Childminder in BedfordOfsted report card, 1 Oct 2026

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2823738 Registered with Ofsted: 10/04/2025 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children are highly secure with their key workers, feel completely at ease and confidently seek reassurance and support when needed. Children play well together. They share the large ride-on digger and happily let their friends have a turn. They work together to load bricks into the digger's bucket, working out how many can fit. Children concentrate well, staying at activities for long periods of time and develop positive attitudes to learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children behave remarkably well. They thrive on the encouragement and frequent praise they receive from the childminder and her assistants. The precise praise given means that they are very clear on the behavioural expectations. As a result, the setting is calm and harmonious.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, follow routines confidently and understand what is expected of them. They know they need to wear waterproof trousers in the garden, and they develop independence skills by learning how to put these on. At lunch, children help to wipe the table, further helping them to develop independence.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder works with parents to promote regular attendance, to teach children the importance of attending and taking advantage of the learning opportunities on offer.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder prioritises children's welfare and wellbeing extremely well. Parents comment on the positive, caring relationships she has developed with their children. As a result, children feel safe, valued and emotionally secure within the setting. The childminder knows that children need to feel safe and secure to learn.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Healthy eating is consistently promoted. The childminder provides nutritious, home-cooked snacks and meals. The childminder also explores healthy eating through cooking sessions. For example, the children recently made tomato soup. Mealtimes are sociable and enjoyable. Staff and children eat together, and children help to serve their own food, and learn to use cutlery with increasing control. Children are encouraged to be physically active, and they spend most of their time outside, either in the childminder's garden, or out on a trip.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder and her assistants encourage children to be independent from a very young age. Even the youngest children look in a mirror and wipe their faces after lunch. This also helps them learn about personal hygiene.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff show a secure understanding of safe sleeping. Children happily go to the sleep space after lunch and fall asleep while listening to calming music.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children make progress from their starting points and are developing the knowledge and skills needed for future learning. They enjoy exploring the activities and get fully involved in their play. Children develop mathematical foundations. They play with shape sorting toys, and the childminder helps them learn the name and colours of the shapes. They enjoy singing and confidently join in with familiar songs. At group time, children dance and move their bodies as they all join in with the welcome song, helping to promote their physical and creative development.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children enjoy listening to and sharing stories with the childminder. They select their favourite books excitedly and join in with key words and phrases.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities learn well through consistent repetition and familiar routines. For instance, they know that when they see the group time box, that they are going to have a singing session. This helps them feel safe and secure and to know what is coming next.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder has designed a curriculum that considers children's interests, developmental stages and individual needs. The childminder uses the local area effectively to support learning, for example, taking children to rhyme time groups and for visits to the woods. This means children receive a wide range of experiences, which helps them access the full curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

There is a sharp focus on communication. The childminder and her assistants speak to all children as they take part in activities. They speak clearly and use repetitive words with younger children so that they can develop an understanding of what these new words mean. Staff also encourage children to join in with back-and-forth conversations. As a result, all children are developing confidence to communicate and make their thoughts and needs known. Young toddlers notice the moon in the sky and point to it, saying 'moon'. The childminder then talks to them about the sky, the clouds and differences in day and night. This helps the children learn new words and extend their knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder promotes physical skills in her well-equipped garden. She helps children to use ride-on toys, walk along stepping stones and build with large blocks. These activities help children learn to balance and to develop their large muscles.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff know children and their families well and gather information about children's interests, routines and development to help identify individual needs and any barriers to learning. The childminder works closely with parents and other professionals to make swift referrals when they identify a potential delay. The childminder and her assistants work effectively to support children who speak English as an additional language or are bilingual. Staff learn key words in the child's language, and this helps all children to feel included, secure and confident to express themselves in either language.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder and her assistants have completed training to support children with additional needs so that they can help reduce any barriers to learning. This includes training on ways to support children who may have difficulties communicating. As a result, staff interact effectively with all children. The childminder uses any additional funding carefully. For example, purchasing books to develop children's specific interests.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Key persons know their children well, forming secure relationships and responding sensitively to their individual interests, needs and stages of development. For example, by placing cars in the water tray to encourage children to access more messy play. Children with barriers to learning are generally supported well through daily routines that are carefully taught and consistently followed. This means that all children know what is happening next and feel secure.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder generally has a clear overview of the setting. She knows what works well and which areas she would like to develop. She is committed to making sure every child thrives in her care. Parents speak positively about the care and education their child gets from the childminder and her assistants. Parents value the detailed feedback they receive and use this information to help extend their child's learning at home.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder acts in the best interest of all children. She has a clear oversight of those children who are disadvantaged or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Any additional funding received is used carefully to help reduce barriers to learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder and her assistants complete regular training. Training is selected based on the needs of children who attend and there is a clear focus on using training to drive improvements. The childminder works with the local authority, other childminders and schools to ensure she offers the best care and education possible. Assistants feel well supported by the childminder. They meet regularly to talk about the children and share ideas to develop practice. Thought is given to workload and ensuring there is time to complete necessary paperwork.

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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 and show that they feel safe in the childminder's home. They develop close relationships with the childminder and her assistants. For example, children go to them if they are hurt or sad, and the adults respond with warmth and kindness. Children have access to a wide range of learning experiences and confidently make choices in their play. Resources are well organised and at the child's level, meaning children can select things that they would like to use in their play. This helps children to develop their independence.

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

Children benefit from high-quality interactions with attentive adults. They enjoy lots of back- and-forth conversations and learn new words. They are curious about the world around them, exploring how cars move on different surfaces in the garden. They make pretend soup in the mud kitchen and use their small hand muscles to squeeze coloured water into the bowl, concentrating as they mix materials together. This helps children to develop their imagination skills. Staff play alongside them, extending children's language and vocabulary as they teach them new words.

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

Children behave very well and clearly understand the simple rules that the childminder has embedded. They know how to look after toys, showing respect for their environment and they remain seated while eating. They help to care for the childminder's animals, stroking the pet rabbit and feeding the fish in the pond. This helps them learn how to look after and care for living things. Children show these same qualities to one another through their respectful interactions. They quietly talk to each other at lunch time, and pass bowls of blueberries around the table.

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 07:30 - 18:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

Partnerships with parents are effective. The childminder knows each child and their family well, and the care and learning given is personalised for each child. Children attend regularly and on time, and the childminder carefully monitors attendance.

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Next steps

The childminder should ensure the curriculum is highly ambitious for all children to enable them to make swift progress in their learning and development.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistants, 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. 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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