Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2766874 Registered with Ofsted: 27/12/2023 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

Overall, all children achieve well, whatever their starting points. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and other vulnerable children. Children express themselves clearly and confidently and have increasing vocabularies. Younger children babble happily and point to things that interest them. Children are enthusiastic about books and eagerly select and browse through their favourite stories. This means that they have secure communication, language and literacy skills.

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Achievement Expected standard

They have secure independence skills. Older children put on their shoes and happily help to tidy up. Younger children learn how to feed themselves and drink from beakers. They learn how to pull themselves up and learn to stand alone momentarily. Older children run, climb and learn how to move in different ways with confidence. This shows that they gain effective physical skills. Children develop secure understanding of the world. They learn how things grow and where food comes from. They learn about different types of weather and seasons.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder manages children's behaviour successfully. She has high expectations of behaviour. For instance, she explains why some behaviour is not acceptable and redirects their energy in positive ways. The childminder uses praise to encourage children to behave well. She makes any required adjustments to activities or routines to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and other vulnerable children. For instance, the childminder would use visual cues to help children to understand the daily routine.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children relate to each other in positive ways and play well together. For instance, older children show kindness by offering toys to younger children. Children are well mannered, for instance, children say 'Can I have some more milk, please?' at snack time.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

They show high levels of concentration. Children concentrate and persevere as they work out which pieces are needed for bends and bridges to build a train track. While playing outdoors, they place small balls into long plastic tubes and observe them as they roll down to the end. Children listen attentively to stories and talk enthusiastically about things they see in the book. Younger children explore their environment with increasing confidence. They carefully pull themselves on low ledges to happily engage in different activities. Typically, the childminder explains to parents how routines prepare children for school days. This guidance supports regular attendance and strengthens children's readiness for learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides a clean, well-organised and safe environment for children. She carries out daily risk assessments covering the garden and indoor areas to reduce the risk of hazards. The childminder teaches children how to act in safe ways. For example, she teaches children how to use kitchen tools safely, when they help to prepare meals and snacks. The childminder prepares food in safe ways and closely supervises children, who are securely seated at meal and snack times. She follows the government's safer sleeping guidelines and carries out regular checks on children while they sleep. This helps to protect children from harm.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has close, warm relationships with children. She makes any necessary adaptations to routines to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and other vulnerable children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder helps children to gain understanding of the value of eating well. She links healthy food to colours of the rainbow and uses stories to teach children about nutritional foods. Overall, the childminder gives children some understanding of how to keep their teeth and gums healthy. For example, the childminder talks to children about this during play activities. However, she has not consistently developed this to ensure that children have secure oral hygiene awareness.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder promotes children's understanding of different feelings well. She uses creative resources, books and informative discussion with children to help them to learn about different emotions. This helps children to understand themselves and others.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder leads a child-centred curriculum that incorporates all 7 areas of learning set out in the early years foundation stage. It relates to children's next steps and includes thematic topics, such as seasonal changes, to stimulate children's learning. The childminder adjusts curriculum activities to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and other vulnerable children.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder supports children's personal and social development well. Children learn to share and to take turns to choose songs as they select different song characters from a bag. The childminder helps children to gain effective communication, language and literacy skills. She teaches children positional language to describe direction as children move trains along a track. The childminder reads stories to children in lively tones, and pauses to listen to children's comments well. She teaches children new words as they sing different action rhymes. The childminder promotes children's physical development securely. She provides children with daily opportunities to practise a broad range of skills, such as climbing, balancing and running. She provides opportunities for younger children to crawl, pull themselves up and walk. They visit the local park each day for children to use different equipment and learn to move in different ways.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder quickly spots if a child requires additional support in their learning. For instance, she spends time talking with parents about their children when they first arrive. The childminder observes children closely and carries out regular assessments, including the progress check at age 2. This helps to identify any specific needs of a child that require extra support. The childminder advises parents to contact relevant health professionals, such as doctor or health visitor, for further guidance. The childminder carefully adapts activities to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and other vulnerable children. For example, she has used visual resources to help children with SEND to understand the daily routine. The childminder is aware of local authority staff to contact for more advice and support. She has attended training on how to support children with SEND and uses this information to

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works closely with any assistants to build ongoing improvement to her service. They evaluate the provision together and work out strengths and areas for development. They use this information to determine goals to promote best outcomes for children. The childminder provides support to her staff. For example, they meet regularly and observe each other while they work. They give feedback to each other to build practice and skills. This helps to enhance different children's learning and development. Staff state that they feel valued and supported in their work. This shows that the childminder promotes their wellbeing effectively.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Overall, the childminder works effectively with parents by providing regular updates on children's progress and activities. However, she does not consistently work closely with parents to support children's next steps for learning. This means that partnership work with parents in not consistently successful to promote best outcomes for children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is committed to improving her skills and knowledge. She has completed courses on supporting children's early mathematical skills, which has led to improved understanding in this area. The childminder develops links with the wider community, for instance, by visiting the local library and parks with the children.

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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 well cared for and safe in this organised and stimulating environment. They have relaxed, trusting relationships with the childminder and her staff. Children feel valued as the childminder gets down to their level and fully engages in their play. She speaks to children in gentle tones, smiles and this helps children to feel valued and secure. The childminder welcomes children and their families warmly, when they arrive, and this helps children to feel a strong sense of belonging.

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

Generally, children achieve well, whatever their starting points. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other vulnerable children. The childminder supports children's understanding of the world well. They enjoy pond-dipping trips to observe aquatic life. They plant strawberries and tomatoes and learn how things grow and where food comes from. Children observe differences in the sky each day and this helps them to learn about different weather conditions. Children gain effective creative skills. For instance, they feel the texture and observe colours of vegetables as they help to prepare meals. Children explore the sounds of musical instruments as they shake bells and play drums while singing songs with the childminder. They take part in drawing and painting activities using paint, crayons and colouring pens. The childminder provides regular music and movement sessions, where children learn physical coordination skills as they move to

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

Children relate well to each other and build friendships, which encourages them to attend each day. They are happy, enthusiastic learners, who attend regularly. Children gain valuable skills in preparation for their next stage of learning.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 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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Next steps

The childminder should extend knowledge of oral health guidance so she can promote children's awareness of how to take care of their teeth and gums more consistently. The childminder should enhance partnerships with parents to support children's next steps for learning more consistently.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, staff and children. She considered comments from 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. This data is from 15 September 2026

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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. 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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