Leigh, Wendy Ann

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2820831 Registered with Ofsted: 13/02/2025 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 progress and apply what they know in different situations. For example, they generally learn the names of colours and use this knowledge to recognise their own personalised colour cloths at mealtimes. Children who previously avoided sensory exploration, now engage confidently. For example, they use their fingers to poke holes in play dough. Children's communication skills develop well. Younger children use single words, such as 'yoghurt', to express their needs. Older children recall past experiences in greater detail. For example, they describe a spider they have seen.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically develop the small hand movements needed for everyday tasks. For example, children progress from lifting large jugs to pour water, to threading with small strings. Children progress from wearing nappies to using the toilet independently, reflecting their growing self-care skills. Overall, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who may face barriers to their learning, achieve well. Children progress confidently to the next stage of their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children typically display positive attitudes. When they occasionally lose interest in an activity, the childminder responds promptly. For example, the childminder offers children the choice between the bicycle or play dough. This inclusive approach draws their interest back and sustains their positive attitudes to learning. Children demonstrate a secure understanding of the setting's routines. They typically line up sensibly to go outdoors. At snack time, they remain unhurried, understanding that they may join the group to eat once they have finished their play. This typically happens within moments. As a result, the atmosphere is generally calm and settled.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder balances challenge and support skilfully. When children struggle to manage a task independently, she encourages them to try first, offering help only when needed, such as when children balance dolls on a chair. This inclusive approach builds children's confidence and supports a can-do attitude, helping to develop their independence. Children form positive relationships with adults and include them confidently in their play. For example, when children seek help putting on dressing-up clothes, the childminder responds warmly. Children express delight in their achievements. Regular attendance ensures that children benefit fully from the setting's routines, learning opportunities and support for their wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supports children's emotional development by naming and modelling feelings. When children feel upset, she gently acknowledges their feelings, saying, 'you're a little bit sad'. This helps them to understand and begin to manage their own emotions.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder follows safe-sleep practices. Children have access to a separate space to rest. The childminder seeks weaning advice directly from parents and carers, tailoring care to children's individual needs. This helps children to feel secure and settled. She treats children's care needs with dignity. For example, nappy changes take place privately. The childminder shares screen-time guidance with parents and carers, supporting healthy habits at home. Children have access to fresh drinking water throughout the day and use their own designated water bottles. Children are supported to have a balanced diet. For example, the childminder gives parents ideas for healthy lunch boxes.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder generally acts promptly to stop unwanted behaviour, helping children understand how to keep themselves safe. For instance, she guides children away from climbing on furniture and reminds them to wash their hands before meals. However, she does not always explain why these routines matter for their safety and health. As a result, children are not consistently supported to learn habits that benefit their wellbeing long-term.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans an inclusive curriculum that covers all areas of learning, tailored to individual children's interests and starting points. She observes and assesses children regularly to understand what they already know and can do. This generally helps her identify the skills they need to learn next. Children lead their own play, and the childminder adapts planned activities to follow their curiosity. For example, a chalk mark-making activity, planned for physical skills, changes direction when children notice that the chalk looks different when wet. For example, the childminder encourages children to observe the changes and introduces the word 'brighter'.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder typically supports communication and language throughout activities. When drawing a mouse together, children identify some features, saying 'eyes', 'nose' and 'mouth', extending their vocabulary. The childminder typically builds number into everyday moments. She counts aloud, 'one, two, three', while helping children put on their aprons before a meal. This gives children regular, natural practice with numbers. The childminder supports physical development. For instance, during water-pouring activities, children explore using a funnel, extending their control and precision. Outdoors, children point to a bird box. The childminder encourages their curiosity by asking, 'is there a bird in there?', and suggesting that, 'maybe it's sleeping.' This helps to extend children's understanding of the natural world.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder typically adapts resources well so that children can take part in activities. She is attentive to quieter children, taking them by the hand to gently encourage their participation. During water play, for example, she provides extra bottles for pouring when they want to join in. This ensures that all children can be included in activities.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder completes progress checks for children and shares these with parents and carers. Where concerns are identified, she shares assessments with parents to inform professionals. This means that swift referrals can be made and children receive prompt support. She typically uses small, purposeful steps to narrow and close identified gaps in children's learning. This includes using books, rhymes and modelling to develop communication and language. This helps children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or those who may face barriers to their learning, to make progress from their starting points. The childminder uses early years pupil premium funding purposefully to support disadvantaged children. She speaks with parents to identify what would benefit children, such as outdoor resources to promote fresh air and physical activity. This ensures that funding is tailored to individual family circumstances.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder regularly reflects on her practice alongside colleagues. Any assistants that the childminder may work with benefit from regular supervision and coaching from her. During these sessions, they discuss children's learning and development and identify any training needs, such as safeguarding. They liaise to share ideas and support each other's wellbeing and morale. This helps them to work well together as a team in a close-knit home setting. The childminder liaises with the local authority to inform her practice and access recent guidance. This helps her to keep her knowledge and practice up-to-date. The childminder keeps her own training up-to-date, including paediatric first aid.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents and carers value the nurturing environment the childminder offers. Children and families feel their emotional wellbeing is supported. The childminder typically keeps parents informed of their children's experiences through an online platform and face-to-face conversations. She seeks feedback from families, helping her to develop the setting further. However, she does not consistently share what children need to learn next, or ideas for extending this at home. As a result, parents do not always have the information they need to support their children's progress fully.

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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 typically settle quickly into the setting on arrival. They attend regularly, which promotes continuity in their routines and learning. Children benefit from an inviting indoor space, set out with activities to motivate them to begin playing straight away. For example, they take part in imaginative play with dolls, deciding where they should sleep, which builds their problem-solving skills. Children are known well as individuals. They explore their interests confidently. Children take part in role play using real fruit and vegetables, such as apples and carrots. They decide together what to fill their basket with. Children use a toy scanner to scan items before packing them away. They build their understanding of everyday routines through this play. Children extend their vocabulary, learning words linked to actions, such as 'chopping', when they pretend to cut food. They generally begin to

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

develop a love of books. Children access books independently, turning the pages themselves and looking at the illustrations.

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

Children show awareness of their peers, talking about friends who are yet to arrive and waving at others from the gate. Children demonstrate a sense of belonging through this and build on their social skills. For example, children listen attentively to their friends and talk about their home life when prompted, including what their parents and carers do for work.

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

They develop their physical skills and enjoy exploring the outdoors, searching for minibeasts, for instance. Children show curiosity about the natural world. They learn to walk up the steps of a slide independently and slide down safely with supervision. They build control on bicycles, learning to slow down and stop to avoid others, developing coordination and spatial awareness. As a result, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face barriers to their learning, make steady progress.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:00 - 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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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen her explanations of why healthy routines matter, so that children understand the reasons behind them. The childminder should build on how she communicates children's next steps in learning to parents and carers, to enhance learning at home.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistants, children, 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. This data is from 30 July 2026

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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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