Childminder in KentOfsted report card, 14 Sept 2026

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2851360 Registered with Ofsted: 19/09/2025 Registers: EYR

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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 substantial progress from their starting points. Over time, they develop from crawling and using few words to running confidently, combining words and communicating their ideas. They count accurately, identify colours and shapes, sing the alphabet and remember familiar songs and stories. Children use this knowledge spontaneously during play and everyday routines.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop physical confidence and increasing control. They climb, use wheeled toys, kick balls and handle tongs, cutlery and other resources successfully. They demonstrate curiosity and perseverance as they investigate how objects move and change their approach when something does not work.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children secure the communication, independence, physical and social skills they need for later learning. Their substantial progress from their individual starting points means they are extremely well prepared for their next stage of learning and development.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder establishes a calm and respectful environment in which expectations are consistently understood and followed. Simple rules help children learn to listen, care for resources, move safely and be kind. The childminder notices and praises considerate behaviour. Children demonstrate that they understand these expectations. They independently share resources, use polite language and offer one another turns without routinely needing adult direction.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Relationships are warm and responsive. The childminder understands the needs underlying children's behaviour and adapts her responses to their personalities and stages of development. When minor frustrations occur, she calmly helps children recognise feelings and understand how their actions affect others. As a result, disagreements are short-lived and children quickly return to cooperative, purposeful play.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Routines are deeply embedded and enable children to manage increasingly for themselves. They know what happens next, independently prepare to go outdoors and participate confidently in handwashing, mealtimes, stories and sleep routines. This gives children a strong sense of security and enables them to move confidently through their day.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder promotes attendance through daily records, regular communication with families and prompt follow-up of absence or lateness. She understands that changes or patterns in attendance may indicate concerns about a child's welfare.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides highly responsive care that is closely tailored to children's individual physical and emotional needs. Secure attachments are evident as children confidently seek her help, comfort and company. The childminder notices changes in children's behaviour and cues, such as when they become tired, and adapts routines accordingly. Children confidently express when they are hungry, have finished eating or need support. This responsive care gives them a strong sense of emotional security and confidence in communicating their needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children take an active role in well-established healthy routines. They wash and dry their hands, use cutlery, clear the plates and put them in the dishwasher, drink water and enjoy nutritious foods. Mealtimes are relaxed and sociable, and children confidently make choices and try unfamiliar foods. The childminder's strong knowledge of safer eating informs careful food preparation and close supervision.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Sleep routines are similarly individualised and secure. Children anticipate what happens next, choose stories and settle confidently in familiar sleeping spaces. The childminder follows current safer sleep guidance, carefully considers temperature and bedding, uses monitors and completes regular checks.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children benefit from sustained physical activity outdoors and learn how to manage age- appropriate risks safely. Practical experiences help them understand why they care for their teeth. The childminder works closely with families and adapts care as children's needs develop, supporting children's physical and emotional security.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder provides an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. She prioritises communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development while providing purposeful experiences across all areas of learning. Her curriculum responds closely to children's interests, starting points and stages of development.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is consistently purposeful. The childminder introduces mathematical ideas through counting, shapes, sizes and positional language during play and everyday routines. Conversations, stories, songs, puppets and role play continually extend children's vocabulary. The childminder models language clearly, repeats and expands children's words and encourages them to explain their thinking.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder observes how children engage and adapts teaching in response. For example, she extends children's interest in balls by introducing guttering and objects of different shapes and sizes. Her questions encourage children to predict, investigate and solve problems. She uses assessment to identify what children know and can do and to plan precise next learning. Teaching is adapted to ensure that children who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs and/or disabilities or face other barriers to learning can access the full curriculum and succeed.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder creates an inclusive environment in which every child is known, valued and able to participate fully. She gathers detailed information from families and uses ongoing observations to understand children's individual needs, personalities and starting points. She notices small changes in children's communication, behaviour and development and adjusts her support so that all children experience success and feel confident in the provision.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has consistently high expectations for every child. She seeks professional guidance when needed and uses this advice to refine her practice. She monitors how well children respond to support and makes further adjustments to reduce barriers and promote full access to learning. Her approach ensures that children's circumstances, ways of communicating or developing do not limit their participation or progress.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder reviews the environment carefully to ensure that children encounter positive and meaningful representations of other people. Books, figures, photos and experiences are selected deliberately so that children see themselves and others reflected in the provision. These choices help children recognise and value difference and support the development of respectful attitudes. As a result, children participate confidently, feel a strong sense of belonging and engage successfully alongside one another.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has an accurate and reflective understanding of her provision. She evaluates children's engagement and changes her approach when experiences no longer meet their needs. For example, she has redirected her plans towards extended outdoor learning after recognising where children are most interested and engaged. Her decisions consistently prioritise children's learning, safety and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder uses assessment effectively to identify children's strengths, progress and next steps in their learning. She shares information regularly with families through conversations, messages and newsletters. This promotes continuity between home and the setting and helps her respond promptly to changing needs.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Professional development, independent research and advice from early years specialists strengthen the childminder's expertise. She applies this knowledge confidently to safeguarding, teaching, inclusion, food safety and children's care. Digital assessment and communication systems help her manage her workload. Specialists and local childminding networks provide valuable opportunities to reflect, seek advice and maintain her professional wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder continually identifies meaningful ways to enhance children's experiences. Children already demonstrate considerable independence in their daily routines. There is scope to extend this strong practice further by providing greater opportunities for children to take responsibility during mealtimes. The childminder also continues to develop the outdoor environment in response to children's interests and engagement.

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

Children flourish in the childminder's warm and welcoming home. They form secure relationships with her and confidently seek her company, reassurance and help. The childminder knows children well. She notices their individual cues, understands their personalities and responds sensitively. Family photos and positive representations of different people help children feel recognised, valued and that they belong.

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

Children are confident and enthusiastic learners. They investigate natural objects, test how different items move, count produce growing in the garden and use language to describe colours, shapes, textures and tastes. They sustain their concentration, solve problems and confidently share their ideas. Children enjoy stories, anticipate familiar parts and join in with songs, rhymes and the alphabet. These experiences help them make substantial progress in their communication, physical development and understanding of the world. The childminder builds carefully on what each child knows and can do. When children need additional support, she seeks advice and adjusts experiences promptly. This enables children with different starting points and needs to make sustained progress.

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

Children behave considerately and learn successfully alongside one another. They share resources, take turns, help each other and use polite language. When minor disagreements occur, the childminder helps them understand each other's feelings and resolve difficulties calmly. Children quickly return to cooperative play.

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

Well-established routines help children develop confidence and independence. They put on outdoor clothing, wash their hands, use cutlery and make choices about their play and care. Children already demonstrate considerable independence in their daily routines. As their self-care skills develop further, there is scope to extend this strong practice by enabling children to take greater responsibility for aspects of their mealtime routines. Children enjoy healthy food and learn how to care for their teeth. They learn to manage age-appropriate risks through clear explanations and consistent guidance. The childminder promotes attendance through regular communication with families and careful follow-up of absences. She adapts experiences and interactions so that every child can participate. As a result, children achieve, belong and thrive.

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Next steps

The childminder should extend opportunities for children to take greater responsibility for their mealtime routines as their independence and self-care skills develop.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and children during the inspection.

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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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4

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. 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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