Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2790612 Registered with Ofsted: 25/06/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR

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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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children behave very well because the childminder establishes clear expectations and reinforces them consistently throughout the day. The childminder is a highly effective role model. She demonstrates calm, respectful interactions and consistently models the behaviour she expects from children. Through clear explanations and timely guidance, she helps children understand what is expected of them and why. As a result, children quickly respond to reminders, make positive choices and develop a secure understanding of right and wrong.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder places a strong emphasis on helping children develop positive relationships with others. She consistently encourages children to use good manners, ask politely for resources and take turns, using strategies, such as timers to help them wait successfully and fairly. When conflicts arise, she responds calmly and helps children understand the impact of their actions on others, encouraging them to apologise and make things right. Consequently, children develop empathy, respect for others and the social skills they need to play cooperatively and build positive friendships.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children become increasingly confident in managing their own behaviour and everyday challenges. The childminder encourages them to think for themselves, persevere and solve simple problems independently before stepping in to help. Children readily respond to this encouragement, showing resilience when things do not go to plan and take pride in overcoming difficulties for themselves. The childminder's calm, consistent approach enables children to develop high levels of self-control, confidence and independence. This creates an positive environment where children flourish both socially and emotionally. Children attend regularly and benefit from the familiar routines and secure relationships that this consistency provides. The childminder works closely with parents to promote regular attendance and maintain continuity in children's care and learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are consistently prioritised. The childminder knows each child extremely well and responds promptly, warmly and sensitively to their individual needs. Her nurturing approach helps children develop secure, trusting relationships, enabling them to feel safe, emotionally secure and confident throughout the day. As a result, children settle quickly, approach new experiences with confidence and demonstrate a clear sense of belonging within the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder successfully promotes children's physical health and wellbeing through well-established daily routines and meaningful conversations. Children understand the importance of washing their hands, drinking water regularly and making healthy food choices because the childminder explains why these routines matter. Daily opportunities to climb, balance and be physically active help children develop confidence in their physical abilities while supporting healthy lifestyles. These experiences enable children to establish positive habits that contribute to their long-term health and wellbeing.

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Expected standard

The childminder tailors care carefully to meet each child's individual needs and works closely with parents to provide continuity between home and the setting. She takes time to understand children's individual routines, preferences, backgrounds and needs, ensuring that every child feels welcomed, included and valued in the setting. For example, when children join the setting or experience changes, she gathers detailed information from families and adapts routines and care practices to help them feel secure and settle confidently. This individualised approach helps children feel that they belong and ensures that all children can access the care, experiences and support they need to thrive. She encourages children to manage everyday tasks for themselves while providing sensitive support whenever it is needed. Consequently, children become increasingly independent in caring for themselves, develop confidence in their own abilities and know that they can rely

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Expected standard

on the childminder for reassurance and support whenever they need it.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are making steady progress from their starting points. They develop confidence in their independence during play and daily routines. They are increasingly able to manage tasks for themselves, such as choosing what they want to play with and staying focused on activities for longer periods. Children are beginning to show resilience in their learning. When tasks are challenging, they are encouraged to keep trying and are supported to finish what they start rather than give up. Children who can lack confidence in their physical abilities are encouraged to attempt new challenges gradually and are given reassurance to persevere. This helps them overcome barriers to their learning and take part more confidently in a wider range of experiences. As a result, they are developing confidence in their abilities and are willing to attempt new experiences with increasing independence.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop increasing control in their hands and fingers through a wide range of practical play experiences. They carefully use tweezers and scoops to sort small pom-poms, squeeze spray bottles to clean toy dinosaurs and roll, squash and cut playdough using a variety of tools. These experiences strengthen the hand movements needed for everyday tasks, while helping children gain confidence in using a range of tools and resources independently.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans purposeful activities that build on children's interests, previous experiences and identified learning needs. She carefully revisits familiar themes to deepen children's understanding and extend their learning. For example, after reading 'The Colour Monster', children take part in colour-sorting activities that reinforce their understanding of colours while encouraging them to recognise and talk about different emotions. She also plans opportunities that builds purposefully on children's recent experiences. Following a child's visit to the beach, she provides shells and seaside themed resources to encourage children to recall events and compare textures. The childminder draws on children's own experiences and adapts learning to reflect their interests, backgrounds and individual needs. She uses familiar words from children's home languages where appropriate to help them understand and join in with activities. This helps all children access and participate in the

