Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2837123 Registered with Ofsted: 20/06/2025 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 Expected standard

Children make secure progress from their starting points across the areas of learning. They develop communication, physical, mathematical and early literacy skills that reflect their ages and stages. Children listen to stories, recall familiar information and use language to describe their ideas. Their emerging literacy includes recognising the initial letters of familiar names. They show curiosity about the world and make links between what they observe and previous experiences.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children increasingly apply what they know during play and everyday routines. They make choices, follow instructions and manage practical tasks with growing confidence. Older children develop the independence they need for preschool, including managing clothing and personal care routines. Younger children build early communication, number and self- care skills. Assessment information shows children build on prior knowledge over time and indicates that those receiving additional support make progress from their starting points. Children develop the age-appropriate knowledge, skills and confidence they need to progress to their next stage of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder establishes calm, predictable routines that help children understand what happens. Adults speak warmly to children, give clear guidance and recognise their efforts. Children are relaxed with the adults who care for them and move calmly between play, group activities, stories and mealtimes. These familiar routines help children feel secure and understand what adults expect of them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children generally show positive attitudes towards learning. They settle alongside their peers, listen to adults and show interest in activities. While a peer finishes eating, the other children wait and listen to a story read by the assistant. They remain calm and allow their peer time to finish. This demonstrates their familiarity with the routine and developing consideration for others. The childminder maintains clear expectations while responding sensitively when children need reassurance. This helps children feel included while maintaining consistent boundaries across the group.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder sets expectations that reflect children's ages and stages of development. Parents and/or carers describe a helpful balance between reassurance and clear boundaries. The childminder records attendance and monitors absences for emerging patterns. Parents routinely inform her when their children will not attend. She follows up unexplained absence promptly so that she can establish the reason. As a result, children benefit from consistent expectations, positive relationships and established routines that support their readiness for their next stage.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder prioritises children's emotional and physical wellbeing. She gathers information from parents and/or carers about care routines, preferences and needs. She reviews this information with parents and her assistant so that care remains consistent and responsive. Adults know children well, speak warmly to them and offer reassurance when needed. Children appear happy and relaxed. These relationships help children feel valued and emotionally secure.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supports children to recognise their feelings and develop confidence in managing their personal needs. Children use emotion stones and a mirror to copy and recognise facial expressions. This helps them connect emotions with how people look and feel. The childminder works with parents to provide a consistent approach to toilet learning and other care routines. She offers help without taking over tasks that children can manage, supporting their dignity and growing independence.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Mealtimes are calm and sociable. The childminder asks whether children want to continue eating or have finished and respects their responses. Parents value her approach to encouraging children to try foods without pressure. However, conversations during snack focus mainly on whether children enjoy their food. Adults do not yet routinely discuss balanced choices or explain how foods support children's bodies. Consequently, daily routines do not consistently deepen children's understanding of healthy lifestyles or help them begin making informed choices about their physical health.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder places communication, independence and confidence at the heart of her curriculum to prepare children for their next stage. She uses children's starting points to map learning across the areas of learning each term and identify what each child needs to learn next. The childminder draws on experiences from home to make learning meaningful. For example, she uses a family photograph book to encourage conversation about family members and a preschool visit.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder generally teaches effectively through play, stories and daily routines. She asks questions, introduces vocabulary and encourages children to connect ideas with their experiences. During snack, she adapts mathematical questions to children's stages of development. She challenges some children to count pieces of banana and supports children at an earlier stage by asking them to identify two pieces. This shows how her mathematics training strengthens her subject knowledge and influences her teaching. Observations and discussions with parents and/or carers help her plan learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children generally engage positively and respond well to the childminder's teaching. However, at times, group discussions centre on children who respond readily. Younger and quieter children sometimes watch rather than contribute. Consequently, the childminder does not always establish what these children know or extend their communication as purposefully. This means quieter children do not consistently benefit from the same focused interactions as those who readily participate.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder identifies children's individual needs before they start. She gathers information from parents and/or carers about routines, interests, development, home languages and family circumstances. The childminder uses observations, termly planning and discussions with families to identify needs and assess children's progress. When concerns arise, she encourages families to seek appropriate advice. This supports the timely identification of emerging special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder reinforces communication strategies by modelling words clearly, using visual prompts and speaking face to face. Parents describe the positive impact of this support on children's communication.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder typically uses her knowledge of children's circumstances to reduce barriers to participation and development. She directs early years pupil premium funding towards resources and experiences that children may not receive at home. For example, children without access to a garden benefit from outdoor play and exploration. She gives children who need reassurance time to observe before joining group activities. Assessment information helps her monitor the progress of children receiving additional support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder helps children recognise and value difference. Books reflect home languages, different skin colours, varied family structures and individual differences. She promotes children's home languages and explains their importance to families. This helps children see their identities and family experiences reflected in the provision, develop confidence in who they are and understand that everyone belongs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a vision for a creative, nurturing provision that develops children's independence and confidence. She evaluates practice with her assistants, reflecting on activities, children's progress and priorities. Her previous focus on sustained shared thinking is beginning to improve how she extends children's ideas during conversations. She now prioritises strengthening how she incorporates mathematics throughout the curriculum. This self-evaluation maintains a clear focus on improvement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands her accountability and maintains oversight when assistants work with children. They complete training together, discuss their learning and share feedback about practice. This supports consistent approaches across the provision. The childminder values the support within the team, which helps them manage their responsibilities, workload and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Professional learning generally strengthens the childminder's expertise. Training about school readiness and toileting develops her understanding of children's physical development, including factors that may affect toilet training. She shares this knowledge with assistants and identifies further professional development linked to the provision's priorities. Parents and/or carers contribute information about children's progress through conversations and messages and receive written reports. They describe the childminder as approachable and well informed. The childminder maintains constructive links with the local preschool and shares information and handover documents. This partnership promotes continuity when children attend more than one setting or move to their next stage.

