Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2532525 Registered with Ofsted: 14/08/2019 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

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Safeguarding standards not met

The childminder has not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that adequately protects children from harm. She does not have a secure understanding of how to recognise signs of abuse, to enable her to identify when children may be at risk of harm. The childminder does not work effectively with other professionals to share all relevant information about children in a timely manner. She does not understand her role as the designated safeguarding lead or the procedures of the local safeguarding partnership. Consequently, the childminder does not demonstrate that she is able to deal with safeguarding concerns and report them to the appropriate agencies promptly to ensure children's safety.

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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

Children typically achieve well and make progress from their starting points. Young children focus and concentrate particularly well for their age. They spend time exploring the play dough and use a range of tools to progress their small-muscle skills, which helps readiness for early writing. Children with emerging learning needs use facial expressions and actions to express their needs and wants. They confidently invite adults into their play and are keen to show what they have learned.

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Achievement Expected standard

Young children, including those who are less confident, thoroughly enjoy the bubble machine. They show a growing curiosity, chasing the bubbles excitedly. They reach and stretch as they try to catch and pop them, developing their hand–eye coordination and balance. Young children focus and engage well and persevere in their chosen activities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has appropriate expectations for children's behaviour. Children understand the rules, behavioural expectations and daily routines. They know they need to wait and take turns to wash their hands, developing positive social skills and habits. Children listen well and learn to help tidy the play areas before mealtimes. They receive praise and a 'high five', which helps build their self-esteem. The childminder supports children to develop an understanding of the impact of their actions on others. For example, young children receive gentle reminders and clear explanations to help them understand that squirting water directly at their friends might upset them. Children form close bonds with the childminder and her assistants, which helps them to settle and feel ready to learn. The childminder is respectful and provides children with a '5- minute warning' to finish their play. Children are confident to initiate interactions with others

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

and include their friends in their play, sharing the resources and cooperating in turn-taking activities.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder maintains an accurate record of children's attendance. She ensures that settling-in arrangements meet the needs of the children and their families to help children feel comfortable and positive about attending. The childminder liaises with parents to follow up on any absences appropriately. This helps children to develop effective routines in readiness for their eventual move to school.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder designs a flexible and broad curriculum that meets children's learning needs and interests. Overall, this is implemented well through the childminder's positive interactions with children and an understanding of what they need to learn next. The childminder uses her assessments effectively to identify children's next steps in learning and any emerging needs. She understands that children need a secure foundation in their learning and regular opportunities to practise their skills. This is particularly evident in the support for children's physical development.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children are enthusiastic and actively involved in their learning. Younger children sit happily at the table together. They listen well when following the childminder's instructions to make play dough. They take turns to scoop the flour into the bowl and to pour the water in before combining the ingredients. Children hear language through a consistent narrative. However, although questions are posed by the childminder, she does not consistently give children enough time to respond and share their thoughts. Children build their wrist and arm strength, such as when they use the rollers to flatten and imprint the dough. Children roll the dough between their hands and state, 'It's a ball.' These skills are deepened with mark- making opportunities and when using tools to 'squirt' water during water play. Children then develop these skills independently, such as picking dandelions with effective hand–eye

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses her recent special educational needs and disabilities coordinator training well to assess children's learning and development needs. She is able to recognise emerging gaps in children's development. Overall, she engages well with parents, other early years settings children attend and other relevant professionals to discuss possible strategies and support for children's learning and development. However, she does not always persevere with this when challenges arise. The childminder understands the importance of using additional funding wisely to support children to achieve and make a positive impact on their education.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder is mindful of potential barriers to children's learning. She uses effective arrangements to ensure adaptations meet children's needs and that all children are fully included in activities. For example, she ensures that children have access to hand cloths when playing with play dough if they do not like having sticky hands. Young children

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Urgent improvement

understand the routines and are beginning to develop the skills to self-regulate their feelings. The childminder does not always implement the support strategies that children with emerging gaps in their communication and language skills need, to further support their engagement in daily routines and activities.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

