Childminder in NorfolkOfsted report card, 16 Sept 2026

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2780802 Registered with Ofsted: 16/04/2024 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

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face barriers to learning, thrive in this highly nurturing and ambitious setting. Children make excellent progress from their starting points and develop high levels of confidence, independence and resilience. They are enthusiastic learners, who eagerly embrace new experiences and confidently take on challenges that extend their learning.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children, including the youngest, communicate confidently and effectively, expressing their thoughts, ideas and needs clearly while engaging in rich, sustained conversations with adults and their peers. They listen attentively and collaborate well, sharing ideas and using their imaginations purposefully. For example, while exploring the garden, children excitedly investigate spiders, sharing what they know about their appearance, number of legs and where they have seen them before.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children demonstrate high levels of independence and confidently take responsibility for themselves, their learning and their environment. They manage their personal care needs with ease, make choices confidently and persevere with challenges. Children take pride in their achievements and understand how to care for their environment, for example, by recycling their food waste for composting. As a result, children gain the confidence and secure foundations they need for future learning, particularly their move on to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children consistently demonstrate positive behaviour and a clear understanding of boundaries and expectations. They interact respectfully with one another, showing excellent manners, patience and a willingness to share and take turns. They are particularly caring towards younger children, offering support and including them in their play. For example, when a younger child asked for a toy, their peer kindly replied, 'Of course, I'll share with you.' The childminder notices and acknowledges these positive interactions, helping to reinforce children's kindness and considerate behaviour.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder is an excellent role model. She consistently models kindness, respect and positive behaviour and speaks calmly to children. This is reflected in the children's own interactions and conduct. Before children start, the childminder gathers detailed information about their individual needs, interests and circumstances and maintains regular communication with families to ensure this information remains current. This thoughtful approach enables her to respond sensitively to children's changing needs, helping them to develop secure attachments and feel safe, valued and confident in her care.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder places an emphasis on regular attendance and consistent routines. She promptly follows up any unexplained absences and works in partnership with parents to reinforce the importance of children attending consistently. As a result, children benefit from continuity and are able to make the most of the rich learning experiences available, supporting their ongoing development and progress.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder provides a warm, nurturing environment, where children's individual care and emotional needs are met extremely well. She has developed secure relationships with children, helping them to feel safe, settled and confident. The childminder responds sensitively to children's emotions, providing appropriate support and resources to help them regulate their feelings. Children confidently seek out the childminder to share their achievements or for comfort and affection. Sleep and meal routines are followed consistently and sensitively, with effective partnership working with parents to ensure continuity of care.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children flourish in their personal, social and emotional development. They build positive relationships with others and demonstrate genuine care, consideration and respect for their peers. Children play harmoniously together, sharing, taking turns and responding kindly to the feelings and needs of others. The childminder uses praise and encouragement effectively, helping children to develop a strong sense of self-confidence and pride in their achievements.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children develop an excellent understanding of healthy lifestyles and the importance of keeping themselves safe. They benefit from remarkable opportunities to be physically active in the childminder's extremely well-resourced garden. From an early age, children confidently develop their strength, coordination and physical skills as they climb the treehouse, navigate steps and slopes and safely jump onto mats before challenging themselves on the variety of slides. The childminder provides nutritious, home-cooked meals and actively involves children in food preparation. Children take pride in preparing their own food, such as making bread for their sandwiches, supporting their growing independence and understanding of healthy choices. The childminder consistently teaches children to identify potential risks and make safe decisions, skilfully modelling safe behaviours. As a result, children become increasingly confident, independent and aware of how to keep

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children benefit from a rich and ambitious curriculum that supports them to make excellent progress. The childminder places an emphasis on outdoor learning, providing children with a stimulating and challenging environment that inspires curiosity and exploration. The thoughtfully designed setting offers rich opportunities for children to develop skills and knowledge across all 7 areas of learning and supports their physical development excellently. The childminder has a superb understanding of each child and uses her knowledge of their individual interests and developmental needs to create meaningful learning opportunities. Children are consistently encouraged to extend their skills and understanding through experiences that are carefully matched to their stage of development and emerging abilities. The childminder responds sensitively to individual circumstances and makes appropriate adaptations to ensure that all children, including those with special

