Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2801736 Registered with Ofsted: 16/10/2024 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 creates a calm and welcoming environment where children understand what is expected of them. She is a caring role model and supports children to behave with kindness and respect. Children respond well to her gentle reminders and praise and are developing positive attitudes to learning through familiar routines and clear expectations. Children confidently follow established routines and understand the expectations of the setting, often doing so independently without adult prompting. This helps children to develop confidence, independence and a sense of belonging.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children develop positive relationships with the childminder and play happily alongside and with one another. For example, they take turns sharing a sock puppet during imaginative play, waiting patiently for their turn and encouraging each other to join in. They enjoy collaborating in role-play activities, demonstrating that they are learning to cooperate and play together. Children remain engaged in activities for sustained periods and show increasing confidence in making choices, following routines and completing simple tasks independently. For example, older children independently help to collect drinks for younger children during the day, demonstrating care for others and a growing sense of responsibility within the setting. The childminder recognises the importance of good attendance and works in partnership with parents to promote regular attendance and punctuality.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children make suitable progress from their starting points. However, because learning is not always matched precisely enough to their individual stages of development, they do not always achieve as well as they could. This includes children who may face barriers to their learning or wellbeing, including those who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those known or previously known to children's social care.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children are curious learners who confidently explore familiar resources and persevere in activities they enjoy. They develop appropriate communication and language through everyday conversations, songs and stories, begin to use early mathematical language in their play and develop confidence through familiar routines. For example, children count pretend money as they place it in toy tills and use number words with growing confidence. However, opportunities to consistently build on children's existing knowledge, deepen their thinking and extend their learning are sometimes missed. Consequently, children do not consistently develop the age- and stage-appropriate knowledge and skills needed to make the best possible progress and be fully prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder does not always use her professional judgement to ensure that all aspects of children's welfare and wellbeing are promoted as effectively as they could be. Although children's individual care needs are met, some routines are not always underpinned by current guidance. The childminder has not yet established effective practices to identify and reduce foreseeable risks to children's welfare. For example, she did not identify the need to put suitable temporary measures in place to prevent children accessing an unsecured exit while a new gate was being installed. In addition, the childminder did not consistently demonstrate an up-to-date understanding of current sleep safety guidance. As a result, opportunities to further promote children's health, safety and wellbeing are not always maximised.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

However, the childminder knows the children well and provides care that reflects their individual needs and routines. Children develop secure attachments and are settled in her care. She responds warmly to children's emotions and offers reassurance when they need comfort. The childminder encourages healthy eating and has an awareness of children's individual dietary requirements to help keep them safe. She also supports children to develop healthy habits and independence. For example, children confidently blow their noses, place used tissues in the bin and help to tidy away resources, supporting their understanding of hygiene, self-care and responsibility.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder's ambition for children is sufficient. However, her knowledge of the curriculum and child development is not always detailed enough to help her teach with precision. As a result, learning does not always build on what children already know and can do. Although children make appropriate progress from their starting points, opportunities to build further on their learning are not always identified. For example, the childminder is not always able to explain how teaching would be adapted to meet children's individual needs or reduce barriers to learning. This means that teaching is not always sufficiently tailored to help all children make the best possible progress.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

However, the childminder provides children with a range of enjoyable experiences that reflect the areas of learning. She knows the children well and gathers information from parents to help children settle and identify their interests. She supports children's language through conversations during play and daily routines. For example, she adapts familiar stories to include children's names, encouraging them to join in and making stories meaningful and engaging. She supports children's personal, social and emotional development through warm interactions and familiar routines. Children confidently follow familiar routines and are encouraged to develop their independence throughout the day.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder does not always have the knowledge she needs to identify and meet children's individual needs as well as she could. While she understands when children may need additional support, her knowledge of child development, special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and inclusive practice is not always detailed enough to help her meet children's individual needs. For example, the childminder does not adjust teaching and learning to reduce barriers for different children. As a result, opportunities to help children make the best possible progress are not always identified.

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Inclusion Needs attention

However, the childminder knows the children and their families well and understands when children may face barriers to their learning or wellbeing. She works appropriately with parents and seeks advice from the local authority and other professionals when needed. This helps her identify when additional support may be required and make appropriate changes to routines or the environment. The childminder is not currently caring for children with SEND but she understands her responsibilities to support those who are disadvantaged and children who face other barriers to their learning or wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder is not fully successful in leading continuous improvement across her provision. Although she reflects on her practice, she has not identified the need to strengthen her knowledge of child development, the curriculum, inclusive practice and current statutory guidance before the inspection. Consequently, professional development has not been sufficiently targeted to address these areas or improve the quality of education and care. As a result, she has not secured an ambitious curriculum, effective assessment or consistently inclusive practice that enables all children to achieve as well as they can. Furthermore, risk assessment procedures are not sufficiently effective to consistently identify foreseeable hazards or ensure that appropriate control measures are implemented to promote children's health, safety and wellbeing. These weaknesses mean that children's individual needs are not always identified or met as effectively as they could be, and they do

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

not always make the progress they are capable of.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Parents and carers speak highly of the childminder's caring approach and the flexibility she provides to meet their family's needs. They value the trusting relationships she has developed with both themselves and their children and appreciate the positive partnership she establishes to support their children's care and wellbeing. The childminder is committed to providing a caring environment and generally makes decisions in the best interests of children, including those who may face barriers to their 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

Weaknesses in the curriculum and teaching mean that children do not always receive the support they need to achieve well. Children make appropriate progress from their starting points. However, the childminder does not always identify their next steps in learning with enough precision to help them move their learning forward. As a result, teaching is not sufficiently ambitious to maximise children's learning, particularly for those who may require more targeted support. In addition, children's safety and welfare are not consistently maintained. Some aspects of risk assessment have not identified foreseeable hazards.

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

Children are happy, settled and demonstrate that they feel safe in the childminder's care. They explore the welcoming home environment with confidence and independently choose from an appropriate range of toys and resources. Children develop positive relationships with the childminder, seeking comfort, reassurance and encouragement when needed. They become familiar with daily routines, understand what is expected of them and move confidently between activities.

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

Children play happily alongside one another and develop positive relationships with their peers. They share resources, begin to take turns and show kindness towards each other. Older children naturally help younger children during play and everyday routines. Children enjoy singing familiar songs, listening to stories and engaging in imaginative play. They enthusiastically explore construction materials, role-play resources and sensory experiences both indoors and outdoors. Regular outings within the local community and opportunities to

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Inspector:

Lisa Woo explore the surrounding farm environment help children develop an awareness of the wider world.

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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

improve the ways to identify and minimise hazards, to ensure children's health, safety and wellbeing are consistently promoted 20/08/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure professional development is targeted to strengthen knowledge of child development, the curriculum and current statutory guidance 15/10/2026

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Action Completion Date

develop an ambitious curriculum and accurately identify children's starting points, learning needs and next steps, so that teaching builds on what children already know and can do 15/10/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve knowledge of inclusive practice so that the curriculum, teaching and care are adapted effectively to meet the needs of children who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs and/or disabilities, or face barriers to their learning and wellbeing 15/10/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, parents, 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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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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