Gater, Siobhan Maria

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2850661 Registered with Ofsted: 26/08/2025 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 Strong standard

All children achieve extremely well from their starting points. Any gaps in children's learning are closing consistently and they are developing an extensive range of skills and knowledge across the curriculum. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or those that may face other barriers to learning or wellbeing, are attentively supported and make notable progress during their time at the setting.

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Achievement Strong standard

Young children develop a love of books. They happily listen to stories and independently turn the pages. They also hear an extensive range of new vocabulary that motivates them to repeat words and develop their early communication skills. Children respond superbly to the layout of the setting and enjoy freely making choices to play indoors and outdoors. This supports lots of natural, spontaneous child-led play, where children show deep interest and enjoyment. Children develop high levels of self-esteem and confidence. Their artwork and creations are lovingly displayed, creating a real sense of belonging at the setting. Children develop very positive attitudes to learning and joining in. Evidently, they are well supported to be ready for their next stage of learning and eventual move on to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children's behaviour is excellent. They show consistently high levels of engagement and enjoyment in learning. The childminder and her assistants are positive role models. They are nurturing and make joining in fun. They place a clear focus on teaching children about kindness, listening and turn-taking in an age-appropriate way. They encourage politeness, respect and harmony during play. Even very young children show an excellent understanding of the routine and boundaries of the setting. This is apparent when they help to tidy up the toys. The childminder and her assistants frequently acknowledge children's efforts and achievements. There is a display of 'wow moments' on the wall. The childminder shares new accomplishments with parents and carers each day via photographs or discussions during pick-up time.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder is skilled at extending children's concentration and play skills through her responsive and encouraging interactions. This fosters children's willingness to take part and try new things. The childminder invests in an extensive range of high-quality resources, books and toys to teach children about their feelings and emotions. This is evident when children explore stories, such as 'The Colour Monster'. The childminder uses a range of breathing and calming strategies to help them to understand and regulate their emotions. The childminder works in close partnerships with parents to promote consistent attendance. She is proactive at gaining explanations for unplanned absences. This helps to develop an open and transparent safeguarding culture at the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing is at the heart of everything that the childminder does. She provides inclusive and tailored support to help children feel safe and valued. Trusting and well-established relationships with both the childminder and her assistants enable children to feel emotionally secure and give them the confidence to explore and learn. The childminder is dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles. She cooks freshly prepared and nutritious meals. She plans planting and growing activities to help children understand where food grows, and the nutritional value of different food groups. Furthermore, children have excellent opportunities to learn about forming positive oral-health habits and routines. This is evident when oral health practitioners come in and discuss the care of their teeth and the risks of high-sugar diets. Children have daily opportunities to be active and develop their

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

physical skills. This is apparent when they engage in nature walks, visit the woods and run and climb at local playgrounds. In addition, children benefit from regular visits to stay-and- play sessions at the local children's centre. This is run by early help practitioners, who can provide up-to-date advice and guidance about resources and support in the local community.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children are very well supported to develop their independence. They help to water the plants and maintain their well-resourced and beautifully prepared environment. The childminder and her assistant ensure that arrangements for eating and sleeping are safe. For instance, they remind children of the importance of sitting to eat and carry out frequent checks on sleeping children to help keep them safe.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder plans an engaging and well-sequenced curriculum to promote children's learning. She precisely plans a range of activities depending on what skills and knowledge children need to focus on next. The childminder and her assistants successfully adapt their teaching, routines and resources to meet the differing needs of children. This helps all children to make excellent progress during their time at the setting. The childminder broadens children's understanding of the world through new and exciting experiences, including regular visits to the library, airport, park, local farm, stay-and-play sessions and safari park. This helps children to extend their knowledge, confidence and social development.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder carefully plans an extensive variety of activities. For instance, children love making potions and discussing the foamy bubbles and colourful coral. They also show high engagement as they explore storytelling props and start to hear rhyming words, such as 'hat' and 'cat'. This expands children's vocabulary and understanding of new words and concepts, which supports their early-literacy skills. The childminder places a clear focus on fostering children's mathematical knowledge. Children show excellent interest and focus as they participate in a range of counting songs with props, such as '5 Little Speckled Frogs'. Furthermore, the childminder invests a great deal of time offering ideas to extend children's learning at home. For instance, she sets engaging tasks for them to count and record how many different birds they can see as part of annual events and challenges. This helps children to consolidate their newly learnt knowledge through similar opportunities at home.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder is extremely passionate about ensuring that she offers high-quality and inclusive early education. When new children join, she collects detailed information from parents and carers about children's starting points, interests and current stage of development. She then skilfully uses this information alongside her own observations to precisely assess what children know and can do. This helps her to plan purposeful learning experiences that build on children's interests and start to close any gaps in their learning and development. The childminder has developed highly effective partnerships with parents, carers and other professionals, such as health visitors and early help practitioners. This enables her to offer a cohesive and well-coordinated approach that helps children receive timely and specialised support. The childminder undertakes additional training to best support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She has excellent

