Black, Mrs Leighanne Patricia

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2801515 Registered with Ofsted: 10/10/2024 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

All children make steady, secure progress from their starting points. Where the childminder identifies areas in which children need additional support, they make rapid progress. Babies quickly adjust to the environment and show a keen interest in what others are doing. They benefit from close, responsive care that helps them to develop confidence, build relationships and acquire new skills. For example, babies eagerly pull themselves up on strategically placed furniture with growing coordination as they prepare to take their first steps. Toddlers and older children build skills quickly. They enjoy listening to stories and readily choose books to share with the childminder. They learn about the structure of books, and expand their vocabulary when copying words that the childminder clearly and skilfully models. Carefully planned experiences help children to develop balance, coordination and strength. Any early physical delays are reduced, and children catch up quickly in their

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Achievement Strong standard

Children who face barriers to their learning benefit from a bespoke curriculum that meets their needs precisely. Those who need support with their communication and language make steady progress and become increasingly articulate. All children, regardless of age, ability or circumstance, build learning securely and are very well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has high aspirations for children to grow into polite, kind and considerate individuals, and this is reflected throughout her curriculum and daily practice. She shares these expectations with parents so that children experience consistent guidance at home and in the setting. The childminder models positive interactions, respect and consideration for others, and children mirror this. Older children, for example, encourage babies as they crawl, saying, 'Come on, you can do it!' Children behave remarkably well and play harmoniously alongside one another as they grow and develop together. Gentle reminders, calm guidance and consistent praise help children to understand expectations and build empathy in ways that are highly appropriate for their age and stage of development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are eager learners who are curious and keen to explore. They show remarkable concentration and resilience even at a young age. For example, they persevere with trying to connect construction pieces, and eventually glow with pride when they succeed. Familiar cues, such as a tidy-up song, help children to understand routines and know what to expect. They readily help to clear the room, showing a growing sense of responsibility and an eagerness to help others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder works closely with parents to emphasise the importance of regular attendance so that children benefit fully from early learning opportunities. She adapts her provision to reduce barriers, offering flexible attendance patterns where needed while ensuring that routines and experiences remain consistent. Children feel secure because they know what will happen next. This is reflected in their settled behaviour, confident participation and deep engagement throughout the day.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has embedded a curriculum designed to help children develop essential skills, knowledge and attitudes for later learning and for life. She prioritises personal, social and emotional development so that children grow to be confident, kind and emotionally secure. She uses astute assessments to identify ambitious and well-focused aims for each individual child's learning. These aims reflect her deep understanding of early childhood development and consistently inform her teaching. The childminder's knowledge of the sequence of learning is evident in practice. She understands, for example, the importance of developing core muscles before refining smaller hand and finger movements. She uses such knowledge when planning experiences so that children's learning builds progressively. She swiftly identifies barriers to learning and plans precise ways to help children overcome them.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder makes learning enjoyable and meaningful. For example, she mindfully chooses resources that both reflect children's interests and encourage them to explore new themes, ideas and different ways to play. Story times are exciting and appealing. The childminder reads with enthusiasm and uses props and resources to make these sessions active and engaging. She supports children's communication particularly well, using every interaction to model vocabulary and language patterns matched precisely to children's ages and abilities. Mathematics is skilfully woven into everyday activities and routines to help children deepen their understanding of shape, space, measure and numbers.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder manages mixed-age and mixed-ability learning particularly well. She varies her approach skilfully so that babies, toddlers and older children can take part in activities in ways that precisely match their stage of development. These seamless adaptations mean that all children, regardless of their age or barriers to learning, remain involved and enjoy shared learning experiences.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has a deep commitment to ensuring that every child, regardless of background, need, or circumstance, has the best possible opportunity to thrive. Inclusive practice is fully embedded and underpins all aspects of her work. The childminder's experience, combined with ongoing professional development, gives her expert knowledge in identifying and supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to learning. She is highly vigilant to even the smallest delay or concern in children's development, and acts swiftly to assess needs and reduce barriers. She works closely with parents to secure precise support for children who need it at the earliest opportunity. Her well-established partnerships with a wide range of professionals ensure that children benefit from coordinated, tailored and timely intervention, including those who are disadvantaged or known to social care.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder consistently and skilfully adapts her routines, activities and interactions with precision so that all children can participate successfully. She differentiates her approach so that children of different ages, abilities and learning preferences remain engaged, happy and settled. This means that younger children can take part confidently alongside older friends. Children who prefer quieter play and those who enjoy more active or social experiences receive the same high-quality support from the childminder. She consistently uses Makaton

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Expected standard

signs, objects and visual cues to support children who find communication difficult. This enables them to express their needs, join in with routines and be completely involved in the flow of the day.