The childminder does not always implement her policies and procedures effectively. For example, she does not realise when to work closely with parents to obtain further information about children's health and wellbeing. Additionally, the childminder does not recognise when it might be beneficial to share advice with parents about children's care and routines at home. This weakness impacts on her ability to prioritise children's health, safety and welfare.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

Children benefit from a nurturing environment and an effective key-person system, which parents appreciate. Children develop friendships. They show concern when their friends are absent and are kind to each other. For example, they bring their friend's water bottle to the table so they can have a drink. Children show an awareness of the importance of drinking water regularly to keep themselves healthy. The childminder follows sound hygiene practices to promote children's health. For example, she discards food that has fallen on the floor and provides clear explanations to children to support their understanding about germs. Children learn to be independent through experiences such as serving themselves fruit and breadsticks, and they make healthy choices. The childminder follows safer eating and food preparation guidance. She provides parents with information on how to prepare food at home to reduce the risk of children choking.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder does not meet the statutory requirements of the early years foundation stage, with particular regard to safeguarding children. She does not have a secure understanding of her responsibilities or of the local safeguarding partnership's procedures. The childminder does not have the knowledge she needs to identify potential signs of abuse or how to report them accurately, in a timely manner and to the relevant agencies. Although the childminder recognises some risks to children, she is not confident or proactive in sharing the necessary information with other professionals. This has a significant impact on children's safety, welfare and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder strives to provide a high-quality education for children. She evaluates the effectiveness of the curriculum and adapts her teaching to meet the learning needs of the children.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder checks on and provides support for assistants regarding their ongoing wellbeing. Training and coaching are targeted well overall to support children with emerging learning and development needs and to regulate their emotions. The childminder maintains effective relationships with parents and other professionals regarding the children's learning and development, although she does not always persevere when challenges arise. Parents value the flexible settling-in arrangements and the ongoing feedback about their children's day and their achievements.

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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

Breaches to the statutory requirements significantly impact on children's safety and wellbeing. The childminder does not have sufficient knowledge and understanding of her safeguarding responsibilities and does not follow the local safeguarding partnership's procedures. Although children receive suitable support to promote their learning, the substantial weaknesses in safeguarding arrangements expose them to significant risk of harm.

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

There are efficient handovers with parents and/or carers when children arrive. Children enter the setting happily and are welcomed by familiar adults. They confidently place their bags on their named pegs. They know to place their water bottles on the table and to find their name cards to register their attendance. Children gain a sense of belonging and develop independence in readiness for their next stages in learning.

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

Children are excited to learn and willingly take part in focused activities, such as making play dough, as well as exploring the inviting environment independently. For example, children are interested in the lily pads and the solar fountain in the water tray, which the childminder has set out for them. Children show curiosity in how things work. They listen and watch, learning how to operate the fountain and take turns well. They match frogs with their corresponding lily pad and listen when staff count and point to the matching number. Children thoroughly enjoy developing their imaginations in the mud kitchen, such as when creating potions. They transfer the water with confident movements, developing their hand and arm muscles well.

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

Children show an interest in books. They sit together, listen well and make observations. For example, when children see a picture of a tangerine in a book, they comment that it looks like the bubbles they have played with outside. Children hear new vocabulary, such as the names of different fruit and animals. They confidently make the sound of an elephant and receive praise for their efforts and achievements.

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Next steps

The provider is not meeting the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

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Next steps

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

improve knowledge and understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect in children 04/08/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve partnership working with professionals, to exchange relevant information about children's safety and welfare and in a timely way 04/08/2026

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About this setting

Operating hours: Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 08:00 - 17:00

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Action Completion Date

improve knowledge and understanding of the local safeguarding partnership's procedures 04/08/2026

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Action Completion Date

improve parent partnerships to obtain information and provide advice regarding children's care, health and wellbeing 04/08/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistants and children during the inspection and considered the written views of parents.

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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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About this inspection

The inspection started on 9 July 2026. Inspectors returned on 3 August 2026 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.

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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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