Cabey, Rachael Mary

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2863577 Registered with Ofsted: 13/11/2025 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 appropriate progress for their age and stage of development. Their language skills are developing very well. Children rapidly learn new words and use them in their play, further developing their speaking skills. They are becoming very effective communicators. Children are involved in rich conversations throughout the day. They enjoy making up stories with the childminder, such as about a visit to the beach. Children recall their previous knowledge and talk about what they might find, such as shells.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop important self-care skills. Even very young children attempt to pull off their own boots and suits after outdoor play. They very competently feed themselves at lunchtime. Older children wash their hands independently and learn to attend to their toileting needs.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children overall show engagement during adult-led activities. They are very confident, and are willing to have a go and try different activities. For instance, younger children concentrate when they use beaters to make sounds on a xylophone. These skills prepare children well for the next stage in their learning, including nursery or school. However, during free play, children are sometimes less focused and move on to new resources quickly due to the organisation of resources. At these times, children do not develop their learning as consistently.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Overall, children behave very well in this setting. The benefit from the childminder giving them lots of praise and encouragement. Children show pride in their achievements. For instance, they clap for themselves after successfully singing familiar nursery rhymes. The childminder works with parents and carers to support children's behaviour. She ensures that they both use consistent strategies to help children to manage their emotions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children benefit from predictable routines throughout the day. The childminder makes sure that children know what to expect. For instance, she sings a familiar song at tidy-up time. This helps all children to join in. The childminder generally adapts her expectations and instructions according to the different ages of children. For instance, she gives younger children shorter instructions and smaller tasks to help them take part at tidy-up time. However, on occasions, some younger children lose interest and are not consistently engaged in adult-led activities due to the childminder not adapting them to children's stages of development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder monitors and keeps a record of children's attendance. She makes sure to follow up if children do not attend when they are supposed to. The childminder supports children to attend regularly when there are barriers to their attendance. For instance, she takes children home at the end of the day to support parents.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder promotes healthy lifestyles. She provides home-cooked and nutritious meals, which children thoroughly enjoy. Children enjoy nutritious snacks, which include lots of fruit and vegetables. The childminder supervises children carefully as they eat. Older children understand the importance of washing their hands before they eat. The childminder models positive manners when children eat, which children copy. Children learn about the importance of oral hygiene and looking after their teeth.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder generally encourages positive hygiene practices. She supports children to wash their hands independently and use the bathroom appropriately. This helps children to develop important self-care skills. The childminder works with parents and carers to ensure consistency between home and her setting, such as around potty training and the use of dummies.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Overall, children develop effective independence skills. However, the childminder does not organise some resources to encourage younger children to self-select and lead their own play more effectively. For instance, some resources are presented mixed up in large bags. This makes it more difficult for children to choose what to play with and make independent choices.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides caring and responsive support. Children develop secure relationships with her. They confidently seek help, reassurance and comfort when needed. Children demonstrate their affection for the childminder, such as when they cuddle into her at story time.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder finds out about children's interests and reflects these in her plans for activities and the curriculum. She observes children so that she can overall plan her curriculum around their stages of development and the areas of learning. Generally, she focuses her teaching on what children already know and can do, to help them make progress. However, the childminder does not take account of children's next steps precisely enough when teaching during some adult-led planned activities. For instance, she reads a book about visiting the dentist to all children, which is too complicated for the younger children. This means that not all children consistently benefit from teaching that is targeted towards their individual needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children have regular opportunities to strengthen their physical development. The childminder supports children to develop new skills. For example, children practise different actions while singing nursery rhymes with their friends. The childminder plans lots of activities for children to develop their fine motor skills. For instance, older children use chunky pens to make marks. Younger children practise their coordination as they carefully pour water between different containers and buckets.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports children's language skills, extends their vocabulary and engages in constant conversations with children. Overall, the childminder is an effective storyteller. She pauses and asks effective questions to encourage children to join in with phrases or practise their language. This helps children to develop a love of books. They freely access them during their play, and sit and read independently.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder develops children's mathematical skills as they play. For instance, children receive encouragement to recognise colours and shapes when playing in the water. The childminder encourages children to count and develop an awareness of number. Younger children confidently begin to use mathematical language. For instance, they ask for 'one more' yoghurt at lunchtime.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder observes children closely and assesses their development to identify where they may need additional support. Although she is not currently caring for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), she knows how to work in partnership with other professionals to support children's individual needs. For example, the childminder understands how to work with health visitors and make referrals to speech and language therapists if children need further help.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has plans to complete training to build her knowledge of meeting the individual needs of any children with SEND who may attend her setting in the future. She has developed her understanding of how to support families in accessing additional funding, such as early years pupil premium funding. The childminder understands how to use this to help target gaps in children's development or experiences, such as by purchasing additional resources or planning further visits.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder discusses how she would make some adaptations for children with SEND. For instance, she explains how she would use strategies such as visual aids and adapt her language. The childminder describes how she would support children who speak English as an additional language. For example, she would learn some words and phrases in children's home languages. However, the childminder does not adapt some activities precisely or organise resources to meet all children's ages and stages of development. This does not ensure that children are fully included in all activities.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is committed to her role of providing high-quality care for children and families. She has an awareness of the setting's strengths and areas of improvement. The childminder is very receptive to suggestions of ways to enhance her practice further. She reviews her teaching regularly to ensure it continues to improve for children. For instance, the childminder has developed her routine throughout the day to improve how it flows for children. She has kept all statutory training and knowledge up to date since registering. For instance, the childminder has researched the guidelines around safer sleep. However, the childminder has not focused her professional development on enhancing her teaching and children's learning further.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder shares lots of information with parents and carers about their children's learning and wellbeing. She sends home daily dairies with information about what children have learned and eaten, their care needs and activities they have taken part in during the day. The childminder also sends home photos throughout the day of children's achievements. She shares children's next steps in learning with parents and provides ideas for supporting children's learning at home.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Comments from parents are extremely positive. They comment that communication is excellent. Parents express that their children thrive in this setting, especially in their confidence and communication skills. They appreciate the close relationships that they build with the childminder and how she helps to prepare them for nursery or school. However, the childminder has not yet formed partnerships with other settings that the children attend. This means that she does not share information about children's learning and care needs. This does not support continuity in children's learning or transitions when they move on.

