Hines, Kathryn Anne

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2845576 Registered with Ofsted: 29/07/2025 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 expected progress from their individual starting points. Children develop their communication and language through songs and rhymes. Children visit familiar stories and increasingly join in as their confidence and understanding develop. A story basket containing props holds children's attention and allows them to get involved. For example, with the book 'Peace at Last', children role play making toast, pouring tea. Children increasingly express their needs through gestures, babbling and emerging words, and older children form simple sentences. Children follow instructions and routines. They build physical skills and coordination through indoor and outdoor play. They develop their fine motor skills through a range of resources, for example rolling play dough and using cutting tools. Daily routines also help children become more independent. For example, they collect their shoes, put them on and use serving spoons and forks at snack times. Children receive sensitive

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Achievement Expected standard

support, which enables them to overcome barriers to learning. This helps children participate and develop confidence. Children are well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children benefit from the childminder's welcoming and kind nature. Secure attachments are evident, and children seek her for comfort when needed. The childminder has high expectations for behaviour, and children are supported to share resources and show kindness from a young age. Snack time provides an opportunity for children to come together and share a selection of fruit. Children sit around the table with the childminder and learn table manners. Children make choices and capably serve themselves. The childminder provides positive praise for children's efforts as they use a serving spoon and cutlery. Self-help skills are fostered throughout the day, and children show increasing independence, for example washing their hands and putting their shoes on. Routines are well established. Children enjoy sharing stories as part of the daily routine. Props enable them to act out events together, collaborate and remain engaged. Core books are revisited

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

frequently, helping children recall and predict what happens next and develop an early enjoyment of books.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder support parents to take the funded education hours for their child. She is flexible to the needs of all parents and accommodates part-time attendance. She promotes the importance of punctuality and attendance with parents. Rigorous procedures are in place to follow up on unexpected absences.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides a safe, welcoming environment in which children's individual care and wellbeing needs are met appropriately. Children settle readily, form secure attachments and seek reassurance when needed. The childminder knows children's routines and responds sensitively to their age, stage of development and circumstances. Babies' sleep, feeding and personal-care routines are followed consistently. Safe-sleep and safer-eating arrangements are understood and implemented, and children's privacy and dignity are maintained during nappy changing and other personal care.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children learn healthy routines through everyday experiences. They wash their hands independently, receive nutritious snacks and socialise at mealtimes. Daily outdoor play and visits to the library, soft play, local groups and a petting farm broaden children's experiences and support their physical development. The childminder helps children recognise and express their feelings through warm interactions, familiar stories and predictable routines. Consequently, children feel secure, develop confidence and increasingly manage age- appropriate self-care tasks.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has designed a broad curriculum that meets the learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage and reflects children's ages, interests and individual needs. She gives appropriate priority to the prime areas while providing experiences across all 7 areas of learning. Teaching is purposeful and responsive. The childminder models play sensitively, repeats and recasts children's words, and uses songs, rhymes, core books, story resources and Makaton signs to extend communication and vocabulary. She introduces mathematical language naturally through play and everyday routines, including snack times. For example, she introduces the concepts of more and less and compares size while children make play dough buns. Children have regular opportunities to develop their physical skills indoors and outdoors. The well-resourced garden provides opportunities to develop balance, coordination and strength. The mud

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

kitchen supports fine-motor control as children use spoons, sieves and jugs. Suitable outdoor clothing enables non-walking children to explore safely.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The indoor environment enables children to choose independently from accessible resources on low-level shelving. The childminder notices and builds on their interests by adding relevant materials. For example, after children observed building work on a driveway, she provided sand and small diggers, so they could recreate the experience. Following a visit to a petting farm, she extended learning through farm-animal play, songs and related picture books. The childminder uses observations to adapt experiences to children's interests and stages of development. Warm interactions, familiar routines and encouragement help children share, take turns, persevere and develop a positive 'can-do' attitude.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder promotes an inclusive culture and responds to children's individual needs, including those of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), disadvantaged children and those who face barriers to learning. She monitors children's development regularly and shares information with parents. Detailed progress checks at age 2 years consider communication and language, personal, social and emotional development, and physical development. This helps her to identify emerging needs and take timely action to reduce barriers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder draws on relevant experience of supporting children known to children's social care and children with SEND. She has worked constructively with parents and carers, social workers and other professionals to seek advice and coordinate support. She understands that children's experiences and home circumstances can affect their development and wellbeing. She has accurately identified the need to strengthen her knowledge of SEND so that she can assess emerging needs and make appropriate adaptations with greater confidence.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses early years pupil premium funding purposefully to broaden children's experiences beyond the home. Visits to the library, local playgroups, singing sessions and a petting farm give children opportunities to socialise, develop their communication and language, and build an early interest in books. These experiences complement the childminder's focus on reducing barriers and supporting children's progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is committed to providing appropriate education and care for all children, including those who face barriers to learning. She understands the setting's strengths and identifies appropriate priorities for improvement. She is developing the outdoor provision to extend children's physical and exploratory experiences. Professional learning is current and relevant. Training in speech and language has strengthened her approach to assessing emerging needs. She recognises that her knowledge of special educational needs and disabilities requires further development and has made this a clear priority.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder develops positive relationships with parents. She collects relevant information about individual children's needs and offers settling-in sessions to ease transitions. The childminder maintains regular 2-way communication with parents through daily discussions, photos, observations and progress information. She completes the progress check at age 2 years and shares children's next steps so that learning can be supported at home. A termly newsletter provides parents with information about planned activities and trips, both in the setting and within the wider community. The childminder includes information about core books and seasonal themes, so that parents can share in children's experiences. She also provides useful guidance about local priorities and care routines, including oral health, weaning and toilet training. Funding is used appropriately to meet individual needs and broaden children's learning experiences.

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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 experience a safe, welcoming and well-organised setting where they are known as individuals and form secure relationships with the childminder. Familiar routines and sensitive care help them settle, feel valued and confidently seek reassurance when needed.

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

Children develop useful knowledge and skills through purposeful play and everyday experiences. The childminder models language, repeats and extends children's words, shares songs and core books, and introduces mathematical vocabulary naturally. Accessible indoor resources and a well-resourced garden allow children to make choices, follow their

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About this setting

Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR interests and develop their physical skills. Children are encouraged to persevere, share, take turns and increasingly manage tasks for themselves, such as washing their hands, putting on shoes and serving food.

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About this setting

Children's individual routines for sleeping, feeding and personal care are respected. They receive nutritious food, frequent outdoor experiences and support to understand healthy routines, including dental care. Assessment information and regular communication with parents help the childminder identify children's next steps. Additional funding is used to broaden disadvantaged children's experiences through community groups, library visits and outings. Overall, children achieve, belong and thrive, although the childminder is continuing to strengthen her knowledge of special educational needs to ensure that she is prepared to met the needs of all children.

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Next steps

The childminder should continue to evaluate the provision, identifying and implementing improvements that respond to children's needs and further extend their learning experiences.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder 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. Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 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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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

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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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