Childminder in CambridgeshireOfsted report card, 15 Sept 2026

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2778985 Registered with Ofsted: 09/05/2024 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 very well prepared for their next stage of learning. They benefit extremely well from the childminder's emphasis on communication and language. Older children have excellent communication skills. They hold conversations, taking turns, listening, and answering and asking questions. They are confident to talk to other children and to ask adults for help if they need it. Babies and younger children learn new words rapidly and demonstrate secure understanding of what they are being asked. Children recall prior learning and enjoy talking about what they have done. For example, children discuss a recent trip to a fire station and using the hose.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children have excellent independence skills, which prepare them effectively for the next stage in their education. Babies feed themselves well, and older children cut up their own snacks. They are independent in everyday routines such as washing their own hands and putting on their shoes and coats. Children show immense pride in their achievements.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop impressive physical skills with both their large and small muscle skills. For example, children skilfully manoeuvre scooters around obstacles and use their small muscle skills and concentration to carefully scoop sand and transfer it to a small pot.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has a very calm and patient manner. She fully supports children in understanding how to interact with each other and follow safe boundaries and expectations. Children build warm and positive relationships with her. She values children as individuals and treats them with respect. She encourages them to show respect to her and each other. Older children demonstrate a secure understanding of this and happily share toys and take turns with resources. The childminder quickly and gently supports children who need extra help in understanding how to get along well. She gives children praise when they demonstrate friendly and caring behaviour and they respond very well to this.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder plans for children to benefit from secure routines and uses these consistently to support their learning and development. Children learn how to make choices, such as a choice for the outing that day. They learn that sometimes they don't get their choice but will do another day. They also learn to be independent and show excellent skills for their age. For example, children show high levels of focus in trying to cut their snack. They persevere at closing their lunch box independently and are proud of themselves for succeeding.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder understands the importance of supporting children's regular attendance and ensures parents and carers understand this too. She has an attendance policy in place and follows up absences quickly and thoroughly.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places great emphasis on the children's welfare and wellbeing. She wants children to feel secure and to be happy in their learning. She sees their wellbeing as the foundation from which children can begin to explore confidently and develop independence in their learning. The children love being in her company, and parents and carers speak highly of the support she gives to their individual needs. The childminder is highly aware of the children's personalities and responds accordingly, some children are adventurous and confident and others more cautious and aware. The childminder is sensitive to their unique characteristics, and all children build close relationships with her.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder teaches children healthy habits. She teaches them how to use mirrors to blow their noses and to wash their hands afterwards. Children routinely wash their hands independently before snack or lunch. The childminder offers healthy snacks and supports parents to provide healthy lunches. Mealtimes are opportunities for children to be social. They chat to each other happily about their food and the childminder encourages good manners. The childminder is highly alert to the possibilities of choking and sits with children as they eat.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children enjoy daily physical activity and walks in the local area. Children learn the importance of rest, younger children sleep and older children have calm, quiet times. The childminder ensures that she follows the latest guidance for children's sleeping arrangements.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has developed a highly challenging but achievable curriculum with ambitious goals for all children. She has a deep knowledge and understanding of how babies and young children learn. She ensures that her curriculum focuses firstly on building the positive relationships, which supports children in feeling safe and confident to learn. The development of communication and language is a strength of the setting, children chat constantly throughout the day. The childminder introduces new words such as 'freckles' and explains their meaning to older children. She ensures that children pronounce words correctly and gently addresses any misconceptions. She repeats the names of items for younger children just learning to speak. Children make rapid progress in their understanding of new vocabulary and in their language skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder's curriculum supports her aims for children to be independent, including in everyday routines. It enables children to have the confidence to approach new adventures, such as starting school happily and being able to make friends and ask for help.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder emphasises the importance of physical activity to children and they have lots of opportunities to develop their large muscle skills by running or scooting in the garden. Children enjoy using mathematical language and concepts in the context of their play. For example, with the childminder's support, older children carefully count out five place settings in their role play café.

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Expected standard

The childminder ensures that all children have opportunities to develop their skills and monitors these through continual observation and assessment.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Children's individual needs are quickly established through meeting with parents and carers and early observations. The childminder invites parents to the setting to discuss what children can do. She uses guidance and experience to judge whether a child has gaps in their learning or is facing barriers to learning. If a child is demonstrating evidence of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or other barriers to learning, she meets with parents to agree the child's next steps in learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has a secure knowledge of supporting children with communication and language difficulties. She has a range of adaptations that she would use, such as repeating words, visual aids and timetables and now and next boards. However, the childminder has not yet developed her understanding of how to support children with SEND or other barriers to learning or wellbeing. The childminder works closely with schools but has not yet developed relationships with other agencies to further support children with SEND. As a result, opportunities to access additional advice and specialist support to meet children's individual needs are not yet fully developed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder regularly assesses children's learning to ensure they are making progress. She works extremely closely with families to ensure that they are aware of what the child is learning and how they can help at home. She measures the impact of her strategies by the progress the children make. The childminder consults with parents and considers the child's individual needs when using extra funding.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is very aware of the strengths of her practice. She has created an environment where children can learn to be as independent and confident as possible. She has built up excellent relationships with parents and carers who value her thoughtful approach and her informative and clear communications with them. Whilst the childminder addresses minor issues as they arise, she does not always have the same clear vision for areas that might need improvement. For example, understanding of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities in areas other than communication and language skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

She runs her setting well and the quality of her provision is high. She uses and organises resources very well. Children receive a excellent standard of care and teaching.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has excellent communications with other adults that work with her, and they work cohesively as a team. They attend professional development that complements each other to provide a broad range of knowledge and skills. The wellbeing of both the childminder and other adults who work with her are high as a result of their closeness and strength as a team. The childminder ensures that their workload is considered and discussed.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder engages with the local community, and children visit older people and cafes in the area. She has also built-up close relationships with the local schools which supports a smooth transition for children making that next step.

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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 warmly welcomed into this nurturing and caring setting. They are extremely happy and settled and are eager to play. Children smile and laugh as they talk to each other and the childminder about what they are doing. They build positive and warm relationships with the childminder and other adults who work with her. Babies climb onto her lap, and older children chat happily as they play.

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

The childminder has a deep knowledge of the children in her care. Activities are based on the children's interests and their developmental needs. As a result, children are fully focused and engaged in their play. For example, children place 'people who help us' pieces into a puzzle and talk to the childminder about what it might be like to be in the police force. They consider what they might want to do when they grow up. Children enjoy the opportunities to choose what outings they go on, for example, they choose between a walk to the park or the café.

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

Children get on with each other incredibly well. They share resources and experiences with each other. For example, children pass around the sensory bottles for other children to listen to and enjoy the experience. Children take care of younger children and babies and are careful when they are crawling. They show compassion by stroking babies' heads when babies are upset.

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

They behave very well and are respectful of each other and resources. Older children enjoy responsibility and help younger children. All children tidy up resources when they have finished playing with them. If children need support to behave appropriately, the childminder offers gentle guidance and an opportunity to talk or sit quietly with her.

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

Children benefit from the calm and predictable routines of the day. Care routines, such as nappy changing and toileting, are calm, respectful and predictable, supporting children's emotional wellbeing. As a result, children feel secure, valued and make rapid progress from their starting points, particularly in confidence, communication and independence.

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Next steps

The childminder should develop her knowledge and understanding of special educational needs and/or disabilities other than communication and language. The childminder should develop further awareness of her setting to explore areas for improvement.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her co-childminder and parents 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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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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