Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2721180 Registered with Ofsted: 12/05/2023 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

Children show that they feel safe and secure in the setting. For instance, they confidently separate from their carers on arrival and quickly select toys to play with. Children develop secure relationships with the childminder and co-minder. The emotional atmosphere, generally, is calm and caring. Children express their emotions appropriately. As a result, children typically have a positive attitude towards their play.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children behave well, given their ages and stages. The childminder is a positive role model. This helps children to understand socially acceptable behaviour. Children learn to take responsibility for their environment and equipment. After playing with toys, they eagerly put them away when asked to do so. Children learn how to use manners, for example, they quickly say 'thank you' to others. Children respond to encouragement and take pride in their achievements, such as when they try new foods. Children understand the predictable routines of the day, such as reading and rhyme time.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children attend the setting regularly. The childminder understands the importance of attendance and punctuality. She monitors children's attendance and contacts parents and carers if children do not attend as expected.

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Achievement Needs attention

Children make inconsistent progress. Children do not routinely build on what they already know and can do. They do not make progress relative to their starting points. Children do not make sufficient progress in their communication and language development. Children learn how to separate from their carers and build confidence in interacting with the childminder. They learn social skills to support their next stages in development, such as using friendly greetings. Children demonstrate a range of increasing independence. For instance, they learn how to wash their hands before eating and attempt to peel their own fruit at snack time. This supports their readiness for school. Children develop physical skills such as walking, running and climbing as they enjoy playing in the garden. Children learn about the world around them when they take trips to the local park and library.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

The childminder does not consistently ensure that children's welfare and wellbeing needs are met through her daily care routines. Feeding routines do not reflect the needs and developmental stages of individual children. The childminder does not have a good enough understanding of safer eating requirements. As such, children are occasionally given foods that have not been effectively prepared to minimise the risk of choking. Younger children are not given an appropriate range of healthy and balanced snacks. She has not ensured that she has access to training and support to help her embed feeding routines that support all children's individual needs.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Needs attention

Children feel safe and secure in the setting. They form appropriate attachments with the childminder. They feel settled and seek comfort from the childminder when required. Children develop the confidence to separate from parents and carers and explore the environment. Children learn how to look after their own health and wellbeing through the consistent daily routines. Children learn habits to support their health and hygiene. For example, they learn it is important to wash their hands before and after eating. Children begin to develop an understanding of the value in taking physical exercise.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The childminder has a basic curriculum in place. The focus of her curriculum is to help children become independent. She has organised her home to ensure that children have access to a range of high-quality toys and resources that promotes learning across the 7 areas of learning and development. However, the curriculum is not planned in such a way that helps children to make the small steps of progress that leads to mastery of the required skills and knowledge. The planned activities are not sequenced well enough to match the children's stage of development. For instance, young children are expected to learn the alphabet before they have secured basic oral language skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The quality of teaching is too variable. Children keenly choose the toys they wish to play with. The childminder follows children's play and engages enthusiastically with children as they lead their own play. This supports children's motivation to learn. Children are encouraged to learn number names as they count toys back in to the boxes. The childminder provides a running commentary to children which helps them to hear new words and develop their understanding of situations and objects. However, during adult-led activities, such as shared reading, the childminder chooses books that are too far beyond the children's developmental stage. As such, children become overwhelmed and turn the pages quickly. Although they enjoy looking at the pictures and acting out parts of the story, the experience does not build on their prior learning.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder does not carefully consider all the information she knows about children to make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum, to support children to fully access learning activities. For example, despite knowing that children have some anxiety in relation to messy play activities, she plans experiences that involve children getting wet and dirty. Children who are not ready to join in do not benefit from the intended learning and become disengaged, which affects their enjoyment and happiness.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The childminder makes assessments of children's progress through her observations of children at play and discussions with parents. However, she does not always use this information to inform the statutory progress checks. She does not correctly identify when children face barriers to their learning. The childminder has not accessed any training to help her understand the steps to be taken if there are concerns about a child's development. Subsequently, children do not access the support to which they are entitled. The childminder does not currently have any children with identified special educational needs and/or disabilities on roll. No children are eligible for funding. The childminder has a suitable awareness of the funding available to families.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder does not accurately evaluate her provision and identify areas for development. Despite this, she has met the actions raised at the last inspection. The childminder does not have a good enough understanding of all of the legal requirements she must meet. As such, there are breaches to the requirements, although these do not significantly impact on children's safety. There are some areas of practice that do not improve. The childminder has not informed Ofsted of all the information that she is required to. Information and record keeping is not consistently maintained to support children's welfare. For example, she has not ensured that she has collected all the information about persons who have parental responsibility for each child who attends. This means that the oversight of the setting is not at the expected standard.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The childminder ensures that she undertakes mandatory training in child protection and paediatric first aid. However, she has not focused her professional development in relation to her own needs, such as knowledge about early years nutrition and safer eating. The childminder has a good understanding of the needs of the children who attend, however, she does not always use this information effectively to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the education she provides. Assessment is undertaken but it is not always accurate. The curriculum is not sufficiently well planned to ensure that all children receive individualised learning. The quality of teaching is too variable.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Parents are kept informed of their children's learning and progress. The childminder understands the importance of working in partnership with parents to support areas such as toilet training.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not 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 not 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's welfare and wellbeing is not always effectively promoted. Children are not always offered food that is suitable for their ages and stages, and that has been prepared carefully to minimise the risk of choking. The childminder does not fully understand the requirements in relation to safer eating, this means that children's welfare and wellbeing is compromised. Furthermore, the childminder has not provided Ofsted with all the information that is required as part of registration requirements. This means that not all those who have regular contact with children have passed the required checks to be associated to the childminder's registration. Oversight of the provision is not effective, and this impacts on children's welfare and outcomes. Children do not experience an individualised learning plan that helps them to build on what they know and can do at an appropriate pace. Planned next steps are not

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

always well matched to the children's stage of development. Children are overall safe, well cared for and enjoy their time with the childminder.

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

Children quickly grow in confidence once they start attending the childminder's provision. This is because she forms secure attachments with children and puts in place a consistent routine. Children particularly enjoy the playful interactions the childminder has with them. Children smile with delight when the childminder gets on the floor and plays with them, following their lead to build houses, create roads for cars and hide under blankets. The childminder creates a warm and positive environment that supports children's secure emotional development. Children behave well in the setting. They are encouraged to make a positive contribution. They help to tidy away toys and show care and concern for others.

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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 that any person that may have regular contact with children is suitable and has passed any checks required 15/10/2026

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Action Completion Date

ensure that all relevant and required information about the child is gathered prior to care taking place 15/10/2026

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Action Completion Date

develop knowledge of age- and stage-appropriate nutrition and how to prepare food to reduce the risks of choking 15/09/2026

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Action Completion Date

put in place a professional development programme to support the continual improvement of the quality of the care and education 15/12/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector/inspectors spoke with the childminder 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. Register(s): EYR, CCR, VCR

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About this inspection

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 09:00 - 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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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

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

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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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