Coldwell, Abigail Louise

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2824945 Registered with Ofsted: 10/02/2025 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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Achievement Expected standard

Typically, children steadily gain knowledge and understanding across the 7 areas of learning and development. Children demonstrate a growing curiosity across all aspects of their play. They demonstrate high levels of concentration and perseverance as they attempt new tasks and challenges.

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Achievement Expected standard

Gaps in all children's learning are closing consistently and at times, quickly, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. All children gain skills that will prepare them for their move on to school. Older children develop their motor skills effectively, building their strength and coordination on the equipment in the garden. They practise using tools to mix materials and make marks with chalks, showing increasing control and dexterity. Babies excitedly toddle about, inspired by the stimulating environment and grin broadly, eager to play.

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Achievement Expected standard

All children, including those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing are making steady progress.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations for children's behaviour, which she typically reinforces consistently and fairly. As a result, children generally behave well, and any incidents of poor behaviour are addressed swiftly. However, the childminder should ensure that her approach to managing behaviour is tailored more precisely to each child's age and stage of development. This enables children to develop the skills they need to increasingly manage their own feelings and behaviour.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are kind and caring towards the childminder and each other. They often work collaboratively to accomplish a task. This is met with lots of praise and encouragement from the childminder. Children build warm and trusting relationships with the childminder. They seek her out when they need support and to share their ideas.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. She has monitoring systems in place that appropriately support this. Children are curious and motivated learners. They are excited to join in activities and learn new skills. Children are focused on their learning and demonstrate impressive concentration skills as they test out ideas. For example, children use bricks to make a tower. They carefully balance one block on top of the other as the tower wobbles. Children giggle with delight as the tower falls, quickly picking up the pieces to have another go.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder understands the importance of secure attachments. She provides a nurturing environment where babies and children's individual needs are well supported. Children demonstrate warm and trusting relationships with the childminder who knows them well. This promotes a sense of belonging. The childminder works in partnership with parents and carers to gain an understanding of babies and young children's routines. She understands statutory guidance for safe-sleeping arrangements, weaning and safe-eating requirements and ensures that guidelines are followed appropriately.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides children with age- and stage-appropriate knowledge to support their understanding of leading a healthy lifestyle. For example, children learn about healthy foods, oral hygiene and the importance of having plenty of exercise. The childminder provides parents with information to support learning around this area at home.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Children are happy and settled. They explore the learning environment confidently and with ease. Generally, children's welfare and wellbeing are well supported. However, the childminder does not consistently support the development of independence. For example, children are not always given the opportunity to do things that they are capable of doing for themselves. This does not support children to have a positive sense of wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder plans a programme of activities that children thoroughly enjoy. Activities are planned around children's interests, with a mix of child and adult-led experiences. The teaching of mathematics is weaved throughout the curriculum. Typically, children learn new concepts and enjoy practising their new skills. However, at times, activities are not developmentally age appropriate. As a result, younger children become easily distracted and can not always access the learning on offer. This has an impact on their ability to develop the skills required for future learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has a sharp focus on supporting the development of children's communication and language skills. Children have a love of books and share their favourite stories with their friends. The childminder offers lots of opportunities for children to learn new songs and rhymes. Children are becoming confident communicators and enjoy sharing their ideas with the childminder and their friends.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder focuses on babies' and children's personal, social and emotional development to make sure that they feel safe and secure. Children have lots of opportunities to practise their physical skills as they explore the outdoors, jumping in muddy puddles and digging in the garden. The childminder provides children with lots of opportunities to learn about the world around them. They learn about different cultures, reflect on their similarities and understand what makes them unique.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder provides an inclusive learning environment and understands how to support children who may face barriers to their learning. As a result, children typically make steady progress from their starting points. The childminder has a sharp focus on the development of children's early language and communication skills and provides adaptations in the learning environment to support those who are not yet verbal. For example, the childminder uses picture cards and books to support the development of communication.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder assesses children's development and changing needs appropriately. She demonstrates an understanding of the need for swift action, should a barrier to learning become identified. The childminder has completed relevant training to ensure that she has the skills required to support those who may face a barrier to their learning. She ensures that her knowledge remains current through discussion forums and reading online materials from professional organisations.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has supported children facing barriers to learning in the past and describes the appropriate actions taken to support learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is reflective of her practice and committed to furthering her professional development. She has completed all mandatory training and has close links with the local authority early years support team who keep her updated on training and development opportunities. The childminder attends regular network meetings with other childminders to share good practice. The childminder generally understands the setting's strengths and areas for further development, but self-evaluation is not detailed enough to achieve a deep understanding of the effectiveness of her provision.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents are very complimentary of the childminder. They describe how they are very happy with the communication strategies used to keep them updated about their children's learning and development. They praise the learning opportunities on offer, especially the trips out into the local community. They praise the childminders commitment to their children and express how happy their children are.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a clear ambition for all children, including disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to social care, and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. She works in partnership with parents and local schools to ensure that all children have a smooth transition when moving on to the next stage of their education.

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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 are happy and settled in the childminder's home-from-home environment. They smile, laugh and display a sense of belonging, feeling welcome and valued. Those who are new to the setting are given lots of support and reassurance. Children have warm and trusting relationships with the childminder who understands their individual needs very well. Children are becoming confident communicators. They chat happily with the childminder and each other about their interests and the day.

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

Children are motivated and focused on their learning because activities are planned around their growing interests. For example, children visit police and fire stations to learn more about people who help us. They role play doctors and listen to the childminder's heartbeat. Children are happy to share their experiences and enjoy chatting with the childminder and their friends.

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

Children are confident to explore the learning environment independently. Babies enjoy exploring sensory activities while older children get busy making marks with paint. Children are eager to help at tidy-up time and enjoy helping the childminder with jobs. This is met with lots of praise and encouragement.

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

Children have a real love of books. They select their favourite stories and look at books independently. Children enjoy singing, dancing and listening to stories, read enthusiastically by the childminder. Children have lots of opportunities to socialise and learn about the world around them. They visit museums, pet shops, the library and other exciting places.

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

The childminder is inclusive in her practice and demonstrates an understanding of how she would support any children who may face barriers to their learning. She works in partnership with the local authority early years support team to ensure that she has the knowledge required to access any additional support that children require. Typically, children make steady progress from their starting points and are well prepared for the next step in their education.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure that activities are age and developmentally appropriate so that children develop the skills they need to progress through the curriculum. The childminder should ensure that children's wellbeing is consistently supported by enabling them to do the things that they are capable of doing, independently.

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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, parents 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 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.

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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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