Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2842177 Registered with Ofsted: 26/06/2025 Registers: EYR

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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 generally make steady progress from their starting points in all areas of the early years curriculum. Children with barriers to learning, such as children experiencing changes in their home lives or returning to the setting after the summer holiday, are sensitively supported to re-settle. Children have opportunities to refamiliarise themselves with their friends and the childminder and build on their already positive attitudes to learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop independence through the everyday routines they follow. For example, they put on their shoes for outside play, pour their own water at snack time and clearly communicate their wants and needs as they ask for help when they need it. This helps children to develop skills that will prepare them well for future learning and development.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children typically develop friendships and are beginning to have back-and-forth conversations with their friends. For example, as they play together outside, they ask their friends to sit next to them. Children beam at each other as they all sit in a line together. Children learn to communicate with confidence, and enjoy using their growing vocabulary to have their needs supported swiftly.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations for children's behaviour, and supports them to use manners. She models these well and provides children with gentle and sensitive reminders to be kind and caring to each other. The childminder praises children frequently for their efforts and achievements, helping them to feel proud of themselves. The childminder forms secure bonds with all those in her care, and they clearly enjoy playing and learning with her. The childminder provides a nurturing environment and structured routines that support children to become familiar with her expectations and build emotional security.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally behave positively. They play well and share resources as they play. However, children who need support to take turns do not benefit from clear strategies. This does not support children to build resilience and develop patience and empathy for others when they share toys and equipment.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder understands the importance of regular attendance for children and their families. She prioritises building effective working relationships with parents and carers when children start in her care. She shares her expectations for children's attendance. The childminder promotes punctuality through regular communication with parents about arrival times so that she can tailor her provision and daily timetable accordingly.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder creates a warm and welcoming environment. Children transition well from their parents and carers into the setting. The childminder asks questions to promote consistency in care. For example, she finds out about the quality of sleep children have had, how their teething is progressing and how they are feeling today. Each time their friends arrive for the day, children confidently and eagerly greet them.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder is responsive to children's needs and typically supports their wellbeing. She builds relationships with them that generally help them feel secure and confident to learn. The childminder helps children to notice their own feelings and their own self-care needs. For example, she speaks with children about the need to change their nappies so that they feel fresh and dry. The childminder helps children to build healthy habits that promote lifelong health. For example, children spend time daily in the fresh air, drink water regularly and eat a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Children develop their independence as they learn to wash and dry their hands before eating snack and lunch.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

On regular outings, the childminder teaches children about road safety and keeping themselves safe. She has routines embedded for walking safely. Children enjoy taking turns to walk next to the buggy and sit in it for a rest. The childminder risk assesses all aspects of her care, including her home. She teaches children strategies to minimise the risk of harm. For example, she teaches children to sit down on their bottoms and lower themselves one step at a time to travel downstairs to play in the garden, as the stairs are steep.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

