Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2808236 Registered with Ofsted: 05/12/2024 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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Achievement Expected standard

Overall, children progress well across all areas of learning from their starting points. They typically benefit from teaching that supports them to build on their knowledge. Children communicate with confidence and share their wants and needs well. They sing familiar songs and look at favourite books with adults.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children develop social skills through opportunities to play collaboratively and work together on large-scale puzzles. They take turns and persevere as they put pieces together. Children show a willingness to try things themselves, such as putting on role-play clothes and completing hygiene tasks. Children across all ages show confidence and independence during mealtimes.

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Achievement Expected standard

Outside, children use equipment to develop their large muscles. Younger children move around the environment with control as they develop walking skills. Children transition well between activities and routine changes. They wash their hands before meals and help tidy up. This supports them in being suitably prepared for the next stage in education, such as school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder creates a warm, welcoming environment that supports children to explore and develop relationships. Routines are typically well embedded. Children know to wash their hands before snack and tidy toys away. Children receive praise and encouragement for their achievements, which supports their positive attitudes to learning. Although the childminder has high expectations for children's behaviour, she does not consistently provide support and guidance to help children improve and manage their own behaviour.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children have built secure relationships with the childminder, and they look to her for reassurance and comfort. The childminder's attentive and gentle approach supports her to swiftly respond to children's emotional needs, which further helps them to feel safe and valued. Children play well together and are typically taught in age-appropriate ways about turn-taking and sharing. They show empathy towards each other and learn social skills in larger groups during outings in the local community.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has an inclusive attitude and adapts her approach to support the individual needs of children and their families. She works with parents to promote regular attendance and has robust systems in place to follow up on any unplanned absences. This includes welfare checks at the child's home, which helps ensure their safety.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder has implemented effective practices that support children's welfare and wellbeing. She has a sensitive and calm approach with children, which supports their emotional safety. All children, especially those who are new, receive consistent reassurance. This supports them to settle into the environment quickly and gives children a sense of belonging. Children are typically able to recognise and express their emotions, and the childminder understands their individual needs. This enables her to provide personalised care that supports their emotional wellbeing.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Overall, children are developing healthy habits. They independently access water and benefit from fresh air and exercise every day. The childminder supports children with good hygiene routines and is typically mindful of their privacy and dignity. However, she does not consistently explain to children when wiping their noses and completing nappy changes why these practices are important, to help them develop an understanding of healthy habits and personal boundaries.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Sleep routines are supervised closely and ensure children's safety. At mealtimes, the childminder sits with children and encourages them to eat safely. The childminder works in partnership with parents to find out about children's allergies and dietary needs, including for babies who are weaning. She plans a varied and balanced menu for children and incorporates a new fruit each week, which helps to broaden children's healthy diets.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides a curriculum that typically helps children develop skills across all areas of learning. She plans activities that spark children's developing interests and monitors their progress so she can build on what they know. The childminder typically asks children open-ended questions and gives them time to respond. Younger children benefit from full sentences and words repeated back to them, alongside singing familiar songs. The childminder ensures books are woven throughout the curriculum. This supports children's overall communication and language development.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The environment encourages children's growing independence, and the childminder helps children to practise everyday skills such as dressing and feeding themselves. This supports them well in preparation for the next stage in their learning. The childminder typically incorporates some mathematics concepts into play, such as naming shapes. However, this is not yet consistently taught to children to help them develop a deeper understanding of mathematical ideas.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder's typically ambitious, inclusive curriculum supports children to build on their interests and skills. For example, children recreate their 'all about me' portraits during a Picasso session at an art gallery and visit local emergency service buildings. They explore their interest in transport toys using local buses and travelling by boat across the River Thames. These opportunities help children link their understanding and broaden their knowledge of the world.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder ensures all children feel valued and welcome in the setting. She gets to know children and their families well when they start. This ensures a smooth transition into the setting and enables her to plan for their individual needs and interests. The childminder is passionate about providing a curriculum that reflects the diversity of children who attend. She is sensitive to their cultures and beliefs and makes gentle adaptations to ensure all children can be included. The childminder observes and reviews children's progress regularly. This supports her to identify any gaps in their knowledge and where they may need additional support. Overall, the childminder explains her understanding of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). She typically demonstrates knowledge of professionals within the local authority who can support her. However, the childminder has

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Inclusion Expected standard

yet to complete training on SEND to give her the expertise that ensures seamless early support for children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is generally reflective of her strengths and areas of development. She works closely with a co-childminder to review and evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum. They equally support each other's wellbeing and share experiences to help improve practice. The childminder typically considers children's individual needs and interests to inform what she provides for children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder establishes warm, respectful relationships with children and their families. She recognises some challenges working families may face and offers a morning home- collection service to children. Parents find this extremely beneficial and speak positively about the childminder and her caring approach. The childminder maintains effective communication with parents using an appropriate electronic app. She shares development milestones and provides regular updates each day. This is especially reassuring for parents of new children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder typically continues to build on her own practice with relevant training courses. However, she does not yet take full advantage of training opportunities to improve her professional knowledge of working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder maintains sufficient links with local authority professionals. She utilises their information sharing to keep up to date with any legislation changes and to implement advice.

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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

Children are happy and enjoy their time in the homely, welcoming environment. They separate from parents with ease and show a sense of belonging through their positive relationships with the childminder. Children across different age groups show genuine care and friendships with each other. Younger children learn new skills from older children, who are positive role models. Children attempt to put on role-play outfits themselves and show good levels of independence completing routine tasks. Children across all ages choose activities and share their preferences at mealtimes.

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

The childminder uses children's interests to build their knowledge and skills. She reads their favourite stories to enhance language and test their understanding. Children benefit from a purpose-built outhouse, which enables them to have additional free-flow access to the garden. They take turns with peers using play equipment to climb and balance. Younger children explore and develop physical skills as they cruise around the environment. Children typically develop an understanding of expectations and routines, such as tidy-up time. The childminder offers children regular praise and promotes their punctuality and attendance.

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

Children communicate well and seek the childminder out to share their achievements. The childminder is attentive and responsive to children, which further builds their self-esteem. Children make steady progress from their starting points. They benefit from a curriculum that helps them make sense of the world around them and develop essential skills for later life. For example, they visit local emergency services, museums and soft-play centres. This helps them to build positive social skills and develop a respect for the diverse community they live in.

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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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Next steps

The childminder should maximise opportunities to promote children's autonomy and positive behaviour so that they understand the importance of healthy habits and expectations. The childminder should sharpen their focus of mathematics teaching so that children develop a secure foundation of early mathematical concepts. The childminder should precisely focus their training on developing a deeper understanding of supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, co-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 that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage. This data is from 17 September 2026

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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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