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

curriculum successfully. This helps children make meaningful connections between their experiences and new learning while extending their understanding.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports children's communication and language through regular interaction during play and daily routines. She introduces words such as 'happy', 'calm' and 'angry' during story time and encourages children to repeat and use them in context. She talks with children during play, including small-world activities, and asks simple questions to help them explain what they are doing. At times, background songs or audio stories are playing while she is speaking to them or reading a story, which can make it harder for children to focus on listening and join in fully.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children are welcomed into a small calm setting where the childminder knows them well and responds to their individual needs. She uses her understanding of child development to notice what children can do and where they may need support. She adapts her approach so all children can take part in activities in ways that suit them.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children who need support with communication, attention or emotional regulation are included through calm interaction, repetition and simple language. The childminder supports children who speak English as an additional language through visual prompts, repetition of key words and linking language to everyday routines and play. This helps children access activities and participate alongside their peers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works in partnership with parents and carers, sharing regular updates about children's experiences and using their views to support consistency between home and the setting. She completes training on a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities to support her understanding of how to recognise early needs and respond appropriately. She is aware of how additional funding could be used to provide resources and support that help reduce barriers to participation where needed.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates commitment to providing a caring setting where children are supported to feel secure and valued. She has a developing understanding of her provision and can identify some key strengths, particularly the secure relationships she builds with children and the calm, settled environment she maintains. She uses this understanding to maintain consistency in the day-to-day running of the setting, helping children experience stable and familiar care across the week.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands her responsibility to maintain appropriate professional practice and undertakes relevant training to support her work, including courses linked to special educational needs and/or disabilities. This strengthens her awareness of how to recognise and respond to a range of needs and she makes suitable adjustments to her practice where required. She participates in ongoing training across a broad range of subjects and uses this to develop her knowledge and understanding. However, she does not yet consistently evaluate the impact of changes she makes as a result of this learning, such as whether adaptations to her provision have improved children's experiences and outcomes. The childminder works positively in partnership with parents and carers. She keeps them informed about their children's experiences on a regular basis and maintains open communication. Parents' views are taken into account and help inform her day-to-day

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

practice, supporting continuity between home and the setting. This contributes to a consistent approach to children's care and ensures that individual needs are understood and responded to appropriately.

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

Children settle quickly into familiar routines and understand what is expected of them as they move through the day. They respond to clear signals, such as timers which help them know when activities begin and end. Children use this structure to manage changes in their day and move between activities with growing confidence. When they feel unsure or need help to calm down, they are reminded to use breathing techniques they have learned, which helps them manage their feelings and settle back into play. Children who need additional reassurance are supported sensitively so that they can participate confidently. For example, children who can lack confidence in unfamiliar situations are encouraged gradually to try new experiences and physical challenges, helping them build confidence and develop resilience over time. Children feel safe and secure in a calm, predictable environment where they understand what is expected of them.

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

Children behave well and develop positive social habits. They show good manners in their interactions, using polite language, such as 'please' and 'thank you'. Children share

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About this setting

Unique reference number (URN): 2790612 resources, take turns and wait for others during games and group activities. They begin to understand how their actions affect others and adjust their behaviour accordingly. Over time, they show increasing self-control and manage their choices with greater independence.

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About this setting

Children enjoy a wide range of creative and sensory experiences that support their curiosity, confidence and sense of achievement. They design and build their own creations using a variety of materials, making decisions about what they want to produce and show pride in what they achieve. Children explore music through instruments and sound-making activities. They experiment with rhythm, tempo and volume, and join in with their own patterns of sound. They also investigate a variety of textures, describing how materials feel and comparing differences as they explore. These experiences help children concentrate for increasing periods of time, persevere when things are challenging and feel confident in trying new ideas. Children thrive through these opportunities as they develop imagination, resilience and enjoyment in their learning.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure that children can consistently hear and focus on adult communication during activities so that they can fully access shared language and learning. The childminder should strengthen how she evaluates the impact of her practice and professional development, so she can more precisely identify refinements that will further improve children's experiences and outcomes.

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About this inspection

The inspectors spoke with the childminder, 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. Type: Childminder

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 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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