Thomas, Amie Louise

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2838902 Registered with Ofsted: 29/04/2025 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children behave beautifully at this setting. The childminder is kind and calm and has an excellent understanding of the emotional needs of each child. Events such as spillages or accidents are considered learning tools. She has high expectations for good behaviour and constantly models the need for politeness, saying 'please' and 'thank you'. This means that the children are independently caring and display good manners. They share toys without being asked and pass toys to each other when they have had their turn. Children engage with enthusiasm in their play and learning and sustain their interest very well.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder talks to the children about what is happening next and why. If she has to limit an activity, she explains why. Some children enjoy water play as others begin to go inside. The childminder lets them play briefly before explaining that they need to join the children who have gone inside. When needed, children learn to regulate their emotions with adult support. For example, when a child fell, the other children gathered around to reassure them. The childminder talked about feelings and explained that it is okay to feel sad when you are hurt. This helps children understand their own emotions and support one another.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder has created a happy and welcoming environment for children and their parents. Children arrive eagerly and are greeted warmly. The childminder takes time to ask parents about their child's wellbeing and responds sensitively to individual needs, supporting with routines such as dressing and toothbrushing when necessary. Hygiene and toileting routines are made enjoyable through rhymes and songs, helping children to develop confident and independent self-care skills.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides a well-planned weekly menu, ensuring children enjoy a healthy and varied diet. Children grow fruit and vegetables in the garden, picking and tasting what they have grown. They also take part in cookery activities, which encourages them to try and enjoy food they have helped to prepare. The childminder is a positive role model for healthy eating. For example, when she ate a nectarine, the children were keen to try it too, showing a positive attitude towards new flavours. They learn why healthy foods and drinks are good for their bodies. Children confidently feed themselves and use ceramic plates and cups with care. They serve themselves milk or water and have free access to water outdoors. Children are prepared for the next stage in their learning. They wait calmly for others, enjoying songs and conversations, creating relaxed and sociable mealtimes.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically make steady and secure progress across all areas of learning. They explore their environment with confidence and enthusiasm, readily engaging in familiar and new activities. Children remember their previous learning, spontaneously counting as they jump or singing rhymes they have been taught. They are gaining the knowledge and skills to ready them for transitions to new settings such as pre-school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children enjoy looking at books, which they look at independently or share with adult support. They are exposed to new vocabulary such as cocoon and metamorphosis. Children ask questions and explore. They practise new skills they have just been taught, for instance turning a train on and off and changing its direction. They are consistently well behaved and independently share and pass toys to each other. They are caring towards each other and developing their understanding of each other.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder implements a broad curriculum that covers all areas of learning. She has a clear understanding of children's interests and provides stimulating activities based on what they need to learn next. However, the arrangements to monitor children's ongoing progress are not consistently effective. Although children generally make good progress, the childminder does not consistently use information from her observations to inform discussions with parents about children's development. As a result, she cannot ensure that any gaps in learning are acted on at the earliest opportunity.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder builds on children's knowledge by talking about previous experiences. For example, children answer confidently when she asks what colour magnifying glasses they each had the day before and what bugs they had seen. This enables children to deepen their understanding of ideas and make connections between previous and new learning. The environment is rich in language, with lots of warm, lively conversations. The childminder helps children build sentences by repeating and expanding on their words. She offers meaningful activities such as cooking, which enhance physical skills such as grating and stirring. During these activities, she narrates and asks questions to boost vocabulary and language comprehension. Mathematical language is integrated into daily routines, encouraging children to think about quantities and colours, such as counting eggs and identifying colours of drinking cups.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder knows the children well and understands that they develop at different rates. She responds sensitively to individual differences and adapts her interactions to support children to join in. For example, when children's speech is less clear, the childminder listens carefully, gives them time to express themselves and repeats back what they say, modelling clear and correct language. This supports children's communication and helps them to feel heard and understood. The childminder provides experiences that reflect children's individual interests, abilities and developing skills. This helps to ensure that all children are included and able to make progress. For example, as some children collect water in buckets, others make sandcastles. All children benefit from the childminder's support to learn new words.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Although the childminder supports individual needs well overall, there are some inconsistencies in her arrangements to monitor their progress. This means gaps in children's individual learning may not be identified as quickly as possible. The childminder sensitively supports children at times of change in their life, for example the birth of a sibling. She uses her thorough knowledge of children's backgrounds and families to celebrate their uniqueness while also promoting tolerance and an understanding of differences.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder provides support for parents and recognises that children may behave differently at home than they do in the setting. Parents value her advice and support, for example, around children's sleep routines. The childminder is flexible in responding to children's individual needs and adapts routines when necessary, such as providing breakfast if children have not eaten before arriving. The childminder ensures she keeps parents well informed about their children's experiences. For example, the childminder shares her healthy weekly menu with families and sends home surplus fruit and vegetables grown in the setting's garden, helping parents to continue to provide healthy choices at home. She uses a range of strategies, such as sharing photos and information about children's activities online, to inform parents about what their child has been doing and learning throughout the day.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has made continual changes to resources and activities. For example, she has swapped to ceramic plates for the older children, which has led to improved manners and care at the dining table. The arrangements to identify areas for improvement are not consistently effective. For example, the childminder has not identified the need to monitor children's progress more precisely. However, she has completed training that has successfully helped to improve her approach to managing children's behaviour. In addition, the childminder has plans in place to enhance her knowledge and understanding of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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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 arrive happily and settle quickly in this warm, nurturing setting. The childminder provides a safe, well-resourced environment for all children to grow and develop. Children freely explore the indoor and outdoor environments. Generally, children develop knowledge and skills that support their ongoing learning.

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

Lively conversation fills the day. Children enjoy everyday activities, such as washing their hands, and they join in happily with funny songs and rhymes. Routines are important, with the childminder explaining what happens next. This helps children understand why they are asked to do things, leading to considerate behaviour. They are polite, share toys and wait their turn. Children develop self-help skills, such as putting on their own sandals and pouring their own drinks. The childminder adapts her support for each child's level of development. They persevere at new tasks and become increasingly independent. Children enjoy cookery, such as preparing fruit, and develop their fine motor skills. They make healthy choices, and their understanding of healthy lifestyles is further enhanced through picking fruit and vegetables that have been grown in the childminder's garden. Children develop their physical skills effectively. They use physical play equipment in the outside area, such as a

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

trampoline and swing. There are opportunities for mark-making with a giant chalk board outside.

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

Children enjoy books throughout the day, and a cosy book corner provides quiet time. They read independently and share books together and with an adult. Children visit local areas, such as a toddler group and local sensory garden. These outings help them build confidence in new environments and promote their social skills as they engage in activities with a larger group of children.

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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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Next steps

The childminder should make better use of ongoing assessment to identify gaps in children's learning and development.

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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.

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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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