Heather, Kirsty

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY560122 Registered with Ofsted: 23/10/2018 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

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Safeguarding standards not met

The childminder has not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that adequately protects children from harm.

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Safeguarding standards not met

The childminder does not have a secure understanding of the requirements to ensure the suitability of all adults who have contact with minded children or who live in the premises where childminding takes place. Despite previous actions linked to safeguarding, the childminder has not taken sufficient steps to ensure that she has a thorough knowledge of safeguarding issues relating to suitable people. As a result, she has not taken all reasonable steps to ensure that every person associated with the provision remains suitable.

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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 Needs attention

Children do not consistently develop their knowledge or understanding. Older children in particular spend periods without purposeful engagement and are not challenged to think critically, solve problems or extend their ideas. Discussions, such as those about different occupations and other countries, remain at a basic level, limiting children's communication, understanding and wider knowledge. Opportunities to build on their existing learning and maximise progress are not consistently realised. Consequently, although children enjoy their experiences and participate confidently, their achievement across the curriculum is uneven.

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Achievement Needs attention

While children make progress in several areas, they do not routinely build on what they already know and can do. However, children develop increasing independence as they select resources, serve their own meals and confidently make choices throughout the day. They demonstrate secure early mathematical skills by recognising numbers, counting objects and using mathematical language during play. Children develop important physical skills as they climb, balance and strengthen their early writing skills through mark-making activities. Children communicate positively with their friends, cooperate during play and show kindness and consideration towards others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

While children develop positive relationships and generally behave well, the childminder does not provide consistent support to help them understand expectations or strengthen their attitudes to learning. The childminder encourages children to share, apologise and avoid talking with food in their mouths. However, these expectations are not explained, limiting children's understanding of why these behaviours are important. As a result, some unwanted behaviours, such as climbing on furniture, are repeated because children do not develop a secure understanding of how their actions affect themselves and others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Children are happy and settled and demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning. They cooperate with one another, show kindness, wait patiently during routines and increasingly develop independence by selecting resources and serving their own meals. Children of different ages play together well, and older children naturally support younger children during play. However, routines intended to support learning are not typically effective. For example, during mealtimes, where children take turns to serve their own food, younger children spend extended periods waiting without purposeful interaction. Opportunities to develop communication, thinking and understanding are overlooked by adults. Older children also experience periods without meaningful engagement, limiting their motivation and sustained involvement in learning. Attendance is monitored appropriately, and children who attend benefit from an inclusive, welcoming environment.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Children are cared for in a warm and nurturing environment, but everyday practices do not reliably promote their health and wellbeing. Children have access to healthier snack options, such as fruit, but tend to choose high-sugar items from the snack box. As a result, children's understanding of healthy eating and good oral health is limited, and occasions to rectify this are overlooked. The childminder recognises that current snack and drink practices do not reflect good practice. Consequently, children are not typically supported to develop important healthy lifelong habits. However, the childminder supports children to develop increasing independence through experiences such as self-serving lunch and pouring their own drinks. As a result, children learn to manage their self-care needs well.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Children's physical care is otherwise managed appropriately. The childminder protects them from the sun through the regular application of sun cream and access to shaded and air- conditioned areas. She manages children's medical needs effectively, including robust arrangements for supporting children with severe allergies. Children also benefit from warm relationships with adults, who know their individual routines and respond sensitively to their care needs. As a result, children feel safe, secure and well cared for.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder has established a broad curriculum that promotes children's communication, independence, physical development and understanding of the world. However, teaching does not consistently reflect what children need to learn next to ensure they achieve well. The childminder and assistants do not routinely make effective use of their interactions to extend children's thinking, language or problem-solving. For example, conversations remain at a basic level, with limited new ideas being introduced to further children's understanding. Older children are not consistently supported to build on what they already know and can do and, at times, spend periods without purposeful engagement. As a result, children's knowledge, curiosity and critical thinking skills are sometimes limited.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

However, there are positive aspects to the curriculum. The childminder supports children to develop their physical skills well through regular opportunities to climb, balance and coordinate movements. Adults provide targeted activities for children who need additional help, enabling children to build confidence and independence. Mathematical development is supported through meaningful play, with children recognising numbers, counting independently, exploring shapes and using mathematical language linked to time. Consequently, children apply their developing skills in practical situations.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder has reflected on practice and begun to identify improvements, including enhancing learning resources and developing opportunities to strengthen learning. However, these changes are not yet securely embedded. Consequently, the curriculum does not always meet the differing learning needs of all children or provide the depth of teaching needed to maximise children's progress.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder has taken appropriate steps to identify children's individual needs and reduce barriers to participation. However, these actions do not always translate into high- quality inclusive practice that enables all children to achieve as well as they could. The childminder gathers detailed information from families, works positively with external professionals and adapts settling-in arrangements to meet children's individual circumstances. For example, the childminder works closely with an early years adviser and

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Urgent improvement

children's families to introduce strategies that improve engagement and reduce inappropriate language. She also adapts her approach when children are tired or unsettled and supports families to access funding and additional services where appropriate.

