Turner, Sarah Felicity

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2810100 Registered with Ofsted: 20/12/2024 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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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are at the heart of the childminder's practice. She regularly reviews and adapts policies, procedures and daily routines to ensure children remain safe and well supported. The childminder embeds risk assessments throughout the day. For example, during walks, she teaches children to recognise hazards, such as cyclists on shared paths and the noise of vehicles reversing. This helps children to develop an awareness of how to keep themselves safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder promotes healthy lifestyles, such as through nutritious home-cooked meals, handwashing routines and outdoor learning. Children enjoy counting to 20 while washing their hands, use age-appropriate steps to encourage independence and learn where food comes from, such as by using home-grown herbs in cooking. The childminder promotes sun safety through appropriate support with applying sun cream, encouraging independence where suitable.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides a warm and welcoming environment, where children build secure attachments and develop confidence, emotional literacy, positive manners and effective social skills. Children are gently guided to communicate their needs respectfully, including asking for space when required. Daily outdoor experiences, including visits to parks, forests and farms, enhance children's wellbeing and learning. Parents and carers highly value the childminder's personalised approach, recognising the support provided for all children.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates a deep commitment to inclusion by identifying children's needs quickly and accurately, including children with emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who may face barriers to learning. The childminder maintains consistently high expectations for every child. She provides age-appropriate support to reduce barriers and enables all children to make progress.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder creates a calm and nurturing environment, where children receive the individual attention they need to engage successfully in their learning. The childminder adapts activities to meet children's needs and interests. For example, she selects outdoor experiences that promote gross motor development, while keeping children motivated and involved.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder works proactively with the local childminding network and the local support team to ensure children with SEND receive the right help at the right time. She uses professional partnerships to strengthen her practice and improve outcomes for children. The childminder has a secure understanding of speech and language development. She follows a clear and step-by-step approach to monitoring and adapting support so that it remains effective and responsive to children's needs.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children experience a rich and varied curriculum that helps them build knowledge and skills across all 7 areas of learning. Activities are shaped around children's interests, abilities and individual needs. This helps them to stay engaged and motivated. Children are well supported to grow in confidence and develop skills they need for their next stage, such as pre-school or forest school. For example, children who need more time to adjust to change are supported with longer, more gradual transitions. They spend time with familiar adults, receive reassurance and have opportunities to visit and talk about the new setting before moving on.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make positive progress and learn to keep trying, when things are tricky or they need extra help through positive encouragement. All children make positive progress from their starting points. Children work towards developmental goals and achieve age- appropriate outcomes. Children's communication and language flourish through rich interactions, stories and meaningful conversations. Their physical development is strengthened through regular outdoor play that builds both gross and fine motor skills.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children benefit from clear next steps that guide their learning. Activities are adapted so that learning remains purposeful and engaging. For example, children use sticks to mark make during a walk in a woodland area. However, children do not consistently receive explanations for why they cannot do something they have asked to do. At times, they are redirected without an explanation. As a result, children do not always understand why a limit was set or what was happening next.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder sets high expectations for children's behaviour and attitudes to learning. She shares these expectations with children and parents and carers so they understand what is expected. Behaviour in the setting is positive, and any incidents are dealt with quickly in an age-appropriate way. The childminder calmly talks children through what happened so they can learn from it.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder teaches kindness, respect and care for others through role modelling. Children receive encouragement to use positive manners, give others space and show kindness in their interactions. For example, children who forget to say thank you are gently prompted. The childminder also helps children to develop important thinking skills by asking questions, such as 'I wonder', throughout the day. Children learn to focus, ignore distractions and work towards goals, such as finishing a puzzle or climbing a rocky path.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder considers children's individual needs. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to social care, and those who may face additional barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing receive support that is matched to their needs. For example, children who benefit from support with transitions are given reminders before an activity ends and listen to familiar songs to help them move on. The childminder makes adaptations while keeping expectations high and suitable for each child's age and stage. However, at times, as a result, children do not fully understand what is required of them as the childminder does not reinforce her expectations. This limits children's opportunity to develop responsibility and independence.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder values attendance and punctuality and has clear steps to help keep these consistent. Children build warm and trusting relationships with the childminder and any assistants she works with. They share their feelings confidently and take pride in their environment, such as by collecting flowers for the table.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder understands the curriculum well and knows how to improve it. She follows a clear plan and is adding forest school activities to enrich children's learning. The curriculum is shaped around children's interests, development and next steps, with all areas of learning included. For example, the childminder read the story of 'Little Monkey' using a monkey prop to help engage children. She encourages children to join in, ask questions and talk about the characters. Later, children pretend to look out for a tiger on their walk and talk about where monkeys might live.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder personalises teaching for every child. She uses ongoing assessment to respond to all children. Children make positive progress from their starting points. The childminder supports children's communication through high-quality interactions, books and storytelling with props. Children learn new words naturally throughout the day. The childminder supports children's physical development throughout outdoor play, walks, park visits and activities that build both large and small movements. Mathematics is part of daily routines. Children count to 20 when washing their hands, use puzzles and clocks and compare stick sizes on walks.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder weaves equality and diversity through the curriculum. Children learn about different cultures, faiths and celebrations, such as Eid. They talk about why some people wear a hijab, helping them develop respect and understanding. The childminder typically explains her boundaries for children's behaviour. However, this is not yet consistent. The childminder does not clearly teach children her expectations to help children to develop the skills to understand boundaries and manage their emotions when they cannot do what they want. For example, during the inspection, there were occasions when children were told they could not do something, but the childminder does not explain the reasons why. This means children do not consistently understand the boundaries or what would happen next.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is typically reflective on practice and shows commitment to continuously improving through considering next steps and ways to benefit the children's learning and development. The childminder regularly evaluates the setting's strengths and identifies areas for development to ensure the children receive high-quality education and care. The childminder carefully plans for children's learning across all areas of development and implements improvements thoughtfully. For example, the childminder has developed her knowledge of emotional literacy and is extending her practice further through forest school training. A clear vision for the future is evident through ongoing investment in high-quality resources and equipment that enhance children's learning and independence. This includes purchasing books with interactive clocks to ensure all children can participate together and providing age-appropriate high chairs so children can join mealtimes comfortably and safely.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder also considers workload and wellbeing by limiting the age range of children and operating 3 days a week, to support positive interactions.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Positive partnerships with parents and carers, the local childminding support service and other professionals helps to support children's learning, care and smooth transitions. For example, the childminder has supported parents with toilet training and sleep routines, which has improved children's confidence.

