Boyd, Rebecca May

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2843212 Registered with Ofsted: 30/06/2025 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 Strong standard

Children achieve extremely well across all areas of learning and development. They are confident, curious learners who show resilience and independence throughout daily routines. For example, children take responsibility for some of their self-care, wiping their hands during walks and washing their hands in the setting. They are eager to help in putting their rubbish away, pouring their own drinks from jugs and helping to make their beds ready for nap times. This builds on children's personal and physical development.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children make excellent progress in their communication and language. They confidently express their needs and chat about their activities with the childminder and each other. They label objects, colours and shapes in their environment and build vocabulary through rich sensory experiences. For example, children use and repeat descriptive words such as 'hard' and 'spiky' when exploring the outdoor environment. All children, including those with barriers to their learning and wellbeing, develop the essential knowledge and skills required for their age and stage. This prepares them very well for their future learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder creates a warm, calm and respectful atmosphere where children feel safe and learn to manage their feelings. She knows children incredibly well and sets clear expectations that suit their different stages of development and individual needs, including those with barriers to their learning or wellbeing. She explains her expectations in simple, age-appropriate ways that children can understand. For example, she talks about why it is important to be kind to each other and gentle with her pet cats. She helps children notice how their actions make others feel. This supports children's developing empathy and strengthens their social skills. Children respond with kindness and respect. They listen, share and learn to take turns. They use polite words, such as 'please' and 'thank you', throughout the day.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children show excellent attitudes to learning. They are curious and delight in exploring the world around them. They show independence, joining in with well-known, carefully planned routines with confidence. When they find activities difficult, such as putting on shoes or lids on play cups, the childminder uses warm encouragement and clear praise to support them to keep on trying. This builds children's resilience wonderfully well.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Attendance is monitored closely. The childminder keeps records of any unexplained patterns. She works with families with care and flexibility to support children's regular attendance. This helps all children settle well so they can benefit from the consistent routines and range of experiences provided.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder knows children, including those who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing, extremely well and creates an environment where they feel safe, valued and emotionally secure. She builds nurturing relationships with children with lots of warm and supportive interactions throughout the day, helping children to build trust and confidence. For example, she comforts children when they fall, checks they are unharmed and chats with them kindly. This helps children to manage their emotions and feel safe. As a result, children seek her out to share discoveries, smile, laugh and engage in meaningful interactions with her.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's individual needs are supported sensitively. For example, the childminder ensures routines, such as nap times and mealtimes, support children's individual needs. She works with parents and carers to create and use language word cards and familiar phrases in children's home languages. This supports children's wellbeing by strengthening home– setting links and creating a sense of belonging.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Healthy routines and active lifestyles are promoted very well. For example, children enjoy nutritious home-cooked meals, and the childminder promotes healthy packed lunches, offering guidance when needed. The childminder regularly cooks with the children, using fruits they have picked to make foods they can enjoy and take home. Regular outings and indoor activities, such as dancing and yoga, help children to be active and support them to feel calm and settled throughout the day. The childminder talks about crossing the road safely and uses simple songs to support children's understanding of staying safe near roads. Children learn about the importance of good oral hygiene with engaging activities, such as brushing dinosaur teeth.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has a secure understanding of the early years foundation stage and how children learn. She designs an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that supports children to make progress. She knows children incredibly well and uses assessment effectively to identify their interests, monitor their progress and plan meaningful next steps. Her teaching is inclusive and responsive to children's individual needs, including those with barriers to their learning or wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children benefit from experiences that build successfully on what they already know and can do. For example, they use chunky crayons to make leaf rubbings, and they mould and shape play dough. This strengthens their developing fine motor skills. Regular outings, such as visits to woodland, parks, national trust sites and museums, give children plenty of opportunities to build on their gross motor skills, as well as making connections with the world around them.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder places a clear emphasis on developing children's communication and language. Her high-quality interactions consistently support children's vocabulary, thinking and understanding. She skilfully narrates children's play, introduces new words, asks questions and builds on children's ideas. For example, when children spot a squirrel, she extends their language, introducing words such as 'long, fluffy tail' and talking about what squirrels eat.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is highly effective because the childminder uses every opportunity to support children's learning and development. She weaves mathematical language and concepts throughout the day, such as supporting children to count and discussing the shape of autumn objects they have found. She uses songs, rhymes and stories during all routines, including when children's care needs are being met and at mealtimes. This strengthens children's communication and early literacy skills.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder actively works to improve her offer to create a more inclusive setting. For example, she has recently undertaken training to further develop her knowledge of supporting children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This means she has a secure understanding of the support available from external agencies and professionals. This helps the childminder to identify children's needs quickly, work effectively with families and ensure parents and carers can access appropriate support at the earliest opportunity. Additionally, she has recently applied for and been granted additional funding for a space to support children, including those with barriers to their wellbeing, to feel calm and settled throughout the day.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder uses thorough observations and ongoing communication with parents to identify children's needs at an early stage. She acts quickly to successfully adapt her practice to meet children's individual needs. The childminder understands the importance of working in partnership with parents and outside professionals, such as health visitors and local authority support services. This helps the childminder to develop tailored strategies that meet each child's unique needs.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder uses funding effectively to support disadvantaged children, working closely with parents and using her own observations to provide experiences and resources that meet children's individual needs and interests. She reviews support or use of funding to ensure that it is making a positive difference to children's learning, development and overall wellbeing. This supports all children to make excellent progress and fully access the learning opportunities available.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has an ambitious and inclusive vision for her setting. She has a secure understanding of her strengths and takes highly effective action to improve her offer. For example, she has recently updated her training to improve her knowledge of identifying and supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This strengthens her expertise and ensures all children receive tailored care that matches their individual needs. She has also secured additional funding to support children's wellbeing and is developing a calming sensory garden as part of this work.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder consistently seeks to provide experiences that are in the best interests of all children. For example, as well as regular outings, she builds links with other childminders and attends local playgroups and events. This broadens children's social experiences and deepens their understanding of their community.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

