Cook, Bridget

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2752147 Registered with Ofsted: 13/02/2024 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 Expected standard

Children make steady progress from their starting points across all areas of learning, with a clear focus on communication and language. They become increasingly confident in using language to express their needs, share ideas and engage with adults and peers. Through regular stories, songs and everyday conversations, children build their vocabulary, strengthen their listening skills and develop their ability to follow and join in discussions, which supports their readiness for future learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Where children receive additional funding and support, the childminder uses these effectively to build children's confidence and improve their communication skills. Children develop the key skills they need for their next stage of learning, including school readiness. Older children extend their concentration and sit and engage for longer during group activities, such as stories and discussions. Children also grow in independence as they confidently make choices in their play and manage aspects of self-care and daily routines, including tidying away resources.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children benefit from outdoor learning opportunities that support their physical development. Children climb, balance and use ride-on equipment, which strengthens their coordination, confidence and physical skills. Overall, children develop well and are suitably prepared for their next stage of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has established a warm, nurturing environment, where children understand and respond to clear and consistent expectations for behaviour. Daily routines are well established, helping children to feel secure, confident and settled as they move between activities. The childminder promotes a strong culture of kindness and respect, regularly reinforcing expectations around sharing, turn-taking and supporting one another. As a result, children behave well overall and demonstrate positive attitudes to play and learning. Attendance is monitored effectively, and any absences are recorded and considered appropriately.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Strong, trusting relationships between the childminder and children underpin behaviour across the setting. Children confidently seek reassurance and comfort, when needed, and respond positively to close, caring interactions. This demonstrates that they feel safe, valued and emotionally secure. The childminder knows the children well and uses this understanding to adapt support appropriately to individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and differing stages of development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are supported effectively to collaborate and build positive relationships with their peers. They engage well in shared activities, such as building, imaginative play and group tasks, where they learn to share ideas, negotiate roles and work together. These experiences support the development of early social skills and positive attitudes towards others. The childminder consistently reinforces positive behaviour through gentle reminders and encouragement, helping children to understand expectations and make appropriate choices. Children are supported to develop independence within routines and show increasing confidence in managing their own behaviour during play and daily activities.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder implements a broad curriculum that reflects children's interests and supports learning across all areas of the curriculum. She uses assessment systems, including observations and discussions with parents appropriately to identify children's starting points and next steps in learning. Activities are adapted to children's ages, stages and individual needs, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder prioritises communication and language throughout the day. Children enjoy stories, songs and conversations, the childminder uses questioning to encourage children to talk and build vocabulary. However, her questioning is not always purposeful or sequenced effectively. At times, conversations move rapidly between unrelated topics, which occasionally confuses children and reduces their engagement and focus. Children are not always given enough time to process and respond before further questions are introduced.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children benefit from regular opportunities to develop their physical skills through outdoor play, climbing, balancing and soft-play activities. The curriculum also promotes independence appropriately, with children encouraged to make choices, prepare snacks and help with routines.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of supporting children's personal, social and emotional development. However, some transition times lack clear structure and organisation. During these periods, some children become restless and disengaged, leading to minor accidents and disagreements. More purposeful organisation during routines would help children remain focused and engaged in their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder identifies children's individual needs quickly and takes prompt action to secure appropriate support. For example, targeted one-to-one support and effective communication strategies are used to support children with speech and language delays. Following referral to speech and language therapists, she has implemented advice from professionals successfully into daily practice. As a result, children make clear progress in their communication and language development and are now more confident when speaking and joining in activities.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder monitors children's progress closely using observations and ongoing assessment to identify next steps and review the impact of support strategies. She adapts activities effectively to ensure children of all ages and abilities, including children with barriers to learning, are included successfully. For example, younger children are supported to participate safely in activities alongside older children through appropriate adjustments and encouragement.

