Anderson, Amelia Ellen

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2803459 Registered with Ofsted: 25/09/2024 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

All children typically progress well from their individual starting points. They actively build the skills they need for future learning. During circle time, children talk about numbers and share ideas. For example, they eagerly lift their pretend binoculars to 'look' outside to see what the weather is doing. Children dance to lively songs, join in familiar rhymes and use puppets and well-known stories to deepen their understanding and spark their imagination.

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Achievement Expected standard

Older children speak confidently in clear sentences, expressing their thoughts and engaging in meaningful conversations. Younger children copy words, use sign language and show growing confidence as they explore with language. All children, including those who may face barriers to learning, develop social skills and learn to play alongside and with others. They show independence when making choices and completing small tasks, for example, by helping to rub in sun cream for outdoor play. Children develop a sense of wellbeing and strengthen their physical abilities through activities such as dancing sessions. This supports their social, emotional and physical needs. Children's curiosity and willingness to try new experiences support their readiness for their next stage in learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children show positive behaviour and respond well to the childminder's calm guidance. Overall, they listen, cooperate and take turns during play, which helps them enjoy being together. The childminder models respectful interactions and uses consistent language to help children understand expectations. This supports children's social development and helps them to build early friendships.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children feel secure because routines are clear and predictable. However, the childminder does not ensure group-time activities are always suited to all children, as younger children sometimes struggle to remain engaged for the full duration. Despite this, the childminder supports transitions with simple explanations and warm encouragement. This helps children to feel confident and reduces uncertainty. As a result, children settle quickly and follow routines to the best of their ability.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Overall, daily routines run calmly and promote children's wellbeing. Children take responsibility for small tasks, such as washing their hands or helping to tidy away toys. The childminder praises children's efforts purposefully, which encourages children to take pride in what they achieve and builds their independence.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children learn to manage their feelings with gentle support. The childminder recognises when children need reassurance and responds with a calm voice and clear guidance. This helps children to develop confidence, emotional security and positive attitudes to learning. The childminder understands that consistent attendance is essential for stable care, effective learning and ongoing development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children benefit from a warm, caring environment where the childminder supports their welfare and wellbeing effectively. They arrive feeling confident and secure and settle quickly into their play. The childminder provides a calm and welcoming environment that helps children to feel they belong and that their needs are understood. Through reassurance and comments such as 'I hear you,' the childminder shows children that their feelings matter. Children build positive relationships with the childminder and her assistants. They receive consistent support, which helps them to feel safe and valued. The childminder responds sensitively to children's cues, offering comfort, guidance and encouragement when needed. As a result, children show they feel safe and secure.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children behave well and show consideration for one another. They share resources, cooperate in play and enjoy being together. The childminder models respectful interactions and helps children to learn the importance of using manners. This supports children's social development and helps them to understand how to build positive relationships.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children learn to manage their feelings with gentle guidance. The childminder helps children to recognise emotions. She offers simple strategies to support children to regulate their feelings. This enables them to develop confidence in expressing themselves and builds their emotional resilience.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Suitable procedures are in place to help promote children's wellbeing effectively. The childminder manages children's meals, rest and hygiene in ways that help them to feel comfortable and confident. Policies at mealtimes are generally followed well. Children receive encouragement to be independent as they take responsibility for washing their hands or helping to tidy away resources. These experiences support children's independence and sense of achievement.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a clear understanding of the curriculum. She actively shapes what she wants children to learn, with a particular emphasis on communication and language. The childminder plans a curriculum that follows children's interests, ensuring learning feels purposeful and engaging. She knows each child well and uses ongoing observations and assessments to identify what children understand and what they need to learn next, enabling her to tailor support well overall.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Throughout daily routines, the childminder narrates children's play, models new vocabulary and engages them in meaningful conversations. These interactions build children's confidence and strengthen their communication skills well. Furthermore, the childminder incorporates early mathematical learning into everyday moments, encouraging counting, problem-solving and number language during activities, such as when children paint and make marks with chalks.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, the childminder adapts teaching well to meet children's individual needs, including for children who may face barriers to learning. For example, she makes appropriate adjustments to ensure all children can participate. However, the childminder sometimes leads whole-group activities that do not fully reflect the wide range of ages and developmental stages within the group. This reduces children's engagement, particularly for younger children who find it harder to sustain attention. Nevertheless, the childminder provides a wide range of interesting and appealing resources, which helps to engage children in exploring and experimenting.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children experience an inclusive environment where the childminder recognises and supports their needs. She identifies potential barriers to children's learning, including emerging communication needs, developmental differences and emotional needs, through ongoing observations and assessments. The childminder monitors and reviews each child's progress effectively, highlighting gaps in learning, and she takes direct action to reduce barriers. She typically provides targeted support. The childminder uses strategies such as modelling language, using sign language and visual prompts to strengthen children's understanding.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents and carers. She shares clear information about children's development and next steps. The childminder seeks guidance from external professionals where needed to ensure children receive the right support. This collaborative approach maintains continuity in children's care and learning. The childminder has high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to their learning or wellbeing. She knows each child's individual needs and backgrounds securely and generally uses this information to support them. For example, the childminder integrates other languages children hear or use at home in daily routines. The childminder understands the importance of reviewing children's individual needs when using any additional funding and considers how it will benefit children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a clear commitment to continuous improvement and maintains high expectations for practice across the setting. She establishes a clear vision for her provision and regularly reflects on strengths and areas for development, including the need to further strengthen high-quality teaching.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder takes time to get to know the children and their families before they start. She gathers detailed information to help children settle confidently and implements effective procedures to support new starters. She introduces parents and carers to all adults working with children. The childminder shares information, such as photos of any assistants she works with to promote transparency and help families feel secure.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder uses her knowledge of children and their families effectively. She understands her responsibilities to make decisions in the best interests of all children, including those who may face barriers to learning. The childminder works closely with parents, sharing information regularly to support consistency in children's care and learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is committed to improving her own professional knowledge and that of any assistants she works with. She prioritises ongoing learning and ensures staff access effective training that supports their development and wellbeing. The childminder provides clear guidance through coaching and mentoring, but some staff practice is not yet fully embedded. As a result, the implementation of some policies and procedures is not consistently delivered to the high standards she expects.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder ensures children are always supervised effectively. She completes and reviews risk assessments. The childminder engages children in discussions to help them understand how to keep themselves safe, such as learning not to run indoors. The adult-to- child ratios are consistently maintained to ensure children's safety and wellbeing.

