Toms, Emily Marie

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2840616 Registered with Ofsted: 23/05/2025 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 make secure progress from their starting points. They develop the knowledge, skills and confidence for their next steps. Younger children increasingly use words, sounds and gestures to communicate and join in with stories and repeated phrases. Older children confidently explain ideas, use new vocabulary and predict what might happen. Children recognise and talk about different feelings. They are beginning to regulate their responses with support. For example, stories and discussions help children identify how characters feel. Younger children develop hand control through colouring and sensory play. Older children confidently use tools with increasing coordination.

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Achievement Strong standard

Younger children develop mathematical understanding by counting, comparing size and recognising quantity. Older children use mathematical language to describe differences. Younger children are supported to recognise their name and develop an awareness of the letters in it. Older children identify letters and use a magnetic alphabet to build their names. Children confidently follow rules and routines. They form secure relationships and show increasing independence. They are confident, settled and well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children behave impeccably and have a secure understanding of the childminder's clear routines and expectations. The childminder consistently reinforces these through clear instructions and by modelling respectful behaviour. Children listen and respond quickly to her instructions and move seamlessly between activities. For instance, she has established a clear routine for returning indoors from outdoor play, which children follow calmly and independently. They know to remove their footwear when entering the house. They wait patiently while eggs are collected from the chicken coop and speak respectfully to the chickens. Children show excellent manners, regularly saying 'please' and 'thank you'. The childminder consistently models respectful behaviour. This helps children to understand behavioural expectations.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children form warm, positive relationships. They play extremely well together. The childminder supports children to develop positive relationships by encouraging them to share resources and consider the needs of others. They share resources, such as crayons during creative activities and books during quiet times. She models respectful interactions and supports children to listen attentively during stories and discussions and wait for appropriate opportunities to contribute. Children are respectful of living creatures and develop consideration for others. They are supported to visit elderly residents. They greet them and wave politely. Furthermore, they deliver eggs to them. These experiences help children develop confidence, kindness and respect within their community.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are highly motivated and show excellent attitudes to learning. They remain engaged, cooperate with others and persevere with activities. The childminder uses clear, calm guidance to support younger children who, on occasion, do not join in with tidying. This enables them to participate and develop responsibility. She establishes familiar daily routines, including mealtimes, tidy-up times and activity transitions, which children follow confidently. Regular attendance supports secure relationships, consistent routines and continuity in learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides highly responsive, nurturing care and knows children exceptionally well. She promptly recognises when children become overwhelmed and responds sensitively with reassurance, cuddles or a favourite book. This helps them to regulate their emotions and feel secure. Well-established routines promote independence, while effective hygiene, safe-sleep routines and intimate-care practices protect children's health, dignity and wellbeing. The childminder follows parents' care and sleep routines closely. This provides consistency that helps children to feel settled and confident.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder actively develops children's understanding of health, wellbeing and safety. She works closely with parents to promote nutritious food and healthy choices. She uses engaging approaches, such as linking foods to the colours of the rainbow. Children learn how to keep themselves safe through clear, consistent guidance. As a result, they increasingly take responsibility for their own safety. Stories and discussions about feelings help children to recognise emotions and develop appropriate strategies to manage their responses.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides inclusive experiences that support children's wider wellbeing. Regular walks, park and garden-centre visits provide fresh air, exercise and opportunities to explore. Children develop kindness, responsibility and a sense of belonging while caring for living creatures and supporting local elderly residents. The childminder helps children understand how to interact safely with familiar adults and when to seek help. Her strong understanding of children known to children's social care and how funding can reduce barriers ensures that all children feel valued, secure and able to participate fully.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has a secure approach to planning and delivering the curriculum. She uses her knowledge of children's interests and starting points to plan meaningful activities. She sequences learning carefully and revisits previous learning to build children's knowledge progressively. For example, she provides opportunities to interact with chickens in her garden. This gives children real-life experiences of caring for animals and observing their behaviour. She links this learning to food, size, habitats and life-cycles. Children count eggs and compare their size and quantity. Older children confidently use mathematical language to describe differences. Younger children are supported to develop counting skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is consistently purposeful and responsive. She follows children's interests and uses these opportunities to extend their learning. For example, older children choose to write letters from their names. The childminder supports them to identify each letter and place the letters in the correct order. Younger children explore coloured sensory tubes and are encouraged to find a requested colour from a selection. They think carefully about the different colours and identify the one that matches the colour requested. She supports communication and language through stories and conversations. She introduces new words, such as 'sawdust' and 'feathers', and explains their meaning fully. The childminder provides an inclusive curriculum and adapts teaching to meet individual needs. For instance, children use pictures of chickens to colour in with crayons, developing hand strength and control. The childminder models how to use scissors and encourages