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Needs attention

Strong partnerships with parents, the local authority and external agencies help ensure children and families receive the support they need. The childminder understands local processes well and makes appropriate referrals, when concerns arise. She supports children who are disadvantaged, including signposting families to wider support services, such as Team Around the Family. She also provides sensitive emotional support to children and families during difficult circumstances, helping to provide stability, reassurance and continuity of care.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Despite the areas identified for development within children's welfare and wellbeing, the childminder demonstrates a positive attitude towards professional feedback and reflection. She considers suggestions carefully and is willing to adapt her practice where appropriate. For example, following discussion about a wooden blocks activity, she reflected on the potential impact of the activity and took steps to modify it during the inspection. This willingness to review and adapt activities demonstrates her commitment to continuous improvement and to promoting children's safety, welfare and learning experiences.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has made considered improvements to the learning environment to enhance children's safety, access and overall experience. These include raising the height of fencing to improve security and privacy, installing shade sails and gazebos to protect children from direct sunlight and adding decking to improve year-round usability of the outdoor area, where the ground previously became waterlogged.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

There is a strong ambition for all children to develop confidence, independence and the skills needed for future learning. The childminder promotes children's self-confidence through opportunities to make choices, take responsibility within daily routines and develop communication and social skills through play and interaction.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Effective partnerships with parents are in place. The childminder maintains regular communication with families about children's care, development and wellbeing, helping to ensure consistency between home and the setting. Where needed, families are supported to access additional services to help meet children's individual needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder supports transitions well, including moves between home, the setting and other early years or school environments. Relevant information is shared appropriately with parents and other professionals to support continuity and ensure children's needs are understood and met.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Some aspects of practice in relation to children's welfare and wellbeing require improvement to ensure children are consistently safe and fully supported to thrive. Risk assessment and supervision during activities are not always robust enough. For example, during construction play with large wooden blocks, the childminder does not act swiftly enough to prevent accidents. This poses a potential risk for children. Although reassurance was provided, the activity continued despite the ongoing safety risk. In addition, opportunities to promote independence during snack preparation were not always balanced with safety. Whole fruit was provided for cutting without sufficient stabilisation or adaptation, creating an avoidable risk when using cutting tools. These examples indicate that planning and risk management do not consistently ensure activities are safe for the age and stage of children present.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Despite these concerns, children are generally settled and demonstrate secure attachments with the childminder. They seek reassurance, when needed, and respond positively to calm, nurturing interactions that support emotional wellbeing and regulation.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Children are encouraged to develop independence through daily routines, such as tidying resources, preparing snack items and using simple tools. Regular outdoor play supports physical development, coordination and confidence, while healthy snacks and routines encourage positive choices. The childminder also promotes social development through modelling kindness, sharing and turn-taking.

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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 enjoy attending this warm and welcoming setting, where they are cared for in a nurturing, home-from-home environment. Strong relationships between the childminder, assistant and children help children feel safe, secure and valued. Children confidently seek reassurance, comfort and affection from familiar adults, demonstrating that they have developed trusting and secure attachments. The provision is highly child centred, with children encouraged to make choices in their play, follow their interests and take ownership of their environment. They independently select resources, help to tidy away and take pride in caring for their shared space.

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

Children benefit from daily opportunities for outdoor play and physical activity. They access a purpose-built clubhouse, climb on soft-play equipment and explore local parks and outdoor spaces. Regular outings, including bus journeys and visits to parks with zip lines, broaden children's experiences and help them develop an understanding of the wider world. Children also develop increasing independence as they pour their own drinks, cut their own bananas and raspberries at snack time and help set the table.

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

Children sit together to share stories, sing nursery rhymes and engage in conversations across the day. Children with additional needs receive targeted support and make progress. Children play cooperatively and show kindness towards one another. They work together during activities, such as building train tracks, and engage in imaginative role play. The childminder supports children to share, take turns and recognise similarities and differences, promoting positive attitudes towards diversity and inclusion.

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

While children are generally happy and settled, systems to ensure consistent safety and risk management are not always fully effective. Some activities and routines are not risk assessed or adapted sufficiently for children's ages and stages. Despite this, the childminder remains reflective and committed to improving practice, working closely with parents and

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 18:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Lincolnshire external professionals to support children's needs and outcomes and to help them attend regularly.

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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 action by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

leaders should ensure that all activities are carefully planned and risk assessed so they are fully appropriate for the ages and stages of the children attending, with clear consideration given to safety to prevent avoidable risks during play and learning experiences 01/06/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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 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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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. 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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