Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2805001 Registered with Ofsted: 15/10/2024 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

p.1

Safeguarding standards not met

Leaders have not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that adequately protects children from harm.

p.2

Safeguarding standards not met

The childminder has not followed expected procedures to ensure all household members are known to Ofsted. This means that some household members' suitability has not been checked and verified by Ofsted as required, to ensure they are suitable to have contact with children. This is a breach of statutory requirements. The childminder has not ensured she has relevant policies and procedures to identify and minimise any potential risks to children from having contact with household members whose suitability has not been assessed and confirmed by Ofsted.

p.2

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.2

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.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Overall, children benefit from a well-planned curriculum that supports their skills and development for future learning. Children develop their language skills securely, they learn to use longer sentences and are able to explain their ideas. They recognise letters significant to them, such as the initial letter of their name. Children develop a love of books, develop confidence in their communication skills and develop clear pronunciation of words. Children are comfortable to ask for what they want and to say how they feel. For example, they choose their own sun hat from the box.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Typically, children learn how to do some things for themselves and begin to develop independence. They know their bottle needs to be refilled when empty. Children learn the practical skills that they need to make progress. For example, they learn to put their own coats on, recognise their name and develop strength in fine and gross motor skills. They build confidence for the next stage of their learning, including starting nursery and school.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Children are happy, confident and engage in a range of play experiences. Children explore and are creative. For example, they paint papier mâché turtles, choosing and mixing colours. Children use the 'under-the-sea' magnets, developing fine motor skills to carefully use their fishing rod to attach to the wooden crab. They develop their mathematical understanding, learning to identify when a number is missing when putting numbers in order.

p.2

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has established a positive environment for learning. Children show kindness and grow in confidence. The childminder recognises the best way to support individual children, and moves alongside them to co-regulate when needed. For example, children who are overwhelmed at times are supported to understand and work through their feelings. Children benefit through this tailored support, and their skills in sharing resources and managing change develop. The childminder then helps them understand how their actions affect others. The childminder works with families to share consistent expectations for behaviour. For example, the childminder shares that using a timer can support concentration on a task or turn taking. This advice benefits the families at home.

p.3

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are curious and engage with purpose. For example, they are encouraged to independently collect a cup for the water play. Children use the water cooler and persevere with the tap, even when they find it tricky. Relationships between the childminder and children are warm and nurturing. Children demonstrate trust and confidence in seeking reassurance and support, which helps them feel safe and secure.

p.3

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder actively promotes attendance and punctuality, reinforcing the importance of consistent routines ahead of the transition to school. The childminder works with parents to support children's regular attendance. This helps to ensure that children benefit from the full curriculum.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder generally assesses children's development accurately. Typically, she finds out what children can do from parents and carers before they start with her and observes children regularly. The childminder designs a curriculum which considers children's individual needs and interests. The childminder weaves areas of learning into activities she knows children will enjoy.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder interacts frequently with children. These interactions are of high quality and help build trusting, respectful relationships. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive interventions. For example, the childminder works on speech sounds to promote communication and language skills. She uses extra funding to purchase resources designed to develop communication skills, such as picture cards. Children use them to ask for help or share what is wrong.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, the childminder focuses on children developing important skills to provide a solid foundation for their learning and development. The childminder typically teaches children about mathematics well. For example, she encourages children to recognise and match numbers. Children use shapes from the lightbox resources to create animals, identifying that the triangle looks like a turtle's flipper. The childminder prioritises children's physical skills. For example, she encourages children to build the confidence to climb, balance and run through different activities, such as visits to local outdoor facilities.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder typically teaches children skills for their future learning. Children build on their vocabulary, identify colours and learn to care for living things, such as tortoises and

p.3

Needs attention

tomato plants. For example, the childminder describes the differences between the shells of tortoises and turtles and chooses books to support children's further learning.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder is secure in identifying barriers that children experience. She knows these can impact children's learning and progress. The childminder is generally quick to identify emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). She is skilled in working out how to help. The childminder is confident to talk to parents and share her professional knowledge. For example, she identifies that bottle and dummy use can impact on speech development and talks to parents. This makes a difference to the families that she supports. The childminder is generally proactive when working with other agencies to support all children. She reaches out for support to plan adaptations to her teaching to ensure all children make progress. For example, she suggests eye tests and researches how to support children with a physical developmental delay.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder knows all children and can assess and monitor their progress very well. This helps her to identify what children need to learn next. The childminder's targeted support typically helps children with SEND to thrive and grow in independence and confidence. Overall, children are happy and feel safe in the care of this childminder.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder's knowledge of barriers to individual children's learning helps her to plan learning activities and experiences to promote their progress. The childminder recognises that children have different experiences and levels of confidence outside. For example, children who have limited access to outdoor space enjoy trips to the woods, which supports their confidence and learning while in new environments. The childminder researches and implements speech and language plans for children who have a delay. This supports children to make progress and communicate with peers.

