Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2816888 Registered with Ofsted: 05/04/2025 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

Children, including those who have additional needs and those who may face other barriers to their learning, make steady progress and are reaching the expected milestones for their age.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children's speech and language skills are developing in line with expectations. They are beginning to use full sentences, and children who are learning English as an additional language are well supported. For example, the childminder learns some key words in the children's home language to support them. Children are typically well prepared for the next stage in their education and learn important self-care skills. However, children do not learn how to drink from an open cup, which is a gap in the curriculum for physical development.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are developing their confidence, attention and focus. They generally follow the childminder's instructions. Although still very young, children can take turns when supported by the childminder.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children have fun with the childminder. They attend regularly, generally behave well and understand the routine of the day. The occasional incident is managed calmly and well by the childminder, who offers clear support and guidance to children to help them regulate their emotions. A quiet corner, with a cosy tepee, is used effectively as a calming space where children can feel secure. The childminder kindly offers support to reassure those children that miss their parents throughout the day, explaining the routine of the day in a child-centred way that helps children understand when they will be picked up again. Relationships between the childminder and children are warm.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children learn to use good manners. They are reminded to say 'thank you' at mealtimes and when asking for assistance, saying, 'help please'. Children, although still very young, are mostly kind to each other and typically respect the play area and resources. They help the childminder to tidy away the toys but are still learning how to care for books.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. The childminder supports them with well-targeted praise when they complete a task or accomplish a new skill. For example, they are excited to get a sticker for their star chart when they use the toilet successfully, exclaiming, 'I did it!'

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's wellbeing is a priority for the childminder. Children have plenty of opportunities to play outside and benefit from fresh air. They develop large-muscle movements outdoors as they climb the small slides, bounce on a trampette or pretend to be birds flying round and round. A healthy breakfast and snacks are provided by the childminder, who prepares these with care, ensuring that children's dietary needs are met. For example, children's allergies and food preferences are catered for. Children are closely monitored when eating. They can access their water bottles at all times.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are learning some independent skills, appropriate to their age and stage of development, in preparation for the next stage in their education. They are toilet training and learning to put on their own socks and shoes. The childminder reminds children to move safely around the playroom. For example, children learn to sit properly on a chair and move away from the door, so they don't fall out when it opens.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The environment is risk assessed, safe, clean and hygienic. Children wash their hands if they are dirty and after using the toilet. However, children do not wash their hands prior to eating, which means they are not consistently learning healthy habits.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder understands the early years foundation stage statutory framework. She builds her curriculum around this and plans activities that cover all areas of learning. She ensures the curriculum is inclusive and accessible to all children. The childminder makes play fun. Children love singing and movement. Action rhymes, such as 'Sleeping Bunnies', give the children opportunities for physical exercise, which they thoroughly enjoy. They jump with great enthusiasm. Children hold hands and laugh as they play 'Ring-a-ring-a-roses' together.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a sound understanding of what the children already know and can do. She can discuss what she wants the children to learn next. Group activities, such as finding, naming and matching numerals, help the childminder to identify those children that may need a bit of extra support in a particular area. However, one-to-one activities, such as stamping a set number of apples on to a picture of an apple tree, are generic and not always well targeted to meet children's individual learning needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans many opportunities for children to develop their small hand muscles. For example, they practise picking up small colourful bears with pincers and thread large beads onto strings. They are learning early mathematical skills, such as matching and naming shapes. The childminder talks to the children throughout the day and supports them to complete activities well.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder ensures that all children, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds or those who may face other barriers to their learning, are welcomed, included and thrive in her care. For example, additional funding has contributed to the introduction of a 'drama tots' session with a specialist teacher. The childminder ensures that all children can access this session by changing the days on which it is run throughout the school holidays. This has had a positive impact on outcomes for children, enabling quieter, more reserved children to grow in confidence and contribute their thoughts and ideas.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has a positive attitude to inclusion and is fully committed to ensuring all children benefit from the provision. The childminder uses information from parents and her observations to identify and assess any concerns. All children make steady progress from their starting points. The childminder typically ensures that her high expectations are appropriate for the age and stage of the children, and she is keen for them to make the progress of which they are capable.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder's soothing manner supports children that need additional help to regulate their emotions well. Activities to support children with additional needs are generally well considered. The childminder plans activities that she knows the children will engage with to support their learning. For example, children that enjoy playing with cars, trucks and diggers can access these easily. When the childminder identifies children that may need more help, she works in partnership with parents, and will contact other agencies for advice and support, if needed.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has made a positive start to childminding and understands her role and responsibilities. She has attended training to support her knowledge of the early years foundation stage and all requirements are met. She uses government guidance documents, childminding websites and updates from the early years team at the local authority to inform her practice and keep her safeguarding knowledge up-to-date. She puts children's welfare and safety first, and is alert to changes in requirements. For example, the childminder has recently introduced some teaching about oral hygiene into the curriculum. Safe eating and sleeping practices are in place.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is reflective and considers how to develop her practice carefully. She is proud of the progress the children are making. She is open to constructive feedback and acknowledges the areas that she can improve further, such as more targeted one-to-one teaching to meet children's individual needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works closely with parents to support children's needs, and relationships with families are warm and constructive. For example, any allergies or food preferences are discussed, and information is provided to support parents to provide appropriate packed lunches. All children, including those with special educational needs, those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those that face other barriers to their learning, are well cared for and making progress.

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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 have fun at the childminder's setting and attend regularly. They are typically settled and comfortable in the well-resourced environment the childminder has created. The current cohort of children are all 2 years of age. Children are beginning to play together and make friends. Overall, they behave well and are learning to be polite and friendly. The childminder is gentle and kind with the children. She has an empathetic manner which helps children to feel calm and safe in her care.

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Inspector:

Penny Fisher Children enjoy activities both indoors and outdoors in the secure garden. For example, they love transporting biscuit crumb 'sand' in their diggers and dumper trucks. They are developing the small muscles in their hands as they scoop, rake and pour the 'sand'. Children focus well on activities they enjoy, while the childminder narrates their play or offers suggestions on what they could do next, to extend the activity and learning further. Children understand the well-established routine of the day. For example, when children first arrive, they can choose which resources to play with. They then help the childminder to tidy the toys away, knowing that this signals that it is breakfast time.

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Inspector:

Children feel able to express their feelings and make their likes and dislikes known to the childminder. The childminder knows the children's characters well and is skilled at interpreting their needs, such as when they are thirsty, tired or need a snack. Children clearly feel happy and thrive in the childminder's care. They approach her for reassurance when needed, such as when they hurt their finger during outside play.

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Inspector:

All children, including those who are learning English as an additional language, make steady progress in their learning and development across all seven areas of learning. Children are generally well prepared for the next step in their education, including nursery and school. For example, they are learning to dress themselves and sit safely on a chair at the table.

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Next steps

The childminder should make sure that one-to-one activities are carefully planned to meet children's individual next steps in learning. The childminder should give children opportunities to drink from open-topped cups to help them develop this skill. The childminder should encourage consistently good hygiene by ensuring that all children wash their hands before mealtimes.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, co-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 : 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

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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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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