Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2838555 Registered with Ofsted: 06/05/2025 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 make typical progress in their learning and development. They make their own choices, express their needs and are independent and active learners. Children make requests, such as a favourite story at story time, and are beginning to understand that their voice is valued. This helps children to gain confidence and build high levels of self-esteem. Those children who may face barriers to their learning receive effective support. For example, younger children enjoy accessing sensory activities which are floor based, while older children enjoy accessing activities at table height.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children have opportunities to hear and use language in context and revisit their prior learning. Children enjoy talking about how a caterpillar comes from an egg and becomes a butterfly. They show that they understand the sequence of the life cycle of a butterfly. Children receive support as their interest develops. For example, children develop their physical skills as they use tweezers to carefully pick up plastic minibeasts. They demonstrate a sense of achievement as they accomplish this and have high levels of self- esteem. Generally, children are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is an effective role model and promotes positive behaviour well. She typically encourages children to share, wait their turn and use positive manners. The childminder gives gentle reminders to children and sets clear boundaries. For example, she encourages children to help one another tidy-away resources so they do not slip on the floor, before choosing new ones to get out. Children listen well to instructions and are beginning to consider others around them. For example, children share fruit out among each other at snack time and show each other different ways to peel the piece of fruit.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children have built warm attachments with the childminder. They independently go to her for reassurance, and delight in involving her in their play as they make a butterfly garden using different paper, faux leaves and pretend minibeasts. Children receive encouragement to play cooperatively with one another. They build their social skills and become confident expressing their needs.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is aware of promoting attendance. If children do not arrive as expected, she will telephone their home to ensure that all is well. The childminder generally considers children's age and stage of development when supporting them to understand expectations. For example, she encourages older children to show younger children how to sit and carefully listen at story time. Children show that they are aware of expectations and boundaries.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder nurtures children's needs well. She is alert to their care needs, such as when children need the bathroom or to sleep. The childminder encourages children to wash their hands after using the bathroom and before eating. Under supervision, children enjoy climbing a step at the sink and proudly announce that they are 'a washer'.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children independently access resources, lead their own play and make their needs known. They have built warm attachments with the childminder and demonstrate that they are settled and happy in her care. The childminder supports children to understand their personal safety. For example, she shows children how to use a knife to make a hole in the peel of a nectarine, and she reminds them where to keep their fingers safely out of the way.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children enjoy lots of activities outside the setting in the local community. They enjoy walks in local parks, use public transport to visit playgroups and access child-friendly gym sessions. These activities help children to build their physical development, increase their social skills and develop their wellbeing. Children receive support to understand feelings and emotions. For example, the childminder asks children how someone may feel if they do not share resources with one another. This helps children to appreciate the feelings of others and the actions they can take to help their friends. Routines support children's individual needs. For example, children work together to bring pieces of fruit to the snack table and enjoy wiping the table after they have eaten. Children develop a secure sense of emotional wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans activities and learning opportunities across all areas of the early years foundation stage, which are matched to children's interests. Much of this is offered as children play alongside each other and explore resources. For example, the childminder encourages children to count out loud, match items to others and name colours as they look at books together. This helps children to build an awareness of early mathematics.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports children's communication and language skills generally well. She provides a running commentary for younger children and engages older children with questions. The childminder uses language in context and shares new vocabulary with children, such as 'cocoon' and 'hatch', as children enjoy a story about a caterpillar. However, she does not consistently extend children's learning when they ask a question or show a particular interest in something. This means that the impact of the learning opportunity is decreased as children do not get as much from the activity as they could.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder places children's physical, personal, social and emotional development at the centre of her practice. For example, she encourages children to share resources with younger children and play cooperatively with one another. The childminder adapts teaching to support children's individual needs. For example, she makes sure that all children can see the pictures in the book that she reads, so that they can see the pages and join in with repetitive text. The childminder adapts the curriculum to support children's learning and to address any potential gaps in their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder observes and assesses children's individual needs regularly and adapts her provision to meet their needs. For example, she considers if all children can access activities by placing them on higher and shorter tables so that every child can access the learning opportunity.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder is currently not caring for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, but understands her role in identifying barriers to children's learning. She shares how she would observe children as they play, identify gaps in their learning and work closely with parents and carers and other professionals to support every child's individual needs. The childminder recognises the importance of building relationships with parents. This enables her to share information effectively and implement any intervention strategies successfully.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder assesses and evaluates the progress that children make, to make sure that the curriculum is supporting them to typically develop and establish new skills. The childminder knows the importance of working alongside other professionals and generally works well alongside parents. She regularly shares information with parents about children's progress so that they can extend children's learning at home. The childminder understands the importance of spending any funding that children receive to have the maximum benefit on children's learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has built positive partnerships with parents and carers. She regularly shares information about children's development needs and invites parents to contribute to processes of assessment. The childminder provides termly reports of children's progress and shares ideas with parents so they can extend children's learning at home. Some children are cared for in more than one provision. However, the childminder has not forged links with these providers. This means that information is not shared among the adults that care for children, which does not support continuity of learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder attends a range of training opportunities to learn new skills and deepen her knowledge. She has recently attended training on promoting positive behaviour and the attachment theory. This has helped her to increase her knowledge of supporting children's emotional wellbeing. The childminder meets with other childminding professionals to share ideas and positive practice, which develops her knowledge further.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder undertakes some evaluation. She considers how she can offer learning opportunities to support children's age and stage of development and asks parents for feedback. However, she does not consistently identify targeted and focused areas to further improve her practice and provision. The childminder supports children's care and generally promotes children's learning and development well. Children are typically supported for the next stage in their 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 are interested and engaged at this setting. The childminder has a well-thought-out curriculum based around children's interests and developmental needs. Children typically receive support to develop their confidence, imagination and self-care skills. The childminder observes children as they play and assesses their development stage. She offers learning opportunities which support children to explore and have fun as they establish new skills. Children achieve well and develop the skills they will need for their future learning, including the move on to school. Children generally play cooperatively with one another and enjoy involving others in their play. They use their imaginations as they build a den and pretend that a pack of wolves are outside. Children talk with each other on how they can chase the wolves away and what they could use to frighten them. Children enthusiastically involve the childminder in their play

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

and demonstrate that they have fun and feel happy in her care. They have a sense of belonging and make positive relationships with their peers and adults.

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

The childminder promotes children's emotional wellbeing. She considers changes in children's lives and helps them to understand their emotions. For example, the childminder supports older children as they adapt to a new baby sibling being born, or when children prepare to leave to start school. The childminder incorporates children's natural interests into activities, which helps children to feel welcomed and valued. The childminder welcomes families and carers into the setting and values their contributions. She regularly communicates with parents and carers about their child's progress and invites them to be part of assessment processes.

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

Children independently go to the childminder if they are a little unsettled and need some reassurance. For example, if they fall during play or are tired and need a sleep. Children have built warm attachments with the childminder. They enjoy the activities and care that she provides. The childminder understands the importance of attendance and will contact parents if children do not arrive as expected. The childminder supports children's unique individual needs. For example, she identifies when children are tired and need to sleep or when they may need a drink to keep hydrated. Children benefit from the childminder supporting their unique needs, which helps them to feel safe and thrive.

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Next steps

The childminder should consistently identify opportunities to extend children's learning, particularly if children ask questions or show a particular interest in a learning opportunity. The childminder should make links with other providers that share the care of children, to further support children's continuity in their learning and development. The childminder should undertake more precise evaluation, to identify and develop key priorities, in order to further improve outcomes for children's learning and development.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children during the inspection and considered the written views of parents.

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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 : 07:30 - 17:30

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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

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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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