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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 settled, calm, happy and confident in this warm and caring setting. They feel they belong and greet visitors with smiles. Children stay focused in their play and make positive progress in all areas of learning. Children typically benefit from skillfully planned teaching to support their learning through engaging activities. Learning flows and feels natural in daily routines. Children learn mathematics and early reading through play. They benefit from exciting story times, where props and puppets capture their interest and help them understand new words and ideas. These experiences encourage the children to ask questions, building their speaking and listening skills.

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

Children receive encouragement to talk about their feelings and the childminder helps then to name and understand them. Children receive the right help when they need it. They benefit from outdoor learning that is is rich and hands on. Children explore nature, pick up herbs for cooking, watch bees collecting pollen and talk how crickets make their noise using their back legs. These experiences build children's curiosity, independence and a love of the natural world.

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

Children typically develop their curiosity, kindness and independence through a carefully planned curriculum. They builds confidence, resilience and independence through everyday activities, including completing puzzles. Children engage in learning that reflects their interests and motivates them to explore and try new things. They benefit from activities being adapted, so they can practise skills at the right level and experience success. Children receive high-quality care and education because the childminder knows them well and meets their individual needs. This helps every child to thrive in this thoughtful and nurturing setting.

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen her reflective practice to develop routines and behaviour strategies to consistently embed her expectations and support children's understanding, independence and ability to regulate their emotions.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, the assistant, parents and carers 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: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 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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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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