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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 and confident in the childminder's home. They arrive with ease and settle quickly into activities that interest them. The environment feels warm and welcoming, and children choose what they want to explore. They move with purpose, showing that they feel comfortable and safe within the space.

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

Throughout the day, children play together in ways that help them feel connected. They enjoy being with one another, sharing resources and building early friendships through play and cooperation. When they gather around the train track, they laugh, talk and create tracks together. These shared experiences help children to feel that they belong and that their ideas matter. Children develop important skills in communication and language as the childminder narrates their play, models language and encourages conversation well overall.

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

Children have many chances to explore and discover. They move between activities that encourage them to test ideas, try new things and build on what they already know. Children's learning grows naturally through play. The childminder joins in with children's play and supports their emerging development well. She encourages children's physical development as they dance during regular singing sessions or run freely outdoors. Children have many opportunities to practise and expand their large and small physical skills. For example, they coordinate their movements as they climb steps on the climbing frame and ride bicycles with increasing control. Children develop their small physical skills through hands-on experiences. They dig in sand, swirl shaving foam and paint letters with focus and enjoyment. These activities give them ways to express themselves and practise new skills.

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

Children enjoy their learning and show excitement and curiosity during many activities. For instance, they pop bubbles with eager hands, have fun creating splat painting as they create bold pictures and dance to familiar songs with enthusiasm. Children attend regularly and settle easily into the familiar routines.

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Next steps

The childminder should review the length and organisation of whole-group activities to ensure they are consistently appropriate for children's ages and stages, so all children remain engaged and benefit from the intended learning. The childminder should take steps to provide additional support to any assistants to ensure high expectations for practice are maintained and fully embedded across the setting to further enhance the overall quality of the provision.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistants 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

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:00

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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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Our grades explained

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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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

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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