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Urgent improvement

However, support is not consistently strengthened through teaching that extends children's learning or deepens their understanding. Planned next steps, such as helping children recognise and express their emotions through stories and discussion, are not consistently implemented. Opportunities to develop children's emotional literacy are not followed through, limiting the impact of the support provided. Similarly, older children are not sufficiently encouraged during activities, despite their differing stages of development. Consequently, although children with emerging needs and those facing barriers to learning participate alongside their peers and receive appropriate support, inclusive practice does not fully enable every child to make the best possible progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder has not maintained effective oversight of her provision, resulting in a breach of requirements. The childminder does not have sufficient understanding of safeguarding matters relating to the suitability of adults connected to the registration. As a result, she does not have the knowledge to identify where risk assessment may be needed.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder does not consistently monitor the quality of teaching or support her assistants. She does not ensure that everyday routines are used to maximise children's learning, healthy decision-making and understanding of behaviour. As a result, children do not consistently benefit from support that reflects what they need to learn next. These weaknesses limit children's achievement and the overall impact of the curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

However, there are some areas of strength in the childminder's practice, and she demonstrates a positive commitment to improve. Since the last inspection, she has strengthened some aspects of her safeguarding knowledge through regular training, local safeguarding guidance and reflective practice. She has enhanced provision for babies and introduced more natural and sensory resources, and she maintains positive relationships with parents. Families value the open communication and report improvements in their children's confidence. The childminder responds positively to feedback, reflects on her practice and acts immediately where possible to enhance practice. For example, the childminder encourages younger children to serve themselves first to avoid boredom and understands the need to review the snack and drink provision. These actions demonstrate a willingness to improve. However, improvements are not sufficiently embedded to raise the

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

quality of the provision to an acceptable level.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not 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 not 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

The childminder does not have sufficiently secure arrangements to promote children's safety. She does not ensure that all those who have contact with children, or who are living in the childminding premises, are suitably vetted. In addition, there are some weaknesses in the quality of teaching, care and support that children receive. Children do not benefit from consistent guidance about the behaviour that is expected. They are not always helped to understand why expectations are important. For example, children are reminded to remain seated while eating and not to talk with food in their mouths, but the reasons behind these expectations are not explained. Children also regularly access sugary snacks and squash, limiting opportunities to develop secure healthy eating and drinking habits. Consequently, children are not well supported to understand how to make healthy and safe choices.

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

Children do not consistently experience teaching that builds on what they already know and can do. Older children, in particular, spend periods without purposeful engagement, while potentially enlightening discussions about feelings, healthy lifestyles and the world around them are not routinely extended. As a result, children enjoy their learning but do not consistently deepen their thinking. However, children enjoy a range of indoor and outdoor experiences that support their physical development, creativity and early mathematical skills. They climb, balance, count, mark-make and explore resources with enthusiasm.

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

Planned next steps are not always reinforced through high-quality teaching and purposeful interactions, meaning children's progress is sometimes limited. However, children are cared for by adults who know them well and respond sensitively to their individual needs. Children with emerging needs and those experiencing challenges at home receive support to help reduce barriers to learning and wellbeing. Children continue to participate alongside their friends and develop confidence and independence.

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

Children are settled and enjoy spending time in the environment. They form warm relationships with adults and their friends, confidently choose activities and play cooperatively alongside children of different ages. Children show kindness by helping one another, sharing resources and including younger children in their play. They develop growing independence as they select resources, serve their own meals and access drinks independently.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

implement effective arrangements to ensure the suitability of all adults that have contact with children or who live at the premises where childminding is provided 27/08/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve the planning of the curriculum to ensure that activities, particularly those targeted for older children, effectively extend children's learning and development 11/09/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that children's behaviour is appropriately managed to help them learn what is, and what is not, acceptable 11/09/2026

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 19:00

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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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Action Completion Date

ensure that snacks provided to children are healthy and that children have constant access to drinking water 11/09/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistants, 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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