p.4

Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder has not identified that some household members are not known to Ofsted. These household members have not completed all required checks to verify their suitability to be in contact with children. The childminder has not implemented an effective risk assessment to help minimise any potential risks to children. This means children's safety and wellbeing cannot be assured. However, children are relaxed and happy in this setting. The childminder is calm and engages the children well, and children thrive in her care due to her knowledge. For example, she provides guidance on safer sleep and offers advice on toilet training. Families praise this advice, sharing that they would not have been confident to have a go without her support. The childminder works effectively with families to support consistency in care.

p.4

Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder supports children's wellbeing. She is responsive to their needs and quickly notices changes in their emotions. For example, she recognises when children are hungry and adapts snack and lunchtimes with a flexible approach. Children demonstrate secure

p.4

Urgent improvement

attachments to the childminder, who supports them to feel a sense of belonging when in her home.

p.5

Urgent improvement

The childminder encourages children's sense of responsibility well. For example, she praises their teamwork and efforts when they help tidy up together before snack time. The childminder supports children's emotional wellbeing, through spending time in nature. Overall, she encourages healthy habits appropriately, such as supporting children to drink regularly to keep hydrated. At times, the childminder does not extend children's awareness further, such as helping them to understand more about the importance of healthy eating.

p.5

Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder has not implemented effective safeguarding policies and procedures to keep children safe. She has not ensured Ofsted has been informed within expected timescales about all household members living at her premises. This has not ensured all household members have undertaken all the required checks by Ofsted to check and verify their suitability to have contact with children. As a result, there are breaches of requirement and children's safety and welfare is compromised. Despite these weaknesses, the childminder has ensured all of her household members have completed a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

p.5

Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder regularly reflects on her curriculum and interactions with children. She works with other childminders and early years professionals to build her knowledge. The childminder understands her responsibilities to seek help and support for any children she may have wellbeing or development concerns about. The childminder keeps her mandatory training updated, and, on occasions, selects training to meet the needs of children, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, she has researched how to support children with speech and language delays and implemented strategies that help to reduce gaps for children.

p.5

Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder works in partnership with parents and carers. For example, parents praise the support she offers during difficult family situations. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are also supported well. For example, parents praise the dedication and relationships that their children enjoy.

p.5

Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder communicates with families daily, including sharing children's learning, progress and next steps through her online app. The childminder provides parents with ideas for learning at home. For example, she shares that reading books with children will develop their attention and literacy skills. Parents comment that they feel really involved in their child's learning and development.

p.5

Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

p.6

Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.6

Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

p.6

Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

p.6

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

Children feel secure with the childminder but procedures to keep children safe are not effective. The childminder has not ensured all household members have been checked by Ofsted. Children benefit from the childminder's attentive care. They build warm and secure relationships with her. The childminder is a positive role model. She is calm and kind and encourages children to develop positive relationships. For example, the childminder typically supports children to play together such as during role play, they sell play food to each other. Children's uniqueness is valued. They receive positive praise and encouragement for their efforts and achievements. For example, the childminder praises children who work hard to squeeze the paint into the tray. Children enjoy hearing the childminder tell them how well they are doing. This praise generally supports children's ability to remain calm and builds their resilience, particularly when sharing favourite resources.

p.6

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

Children learn to be independent. For instance, they collect their shoes and water bottles before going outside. Children learn to make their own choices and select what they would like to play with. They typically explore a range of activities within themes designed with their next steps in mind. The childminder creates a sequenced curriculum that focuses on developing the foundations for future learning, including starting school. For instance, children build their confidence to interact with a wider range of adults and children at toddler groups.

p.7

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

Children benefit from outings and experiences that support their understanding of the community and world around them. For example, children enjoy weekly forest school sessions and visit the local farm and play area. Children's next steps in learning and how they like to learn are taken account of by the childminder. Children benefit from an environment which promotes their engagement securely and which provides a home-from- home experience. For example, children learn about coral reefs and look at photos of one. They make their own with play dough and pasta shapes, learning new vocabulary.

p.7

Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

p.7

Action Completion Date

ensure that any person who may have regular contact with children is suitable and all household members are checked by Ofsted 10/08/2026

p.7

Action Completion Date

ensure effective risk assessments are in place until all household members have completed the required suitability checks 10/08/2026

p.7

About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children and parents during the inspection.

p.7

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.

p.7

About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

p.8

Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

p.8

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

p.8

Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.9

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.

p.9

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.9

Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

p.9

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.

p.9

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.9

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 .

p.9

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Urgent improvement

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

p.9