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Expected standard

The childminder is acutely aware of factors that may affect children's wellbeing and participation, such as tiredness or unsettled nights, and adjusts her practice sensitively. As a result, children remain comfortable, settled and fully included throughout the day.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Since registration, the childminder has continued to develop her expertise in early years care and education, and this is reflected in the high-quality experiences that she provides for children. She leads her provision with clarity and purpose, and her decisions consistently place each child's needs at the centre of her practice. Some minor aspects of provision, around promoting children's health, need to be embedded more consistently. However, she has already begun to consider practical ways to address these areas, which are few and do not detract from the wholly positive impact that her care has on children's welfare, learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Inclusion runs through every aspect of the childminder's work. She thinks carefully about each child's needs and circumstances, and commits fully to providing the best care and education possible. She thoroughly enjoys her role, taking genuine pride and pleasure in the care she provides. She manages her workload thoughtfully. For example, she is mindful of the number of children that she cares for in order to enable herself to maintain the high level of attention she gives to her provision and to continue to enjoy her role fully. She reflects regularly on her practice, scrutinising routines, teaching and care, striving towards sustained and transformational practice. Her skilful leadership, determination and reflective approach give her strong capacity to achieve this.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder works closely with other childminders and engages with the local community. These partnerships broaden children's experiences and help them to make sense of their place in the world while developing social confidence. Partnerships with parents are well established from the outset, often beginning with home visits and frequent discussions about children's progress. The childminder helps parents to understand the importance of early learning and shares specific aims so that they can support this further at home. She provides resources for children to use away from the setting, which help to accelerate their progress. When concerns arise about learning or wellbeing, the childminder seeks advice from professionals promptly to ensure that children receive the right help at the right time.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder is highly alert to anything that might affect a child's safety or comfort and puts long-standing, embedded procedures into practice every day. She thinks carefully about where children sit when eating, and supervises them closely throughout mealtimes. She plans sleeping arrangements stringently so that children rest safely, carrying out regular checks and using clear routines that help them to settle. She also shares safety guidance with parents, extending her influence on children's welfare beyond the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder pays close attention to children and knows them extremely well. She identifies emerging care needs quickly and, overall, meets children's all-round needs with precision. She considers children's experiences and circumstances carefully, and these shape the care she provides, including her sharp sensitivity to anything that might impact on a child's day, such as if they have not rested well at home or are new to the setting. The childminder works closely with parents to meet children's needs. For example, she mirrors home arrangements when children are weaning, and holds detailed discussions to ensure that she manages any emerging dietary needs or allergies safely.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder paces mealtimes so that children have time to develop independence in feeding themselves and, later, in using cutlery. She uses these routines to build children's social skills and create warm opportunities for them to enjoy being with friends. She works with parents to encourage healthy and balanced lunch boxes, although this is in its early stages and is not yet having the intended impact. The childminder is exploring new meal arrangements so that children have more opportunities to make healthy, informed choices.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder ensures that children spend plenty of time outdoors and plans physically challenging experiences, such as dance sessions and obstacle courses, to support their physical wellbeing. She promotes oral health well by encouraging families to register with a dentist and helping children to learn about keeping their teeth clean. Occasionally, the childminder overlooks ways to deepen children's understanding of good hygiene habits. For example, she does not consistently teach children about the importance of handwashing at key times during the day.

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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 this warm and welcoming setting where every effort is made to ensure that they belong. Babies who are new to the setting develop attachments to the childminder very quickly, seeking her out confidently, safe in the knowledge that she is on hand to reassure them. Older children check in with her frequently, showing how much they enjoy her company as they beam with wide smiles when she joins their play and learning. Children clearly enjoy their time here, and are completely at ease and feel safe in the childminder's care.

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

Inclusion is a consistent thread throughout every part of this provision. All children work steadily through a curriculum that is flexible and responsive to their individual needs. They build skills and make links in their learning. Regardless of their starting points or circumstances, they benefit from teaching that meets them where they are in their learning, and barriers are consistently reduced or overcome. Children develop a genuine love of learning. For example, they get excited when they find a squirrel toy from a story they have heard, and eagerly show their friends the other animals they can find. Toddlers enjoy exploring pine cones, sticks and other finds from foraging, developing their understanding of the natural world through their senses. All children build a secure foundation of skills and knowledge that prepares them very well for the future. There is a clear focus on social and emotional development, which has a significant impact on children's behaviour and their

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

attitudes to learning. They show kindness and concern for others, and develop early friendships. They learn to share and take turns, even with their favourite toys.

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

Parents feel very involved in their children's early learning. They are grateful for the 'thoughtful and meticulous care' that their children receive, where 'every milestone is measured', and they value the childminder's excellent communication. Children attend well. Those with unusual patterns of attendance do not miss out on important routines or experiences because the childminder plans carefully to make sure all children have consistent care and access to the same opportunities. Overall, children benefit from

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:00 - 19:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection. thoughtful, heartfelt care and meaningful learning experiences that give them a secure start to learning and life.

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen how she teaches children about good hygiene so that they develop a deep understanding of its importance and begin to practise healthy habits confidently.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children 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. This data is from 10 September 2026

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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. 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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