There is a culture of continuous improvement. The childminder and assistants regularly share learning from training and reflect on how to improve their practice. Staff wellbeing is prioritised through daily discussions, regular check-ins and supportive communication, for example. Partnerships with parents and carers are excellent. The childminder works closely with families to understand children's routines, needs and experiences at home. She keeps parents well informed about children's daily learning and routines, including sleep times and meals. For instance, she shares updates at drop-off and pick-up times through an online app and regular messages. The childminder also supports home learning, encouraging activities such as collecting 'autumn treasures' to talk about together. This strengthens links between home and the setting and deepens children's communication and understanding of the world.

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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 the childminder's kind and responsive care and benefit from positive and trusting relationships that help them to feel happy and safe. For example, they enjoy interacting with the childminder as they smile with her, sharing their experiences and discoveries, such as finding 'autumn treasures' on their walk through the woods.

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

Children show curiosity as they explore leaves, chestnuts and pine needles. They repeat back new words modelled by the childminder, such as 'prickly' and 'crunchy', and use mathematical language such as 'big' and 'small' when comparing leaves. This supports children's communication and language, mathematical understanding and knowledge of the world. Children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills through regular outings, including woodland walks, visits to parks and trips to local places of interest. They strengthen their fine motor skills, using tongs and scoops to explore rice and lentils and manipulate play dough, for instance.

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

There is a sense of belonging as children enjoy familiar routines, such as gathering for singing times and stopping in their usual woodland snack spot. Children develop positive social skills. They learn to share resources, take turns and play kindly with each other, with gentle encouragement from the childminder. They strengthen their independence and confidence throughout the day. For instance, they help tidy away resources, put on and take off their shoes before going out and help to prepare their beds before nap time. These skills prepare children wonderfully well for the next stage in their learning.

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

Children's families are welcomed and valued. Children, including those who may face barriers to their learning or wellbeing, benefit from the childminder promoting the importance of regular attendance, routines and consistency. This supports children to settle quickly and feel secure.

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Next steps

The childminder should continue strengthening her effective work to remove barriers for children who need extra help, creating a transformational impact on all children's achievement and wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children and took account of parents' views 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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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 17:30

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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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Our grades explained

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

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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