Childminder in CambridgeshireOfsted report card, 17 Sept 2026

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2864714 Registered with Ofsted: 22/01/2026 Registers: EYR

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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, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning, are making progress across all areas of learning in the early years foundation stage.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children have positive attitudes towards their learning. They love to sing rhymes and songs. Children choose to read books often, deepening their understanding of how to turn pages and listen to others. Generally, they concentrate for extended periods during activities. This helps to prepare children for later learning.

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Achievement Expected standard

The childminder closely monitors each child's development, carrying out termly assessments. She places strong emphasis on emotional security, physical development and communication and language, aligning these areas with her curriculum. Overall, children develop foundational skills needed for future learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder has established a calm and nurturing environment where children feel emotionally secure and understand familiar routines. Babies and younger children respond positively to consistent care and reassurance, which supports their early ability to understand their feelings.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

This childminder has appropriate expectation for children's ages and stages of development. She encourages them to cooperate during daily routines. This helps them to build early social skills. Children learn to be healthy and active from an early age. The childminder manages personal care with sensitivity, using songs and positive reinforcement to engage children. She encourages children to take responsibility for tasks, such as collecting their coats and shoes, fostering children's growing independence.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Children are supported to develop positive social behaviours through warm relationships and gentle guidance. They play comfortably alongside their peers and are learning to share resources and show kindness to each other during play.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of children attending regularly. This helps them become familiar with routines and develop positive habits for the future. She discusses her approach to attendance with parents from the start. Children attend settling-in sessions to help them become familiar with the childminder's home. The childminder uses these sessions to gather information about each child's care needs and preferred ways of learning. This helps her build strong relationships with children and their parents.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Parents' comments express how they value the childminder's nurturing approach and attentive engagement with each child. Regular communication, including daily updates, ensures families feel included, informed and connected to their child's progress. The childminder supports consistency between home and the setting, encouraging self-help skills that align with family practices, reinforcing learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Secure and responsive relationships are evident. Children seek reassurance when needed and are comforted sensitively. The childminder responds promptly to children's cues, offering physical comfort, verbal reassurance or quiet space as appropriate. For example, she recognises when children need to eat or rest. The childminder closely monitors children while they sleep to ensure their safety. Typically, children begin to learn how to manage their personal needs. For example, babies have opportunities to practise feeding themselves. The childminder shows them how to hold and manipulate a spoon so they can master this skill.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder is attentive to children's needs, and, consequently, children show high levels of wellbeing and comfort whilst in the setting. The childminder supports children's emotional wellbeing by recognising changes in mood and responding calmly. Younger children are given time to observe activities before joining in, supporting smooth transitions and inclusion. These consistent practices help children feel secure, valued and supported.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides rich real-world experiences that engage children and develop their curiosity. Children regularly explore the local community and spend time outdoors. This helps support their physical development and interest in the natural world. For example, children visit the childminder's allotment where they dig and help to grow vegetables. Children have opportunities to be physically active. They enjoy daily walks to the local green spaces where they develop their muscles and coordination as they run, jump and use the play park equipment to balance and climb. Children receive support, encouragement and praise as they challenge themselves to climb steps and swing to the ground further than they have done before.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder implements the curriculum for language and communication well. She provides regular opportunities for children to hear and use new vocabulary. During walks, the childminder talks to them about ducks, including their feeding habits. Children observe squirrels collecting acorns and conkers and discuss different types of weather.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Children have access to resources that reflect their interests, such as role play areas, reading books, small-world activities and planned craft activities. This encourages children to make independent choices during their play.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder provides age-appropriate learning opportunities and assesses children's learning and development, identifying where they may need further support. She uses this information to inform her planning and provide children with next steps in their learning. However, a precise focus on the prime areas of learning for the youngest children is not yet fully embedded in her practice.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder welcomes all children into the setting, including those who may need additional support or experience barriers to their learning. She values each child's unique personality, interests, abilities and learning styles. She takes these into account when planning the environment and activities so that all children can participate and benefit fully.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder tailors her interactions to children's individual levels of understanding and capability. All children are actively included and their contributions are valued. She gathers detailed information about children's routines, interests and experiences at home. This helps children to feel secure and reduces barriers to learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Through careful observation and assessment, the childminder identifies children's individual needs promptly. This supports the early recognition of any gaps in their learning and identifies children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. She takes appropriate action to promote children's learning and wellbeing, including working closely with parents and carers and other professionals when needed.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Since registration, the childminder has quickly developed a caring and nurturing environment for children. She makes good use of the local community and outdoor spaces, providing meaningful experiences, particularly for the youngest children. She has also strengthened her provision by employing an assistant, helping to meet the individual needs of children and families.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development. She reflects regularly on practice and uses self-evaluation to identify priorities that are in the best interests of children.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder knows the children in her care well. She is committed to providing a nurturing and family-centred environment. She works positively with parents and values open communication. Information is shared daily through discussion and messages, supporting consistency between home and the setting. Where children face additional challenges, she works with families and seeks external advice when needed.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder supports staff wellbeing through regular meetings with her assistants. She listens to their views and supports their professional development goals. She provides constructive feedback and ensures they feel valued and supported. The childminder carefully manages workloads so that responsibilities remain realistic and manageable.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is committed to ongoing professional development. She ensures she and her assistants engage in regular training, including safeguarding and courses on special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, she does not yet focus on professional learning opportunities to develop her teaching skills further to provide a high level of consistency in her practice across all areas of learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Safeguarding is embedded in daily routines. The childminder follows procedures rigorously, remains alert to concerns and ensures that safeguarding arrangements are secure when in the setting and on outings. Children are flourishing in a safe, nurturing environment where they are developing in confidence and independence and making progress across all areas of learning.

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

Children experience warm, responsive care from the childminder, who works closely with parents to understand and follow each child's routines from home. Strong attachments are formed, helping children to settle and feel safe and secure. Children develop a sense of belonging, grow in confidence and become increasingly independent. Children's behaviour, attitudes and approach to learning are supported through high expectations and consistent guidance. The childminder helps children of all ages to understand and manage their feelings and behaviour. This enables them to develop the social skills needed to play cooperatively, interact positively with others and form friendships.

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

Children enjoy active play and learning and are making good progress in their learning. They enjoy joining in with familiar stories and recalling what happens next. This provides them with the opportunity to develop a love of books.

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

Babies develop their physical skills as they use their hands to reach out and grasp objects and pull themselves up. Toddlers enjoy regular visits to the local green spaces where they run, jump and build confidence and coordination. The childminder uses signing alongside repeated words and simple sentences. This gives children frequent chances to practise and build their communication skills.

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

This childminder actively plans experiences in the outdoors, using the natural world to inspire children's learning and wellbeing. The childminder plans a varied programme of outdoor activities. They visit the childminder's allotment, go on bug hunts and take nature walks to collect leaves and look at acorns.

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

The childminder assesses these inclusive activities for any risks so that she keeps all children safe. She has clear goals to develop children's physical and language skills and support their understanding of the environment. The childminder follows children's interests and offers hands-on experiences that motivate children and sustain their engagement.

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Next steps

The childminder should continue to access professional learning opportunities to develop a high level of consistency in her practice across all areas of learning and development.

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About this setting

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

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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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Age range of children at the time of inspection

The childminder should continue to define her curriculum for the youngest children, with a clear focus on the prime areas of learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and her assistants during the inspection.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the provision that is registered on the Early Years Regie. The registered person must ensure that the 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

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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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