Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2792254 Registered with Ofsted: 22/07/2024 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 Needs attention

Children's learning and progress from their starting points are insufficient. Some children who show delays in meeting expected milestones do not receive timely and focused support. This lack of support means that disadvantaged children and those facing barriers to learning are not well prepared for the next stages of their learning and development, including being ready for school. Sometimes, children receive little or no assistance to refocus their attention on different activities, which can lead to disagreements among them.

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Achievement Needs attention

However, some children are making progress in their communication and language development. They speak confidently in their home languages and are starting to communicate in English. During play, they use English to describe the colours they choose in their mark-making activities. Additionally, they can count from 1 to 10, developing their mathematical skills. Children participate in activities that help strengthen their large-muscle groups, such as doing squats together and counting how many they complete. These activities promote collaborative learning among children.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

The childminder does not record the punctuality and attendance of children in her care. This limits her ability to ensure their safety and support their education. Additionally, the childminder does not consistently manage children's behaviour in a way that considers their age and developmental stages. Although she has established 'house rules' that include sharing and taking turns, these rules are not clearly communicated or enforced. On several occasions, the childminder struggles to manage children's behaviour effectively, particularly during disagreements in playtime. This can lead to some children becoming upset and tearful, which hinders their ability to listen and follow instructions. As a result, children are often unclear about the expectations for their behaviour in the setting.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Needs attention

Despite these weaknesses, the childminder has developed positive relationships with children. Children appreciate the interactions with the childminder and respond well to praise. The childminder has created an environment, where children enjoy playing and exploring. She plans the daily routines, which consider children's wishes and interests. For example, children take delight in dressing up in princess costumes. This helps to build on children's imagination and self-confidence.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder does not always follow safer eating procedures as required. For example, she leaves children while they are having their snacks to fetch their water bottles from the kitchen. In another example, the childminder allows children to gather around her in the kitchen and eat fruit while she prepares their snack. These practices show that the childminder's processes to support children while eating are weak. However, she has since reviewed her supervision of children at snack and mealtimes to reduce the risk of food accidents. The childminder has not yet established routines that support children to calm down independently, when they become upset. This means children find it difficult to regulate their feelings and emotions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder has developed an attachment with the children in her care. She takes the responsibility of a key person for children and communicates with their parents and carers regularly. For example, she talks to parents about the care practices of their children, including those with special educational needs and/ or disabilities and those who may face barriers to learning. The childminder follows children's home routines, including sleeping habits, to promote consistency. She supports children's physical development by encouraging them to eat healthy food, drink water and play outdoors. Children enjoy running outside and dribbling the ball around cones. They develop a love of outdoor activities, supporting their physical development.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder does not actively promote her professional development to help improve her teaching practice. She lacks knowledge of how to teach children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning. Although the childminder observes children's learning, she does not use this information to adapt her teaching to children's different starting points, ages and stages of development. As a result, the curriculum is weak and lacks flexibility. For example, the childminder relies on flashcards and worksheets to test children's number skills, which at times are not at the right level for children. Children respond, which shows some knowledge of numbers, but eventually become bored and lose engagement.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

In another example, the childminder gives children colouring and mark-making activities that can last for nearly an hour. During this time, she fails to ask questions that extend children's vocabulary. As a result, children become restless and seek attention. These teaching practices have a negative impact on children's progress, including their communication and language development.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder's curriculum has regard for children's physical development. She encourages children to strengthen their large muscles. Children enjoy moving to different animals and completing an obstacle course. They run and engage in water play activities. The childminder gives children plenty of praise, which supports their personal and emotional wellbeing.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Due to a lack of professional development, the childminder does not have a secure knowledge of how to sufficiently support disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This includes knowledge of how to use additional funding and its impact on disadvantaged children. The observations and assessments the childminder gathers from children's play are not used effectively to address their individual learning needs. This weakness is particularly noticeable after identifying that some children are not meeting their expected milestones. The childminder's actions are not timely enough to reduce the barriers these children face concerning their learning and wellbeing. Consequently, there is a delay in providing children with the strategic support they need. Children do not gain all the necessary skills they need for school. However, the childminder shares her concerns about children's learning with their parents and carers. This

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Inclusion Needs attention

encourages parents to seek advice from other professionals to receive further support for their children's learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

There are significant weaknesses in the childminder's teaching and care practices. These weaknesses include a lack of targeted professional development, which hinders her ability to provide children with a high-quality provision. The childminder's knowledge of safer eating practices and recording of children's attendance is not up to date. As a result, she does not always supervise children at mealtimes or record children's attendance as required.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has also not identified weaknesses in her curriculum and behaviour management strategies. These weaknesses limit the childminder's ability to meet the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers in their learning. The childminder recognises that she needs to make use of all opportunities consistently to promote children's independence skills, in readiness for school. She offers her assistants support for their wellbeing, which helps the setting run smoothly. The childminder establishes a positive relationship with parents, which contributes to children being happy in the setting. She encourages parents to seek advice from other professionals to support children's learning.

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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, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning, do not receive an ambitious and targeted curriculum. Children's communication and language skills, including those who speak English as an additional language, develop at a slower rate than expected. The childminder's lack of professional development limits her ability to offer strategic support for these children. Overall, she lacks the necessary skills to make swift decisions that ensure that children remain motivated in their learning.

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

The childminder struggles to manage children's feelings and behaviour effectively, such as when they become bored and disengaged. This leads to minor disagreements with their friends that affect children's emotions. The childminder does not yet help children to regulate their emotions independently. Children do not always make sufficient progress and are not well prepared for the next stage of their education. Furthermore, the childminder does not evaluate her setting rigorously to identify weaknesses in her practice, such as safer eating practices and the recording of children's attendance. These weaknesses could put children at risk of choking or raise concerns about attendance patterns.

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

Children typically demonstrate that they feel safe and happy in the setting. They enjoy wearing costumes as their favourite book characters. Children also participate in nature walks with the childminder, which raises their awareness of the world around them. They build positive relationships with the childminder and actively seek their attention. The childminder encourages parents to share information with her, including children's family backgrounds. She provides children with lots of opportunities to practise and hear their home languages. This gives children a sense of belonging, supporting their emotional wellbeing.

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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

supervise children at all times, particularly at mealtimes, to ensure they eat safely 28/08/2026

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Action Completion Date

keep a daily record of the names of the children being cared for on the premises and their hours of attendance 28/08/2026

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Action Completion Date

gain a secure knowledge of how to implement age- appropriate strategies to manage children's behaviour effectively 28/08/2026

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Action Completion Date

prioritise professional development that extends knowledge of how to deliver high-quality teaching and learning and knowledge of the early years foundation stage 28/08/2026

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Action Completion Date

plan and implement an ambitious curriculum to help children to make sufficient progress in their learning, including children with special educational needs and/ or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning 28/08/2026

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About this inspection

The inspectors spoke with the childminder and parents and carers 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. Unique reference number (URN): 2792254

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About this inspection

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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