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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 feel happy, settled and secure in this welcoming and familiar environment. They form trusting relationships with the childminder and her assistant and seek their support when needed. Families share information that helps adults follow children's familiar routines from the outset. This consistency helps children settle confidently and develop a secure sense of belonging. They learn alongside their peers through stories, play and shared activities. Children independently choose from accessible books and make decisions throughout the day. This supports their growing confidence and independence.

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Inspector:

Holly Smith Children enjoy learning as adults connect new ideas with familiar experiences. As they discuss autumn, children look into the garden, notice falling leaves and compare the colours with their hair. When sharing a story, they listen attentively and copy the movements of penguins, giraffes, monkeys and seals. Adults generally provide experiences suited to children's ages and stages. Everyday routines reinforce learning and help children develop useful skills. Children help prepare chairs for snack time, cut and count pieces of banana and return drinks to the trolley when finished. They make secure progress from their starting points. Parents and/or carers describe improvements in children's communication, confidence and self-care.

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Inspector:

Children see their identities and family experiences reflected in the provision. Dual-language books represent languages they hear at home. Stories portray different skin colours, family structures and individual differences. This helps children understand that everyone belongs. Additional funding broadens experiences for children who face barriers. This includes outdoor play for those without access to a garden at home. Children behave well, respond positively to calm guidance and participate in group routines. The childminder monitors attendance and follows up unexplained absences. Close relationships between families, the childminder and the local preschool provide continuity in children's care and learning. Consequently, children feel valued and included. They develop the confidence and skills they need for their next stage.

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Next steps

The childminder should adapt teaching and interactions so that children who are quieter in group situations consistently receive support to communicate and demonstrate their learning. The childminder should develop children's understanding of healthy lifestyles through purposeful conversations about balanced food choices and how different foods support their bodies.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistants, parents 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.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,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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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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