Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2831957 Registered with Ofsted: 06/03/2025 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, including those who face barriers to their learning, make rapid and sustained progress across all areas of the curriculum. This means children gain the fundamental skills they need for their next stage of learning, including school. Children demonstrate confident physical skills. They move in a variety of ways during their morning dance and afternoon yoga, helping to strengthen their large muscles. Younger children use their fingers well to manipulate dough when creating a biscuit. The carefully roll small balls of dough and place them meticulously on the biscuit as chocolate chips. From this, they talk about healthy eating and tell the childminder, 'Chocolate is not healthy.'

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Achievement Strong standard

Children discuss how they grew their cucumber, freshly picked from the garden, as they develop their awareness of the natural world. Young children confidently count to 13, as they touch count items through their play. They are encouraged by their peers and the childminder. This helps children to feel valued and demonstrates positive relationships. Older children develop their confidence when reading the words they have written on birthday cards for their peers. Children are confident and motivated learners.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has created a calm and nurturing atmosphere for children. The welcoming and supportive space helps children to feel safe, secure and ready to learn. This helps children to build respectful and caring relationships with the childminder and their peers. For example, children ask each other if they are okay when they become upset. They begin to show empathy towards each other and are keen to support each other. The childminder helps children to gain important skills for their future, such as making friends. Older children explain how they would introduce themselves and then see if they become friends. This promotes their self-confidence.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has high expectations for children's behaviour, and she ensures she adapts these to suit the ages, needs and abilities of children. This helps children, including those who face barriers to their learning, to understand what is expected of them. The childminder is an excellent role model who sensitively reinforces clear and appropriate boundaries. Children learn to take turns and share their own toys from a young age, reinforcing a collaborative and respectful environment. The childminder reminds children to use their manners on the odd occasion when they forget. Older children manage their own conflicts and with guidance from the childminder think of different ways to solve their problems. This approach supports children to develop self-control, emotional regulation and effective conflict resolution skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder actively promotes attendance and recognises the importance of children attending regularly. She works highly effectively with families to ensure that children benefit from consistent routines and continuity of learning between home and setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder promotes children's health and physical wellbeing extremely well. Children enjoy discussing the home-made 'spinach pancakes' they had for breakfast and excitedly talk to one another about what is in their lunch boxes. The childminder communicates clear expectations about healthy eating to parents and carers and works closely with families to support children who experience difficulties at mealtimes. She shares information about weaning and choking and demonstrates a secure understanding of safer eating and sleeping procedures. This helps to keep children safe. Younger children proudly show the cucumber they have grown and talk about watering plants and sowing seeds, developing their interest in the natural world. Children have daily access to outdoor play, which supports their physical health and wellbeing. The childminder also helps children begin to understand personal safety. For example, they discuss why they must not touch fireworks or candles,

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

and children explain that, 'They are hot.'

