Tidball, Dewi

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2785390 Registered with Ofsted: 03/05/2024 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, including those who face barriers to their learning, make steady progress. Children are confident communicators who are keen to talk to the childminder about their thoughts and ideas and express their needs and desires. Children engage well in all activities. Even the youngest children enjoy selecting objects from 'the box' during an activity. Babies and toddlers love sitting on the childminder's knee looking at books together. They rub their hands over the pages to explore the different textures in the book. Older children take turns to play on the different coloured stepping stones.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children gain a range of skills to support them in the next stage of their learning. Children develop a range of mathematical and literacy skills in preparation for school. Some children can recognise letters and numbers, but due to minor weaknesses in information sharing, some children lack confidence with some underpinning skills, such as counting or number concepts.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children typically develop positive relationships with the childminder and their friends. Older children, spin a spinner and tell their friends which stepping stone to stand on. Younger children enjoy cuddles when they feel tired. Children develop positive attitudes to their learning. They enjoy playing 'What's in the box?' together.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has clear behavioural expectations, which she consistently reinforces. Children generally respond swiftly to her expectations. For example, when the childminder asks children to tidy-up, they respond immediately. The childminder adapts her language and this helps to ensure all children are fully involved. Older children respond to instructions while she gives younger children, or those who experience barriers to their learning, objects to put away. The childminder helps children to share toys with their friends. When they grab things, she says, 'No thank you' and reminds children to say 'Please'. The childminder plans activities to help children to share and take turns to reinforce this further. For example, when children play with a jigsaw together, she talks to them about when it is there turn. With this consistent support, children begin to learn the boundaries and expectations.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children know the routines. As they prepare for snack, children line up at the stairgate and walk to the bathroom to wash their hands. The childminder works with parents to understand any barriers and to promote regular attendance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder places the children's wellbeing at the heart of everything she does. Children demonstrate this as they rush to greet her in the morning. Other children are reluctant to leave when their parents arrive because they are having so much fun.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder maintains good hygiene and healthy practices. Children learn that they must wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Younger children wipe their hands after nappy changing. She serves a range of healthy meals and snacks with plenty of fruit and vegetables. Children have a healthy balanced diet with arrange of foods from the different-food groups. However, the childminder does not consistently teach children why these practices are important for their good health. For example, she does not always talk about why children need to wash their hands or have a balanced diet. Consequently, not all children have a detailed understanding of the importance of this.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has reflected carefully on the organisation of meals and sleep with the latest guidance on this. For example, she has changed the harnesses on highchairs so that she can release them quickly in an emergency. She has also reviewed the mats that she uses for children to sleep on. This enhances her support for children's safety and wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder's curriculum is well-thought-out and is broad and balanced across the 7 areas of learning. She has thought carefully about the skills children need to learn over time and ensures that children have the underpinning skills and knowledge that support them in their learning. For instance, when children recognise numbers, the childminder ensures they have the underpinning knowledge of numbers and counting to support this. The childminder does not always provide sufficiently detailed information on these underpinning skills to parents, particularly in literacy and numeracy. This means that some children have some gaps in their knowledge, as a result of this.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder knows what she wants all children to learn and has clear targets according to children's needs and stages of development. There is a clear focus on communication and language. Young children enjoy looking at books with the childminder. The childminder seizes opportunities to reinforce this. When children are learning about colours, she labels the colours of plates. She plans activities to reinforce what she wants children to learn next. For example, children take turns during the 'What's in the box?' activity and talk about what they pick out. The childminder adapts her language when talking to different ages. This is evident as she uses single words to communicate with younger children and simple phrases with toddlers, such as 'in the box'.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder typically demonstrates a clear understanding of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who experience barriers to their learning. Her observations and assessments are precise, and this enables her to identify any areas where children may benefit from further support. The childminder plans targeted activities to help children to catch up to their peers. For example, she plans activities where she can support children to develop more confidence to play alone. She provides further reassurance to those who experience barriers to their learning. She plans adaptations to her everyday routines to ensure children are involved. For example, she uses simple words and signs to support those at an earlier stage of communication.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder explains how she would work with professionals to ensure children get the help and support that she needs. The childminder typically works with parents to understand and support children who experience barriers to their learning. For example, she makes adaptations to drop-off procedures to support children who find this more difficult. The childminder discusses how she would use any additional funding to support children's care and learning. She discusses how this could be used to purchase additional resources or training. In the absence of funding, the childminder has already purchased a range of sensory resources to support children who experience barriers to their learning. She discusses how these resources have improved children's engagement and concentration.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder evaluates her provision effectively and knows where she can improve further. For example, the childminder identifies that she wants to develop children's awareness of growing fruit and vegetables. The childminder's professional development is focused on how she can support children's needs even further. For example, she has focused some training on the ways she can support babies effectively and explains how she supports connections and attachments because of this.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder typically works well with parents. She develops a consistent approach to supporting children's language and communication and the use of dummies. She does not always share detailed information about the whole early years curriculum, this occasionally impacts on children's achievement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has some links with teachers in the local school and overall has an effective relationship. She finds out what children are doing in the nursery class and any topics they are following. However, the childminder has not yet explored effective ways of working with staff to support children's individual care and learning with the local school. For example, when the childminder identifies that children would benefit from support with their personal and social development, she provides an abundance of support in her home. However, she does not always share her strategies or find out how school are supporting this. This means that children may get conflicting messages and support between school and the childminder.

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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 enjoy their time in the home of this caring childminder. They demonstrate that they feel happy and safe as they settle on her knee for cuddles. At times, children are engrossed in what they are doing at home time and parents have to wait while children finish. Children have effective relationships with the childminder. Throughout the inspection, babies and toddlers seek out the childminder for reassurance and cuddles. They settle down for a relaxing cuddle when they feel tired but are fighting sleep. Overall, children develop effective relationships with each other. The childminder supports them well to share their toys. Children learn to deal with frustrations that occur. For example, as younger children pick up other children's water bottles, the childminder supports older children put out their hand and say 'please' to get it back. Children behave well. They follow the childminder's instructions to

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

tidy-up and sit at the table to eat their meals.

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

Children typically enjoy a broad and balanced curriculum over time. They gain a broad range of skills across the whole curriculum that prepares them effectively for the next stage in their learning. As children build with blocks, they begin to count the number of blocks they have used. Other children learn to match colours before moving on to identifying the different colours. Children who experience barriers to their care or learning benefit from thoughtful support. This includes additional support when they first arrive to help them manage anxiety or overcome any overwhelming emotions. Strategies, such as these, help children to settle and attend regularly. All children develop positive attitudes to their learning. Older children choose their own resources and settle down to play.

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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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Next steps

The childminder should share more detailed information with parents about the curriculum so that parents have more understanding of the skills and knowledge children need to develop across all aspects, including in mathematics and literacy. The childminder should find more ways of teaching children about healthy lifestyles, particularly in relation to children's healthy eating and hygiene. The childminder should explore ways of developing relationships with the local school to support children's care and learning even more effectively and consistently.

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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 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 is from 24 July 2026

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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. 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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