Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2811696 Registered with Ofsted: 06/01/2025 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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Achievement Expected standard

Typically, children make progress from their starting points across all areas of learning and development. Children develop early communication and language skills. For example, they learn new words and use repetitive phrases. Children learn a range of rhymes and develop a love of books. This supports their early literacy skills. Children learn to count and compare sizes through their play. For example, children roll cars down plastic tubes and use language, such as 'smallest' and 'bigger', and talk about 'fast' and 'slow' cars. This develops children's early mathematical language and reasoning as they observe how size effects speed.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children become independent. They learn to blow their noses, go to the toilet, wash their hands and set the table for mealtimes. They learn to sing songs to help them with their routines, such as during tidy-up time. This supports children to be able to manage their own personal care needs and helps them to be ready for their next stage in their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has clear expectations for children's behaviour. Children generally follow the rules of the setting and behave well. The childminder's calm and gentle approach reinforces expectations through daily routines. For example, she reminds children to use kind hands, sings a tidy-up song and helps children to understand what is expected. This helps to build children's understanding of boundaries and expectations. The childminder teaches children the importance of kindness, care and respect. Children get on well with one another and work cooperatively. For example, they work as a team to build models with magnetic tiles. Children show positive attitudes to their learning. They are eager to explore and take part in activities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder supports children's growing independence in their care routines. She encourages children to use the toilet by themselves, and they feel proud when they succeed for the first time. Children celebrate these milestones and give themselves praise. This helps to boost their motivation and contributes to their character development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder builds warm attachments with children. She uses effective strategies to help children, including those who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, to regulate their emotions, such as using calm time and simple breathing techniques. The childminder promotes attendance with her families, helping children and parents to develop positive habits for the future.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has generally created a warm and welcoming space for children. She has built trusting relationships with all children. Children confidently approach the childminder and seek her for comfort. This helps children to feel valued and have a sense of emotional security. The childminder works in partnership with parents and carers to develop their understanding of oral health and healthy eating. She shares practical recipes and tips that support families to also provide healthy, balanced and nutritious meals at home. In addition, the childminder typically develops children's understanding of the importance of brushing their teeth and visiting the dentist. This supports children to form positive lifelong habits that promote their health and wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children experience mealtimes as social occasions. They enjoy the home-cooked meals the childminder provides, including foods such as vegetable shepherd's pie, sweetcorn and yoghurt. Children show independence as they take responsibility for managing themselves. For example, they set the table, pour their own drinks and wipe their hands and faces after their meal. This supports children's self-care skills and promotes their confidence in carrying out everyday tasks.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has typically designed an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum across all areas of learning. Communication and language sit firmly at the heart of this curriculum. The childminder fosters a love of books and singing. For example, children independently select familiar books and confidently join in with repetitive phrases. All children enjoy singing rhymes, such as 'The Grand Old Duke of York', and join in with actions, marching like soldiers. As a result, children make progress in their communication and language skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children develop their fine motor skills. They make marks with chunky crayons and proudly say they are drawing 'starfish', 'mermaids' and 'sharks'. Children strengthen their hands and fingers as they squeeze and shape play dough into items, such as ice-cream cones, supporting their physical control. The childminder also promotes mathematics through daily routines. For example, children count beans one by one as they pop them from their pods. However, the childminder does not consistently build on what children already know and can do. This means, that at times, children do not fully continue their learning through their own ideas as deeply as they could.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder uses stories to help children understand and talk about their emotions. She supports children, including those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, as they discuss how characters may feel and uses visual signing, such as 'sad' and 'hungry'. This supports children's emotional literacy and their social skills.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Typically, the childminder knows each child well and uses ongoing assessment to identify their individual needs, next steps and any additional support they require. She works closely with parents and carers to meet children's changing needs. For example, the childminder supports children through clear and effective care plans that are understood and implemented in daily practice. Furthermore, she ensures children who face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing receive targeted emotional support. She helps them to recognise, name and manage their feelings through strategies. For example, the childminder uses stories to help children to explore their emotions and learn simple breathing techniques like 'smell the flowers and blow the candles'. She also offers calm and quiet time when children need it. These approaches help children to regulate their emotions more effectively and develop confidence in expressing themselves.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has an understanding of the early years pupil premium funding and how to use it to provide targeted support. She seeks guidance from the local authority and inclusion team to ensure that any strategies she implements are focussed on helping children make progress in their learning and development. The childminder promotes the local offer so that families are aware of the support available to them. She understands that any funding received would be carefully planned and targeted. This includes accessing any relevant training, so that all children benefit and gaps in their learning are reduced.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder effectively evaluates her provision and has a clear understanding of the strengths and areas that require further development. For example, the childminder has plans in place to further develop her outdoor curriculum for all children. She values professional development and is keen to enhance her early years knowledge and skills, including through building links with other childminders. The childminder recognises that developing her expertise will help her to continually improve her practice and provision to ensure all children continue to receive the best care and education. However, the childminder has yet to attend training that would further enhance this aspect of her professional learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents and carers speak positively about the setting. They value the childminder's natural and nurturing approach. Parents comment that their children love attending and enjoy the varied experiences on offer, such as local walks, allotment visits and trips to the park. The childminder builds trusting relationships with families and maintains communication. She provides regular updates about children's learning and care routines. This ensures parents remain informed and involved in their children's development.

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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 and families receive a warm greeting from the childminder. This helps them to feel welcomed and valued from the moment they arrive. Children come in happily and settle quickly into their play and learning. The childminder has created a safe, nurturing and homely environment for all children. As a result, children form warm and trusting attachments with the childminder. This helps to promote children's emotional wellbeing and gives them a sense of belonging.

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

Children show a real interest in books and stories. They confidently select familiar stories and recall and repeat well-known phrases. For example, when children share the story of 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt', they retell the story with enthusiasm. They turn the pages independently and repeat phrases such as, 'We're going to catch a big one'. This supports their early reading skills and fosters a love of stories. Children love being outdoors. They are naturally curious and explore the environment with confidence. For example, children gather different-sized containers and experiment with mixing coloured water. They communicate their needs effectively. For instance, children ask for more water using visual signing such as 'more please'. Children develop an understanding of plant growth as they explore vegetables, such as beetroot and radishes. They show interest when they collect dried beans from pods and use their fine motor skills as they peel them. These experiences help

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

to develop children's knowledge of the natural world and their communication and language skills.

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

Children benefit from regular trips into their local community. They visit the local parks and allotments where they explore natural environments. These outings enhance children's learning and broadens their experiences of the world around them. The childminder monitors children's attendance closely. She works with parents and carers to promote the

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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:30

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Facts and figures used on inspection

importance of regular attendance. This supports children to maintain their routines and develop positive habits for the future.

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Next steps

The childminder should consistently build on what children already know and can do by extending their ideas to deepen their learning even more. The childminder should strengthen professional learning opportunities to enhance her knowledge and skills even further.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, parents and carers and children, and took account of parents' written views, 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. 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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