Sestito, Samantha Lindsey

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2844844 Registered with Ofsted: 18/07/2025 Registers: EYR, CCR

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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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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder has a sharp focus on the wellbeing and welfare of all children who attend her provision. She is highly attentive to the emotional and physical needs of the children and is quick to notice when a child needs reassurance. Babies are highly confident in their environment as they explore, and occasionally return to the childminder for cuddles when they need reassurance or comfort. Children show they are very secure and included through the range of activities and experiences that she offers.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Healthy habits are consistently embedded through everyday routines. Children learn important hygiene practices, such as washing their hands before eating. They have many opportunities to benefit from the fresh air and be physically active. The childminder provides fresh home-cooked meals for the children, considering any dietary or cultural needs. Children thoroughly enjoy their meals, which are carefully prepared to meet children's stages of weaning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

From a young age, children begin to develop an understanding of good oral health. Children take part in a teeth brushing activity with dolls, which introduces them to the idea of caring for their teeth in a fun and age-appropriate way.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder fosters a wonderful sense of belonging among children by celebrating their individuality. She recognises and values their achievements, interests, families and cultures. For instance, she maintains excellent bonds with children's wider family members and joins in family cultural celebrations with them.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make steady progress in all areas of their learning in relation to their individual starting points. The childminder supports children's development effectively, ensuring that learning experiences are appropriately matched to their individual needs. However, she has not yet fully considered the learning and identified next steps for children who attend other settings to inform her planning and teaching. This limits opportunities to build consistently on children's existing learning and provide further challenge to support stronger progress.

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Achievement Expected standard

Nonetheless, children achieve typical progress. Young children begin to learn to walk unaided, and they improve their coordination when playing ball games with the childminder. They develop their language skills through listening and interacting at story and singing times. From a young age, children begin to learn new vocabulary through the childminder's narration of their play. They are confident and keen to learn and join in activities, which builds positive learning habits for the next stages of education, such as starting nursery and school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder helps children to understand the daily routines and what is expected of them through clear and calm conversations and modelling. She explains transitions so that children understand what to expect, which supports a calm environment. Routines throughout the day are flexible and meet the children's needs. For example, the childminder follows children's lead when they are hungry or tired. She focuses on building caring relationships with children and is a positive role model for children. For instance, she communicates with the children in a respectful manner, using straightforward and clear language to support their understanding.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder forms secure bonds with all those in her care, and they clearly enjoy playing and learning with her. Children show delight when they receive praise and recognition from the childminder. Her enthusiastic approach, ongoing praise and encouragement build children's confidence, promoting positive attitudes to learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Communication with parents and carers is effective. Parents keep the childminder informed about children's attendance, as she encourages regular attendance to support children's learning. The childminder's inclusive approach ensures that all children are supported to develop positive attitudes and confidence in daily routines.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder accurately assesses children's development and provides a varied range of learning experiences that support all children's development across the curriculum. She knows children well and plans experiences based on their interests and next steps in learning. However, for children who attend other settings, the childminder has not yet used information about what children are learning and the skills they are developing in those settings to inform her curriculum. This limits opportunities to build on what children already know and can do and extend their learning and development even further.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Despite this, the childminder's interactions support learning and development and help children to achieve well. The childminder cares for young children and focuses on their personal, social and emotional development, and communication, language and physical skills. The childminder uses a range of teaching strategies, from modelling to playing alongside children. She is skilled at providing a narrative as children play; she describes their actions, ensuring that they are continually exposed to language. This builds on children's growing vocabulary and confidence. Opportunities for physical development are plentiful, as children climb, crawl and move around to promote large-muscle development. Young children increasingly develop independence skills through everyday routines. They learn to feed themselves independently and drink from an open cup. They learn simple safety practices, such as washing their hands before eating. These routines help children

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

understand what happens next and support a calm environment.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder creates a warm, inclusive environment where all children feel welcomed and valued. The childminder works with families from the outset, typically gathering information about children's needs, routines and interests. This enables her to identify individual starting points and to plan ongoing support and learning opportunities that meet individual needs. The childminder follows children's interests, as she encourages children to make their own choices and contribute their ideas.

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Inclusion Expected standard

She uses assessment effectively to identify gaps in children's learning and helps all children to progress from their starting points. She understands how to complete the required progress check for children aged 2 years. This helps her to monitor their progress and typically identify any areas where additional help may be needed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder ensures that she completes training to build her knowledge and practice to support children who require additional help. For instance, she completed training to use an assessment tool to aid and monitor children's speech and language from the outset of the care arrangement.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Overall, the childminder understands the procedures for seeking advice and support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She knows when to work with other professionals and seek advice from the local authority so that she can adapt her support and reduce these barriers.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder aspires to provide a high-quality provision for children and families. She keeps herself updated on changes to legislation and keeps mandatory training, such as safeguarding and first aid. She recognises gaps in her knowledge and the importance of continuing professional development. However, she has not yet undertaken targeted training to address these gaps and further strengthen the quality of her teaching and practice.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

She is passionate about offering children a nurturing and engaging environment and has a clear understanding of her strengths, such as her partnership working with parents and supporting children's communication and language development. Her reflective approach supports her to typically provide high-quality learning experiences for children in her care.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Effective settling-in processes help children and families to quickly become familiar with her. This promotes positive working relationships with families. The childminder communicates regularly with parents and carers, sharing information about what children have learned and how to support them further at home. Parents share how they feel well informed about their child's learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands the importance of protecting her own wellbeing. She and the children enjoy outings in the fresh air and attend playgroups, which also gives her opportunities to meet other childminders.

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

Children benefit from close bonds with the childminder, who knows each child's character, interests and needs well. Children show a real sense of belonging in the 'home-from-home' environment the childminder prides herself on providing. They show confidence as they enjoy playing with activities of their choosing. Children clearly feel happy and safe in the care of the childminder. They settle quickly and confidently explore their surroundings, climbing up and down soft-play blocks. Children seek the childminder out for cuddles, reassurance and affection. They snuggle as they look through books together, creating a love for stories.

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

Children enjoy a curriculum with a clear intent and a range of activities that focus on building their communication and language skills, physical development and personal development. For example, young children join in peek-a-boo games and begin to develop their imagination as they role play caring for baby dolls with the childminder.

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

Children become increasingly independent as they confidently manage everyday tasks, such as drinking from an open cup, and show appropriate levels of motivation and resilience for their age. They enjoy their learning and make secure progress because experiences build on what they know, can do and are interested in. Regular informal observations and assessments by the childminder ensure that any barriers to learning are swiftly identified and acted upon.

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

The childminder understands the importance of children attending regularly. When children are absent, she is quick to communicate with parents to check on children's welfare and

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00

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About this setting

Local authority: Surrey support them to return to her care when ready. She values the contributions from families and ensures a meaningful two-way flow of information.

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About this setting

Children benefit from a range of outings to build their social skills with others and support their understanding of the wider world. For instance, they attend playgroup sessions and visit local parks and woodlands.

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Next steps

The childminder should continue building on her knowledge, skills and practice through continuous professional development to raise teaching to the highest quality. The childminder should strengthen partnerships with other settings children attend to share progress of their development and ensure continuity of their care and learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector 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.

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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. 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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