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Inclusion Strong standard

knowledge about the importance of carefully planned daily interventions to help children move forward in their learning. The childminder is well-informed about additional funding. Although none of her children receive this, she understands how this can be used to promote positive outcomes for children.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Children have excellent opportunities to learn about different backgrounds and traditions. The childminder plans exciting activities to support children's understanding of different cultures and festivals. For instance, when learning about the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, children engage in 'henna' hand painting and make tea lights to bring the key elements of the festival to life. This helps children gain a wider understanding of lives that are different to their own.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is highly passionate, dedicated and focused on giving every child the best start she can. She plans a wealth of enriching trips and experiences to broaden their knowledge of people, cultures, nature and the wider world. She knows children and their families extremely well and forms trusting relationships to ensure children receive continuity in their care.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder engages in an extensive variety of professional development opportunities. These are used superbly to enhance her practice and keep her knowledge up to date. She also has excellent arrangements in place to monitor the quality of her assistants' work, and a comprehensive training plan to keep building on their knowledge and skills. Highly effective partnership working is a huge part of the childminder's ethos. She frequently arranges stay- and-play sessions and events for parents and carers to join. This helps to develop positive ongoing relationships with parents. The childminder keeps parents frequently informed about their child's new achievements and next steps in learning. She also provides them with a learning journal when they leave that depicts their favourite activities, trips and progress during their time at the setting. Parents express very high levels of gratitude. Their

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

written feedback states that the childminder is extremely nurturing and supportive. They also comment on excellent progress, especially in their speech and language development and how much they value the significant progress that their children are making.

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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 evidently flourish in this caring and nurturing learning environment. Their individual needs, interests and abilities are thoughtfully identified and purposefully supported. Children develop secure bonds with the childminder and her assistants. This helps to support their emotional wellbeing and confidence. Children benefit from an exciting and ambitious curriculum that is rooted in first-hand learning opportunities and exposure to lots of new and stimulating experiences. This is evident when they frequently visit different places to support new interests and projects. For instance, children enjoy visiting a forest-story trail and look

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Inspector:

for the animals, ingredients and props from the story. Learning is then extended as children collect different natural resources to make potions and wands with sticks. This helps children to learn about nature and the world around them. It also promotes a love of books and early literacy.

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Inspector:

Children show high levels of curiosity and engagement as they play. They consistently demonstrate excellent behaviour and positive attitudes towards learning and trying new things. Children benefit from a rich language environment. The childminder and her assistants constantly model new language, ask open-ended questions and teach children new words during play at a unhurried pace. Children develop their creativity and imagination as they learn in a inviting and well-planned outdoor environment. They enjoy experimenting in an inspiring and well-resourced mud kitchen. They benefit from an extensive range of high-quality resources that capture their interest and support them to develop a real love of learning.

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Inspector:

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those that may face other barriers to their wellbeing, receive attentive and tailored support to help them make excellent progress in relation to their starting points. All children thrive and achieve at this high-quality setting. Furthermore, the childminder works closely with parents and carers to promote regular attendance, in order to help children receive positive levels of continuity in their care and education.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain her work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. She should continue to focus on supporting her assistants with their ongoing professional development and work towards creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistant, children and considered parents and carers written views 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. Amy Wilkinson

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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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