Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2843216 Registered with Ofsted: 02/07/2025 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder provides a calm and welcoming environment. All children develop positive relationships and attitudes towards their learning. Overall, children maintain focus when playing and show an interest in exploring a range of resources. The childminder has well- organised routines in place, which help children to understand what is happening next and know what is expected of them. For example, children understand they need to help tidy away resources they have finished playing with before choosing something else.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder typically promotes positive behaviour and encourages children to use their manners. She role models through giving praise and encouragement and rewards children with stickers for their achievements. This supports children to develop of love of learning, stay focused and work collaboratively with their peers. Children receive support to become independent and build their confidence as they try tasks for themselves. The childminder teaches children about different emotions. She introduces new vocabulary as she uses facial expressions and pictures to aid children's understanding. This helps children to recognise how they are feeling and how their behaviour can impact others. The childminder works with parents and carers to promote the importance of attendance. She ensures she follows up on any unexplained absences within a swift time frame.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder is kind and caring and supports children to feel settled, happy and safe. She builds close attachments, offers reassurance and encourages children to explore the environment and build their confidence. The childminder understands the importance of ensuring policies and procedures are in place and adhered to in order to support the welfare and wellbeing of children. This includes for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may have barriers to their learning. For example, she understands she needs to sit with children while they eat to prevent any potential choking hazards. The childminder ensures she prepares and provides food to meet individual children's needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children learn the importance of following healthy lifestyles as they eat nutritious snacks and meals. They benefit from physical activities and fresh air. Children enjoy kicking and throwing a football with the childminder. Children regularly visit the local park to increase their balance and coordination skills as they use equipment and learn to manage risks. The childminder typically supports children to follow established hygiene practices and attend to their personal care needs. Children learn to wipe their noses, throw tissues in the bin and wash their hands regularly, including before eating.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children make some progress from their starting points, but this is a slower rate for some children across the different areas of their learning. This is because teaching is not high quality and children's next steps are not targeted enough to help them make the best possible progress, including in their communication and language development. Children learn some new vocabulary as they repeat words and answer simple questions.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children enjoy participating in different activities. They show focus as they build towers, name different colours and count the number of bricks. Children show enthusiasm as they learn new skills such as throwing and catching a ball. Children persevere and are eager to learn and achieve. Children increase their self-help skills as they feed themselves and learn to put on their shoes. They receive regular praise and show they are proud of completing tasks independently. This raises children's self-esteem and confidence further.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder's curriculum is not ambitious enough or well designed. She generally plans her curriculum to cover all areas of learning and provides a range of resources inside and outside to follow children's interests. The childminder offers different activities with some learning intentions in mind for all children. However, these are not always matched to children's ages and stages of development. They are also not sequenced to build on what individual children need to learn next. The childminder has not completed progress checks for children between the ages of 2 and 3 years, which is a statutory requirement of the early years foundation stage. The childminder's teaching is varied and interactions are not effective in fully supporting all children to develop and extend their communication and language skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Children enjoy sharing stories with the childminder and sing together. However, the childminder typically asks closed questions and does not consistently give children time to think and respond. The childminder introduces some new vocabulary and encourages children to repeat words. The childminder initiates different mathematics concepts throughout her curriculum. For example, children learn the names of shapes as they draw together. They develop an understanding of capacity as they fill and empty containers with play food. Children learn to count as they build towers and use number lines displayed on the wall.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder has completed some continued professional development to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who may face barriers to their learning. Despite this, her knowledge of how to support children with SEND is limited, and this is shown in her practice. For example, the childminder's lack of understanding around observations and assessments means that gaps in children's learning are not identified quickly or addressed. Also, she plans some next steps in children's learning that are not typically age- or stage-appropriate. Therefore, children do not receive full support to gain the skills and knowledge they need to help prepare them for future learning.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder's knowledge is limited regarding working with other professionals to provide additional support for children with SEND. She speaks to parents and carers regarding any concerns but is unsure about the process to follow to make a referral in her local authority.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder provides an environment to promote inclusive practice. She wants all children to feel valued and welcome regardless of their backgrounds, cultures, religions or languages spoken. The childminder uses resources, stories and activities to help children learn what makes them special and unique. This helps children to begin to understand and learn respect for others.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has not maintained an effective oversight of her provision, which has resulted in a breach of requirements. She has not completed progress checks or provided parents and carers with a written summary of their children's development between the ages of 2 and 3 years. As a result, the childminder does not have an overview of where children are progressing and if there are any gaps in their learning. The childminder typically reflects on her practice and has some ideas of changes she wants to make with art and craft activities in the future. Despite this, she does not have a clear view of areas that need to improve.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder has completed her mandatory training of safeguarding and paediatric first aid. She has not added to her existing knowledge through continued professional development. This limits her understanding of providing an ambitious curriculum to meet the needs of all children effectively and raising the level of her teaching. In particular, the childminder has not strengthened her knowledge to support children's communication and language skills and her knowledge of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This includes how to make referrals to other professionals when additional support is required. The childminder shares updates with parents and keeps them informed about their children's day.

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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 quality of education children receive is variable due to weaknesses in the quality of teaching. As a result, children do not consistently experience learning that builds on what they know and can do or supports what they need to learn next. Children engage in a range of activities and experiences and enjoy participating. At times, the childminder's engagement is not purposeful. Therefore, children do not typically extend their understanding or deepen their thinking skills. Children's communication and language are not extended enough to help them make consistent progress. Children enjoy sharing stories and learn some new vocabulary as they play and respond to questions.

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

Children are happy to attend the setting. They settle quickly and develop a deep and affectionate bond with the childminder. This ensures children feel safe and secure and develop a sense of belonging. Children enjoy cuddles and laugh together with the childminder as they play with a range of resources. Children are confident to make choices in their play. They focus on activities that capture their interests, such as playing with cars and other vehicles and building towers of different heights with bricks. Children show sustained periods of concentration.

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

Children develop their imaginations as they sort different food and pretend to make dinner. They receive encouragement to talk about food they like and name their favourites. Children learn the names of different animals and receive encouragement to repeat the names of the ones unfamiliar to them. They learn and develop an understanding of the different environments in which the animals live. Children enjoy spending time in the garden, where they develop their small muscle movements as they paint with brushes. Children mix different colours together and practise their counting skills. They increase their physical skills as they play football with the childminder. Children practise kicking the ball and develop more precision when aiming for the goal. Children cheer when they score and enjoy receiving praise, which boosts their confidence.

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Next steps

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

ensure progress checks are completed and shared with parents and carers for all children between the ages of 2 and 3 years 31/10/2026

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Action Completion Date

provide high-quality interactions to support all children's learning across the curriculum, especially with children's ongoing communication and language development 31/10/2026

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Action Completion Date

strengthen knowledge of providing support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and the process to make referrals to other professionals 31/10/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve the oversight of the provision to identify and address areas for development. 31/10/2026

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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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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and 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 the 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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn . Store Street Manchester M1 2WD

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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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