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder forms strong bonds with children and their families from the outset. She works closely with parents to ensure that children's care routines are fully met, including changes to nap times, food preferences and interests. She adapts routines in response to these changing needs, providing attentive and tailored support for every child. Children show genuine happiness for one another as they sing 'Happy Birthday' and celebrate special occasions. They feel a strong sense of belonging, know that they are valued and develop high self-esteem. The childminder supports children's emotional intelligence by discussing and validating their feelings. She asks questions such as, 'What can we do to make you feel better?' This helps children begin to reflect on how they feel and identify what they need to improve their emotional wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has designed an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum that is tailored to what children know and can do and what they need to learn next. The curriculum design allows children time to practise, develop and consolidate their learning. This helps children to make the progress they are capable of across all areas of learning. This includes those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Children freely explore activities that are based on their interests and learning alongside guided support from the skilled childminder. This ensures children clearly build on their skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder uses high-quality and meaningful interactions, asking open-ended questions to challenge children's thinking and problem-solving. She provides adequate time for children to respond to her questions, allowing children to process and connect their ideas. Younger children are confident communicators, and the childminder helps children to learn new words and also use the correct words, for example correcting the use of 'garbage' to 'rubbish', stating that the former is American. This helps children to develop their language correctly and confidently. The childminder uses mathematical language consistently in her practice, and children independently count resources and discuss shapes and sizes in their play. This helps prepare children for their next stage of learning, including being school ready.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder values and meaningfully embeds children's individual identities, cultures and family beliefs in the curriculum. She encourages children and parents and carers to share traditions and beliefs from their family lives with their peers. These experiences generate natural opportunities for discussion. They also enable children to recognise both similarities and differences between themselves and others.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has created a deeply welcoming and inclusive environment. She works closely with parents and carers to gather relevant and detailed information when children start. This helps the childminder to form precise starting points for children. The childminder uses her excellent knowledge of child development, alongside her caring approach, to adapt her teaching and the environment to ensure any barriers to children's learning are swiftly identified. For example, she recognises children's learning styles and adapts her practice to support these. The childminder shares books with parents to help support their understanding of how to help children regulate their behaviours at home. This provides continuity in children's learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of how best to use any additional funding that she may receive for children. Although currently there are no children on roll with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the childminder has a broad overview of how she would help children gain the support they need, as well as working closely with other professionals to implement targeted support plans. The childminder has completed various training courses on SEND to support her own knowledge and confidence.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder prioritises supporting children's emotional development. She implements strategies such as co-regulation techniques to help children begin to recognise how they can control their emotions, providing calm approaches to difficulties children may face. For example, older children manage their own conflicts, helping them to regulate and process how they are feeling.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is dedicated to giving children the best possible start to their early education. She continually evaluates the setting and accurately identifies its strengths and areas for development. For example, she has recently adapted her curriculum to focus more closely on learning outcomes, allowing children to embed their knowledge before progressing to the next stage. This change has also reduced her workload, reflecting her recognition of the importance of a healthy work-life balance. The childminder regularly reviews and adapts the environment to meet children's needs and abilities. This includes evaluating the 'imagination station' to ensure that it provides meaningful opportunities to extend children's learning. She continually develops the environment so that it consistently reflects and supports children's learning. The childminder undertakes regular training and carries out independent research into areas of interest. Recent training on special

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

educational needs and/or disabilities has particularly strengthened her knowledge in this area.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Parents and carers speak highly of the childminder's friendly and caring approach. They report that children 'overcome several milestones' and attribute this to the childminder's knowledge, care and passion for helping children to thrive. The childminder regularly shares information with parents, providing a detailed overview of children's learning and development. She liaises with other childminders to share ideas and practice and knows which services and resources are available in the local community to support children's learning.

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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 benefit excellently from the calm, nurturing environment the childminder provides for children. They show a confident sense of belonging as they move around the space with ease. Children are excited to be with the childminder and their peers. This creates a harmonious and respectful environment for children to play and learn in. For example, younger children cuddle each other, and the childminder reminds children that they are being 'great friends'. This reinforces children's self-worth and emotional wellbeing. Parents and carers are very much part of their children's learning journey and report that children's 'friendships flourish at the setting'. Children thoroughly enjoy attending the setting. Regular attendance provides valuable continuity in children's learning, relationships and development.

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

Children's individuality is consistently recognised, and all achievements are celebrated and encouraged. The childminder meticulously tailors teaching experiences to ensure children, including those with barriers to their learning, access an inclusive, varied and enriching curriculum. Children of all ages enjoy learning about their 5 senses during a planned activity. Older children enjoy leading, showing confidence when helping the younger ones to stick the object to the correct sense. For example, they talk about a candle and how you can see it and smell it. Children demonstrate their turn taking and listening skills and communicate excellently. They have plentiful opportunities that widen their knowledge, including the childminder talking about the 'olden days' when people used candles to see in the dark. This exposes children to new ideas and concepts that ignite their curiosity. All children make

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

sustained progress from their starting points.

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

Children thrive at the setting and learn valuable skills, such as independence. This is supported from the earliest opportunity. Younger children use cutlery and begin to dress themselves, and older children enjoy the responsibility of small tasks. As a result, children become highly engaged in their learning, demonstrating positive attitudes, motivation and confidence.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain her work to ensure continued improvement and high standards, creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, and children and parents shared their views 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: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:30 - 16:30

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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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