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

children to use their fingers to demonstrate how scissors open and close before they begin. Younger children are supported to use both hands to operate scissors safely. Older children confidently use scissors correctly to cut card and create nests. This develops their coordination and control. She adjusts the level of support and challenge so that children can participate successfully and develop physical skills at their own level.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates highly effective inclusive practice. She has a secure understanding of children's individual needs. She uses a well-embedded approach to identify and respond to emerging needs. She thoughtfully adapts activities, resources and the environment to reduce barriers. For example, she provides ear defenders for children who find loud noises difficult and has purchased a ramp to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities in the future. She maintains meaningful communication with parents and uses shared information to adapt, support and promote continuity. These carefully considered approaches help children participate confidently and feel valued and included.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has a secure understanding of how to support disadvantaged children and use early years pupil premium funding effectively to reduce barriers. Although no children currently receive this funding, she knows how to provide targeted resources, experiences and trips to meet individual needs. There are currently no children known, or previously known, to children's social care. However, she has a thorough understanding of how to support their needs and work effectively with families and relevant professionals.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder responds consistently and effectively when children face other barriers to learning or wellbeing. For instance, younger children explore chicken life cycles through sensory bags containing safe materials. Older children discuss habitats, food, growth and change. She uses social stories, photographs and school visits to support children who lack confidence with transitions. As a result, children overcome barriers, develop confidence and participate successfully alongside others.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder provides highly effective strategic leadership and evaluates her provision rigorously. She reflects thoughtfully on children's needs, interests and experiences and identifies improvements. For example, she recognises that adapting the garden will provide greater space for children to move freely and develop physical skills. She manages her workload effectively, balancing planning, reflection and care responsibilities to maintain consistently high-quality, responsive care. She maintains appropriate policies, records and procedures and uses these effectively to support the safe and efficient running of her provision.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is committed to continuous professional learning. She completes mandatory training and seeks relevant additional training, such as healthy eating, safe sleep and special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). She applies her knowledge effectively to promote inclusion and enable children to participate fully. She has a secure understanding of how to support children known to children's social care and how funding can support disadvantaged children and those with SEND. This reduces barriers to learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder builds highly effective partnerships with parents and the wider community. Regular communication and meetings support information sharing, celebrate progress and promote continuity. She provides reassurance and emotional support when families face challenges. She shares guidance on nutritious lunchboxes and 7-day meal plans to promote healthy lifestyles at home. She also works collaboratively with local childminders to share ideas and provide children with opportunities to socialise. Links with local schools, including visits, events, progress sharing and personalised social stories, support confident transitions. These partnerships help children feel secure, included and connected.

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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 are exceptionally happy, settled and secure. They form warm, trusting relationships with the childminder and each other. Children consistently demonstrate impeccable behaviour, such as showing kindness, respect and consideration. They confidently follow well-embedded routines and boundaries. They are highly motivated to learn and show curiosity, concentration and perseverance.

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

Children make secure progress from their starting points. They develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for their next steps. Young children increasingly communicate their needs, manage their emotions and develop confidence in everyday experiences. Older children confidently explain their ideas, use new vocabulary and extend their learning through problem solving. For instance, children develop a secure understanding of the life cycle of chickens through collecting eggs, feeding chickens seeds and grains, making nests and counting eggs. Older children extend their knowledge by discussing habitats, food and how chicks grow and change, while younger children participate through carefully adapted sensory experiences.

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

Children develop important skills through purposeful experiences. For example, they develop early literacy through stories, repeated phrases and identifying sounds in their names. Older children use magnetic letters to build names. Children develop independence through everyday routines and learn to keep themselves safe and make healthy choices. They follow good hygiene routines, understand safe-scissor use and recognise nutritious foods. Children enjoy regular fresh air and exercise. Forest experiences and community outings support their physical health and understanding of the wider world.

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

Children are included and valued as individuals. Activities are adapted sensitively. This helps children of different ages and abilities to participate confidently and overcome barriers to learning. Children develop respect for different cultures and faiths through experiences, such as Hanukkah and Chinese New Year. Strong links with families, local schools and the wider community help children feel welcomed and connected. Regular attendance enables children to benefit fully from learning, relationships and routines. Children achieve very well, belong and thrive through secure relationships, purposeful learning and consistently nurturing care.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to support all children to participate in daily routines to realise a transformational impact on all children's behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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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 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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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

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

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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn . Store Street Manchester M1 2WD

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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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