice. For example, following a recent training course, she provides opportunities for children to stretch, pull, squeeze and knead dough. These movements strengthen children's fingers and hands.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder maintains effective partnerships with parents and carers through conversations, messages, photos and updates in learning journals. She involves them in reviewing children's progress and shares children's next steps to promote consistency. The childminder works with other settings to support children's transitions. She uses links with local childminders to broaden children's social experiences, while thoughtfully planned outings, such as listening walks in the local environment, develop their awareness of the wider world.

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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 happy, secure and eager to take part. They form warm relationships with the childminder and confidently select resources from low-level shelves. This helps them to make choices, follow their interests and begin activities independently. Children and their families are welcomed. Children benefit from the childminder gathering information from their parents and carers about their individual needs. This helps children to experience continuity between home and the setting. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or children with barriers to their learning or wellbeing benefit from adapted routines, visual prompts, additional processing time and activities based on their interests. These adjustments help children to communicate their needs, participate alongside others and make progress from their individual starting points.

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

Children enjoy experiences that reflect their interests and stages of development. For example, picture-card activities help them to connect familiar animal and clock sounds with words such as 'cat' and 'clock'. Children remain willing to attempt unfamiliar answers and respond positively to encouragement and praise. They make progress in their communication, concentration, independence and physical skills from their individual starting points.

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

Children develop useful knowledge about keeping themselves healthy. They practise brushing model teeth, recall that toothpaste removes dirt and learn that fruit and vegetables are healthier choices than fizzy drinks. Children connect this learning with their own toothbrushing routines and previous visits to the dentist. They enjoy varied experiences indoors, outside and within the local community. Children develop their coordination and creativity, such as when painting at an easel. They recreate familiar routines while playing in the role-play kitchen.

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

Children make independent choices and sustain their attention for increasing periods. They receive patient reassurance when attempting unfamiliar tasks and feel confident to ask for help. Overall, children typically behave calmly and respond positively when guidance is given. The childminder records children's attendance carefully. She contacts parents and follows up on repeated or unexplained absences. This helps ensure that children's welfare is not overlooked.

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen the use of questioning by giving children sufficient time to think, respond and develop fuller and independent responses. The childminder should consistently give children clearer messages about appropriate behaviour, including how to care for resources and their environment, so they understand boundaries and responsibilities.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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 : 07:30 - 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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