Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2832252 Registered with Ofsted: 20/05/2025 Registers: EYR

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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 typically make progress across all areas of learning. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Children make clear progress in their communication and language skills. They learn new vocabulary through stories and songs and can express their ideas and needs. However, the childminder should provide more time for children to respond, to further support their thinking skills.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children begin to develop early skills in mathematics, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. They learn to share, take turns and follow routines. Children also show increasing independence, such as feeding themselves, washing their hands and choosing activities.

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Achievement Expected standard

The childminder understands how to adapt activities for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure that they can participate. Regular assessment and effective communication with parents and carers ensure children's needs are met and planned for.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder develops trusting, attentive and positive relationships with children and promotes their wellbeing effectively. She attends to children's needs swiftly and they are instantly comforted by her. Children are confident to express when they need something, and the childminder responds to them in a calm, caring manner. They have positive attitudes to learning. The childminder is sensitive to children's individual needs and helps them explain how they might be feeling by using visual prompts.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder is a positive role model for children. For example, she promotes manners by encouraging children to say 'please' and 'thank you'. The childminder helps children to understand boundaries and what is expected from them during play. For example, she encourages turn taking and discusses the importance of sharing. However, at times, the childminder is not always clear enough on what is expected next of children. For example, children are told a number of times that they are going for a sleep, however, they continue to play and engage in another activity before being put down to sleep. This does not provide children with clear and consistent expectations.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children know when they are 'thirsty' and help themselves to water. The childminder provides children with healthy snacks, where conversation and the use of manners are encouraged.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder understands the importance of regular attendance so that children benefit from all activities and routines. Any absence is quickly explored with parents and carers alongside the importance of regular attendance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has formed warm and loving bonds with the children she cares for. Children's happiness and safety are at the heart of everything she does. She understands that children need to be aware of and supported through transitions, including attendance at multiple settings. Children learn good manners, modelled sensitively by the childminder. She carefully supervises children when they are eating and has effective systems in place to regularly check children who are sleeping. This helps to keep children safe. Children learn the importance of healthy eating as they discuss healthy foods when playing in the kitchen role play area. The childminder ensures that children have lots of opportunities to participate in daily physical exercise, they play in the well-resourced garden, and run and climb in the local park.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder teaches children to become independent in their own care needs, such as washing their hands and going to the toilet. She knows children well and recognises when some children need more support than others, adapting her approach for children's age and stage of development. Age-appropriate strategies are used to help children to manage their emotions. For example, she soothes and cuddles children who are becoming tired and unsettled. Children seek out the childminder for help and reassurance when needed. They demonstrate their love and trust for the childminder, and they move about her home with confidence and ease. The childminder has strategies in place to support children who may face barriers to their learning, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans her curriculum to help all children learn through real-life experiences. For example, children learn through visits to local farms, role play centres and science museums. This helps her to provide learning experiences that cover all 7 areas of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder typically creates an environment where children develop their communication and language skills well. For example, she enthusiastically talks to children to promote interactions and narrates their play. Children hear a range of language, such as 'sprinkle' and 'scoop', as they become engrossed in playing with sand and water. However, children are not always given time to think and respond when questions are asked. This can make children feel rushed and become less confident in sharing ideas. The childminder supports their emerging mathematical understanding as she supports them to count and consider volumes as they pour and empty.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder promotes children's physical development well. She provides ample space for children to run and be physically active as they play in her garden and visit the local park. She supports children effectively as they learn to climb the steps, so they use the slide. She provides wheeled toys for children to ride and develop their coordination. The childminder promotes a love of reading by having books available for children to access themselves. Books are displayed relating to children's next steps, and children enjoy sharing stories with the childminder.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder identifies children's individual needs quickly and accurately, using her observations and close relationships with families to support this process. She signposts parents and carers to helpful information or external partners, such as health visitors, when additional support may be beneficial. The childminder reflects regularly on what is working well and what could be improved, plans next steps, puts them into practice, and reviews the impact. She can identify appropriate uses of any additional funding to support children to reduce barriers to their learning or wellbeing. The childminder works closely with other settings with shared care. Sharing observations and next steps ensure children are supported to reach their full potential.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations for all children and supports them to achieve their next steps. She works with families to help children overcome any barriers to learning or wellbeing. When specialist advice is needed, the childminder understands who to contact to gain advice and guidance. Her experience, knowledge and local partnerships have a positive impact on reducing barriers to learning and wellbeing. This reflective approach contributes to improved outcomes for all children, ensuring they feel supported, understood and able to thrive.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has developed and enhanced the provision well since registration. She keeps up-to-date with new information, such as updates from the local authority and other childminding groups. This ensures that all the requirements of the early years foundation stage statutory framework are met. The childminder has a sound knowledge of her leadership role and her responsibilities as a registered childminder. She has attended all mandatory training, which includes a paediatric first aid course and safeguarding training. She understands her duty to protect children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder ensures her service is inclusive and is committed to providing quality care and education for all children. She understands the importance of effective partnership working with parents and carers. Observations and assessments of children's learning, including the progress check at age 2, are shared with parents and those with shared care. This keeps them up-to-date with children's progress, and the childminder and parents discuss any concerns openly. This supports a consistent, coherent approach to children's care and education, which promotes children's welfare and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a clear understanding of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those that face other barriers to their learning. All children thrive in the childminder's care. However, the childminder does not always give clear instructions to children so that they know what is expected of them, and does not always give children time to think and respond when asking questions.

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

Children spend their day in a calm and caring environment, where they feel safe and well supported. The childminder responds gently to each child and adapts routines to match what happens at home. For example, the childminder works with parents and carers to keep the same sleep and toilet-training routine. This helps children to feel settled and confident.

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

They enjoy opportunities to engage in play and learning with the childminder and other children. In addition, they have opportunities to develop further confidence and social skills in the wider world, through outings. These trips support children in learning about areas they may not be familiar with, helping to broaden and extend their understanding. For example, children enjoy trips to the farm. This helps to build their understanding of the natural world. Children benefit from activities which help to give them an awareness of people who may have different religious beliefs to them. For example, the childminder ensures that she shares activities from different religious festivals to help children positively understand the differences between themselves and others. This helps children to have a sense of where they belong.

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

Children's attendance is positively promoted through partnership working between the childminder and parents. Children's backgrounds and individual circumstances are well understood, which helps the childminder to provide specific support where needed. All children have the opportunity to access the curriculum as the childminder promotes inclusivity. Typically, positive behaviour is supported effectively through boundaries set by the childminder.

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

Children thrive as unique individuals. Typically, they behave well and understand key boundaries. With support from the childminder, they confidently try new activities and challenges. Children benefit from the partnership the childminder has with parents. Children are at the centre of the childminder's vision, driving steady progress in their development, attendance and wellbeing.

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Next steps

The childminder should provide further opportunities for children to respond and contribute by allowing sufficient time for them to listen, think and formulate their responses before intervening. The childminder should be clear when giving instructions so that children know what is expected of them.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Thursday : 08:30 - 14:30

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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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children and parents 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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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

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 .

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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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