Vickers, Ann Marie

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2838688 Registered with Ofsted: 13/05/2025 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

Children adore attending the setting due to the warmth and encouragement of the childminder. They engage in activities for prolonged periods of time as they develop concentration and perseverance. Children quickly become confident in asking questions, making comments and joining conversations due to the language-rich environments that they play in. They are excited to explore books and see what happens next in the story. Children adore expressing themselves in many creative ways, such as through play dough creations, painting, singing or role playing. They fast become confident and expressive learners, using all their senses to explore.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children confidently access activities and resources and engage in stimulating activities that cover all areas of learning. Children, therefore, build on what they know and can do through focused and meaningful experiences. All children develop core essential skills that prepare them for future learning. This includes cutting their fruit at snack time, pouring their own drinks, dressing and washing their hands. This is true for all children, including those who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children behave brilliantly. The childminder acts as a marvellous role model for showing kindness and care for others. Children seek others out to build friendships and share play experiences, learning to share from a young age. Older children look out for younger children and make sure they can join in with activities. The childminder adapts activities to suit all ages effectively, so that children receive the right levels of challenge, encouragement and praise when playing. All children, therefore, thrive as they feel valued and included. They make excellent progress against their developmental targets.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder embeds consistent routines and behavioural expectations throughout each day. She explains to children what the daily plans are. The childminder then gently guides children from one activity to another using clear instructions and suggestions. Children feel secure in the knowledge of what is happening now and next. They look forward to each activity, and transitions between activities run smoothly. This includes children who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder understands the importance of children's punctuality and attendance. She carefully monitors and encourages children and their parents to attend her setting via regularly sharing information on the activities that she has planned for children. Parents appreciate the regular updates, so they know what their children will be enjoying and learning at the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder gets to know each child and their families incredibly well. She builds very close bonds with each child and seamlessly creates tailored learning experiences for them. The childminder adapts all activities and interactions to give children the best support possible, while teaching them the concepts of emotions and relationships. Children quickly learn how to share and to think about how others might be feeling in situations, as well as recognising their own feelings and emotional responses. Children, therefore, quickly become self-aware and respectful of others. They build friendships with others and seek each other out for play experiences.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder consistently embeds clear routines for children, who behave brilliantly. She conscientiously promotes good hygiene, as well as teaching children to develop healthy lifestyles. This includes serving themselves from healthy choices, chopping up their own fruit, going on regular walks and outings into the local community and washing their hands regularly. The childminder also closely supports children's understanding of oral health through extensive activities, discussions and stories. She closely follows all guidance for supporting children's sleeping, weaning and feeding, effectively supporting children's individual journeys. This includes children who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has excellent knowledge of how children learn. She uses her skills to seamlessly integrate amazing opportunities for learning across all areas. Children have daily opportunities to develop their expressive skills through playing musical instruments, singing in the car, role playing in the play kitchen, playing hairdressers or painting. Within all experiences, the childminder takes every opportunity to extend learning. By challenging children, asking questions and encouraging problem-solving, the childminder wonderfully extends children's thinking to the highest level.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder meticulously integrates maths into her curriculum. She asks children questions and sets them challenges while they play, such as counting objects or sorting them by colour, shape and size. Children thrive on the challenge and adore learning about the different concepts such as big or little and fast or slow both indoors and outdoors. They make pleasing progress with their mathematical knowledge as a result. This includes children who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children have wonderful daily opportunities to develop their physical skills, especially when outdoors. They navigate on ride-on cars, going faster or slower and changing direction. They also go on regular walks and trips into the community. Here, they can also develop their social skills by integrating with other children in their local community. All children, therefore, make excellent progress across all areas of learning from their starting points.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder gets to know children and their families extremely well. She uses this information, along with her excellent knowledge of how children learn, to plan exciting and inclusive learning experiences. The childminder adapts her communication and complexity of teaching to ensure that all children have the same opportunities for learning. The childminder regularly observes and assesses children to monitor the progress they make against their learning goals, which she tailors to each child's interests and developmental needs. All children, therefore, make excellent progress from their starting points. The childminder is incredibly sensitive, flexible and supportive to each child and their personal and family circumstances. Families appreciate this and praise the childminder for her warmth and support. The childminder feels passionately about ensuring that every child has the same access to the activities that she plans. She goes above and beyond to create

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Inclusion Strong standard

opportunities, regardless of how many sessions children attend. The childminder plans to train further in signing, so that she can not only support one of her families, but also teach all of the children these communication skills alongside speech.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder seamlessly links teaching with children's experiences at home. For example, she set up an extensive tooth-brushing activity to encourage children to brush their teeth at home when a child was finding this difficult. All children benefited from the activity, discussions and stories. This highlights how rapidly the childminder puts support in place for any child who faces barriers to learning and/or wellbeing to meet their individual needs.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is highly reflective of her practice, with clear plans for development and further training based on supporting the children and families that she works with. She has high expectations of herself, recognising her strengths and areas that she would like to explore further. The childminder is supportive of her own wellbeing, making sure she has the necessary support in place.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder gets to know children and their families very well and is highly receptive to their individual circumstances and needs. When making decisions, she acts with their best interests at heart to support and reduce barriers for children. For example, the childminder offers support and flexibility for children and their families when they face challenging and changing circumstances. This includes children who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder also works closely with other settings that children attend to share information about children's development from her own observations and assessments. The childminder has also successfully built strong parent partnerships. Parents praise the childminder for how well informed they are about their children's day and the progress they make with their learning. They appreciate the clear helpful communication and engaging activities provided. Parents note positive changes in their children's behaviour, learning and confidence in all areas. They feel respected and listened to as a parent.

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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 thrive in the wonderfully supportive environment provided. They come in happily, finding exciting play experiences to enjoy. Children quickly develop a sense of belonging, and this lays a beneficial foundation for them to learn and develop. Children build trusting relationships with the childminder and know that they are valued. Atmospheres are calm and harmonious, with the childminder expertly helping children to express their feelings. As a result, children feel safe, respected and motivated to engage fully in learning experiences.

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About this setting

Outdoor learning is embedded throughout the curriculum and is used effectively to enhance children's development. Children benefit from regular access to a variety of outdoor experiences where they can explore and problem-solve. Examples include throwing hoops onto sticks and exploring shapes in play dough. Children delight in story time, which sparks their interest. They benefit from rich conversations and learning new vocabulary. Children learn skills in early mathematics and problem-solving each day. This is because the childminder encourages children to explore and ask questions to find out more. She sets challenges for children, and they love discovering for themselves. Children count with confidence. They relish extending their learning, showing excellent confidence and attitudes to learning.

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About this setting

Children achieve considerable skills throughout their time with the childminder and make substantial progress from their starting points. They are provided with a wealth of learning opportunities and experiences to learn about the world around them. The childminder helps children to revisit previous learning and links teaching to children's own experiences at home to secure new skills and build on what they know and can do very effectively. This includes children who face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. They should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of any disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, that they may care for in the future.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and viewed written feedback from 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. Unique reference number (URN): 2838688

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 17:00

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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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