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

educational needs and/or disabilities or who experience barriers to learning, are fully included and able to achieve their potential.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder uses highly effective teaching strategies to develop children's communication and language skills and personal, social and emotional development from an early age. Visual communication cards are used purposefully to broaden children's vocabulary and support them to understand and use new words. Children regularly enjoy singing songs and use simple signs alongside spoken language. This helps them to develop early communication skills and learn how to express their wants and needs. Mathematics is meaningfully embedded throughout children's everyday experiences. As children climb the steps to the slide, they confidently count alongside the childminder, developing their understanding of number and sequence. Children explore size, shape and measurement as they investigate whether they can fit inside different-sized boxes, making links to the animals in their focus book, 'Dear Zoo'.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has an excellent understanding of the individual needs of every child in her care. She ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may experience barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, are fully included and supported to make great progress from their starting points. The childminder uses highly effective observations and assessments to build a detailed understanding of children's development and identify any emerging gaps at the earliest opportunity. She acts swiftly when additional support is needed and works proactively with other professionals to ensure children have the support needed to thrive. For example, she makes timely speech and language referrals to address emerging communication needs. Her prompt and targeted approach ensures that children receive appropriate support without delay. As a result, children are given every opportunity to overcome barriers, develop their

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Inclusion Strong standard

skills and achieve their full potential.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder makes effective adaptations to reduce barriers to children's learning and ensure that all children can access the setting. For example, when children are unable to attend due to family circumstances, she provides transport herself, enabling them to continue attending the setting and receive the support and learning opportunities they need. The childminder uses additional funding highly effectively to respond to children's individual needs and enhance their learning experiences. She invests in targeted resources and professional development to strengthen her practice in supporting children's communication and language development. As a result, children have made significant and sustained progress in these areas. She carefully evaluates the impact of how funding is used, ensuring that it leads to meaningful improvements in children's learning and development and contributes to consistently excellent outcomes for all children.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is passionate about creating a high-quality, nurturing environment that fosters a love of learning from an early age. She works remarkably well with her assistant, communicating effectively and working together to plan the provision and maintain clear responsibilities. They consistently share information about each child and their whereabouts, ensuring children always receive attentive supervision and support. The childminder demonstrates an excellent commitment to continuous improvement, regularly reflecting on her practice to identify strengths and areas for development. The childminder priorities her assistant's professional development and wellbeing. She carries out regular supervisions, shares knowledge and supports her to extend her own professional development. This helps to ensure consistency in approach and high standards across the setting. Assistants discuss how well supported they feel and how much they

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

enjoy working at the setting. The childminder is equally as proactive about her own professional development. She actively identifies and completes relevant courses, including those that reflect the needs of the children in the setting. For example, she has completed training on supporting babies in the setting due to currently having more younger children on role. This ongoing commitment enables her to deepen her knowledge, continually refine her practice and provide highly effective support for all children.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Parent partnerships are a clear strength within the setting. The childminder ensures she has excellent communication with them and involves them in all aspects of their children's learning. Parents comment that the childminder and her assistant provide phenomenal care for their children and they have made remarkable progress since starting. They discuss how they feel grateful their children get to spend part of her childhood in such a warm and nurturing environment that fully supports their individual needs.

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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

The childminder provides a warm, nurturing environment, where children feel safe, secure and valued. Children separate from their parents confidently and quickly become engaged in the wide range of activities and resources available. Outdoor learning is an integral part of the provision, giving children daily opportunities to explore, investigate and learn through meaningful, hands-on experiences in the natural environment. The childminder has developed secure and trusting relationships with children and takes time to understand their individual needs, interests and ways of learning. Children behave remarkably well, follow established routines confidently and respond readily to instructions. The childminder consistently recognises children's achievements and uses praise and encouragement to nurture their confidence and sense of belonging. As a result, children feel valued, develop positive relationships and show a genuine enjoyment of their time in the setting.

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

Children benefit from a broad and exciting range of experiences that support their learning and development across all 7 areas of learning effectively. The childminder has an excellent understanding of each child's individual needs and accurately identifies any barriers to learning, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children enthusiastically join in with songs and use sign language, which strengthens their language skills and builds their confidence in communicating from a young age. They develop curiosity about the natural world as they water sunflowers and carefully observe and identify a variety of bugs they find. Children confidently use garden tools, such as a hoe, to dig in the sand and enjoy swinging in hammocks and exploring climbing nets, which develop their balance, coordination, strength and physical confidence. These rich experiences encourage

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

children to explore, investigate and become increasingly independent learners and equip them well for the next stage of their learning.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 17:30,Friday : 08:00 - 16:00

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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

Leaders should ensure continued improvement in the setting's successful work to remove barriers for children who need extra help to realise a transformational impact on all children's achievement and wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistant, parents and the 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

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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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