Wadkin, Marilyn

Wadkin, Marilyn

Unique reference number (URN): 2835478 Address: Davenport Methodist Church, Holmes Chapel Road, Congleton, CW12 4SS Type: Childminder without domestic premises Registered with Ofsted: 18/06/2025 Registers: EYR Registered person: Marilyn Wadkin

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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

The childminder has established clear and consistent routines and models positive and kind behaviour. Children know exactly what is expected of them and behave very well at the setting. They are calm, settled and highly engaged in their learning. Children cooperate well with each other and frequently independently choose to work together. For example, children work with their friends to pour soil into to a tray, add water and then to scrape it into a pot. Children excitedly explain that they are making a 'sticky mixture' and that it 'looks like cement.' This demonstrates their growing confidence and pride in their achievements.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children display care and respect for others and a high level of independence. For example, before using a rope swing, they look carefully around to check that the area is clear and ring a bell hanging from the tree to warn others that they are setting off. Children demonstrate resilience and perseverance. For example, they are determined to take the lid off a jar to use in the mud kitchen and continue to try hard, even though it is tightly screwed on. This demonstrates children's growing independence and prepares them well for their next steps, such as starting school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder promotes the importance of regular patterns of attendance with parents and carers. This supports children to establish positive routines and to settle quickly.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder has established a highly nurturing environment where all children feel safe, secure and valued. Relationships between the childminder, children and amongst the children are kind and respectful, with frequent warm interactions and conversations. Children's emotional needs are well understood and responded to sensitively. Children who are newer to the setting receive particularly warm support when separating from their parents and carers and are given time to settle.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder promotes children's health effectively. Children understand the need to drink plenty of water and help themselves independently to their own water bottle at the 'hydration station'. The childminder discusses the benefits of eating plenty of fruit and vegetables during an interesting conversation at lunchtime. Children enjoy serving themselves a healthy breakfast on arrival and eating the nutritious home-cooked meals gathered around the campfire.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children are highly independent at the setting. They confidently use a foot pump to get water to wash their hands before eating, look in the mirror to see if their face needs wiping and use the toilet by themselves when appropriate. At snack time, they carefully pour their own drinks, enjoy choosing whether they would prefer a warm or cold drink and serving themselves accordingly. These mature skills mean that children are very well prepared for their next steps, such as starting school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make positive progress from their starting points. They develop excellent communication skills and demonstrate increasing confidence in expressing their ideas and their thinking. They listen to stories, engage in conversations and develop their vocabulary through meaningful play and daily routines. Children demonstrate increasing independence as they make choices, solve simple problems and manage many aspects of their own play. They develop their mathematical understanding and vocabulary through everyday experiences, such as cooking, measuring and in the construction area.

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Achievement Expected standard

The childminder ensures children are developing the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for the next stage of learning. Children are confident and mature in their interactions with both adults and children. They are able to meet their own care needs increasingly well. For example, children pump water from the outdoor tap to wash their hands after they have used the toilet and unpack their own lunch. As a result, children are well prepared for future learning and, where appropriate, for their eventual move on to school.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Typically, the childminder is reflective about the provision and what she wants the children to learn or practise. When children are new to the setting, she gathers useful information from parents and carers in order to identify children's starting points. Children have a wide range of exciting opportunities to learn through play and first-hand experiences. The setting's outdoor environment is used effectively to support children's development in all areas of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Communication and language and an early love of books and reading are especially well supported by the childminder. She takes every opportunity to extend the children's vocabulary or to snuggle up and share a book together. For example, children thoroughly enjoy sharing a book about spiders, where the childminder introduces interesting vocabulary when she discusses the 'delicate' web which the spider spun. The childminder skilfully incorporates mathematical language into everyday conversations, helping children to develop an understanding of concepts such as size, position and comparison. She ensures that all children are supported to contribute to the discussion and gently encouraged to speak.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children access resources, such as books, which reflect life in modern Britain and explore some festivals and world foods. However, this aspect of the curriculum is not as fully developed as possible. This limits the opportunities for children to deepen their understanding of the community beyond their own.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has created a setting where all children are welcomed, valued and included, regardless of their starting points or any barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Children's individual needs are identified through observations, ongoing assessments and discussions with parents and carers. The childminder knows each child very well and provides thoughtful additional support where any concerns arise. For example, children who are new to the setting are given an especially warm and nurturing start to the day. The childminder takes time to give them lots of reassurance and cuddles in the relaxed and calm environment. This supports all children to separate confidently from their parents and be ready to start their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder works effectively with a range of professionals, such as health visitors and speech and language therapists. This professional advice and guidance helps to ensure that all children receive the support that they need to make positive progress. For example, the childminder speaks with pride about the progress which all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities have made in their relationships with others and in their communication and language.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is highly committed to providing a nurturing environment in which children can develop independence, confidence and a sense of responsibility. The childminder meets regularly with her co-minders to discuss improvements to their practice and how they can develop the learning environment, to support and challenge children's learning and thinking even further. She makes appropriate use of expertise within the team and seeks external advice when required.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Overall, the childminder has a secure understanding of the strengths of her provision and reflects on her practice to maintain and improve the quality of education and care. For example, she wants to develop the den-making area, in order to give children even more opportunities to use their critical-thinking skills. However, the childminder is less detailed in her review of some aspects of the curriculum. For example, when planning the smaller steps of learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands the importance of working with parents, carers and other professionals. Parents report that their children are happy and settled and are highly appreciative of the 'the wonderful nurture and care' which the childminder provides. She shares observations and information with parents and discusses children's next steps with them. This enables them to continue the learning at home.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Risk assessments are reviewed regularly and used effectively to identify and minimise potential hazards, creating a safe environment for children to learn and play.

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

Children thrive in this welcoming, nurturing and stimulating outdoor setting. They develop highly positive relationships with the childminder and other adults, who know them well and respond sensitively to their individual needs. Children are happy, settled and full of confidence. They enjoy exploring the natural environment and are highly motivated to learn through play.

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

Children have lots of fun as they use tools to dig a hole in the ground. They work hard to make the hole deep enough and carefully fill the hole with water, proudly explaining that they have 'made a river'. These activities develop children's physical and critical-thinking skills well.

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

All children are well supported to develop their speaking and listening. The childminder skilfully uses the children's independent play or the many books in the setting to develop their vocabulary. This encourages them to take part in interesting conversations. This means that all children make positive progress with their communication and language skills.

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

Children are encouraged to become increasingly independent. They pour their own drinks, serve their own cereal, open their lunchboxes and increasingly take responsibility for their personal care. The childminder consistently promotes children's ability to look after themselves, each other and the world around them. This prepares them well for their next steps, such as starting school.

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

Children behave very well. They are kind, caring and clearly thoroughly enjoy their time in the setting. They cooperate with one another, share resources and sustain their involvement in activities. The childminder models respectful interactions and provides lots of encouragement and praise for every child.

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Next steps

The childminder should provide further opportunities for children to learn about communities beyond their own, in order to extend their understanding of life in modern Britain. The childminder should further refine systems for reviewing the strengths and areas for development of the setting, in order to raise the quality of the planned curriculum to an even higher standard.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, co-childminder 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

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Address:

Davenport Methodist Church Holmes Chapel Road Congleton CW12 4SS

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Address:

Type: Childminder without domestic premises

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Address:

Operating hours: Wednesday,Thursday : 08:30 - 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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3 to 3

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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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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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