Childminder in KentOfsted report card, 11 Sept 2026

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): EY350345 Registered with Ofsted: 26/09/2007 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

All children, including those who face barriers to their learning, generally make steady progress from their starting points. They develop positive attitudes and confidence in learning. Children enjoy listening to stories and singing songs together. They take turns to choose their favourite songs and enthusiastically join in using props and actions. This helps children to build their vocabulary, listening skills and ability to take turns. Children develop confidence in communicating during their play. They learn to engage in conversations and express their ideas.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children have many opportunities to learn about the world around them through regular outings in the local community. Children are generally well prepared for the next stage in their learning and their move on to school. They develop increasing confidence and independence and learn to manage their self-care skills successfully. For example, children wash their hands, put on their shoes and dress themselves. Overall, children develop a positive attitude to learning and make progress.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder provides a secure, caring and nurturing environment where all children feel safe and included. The childminder has clear expectations for all children, including those who face barriers to their learning. She establishes familiar routines and boundaries that children understand well. Generally, children build their self-care skills successfully. For example, they understand the importance of hygiene as they automatically wash their hands before mealtimes.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children develop warm and trusting relationships with the childminder, who establishes clear, consistent and age-appropriate expectations for behaviour. As a result, children behave incredibly well and confidently follow daily routines with increasing independence.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder acts as a positive role model and supports children to understand how to keep themselves safe. She teaches children about safe behaviours, such as sitting when eating, walking indoors and following road safety rules when on outings. Children are keen to help and take on responsibilities for simple tasks. They learn to respect the environment and tidy away toys when they have finished playing. Children are helpful and show kindness to others. The childminder gives children plenty of praise and encouragement, which helps to develop their confidence and self-esteem. The childminder implements clear procedures to promote regular attendance and punctuality.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder builds positive and trusting relationships with children. She responds sensitively to their individual needs. Children generally show a positive sense of wellbeing as they form close bonds with familiar adults. They feel extremely comfortable to seek comfort and reassurance when needed. The childminder encourages children to develop positive hygiene habits and independence through well-established daily routines. As a result, children understand why they need to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet and do this confidently.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder supervises children carefully when they eat and ensures that she can see and hear them at all times. She checks that the food children bring from home is prepared in a suitable size and texture for children. The childminder has adapted sleep arrangements to meet children's individual needs. Children use suitable cots or individual mats. The childminder checks them frequently and ensures they can be seen and heard between checks. This helps to keep children safe and promotes safer sleeping practices.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children benefit from regular opportunities for physical activity. The childminder provides a range of outdoor experiences and outings in the local area. This helps children to build confidence as they explore different environments, learn about road safety and develop their physical wellbeing. For example, children enjoy visits to local parks and playgroups and explore woodland areas, where they develop their large-muscle skills and learn about the natural world around them.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a broad curriculum that reflects children's interests and supports them to develop new skills. She knows children well and plans experiences across all areas of learning. The childminder regularly assesses what children know and can do and uses this information to meet their individual needs. Typically, she plans activities carefully to build on children's interests and curiosities. However, on some occasions, the childminder does not consistently build on children's learning during activities to extend their learning. This means children's engagement is sometimes affected when they move on to other activities. However, it does not impact on their overall learning and achievement.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a nurturing, inclusive and well-organised environment where children develop independence and enjoy learning. Children confidently practise everyday skills, such as tidying toys, dressing themselves, making choices, sharing and taking turns. Children who speak English as an additional language receive support to develop their communication skills through stories, songs and everyday interactions. The childminder values children's different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. Although the childminder understands the importance of an inclusive environment for children who speak English as an additional language, she does not consistently provide children with opportunities to see, hear and use their home languages in the setting. This does not help to increase these children's sense of belonging and enhance their language development.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder incorporates mathematics into everyday activities. For example, she supports children to count and begin to solve number problems in their play. For example, children predict how tall a tower will be before it falls down. She helps children to understand concepts of size by introducing words such as 'bigger', 'smaller, 'tall' and 'short' as they build models. The childminder skilfully models language and repeats words using the correct pronunciation. This helps children to develop their vocabulary and communication skills. Children generally develop a love of books and songs. They choose their favourite books and look at them independently, with their peers or as a group. Children also engage with regular storytelling sessions at the local library, which helps to further support their early literacy skills.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder knows the children in her care extremely well. Although there are currently no children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) attending, the childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of inclusive practice. She generally adapts her practice to meet the needs of all children, including those who face barriers to their learning. The childminder identifies children's starting points and individual needs through regular discussions with parents and carers, ongoing observations and assessments. She uses this knowledge to identify when additional support may be needed to help children make the progress they are capable of.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder takes a proactive approach to identifying and removing any potential barriers to learning. For example, she engages in training to support children's speech and language development. The childminder works closely with parents to support children's learning, such as sharing advice on how to support children's language skills at home. As a result, children receive consistent support that helps them make progress.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder understands how to use additional funding to support children's individual needs. She recognises the importance of working collaboratively with other professionals to support children with SEND, those facing other barriers to learning and those who are known to children's services.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is very passionate about what she does and the experiences she offers to children in her care. She takes proactive steps to develop her knowledge and practice through relevant training, which has a positive impact on the quality of care she provides. The childminder has a clear understanding of the strengths of her provision and generally identifies areas for further development. She understands the importance of sleep routines that support children's wellbeing and has reviewed her safer sleeping procedures. The childminder has considered how best to support children's wellbeing and safety while on outings. She ensures that sleep routines meet children's individual needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder generally builds positive relationships with parents and carers. She maintains regular communication with parents, keeping them informed about their children's daily experiences and ongoing progress. She carefully considers the best interests of every child in her care and generally signposts parents to wider agencies for support where needed, particularly for children who may face barriers to their learning. This positive partnership helps to promote a consistent approach to children's care and learning. Parents report that their children thrive in her care and value the wide range of opportunities she provides, including regular outings. This helps children to benefit from varied experiences that support their development and wellbeing. The childminder ensures that any assistants she works with are generally supported and have the knowledge and skills they need to fulfil their role. She promotes their wellbeing and

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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 happy and settled and have developed secure relationships with the childminder and any assistants she works with. They confidently seek comfort and

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Inspector:

reassurance when needed. Children enjoy a wide range of experiences, both indoors and outdoors, that build on their interests and curiosity. The childminder uses children's interests well to support their learning and introduce new vocabulary, ideas and experiences. For example, children enjoy collecting sunflower leaves on an outing and using real hammers to make prints and patterns. Children become excited when they discover different colours from the prints.

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Inspector:

Children respond positively to the childminder's calm, positive and caring approach. They eagerly join in with activities and listen attentively to stories. Children confidently join in with familiar words, phrases and actions. This supports them to develop their communication and language skills.

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Inspector:

Children develop independence skills and take pride in managing their personal care needs. They wash their hands, tidy away resources and put on their shoes with increasing confidence. Children behave well and use positive manners. They develop positive relationships with peers, helping each other and sharing ideas during play. This supports children to develop confidence, independence and positive social skills.

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Inspector:

Children make valuable use of the outdoor experiences. This helps to promote their physical, personal, social and emotional development and their understanding of the world. They enjoy frequent visits to the local park and nearby beaches, travel on public transport and spend time in woodland areas. These experiences help to build children's confidence and independence and deepen their understanding of the world around them.

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Next steps

The childminder should strengthen her practice to adapt teaching to further extend the learning experiences for all children. The childminder should develop her practice so that children's home languages are consistently recognised and valued within their everyday experiences.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistant and parents and carers 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. Nicky Chambers

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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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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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