Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2795088 Registered with Ofsted: 18/11/2024 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder's core values create an environment that is consistently safe, secure, kind and encouraging. Children experience high levels of wellbeing in this extremely nurturing setting, where they feel valued, confident and ready to learn. The childminder is an inspiring role model who consistently demonstrates the positive behaviours and attitudes she wants children to develop. Parents share that children learn new skills and become increasingly independent through their experiences at the setting. For example, children proudly learn to put on their own puddle suits and enthusiastically share new songs they have learned with their families.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has high expectations for children's behaviour and supports them to develop positive relationships with others. She recognises when children need help to manage sharing and uses her skilled play alongside approach to model cooperation, turn taking and kindness. Children thrive within the consistent routines, which create a calm and positive atmosphere. For example, while out on walks, children take turns using binoculars to look for butterflies, demonstrating consideration for their friends. The childminder shares her ethos and expectations clearly with families through a detailed welcome pack, creating a consistent approach between home and the setting. As a result, children flourish, achieve well and make strong progress from their starting points.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder's strong relationships with children provide a secure foundation for learning. Children confidently develop independence in everyday routines, including managing their shoes, drinks and sleep routines. They walk safely in the local community, ask for help when needed and support each other during play, such as holding hands on equipment. The childminder provides a secure base from which children confidently explore and learn. Children show genuine enthusiasm for learning, eagerly asking, 'Can I get the team time box? It has numbers on it. It's team time now!'

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder understands the importance of regular attendance and acts promptly when children are absent. She identifies barriers that may affect attendance, including additional needs and sensory difficulties, and works closely with families to find effective solutions. For example, children can have individual drop-off times and altered routines to reduce upset. Through sensitive communication and tailored support, she helps children feel regulated and ready to begin their day positively.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder implements robust policies and procedures consistently to ensure children's safety, wellbeing and inclusion remain at the heart of her practice. She carries out thorough risk assessments and uses these effectively to provide a safe environment where children can confidently access the full range of experiences on offer. As a result, all children benefit from a rich, inclusive and inspiring curriculum.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder knows each child exceptionally well and uses this knowledge to tailor care and learning to meet their individual needs. She carefully adapts routines and experiences in response to children's changing needs and family circumstances, ensuring children feel secure, valued and well supported. The childminder responds promptly to any concerns, working closely with families to provide timely advice and support. Parents describe the positive difference this makes to their children's wellbeing and development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children's health and wellbeing are consistently promoted throughout the day. The childminder implements nurturing care routines that help children feel safe and settled. She ensures that outdoor play in sunny weather is managed safely and that sleep routines are calm, comfortable and tailored to children's individual needs. The childminder also promotes healthy lifestyles through nutritious meals and snacks, regular opportunities for physical activity and good oral health practices, including making free toothbrushes available to families. As a result, children develop healthy habits and feel safe, cared for and ready to learn. Organised care routines provide comfort, security and learning. Individual hand towels have a named peg. Children with a nut allergy or a delay in weaning are meticulously catered for.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The embedded curriculum is clear, ambitious and thoughtfully implemented across all areas of the setting. It is underpinned by the childminder's core values, which support children to develop important life skills, including independence, confidence, kindness and curiosity.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder delivers consistently high-quality teaching and learning that is carefully tailored to meet each child's individual needs. She uses children's interests, observations and experiences to inform her planning and provides meaningful opportunities across all areas of the curriculum. Trips and outings are thoughtfully selected to extend children's knowledge, understanding and vocabulary. These experiences introduce children to new environments and ideas, helping them make links with the world around them. As a result, children make excellent progress from their starting points.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

