Childminder in BuckinghamshireOfsted report card, 16 Sept 2026

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2797596 Registered with Ofsted: 05/08/2024 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

Children are confident and independent learners. They speak clearly, with confidence, and have a broad vocabulary. Older children hold conversations, and taking turns, listening, answering and asking questions. All children learn the sign of the week and show that they understand there are different ways to communicate. They have a secure mathematical understanding and take part in activities to develop new skills. Children use language related to size and weight and count easily. Children recall previous learning and talk about the roles of different emergency services.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children have excellent independence skills. They get themselves ready for going outside by putting on their shoes and manage their self-care needs well. Children understand the need to look after their environment and tidy equipment away when they have finished. They learn to work as a team, and support each other in their play, discussing what each of them will do. For example, children work together to move their 'harvest' produce.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder and assistants are good role models and create a welcoming and calm environment where children's views and opinions are listened to and respected. Children build positive relationships with adults. They behave very well and understand the expectations of the setting. They support and help their friends and older children show an understanding of how to resolve conflicts themselves as they discuss turn taking.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder and assistants provide clear explanations to children about behaviour expectations and adapt their approach to meet individual children's needs. This includes for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They support children to interact with each other appropriately, sharing toys and taking turns with resources. Children are supported to focus on planned activities and the childminder uses resources linked to their interests to engage them very successfully.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Routines are planned to make the most of all opportunities to teach children and encourage them to practise new skills. Children learn to be independent and show excellent skills for their age. For example, all children, even the youngest, peel bananas for their snack. The childminder and assistants are very patient and give children the time they need to complete tasks themselves. Children persevere to cut up apples for a cooking activity. The childminder understands the importance of supporting children's regular attendance. She checks in with parents and carers and offers flexible support to reduce any barriers children have to their wellbeing or learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder and assistants regularly review and adapt the curriculum ensuring this meets the needs of the children attending. This collaborative working means they all have a secure understanding of the curriculum and how to implement his. They form the curriculum carefully around children's learning needs and changing interests. Children's development is carefully monitored, and regular in-depth assessments are completed. Children's achievements are celebrated and the childminder and assistants regularly review the next steps in their learning. They make clear plans to help children achieve these. The childminder works closely with parents and carers and all those involved in children's care and learning to provide a highly targeted and consistent approach to support each child, including for those children with learning barriers.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder and her assistants have weekly planning meetings to discuss and evaluate activities and children's needs to ensure activities are adapted appropriately to support children's learning and development. They plan activities to provide children with new experiences. For example, children enjoy local walks which support their understanding of the community. All opportunities are used to promote children's communication and language, the childminder and her assistants consistently introduce children to new words. Children are provided with opportunities to share their ideas and opinions and are encouraged to listen to their friends.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Early maths is embedded well in all activities and while the children play. Children are encouraged to count and independently use maths in their play. For example, as children use play doh they are proud to show that they can make triangles. Children have ample opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, children use ride on toys to navigate around the garden. They excitedly join in with action songs and regular trips to the park provide them with the opportunity to use different equipment and develop their skills further. Children make excellent progress and gain skills rapidly.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has a special interest and lots of experience of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She has undertaken focused training to meet children's needs. She provides training for her assistants, so all children receive the targeted support they need to make the progress they are capable of. Together they work hard to provide an inclusive provision, ensuring all children's needs are carefully identified, assessed, considered and supported. While planning, the childminder and assistants consider children's individual needs and adapt areas and activities so all children can take part.

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Inclusion Strong standard

When children first start the childminder works closely with parents to understand the children's needs and how best she can support them. She assesses children's development, with a focus on any gaps or areas they are struggling to achieve. She works closely with parents and carers, and all those involved with children's care and learning, including other agencies and uses shared strategies. This helps ensure that children receive a highly consistent approach. This also includes for those who may have barriers to their learning. She understands who is entitled to additional funding and how to use this in a productive way. For example, additional training is completed by the childminder and her assistants to better meet children's needs and support their understanding of how they can provide new experiences to further support children. Additional funding is also used to provide specific resources to further support children's development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder and her assistants build secure relationships with children. Information gathered when children first start is used to help them settle and feel secure. Appropriate adaptions are put in place to help children who need additional support. Children show they feel safe and secure and seek out the childminder or assistant when they need support or reassurance who are very attentive towards them.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children's emotional wellbeing is supported well. Group times provide children with opportunities to use visual props to show and talk about how they are feeling. The childminder and assistants celebrate children's uniqueness and use information about their backgrounds to teach children about different cultures and religions. Children learn about how to keep themselves safe. For example, when using knives and being near fire. However, the childminder does not always consider additional guidance when using larger equipment to support children's physical development.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children learn about making healthy choices and leading a healthy lifestyle. During a cooking activity children learn and explore different fruits and discuss how these grow. Focus activities support children to understand the importance of oral hygiene. Children learn about hygiene practice, washing their hands and talking about why and when they need to have clean hands. Children understand the uses of different bins, for example the food waste bin and about recycling. The childminder extends this further by taking the children on walks so they can pick up litter and learn about looking after the environment and local community.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder ensures that herself and assistants complete regular training. This includes researching courses that will further support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with other barriers to their learning. Simple signing is used consistently to support all children to communicate their needs. Weekly meetings provide the childminder and her assistants the opportunity to review and evaluate activities and discuss how these can be adapted to meet children's individual needs and next steps.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder ensures that she reviews changes to legislation and that all adults complete appropriate training to make the necessary changes. For example, assistants have recently completed training on changes to safer eating. They confidently discuss how they ensure that children's food is prepared appropriately and that children are always within sight and hearing. The childminder has not yet considered or implemented changes to suitability checks. When this was recognised, she took immediate action to put this right.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Assistants are supported well through regular one to one meetings and team gatherings. They can request additional training in areas that interest them. Parents speak highly of the childminder and her assistants. They appreciate the regular communication they receive about their child's development and progress. Parents speak about the additional support that is provided for themselves and their children and how this supports children's wellbeing.

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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 arrive happy and excited for their day at this welcoming setting. They have secure bonds with the childminder and her assistants. They benefit from the caring and supportive environment. They very much enjoy being with the childminder and assistants. Children confidently explore the resources and toys the childminder sets out to support their interests. Children are busy and maintain focus and attention on activities of their choosing. Parents

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About this setting

value the childminder's incredibly warm and patient nature and that she creates a nurturing, safe place for their children.

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About this setting

She makes the most of all opportunities to challenge their thinking and develop their skills. She provides children with new experiences to develop their learning further. The childminder introduces new foods and provides children the time they need to explore these and ask questions. Children are fascinated as they explore a pumpkin and learn about how different fruits grow. They develop confidence with new experiences and follow safety instructions when near the fire pit. The childminder and assistants have a love of being outdoors and plan lots of the children's learning outside. For example, children enthusiastically take part in a cooking activity, they help to prepare fruit to make a pie. They listen well to instructions and use child safe knives to cut apples. They show fascination as they sit around the fire pit while it is being prepared to cook the pie.

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About this setting

The childminder and assistants provide children with lots of encouragement and praise. Children thrive in the environment and are proud to show their achievements. Children show a love of books and explore these independently or ask adults to read these to them. Children love to be active and out in the fresh air. They excitedly explore the wide variety of activities in the garden. They learn about the world around them and the local community in which they live. They show an understanding of looking after the environment and take part in activities to support their understanding of recycling.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure she is up to date on all current guidance and legislation to further support understanding of changes to requirements and to ensure she has a secure understanding of suitable equipment for younger children.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistants and 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. Unique reference number (URN): 2797596

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 14:00

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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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