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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 are very confident, happy and settled in this setting. They have lovely relationships with the childminder, who is warm, kind and caring. Children thrive and thoroughly enjoy the time they spend in the childminder's care. There are lots of smiles and giggles as children play. Children play harmoniously together, share toys and take turns during activities. They benefit from the childminder giving them lots of choices and respecting their views. Children know that their opinions are important. For instance, they choose the colours of their plates at lunchtime and which flavour of yoghurt they would like.

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

Children show enjoyment during activities, especially when they play outdoors. They have daily opportunities to play outside in the fresh air, either in the childminder's garden, at the park or when visiting nearby fields. Children practise their physical skills regularly. Younger children competently climb up the stairs of the slide under close supervision from the childminder. Children learn to move their bodies to music expressively and join in with action rhymes.

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

Children benefit from the childminder's experience with and focus on music, singing and developing their creativity throughout the curriculum. They excitedly join in with musical activities. Even very young children recognise the names of different musical instruments, such as 'claves' and 'xylophones'. Children join in singing and playing musical instruments with enthusiasm and glee. They practise singing and playing 'fast' and 'slow', and 'loudly' and 'quietly'. This helps children to control their movements, understand rhythm and speed and develop their listening skills.

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

Children are closely supervised when they play. They receive regular reminders of how to keep themselves safe. For instance, the childminder reminds them not to put small toys in their mouths and teaches them to climb up the slide the correct way. Children learn about the world around them, nature, and diversity in the wider world. They play with resources and read books that reflect the differences between people.

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Next steps

The childminder should plan and adapt her teaching, activities and the environment to take account of children's individual stages of development and next steps in learning more precisely. The childminder should focus professional development on enhancing her teaching and the curriculum further, including around supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder should build partnerships with other settings to share information about children's learning, to support transitions and continuity in their learning.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Thursday,Friday : 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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke to the childminder and children during the inspection, and considered parents' and carers' written views.

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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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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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