All children enjoy learning activities that promote their progress. The childminder builds children's language skills well. They build their vocabulary as they enjoy curriculum experiences where the childminder models new words and uses them in context. For example, children learn new sports and names of equipment used in races, such as 'hoops', 'ropes' and 'beanbags', during a sports day with children who attend with fellow childminders. Children develop confidence and independence as they regularly take part in local group activities as part of a bigger group of children.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports children's physical development well. She provides children with plenty of opportunities to practise new skills, such as coordination and control. Children enjoy outings to woodland parks and master walking on uneven grounds. They climb and balance on fallen tree branches as they explore. Children develop perseverance as they play. They try things repeatedly until they succeed. For example, children throw beanbags at a target. Children enjoy celebrating their achievements with the childminder and they smile as she claps at their efforts.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder promotes children's early mathematical skills. She models counting in sequence as children count objects as they play. The childminder encourages children to count in their play. For example, she asks how many magnets there are in a picture they create, how many bubbles they blow and how many pieces of banana they have at snack time. The childminder promotes children's early literacy skills. She shares stories frequently with children, and they develop a real love of stories, rhymes and songs. Children enjoy singing and become excited when asked to select a rhyme to sing together.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder promotes kindness and respect for others. She regularly reinforces her expectations of children using kind hands and looking after each other. However, the childminder does not consistently teach children to treat their toys or learning environment with care. She does ask children to help tidy the playroom, however she does not provide clear expectations or a clear structure for how to do this. This results in children continuing to play and not following instructions. The floor becomes very cluttered and hinders children's ability to move freely as they play and learn.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder knows all children and frequently monitors their progress to identify purposeful next steps in learning. She typically works well in partnership with parents and carers to identify barriers to children's learning. The childminder does not currently care for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or barriers to learning. However, she has a wealth of experience of working with external agencies, such as speech and language and educational psychologists, to help children to receive the right help at the right time.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder is mindful of barriers to learning that may be prevalent for children she may care for. She engages in training to support her to provide high-quality care experiences for all children. For example, the childminder has completed training on supporting children and families from the armed forces when they are experiencing barriers, such as distance separation. The strategies the childminder has learned to use help all children to express, recognise and name their emotions.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder helps all children to progress from their starting points. Children are happy and feel safe in the care of this childminder. The childminder's interactions generally support learning and development and help children to achieve well. The childminder uses a range of teaching strategies, from modelling to playing alongside children. For example, she offers support when she observes children encountering problems in their play. The childminder selects appropriate support that builds children's confidence and motivation to learn.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands the importance of monitoring children's progress robustly and adapting her teaching to support children's progress. She knows processes for seeking guidance from external professionals to help children have the right help at the right time. The childminder helps to prepare children for transitions as they grow. She also works with a local pre-school and mirrors some routines they use in children's daily experiences with her. For example, as children wash their hands in preparation for snack, they sing a song used at the pre-school most children move on to.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a clear understanding of her strengths. Her reflective approach supports her to typically provide high-quality learning experiences for children in her care. The childminder identifies children's next steps in learning. She ensures that children are settled, happy and confident.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has built effective settling-in processes that help children to quickly become familiar with her. This promotes positive working relationships with families. The childminder communicates regularly with parents and carers, sharing information about what children have learned and how to support them further at home. Parents appreciate the lending library that the childminder has made and enjoy reviewing the success of reading different stories with their children. Children become excited at the opportunity to take their favourite stories home to share with their families. Parents value how the childminder supports wider families, as well as their children. The childminder supports parents with promoting effective sleep routines. This builds consistency in care.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is committed to improving and refining her skills. She has engaged with a wide range of training since registering. The childminder has completed a course on promoting children's early mathematical skills. She now builds children's understanding of concepts such as number, capacity, position and shape as they play and learn. The childminder regularly meets with fellow childminders to provide children with a wider range of learning experiences as they socialise in larger groups.

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

Children show a real sense of belonging at the setting. They show confidence as they enjoy playing with activities of their choosing. Children clearly feel happy and safe in the care of the childminder. They enjoy singing songs with the childminder as they play. Children beam with joy when they recognise words in songs and repeat key phrases. For example, as children play on rocking toys in the garden, they repeat 'see-saw, see-saw' as they rock back and forth and recall a rhyme they like. Children typically show kindness and care towards each other. For example, when preparing for outside play, children quickly pass friends their shoes so they can all prepare together.

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

Children benefit from close bonds with the childminder, who knows each child's character, interests and needs well. Children benefit from time to explore the playroom independently on arrival. Others enjoy reassuring cuddles while they share storybooks with the childminder to settle them. Children enjoy a curriculum with a clear intent and a range of activities that focus on building their communication and language skills, physical development and personal development. The childminder interacts frequently with all children. This promotes their engagement and steady progress.

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

Children enjoy daily outings and adventures. They visit local parks and woodlands and enjoy playing in the garden, where they grow in independence and confidence as they play. Children develop physical skills of control and coordination as they enjoy throwing balls and beanbags to each other. Children develop creativity skills as they take part in local music groups, where they sing, dance and explore instruments.

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

Children benefit from the childminder working in partnership with parents and carers. This builds consistency in care and a shared understanding of children's progress and next steps in learning. Children become excited at the opportunity to borrow storybooks from the

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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:45 - 17:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Cornwall childminder's lending library to share with their family at home. This promotes children's enjoyment and interest in the joy of reading.

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About this setting

The childminder understands the importance of children attending regularly. When children are absent, she is quick to communicate with parents to check on children's welfare and support them return to her care when ready.

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Next steps

The childminder should further promote children's understanding of how to work collaboratively to care for their learning environment. The childminder should promote a range of strategies for supporting children to develop turn-taking skills and extend their understanding of how their choices affect others' feelings.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children, and 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.

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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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