High-quality teaching is evident throughout the day, including during routines and care moments. The childminder skilfully uses these opportunities to extend children's learning. For example, children sing during care routines, enjoy stories at lunchtime and develop communication through conversations and games. A toddler confidently identifies body parts when responding to questions, while children recognise their names on pegs during handwashing routines, supporting early literacy skills. Children also develop independence as they identify and collect their own sleep bags.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder responds effectively to children's interests and emerging ideas. During walks, she extends their thinking by introducing new vocabulary and mathematical language. The curriculum supports children's mathematical development through purposeful questioning, narration and practical experiences. A love of reading is promoted through stories, book sharing, a lending library and story bags for families. Books are thoughtfully linked to children's experiences, such as a baby book in the home corner, creating meaningful opportunities for learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children make progress from their starting points. Children are independent, collecting their sleep bag set to lay out on the floor at nap time. They persevere as they take the items out, laying out their mattress. Children work hard to put their sheet onto their mat but know they can ask for help if needed. Children develop a love of early reading and stories. Children thrive during 'team time' and develop their mathematical skills. Children are extended. For example, the childminder suggests, 'Let's add in counting up to 10 today.' Children develop social skills. They develop confidence while out on trips to other settings and groups. Children share and take turns with minimal support and show real kindness towards each other. Children praise each other: 'You have done a good job!' Children listen well to instructions and show confidence in well-established routines.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children are making individual progress. The planned curriculum supports the closing of gaps in knowledge. Children's next steps come from good observations. Children at all stages of development make progress during their time in the setting. Typically, children are prepared for their next stage in learning. The childminder understands the need to share concerns about gaps in personal, social and emotional development with other settings to improve transitions to a new setting.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder helps all children to make rapid progress from their starting points. Children are happy and feel safe in the care of this childminder. The childminder knows all children's interests and stages, and focuses on emerging needs. Her interactions are high quality and finely tuned for each child. This means children make rapid progress. The childminder observes language development. This enables her to adapt her teaching during group time, extending language acquisition for toddlers. She answers questions and promotes conversation with all children in her care.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder identifies children with a speech delay on starting at the setting. From a nonverbal start, children progress to using long sentences. Children receive external support and attend speech sound sessions. The childminder can recognise pauses in development and shares concerns with parents.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder reflects on expert advice and includes recommendations in her daily planning. All activities and experiences are inclusive and available to all children. The childminder adapts how they travel to meet the needs of all children and keep them safe. Typically, the childminder can identify barriers to learning and knows the processes to request support. However, transitions would be strengthened by the childminder sharing more information.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder demonstrates a firm commitment to her work. This results in high-quality care and education for children and their families. The childminder invests time in developing her skills further. For example, a course based on outdoor learning cemented her ethos. The childminder meets children at their stage of learning as she follows their interests and extends learning through play. She has high expectations for herself. The childminder continuously works to improve standards, which are already high.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder forms effective links with other childminders in the area. She has set up a community group. The group shares advice, and they regularly meet for social occasions for the children. The childminder provides many opportunities for children to learn about the local community. Parents are highly appreciative of these rich experiences.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is reflective and identifies priorities for improvement. The childminder has accessed specific professional development to further her knowledge in special educational needs and disabilities. In the main, the childminder identifies children with barriers to learning. However, support does not extend to working with joint settings ahead of transition to share information.

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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 safe, kind and secure childminder setting, where they develop a strong sense of belonging. They confidently follow familiar routines, demonstrate high standards of behaviour and consistently reflect the setting's core values. Children explore the environment with confidence, independently selecting resources and activities that capture their interests. They sustain their attention during group activities, cooperate well with others and show kindness and care towards their friends and the childminder. They build warm, trusting relationships and demonstrate respect for those around them.

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

Children engage enthusiastically in a rich, broad and ambitious curriculum that supports all areas of their development. They communicate confidently during play, extend their vocabulary through meaningful conversations and develop strong personal, social and emotional skills. Children make good progress in mathematics as they count forwards and backwards, use their fingers to represent numbers and confidently recognise numerals from an early age. They build securely on what they already know and can do, making continued progress from their individual starting points.

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

Children become increasingly independent in their everyday routines. They put on their own shoes, collect their water bottles before visiting the park and confidently ask for help when they need it. They develop resilience, confidence and the skills to manage their own needs while knowing support is available.

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

Children benefit from a wide range of meaningful experiences in the local community. They walk to the local park, visit the care home each month, attend stay-and-play sessions, explore the library and woodland, visit the farm and the vet's, and regularly meet with other childminders. Through these experiences, children develop confidence in unfamiliar environments, build friendships with a wider group of children, strengthen their

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 17:00,Friday : 08:00 - 16:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

communication and social skills, and learn to cooperate with others. As a result, they become well prepared for the next stage in their learning and development.

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Next steps

The childminder should develop her approach to work with joint settings to further support children to achieve the skills needed for the next stage in learning. The childminder should use continued professional development to explore barriers to children's learning and how to tackle these decisively.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, 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. 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. 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 .

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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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