Childminder in DerbyshireOfsted report card, 15 Sept 2026

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2786532 Registered with Ofsted: 10/09/2024 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

Children typically make positive progress in all areas of learning. They enjoy accessing stories independently, where they look at pictures with their peers. Children develop a love of reading. They regularly attend the local library to choose books to look at in the childminder's home. This supports language development. Children also enthusiastically join in with familiar songs. They take turns to choose a nursery-rhyme card to sing next. Children join in with actions and words. They enjoy dancing to music to develop their large muscles. Babies enjoy playing with push-along toys to develop their coordination and walking skills. Children access the childminder's garden to build on their physical development, going up and down a slide and riding in a toy car. They develop skills to balance, climb and run during soft-play sessions.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Typically, children develop their independence skills from a young age. For example, they learn to self-feed and put their water bottles where they belong. Children listen to clear and simple instructions given by the childminder, such as to sit down when drinking. Generally, children work well as a team, tidying toys and resources away. The childminder adapts her interactions to support babies to help tidy up. She gives them toys and points to where they belong to encourage babies to begin to help. Children learn to take responsibility for their environment.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

Generally, the childminder supports children to take turns, for instance by stating whose turn it is now and whose is next. Children develop patience. The childminder also uses distraction strategies, such as choosing another toy for children who are waiting. However, on occasion, the childminder does not support children's behaviour consistently, such as by explaining how children's actions impact themselves and others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder regularly praises children, using their names to be clear. This supports children to generally develop positive attitudes to learning. However, the childminder does not consistently help children understand what they have done well and recognise what has led to their success. The childminder promotes positive attendance and punctuality, and she follows up unexplained absences in a timely manner.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder offers healthy and nutritious meals to support children to have a well- balanced diet. She works with parents and carers, sharing what foods children have tried, to broaden their range of options for eating at home. She also shares advice on healthy eating. The childminder gathers information from parents to support babies when weaning, implementing this in her home. She helps children by naming the foods they eat and involves them in preparing their own snack. For example, children mash up a banana using a fork. Typically, the childminder plans activities to support children's understanding of positive oral hygiene. For instance, children brush toy teeth, using a toothbrush to remove any food. She talks about the importance of brushing their teeth, shares further information with parents and advises them to take children to the dentist regularly.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

Generally, the childminder supports children to develop their social skills. She adapts her routines to attend smaller playgroups within the community, to allow children to become familiar and comfortable. She is responsive to children's needs, and adapts her routines accordingly. For example, when children show signs of tiredness, she names the feeling and supports them to sleep. The childminder supports babies who are teething, such as by using their own 'teether' to help soothe them.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder knows what children need to learn next to build on their knowledge, skills and understanding. For example, she introduces children to new colours, such as gold, to broaden their language and understanding. She revisits knowledge to support children to embed learning, such as by talking about the weather and singing a greeting song daily. Her curriculum has a focus on developing children's communication, language, and personal, social and emotional development. She supports children to share through planned activities, such as building a tower together, where children take turns to use blocks. The childminder plans plenty of opportunities for children to socialise in the community. However, she does not consistently focus on intended learning to support children to gain a deeper understanding. For example, she sometimes changes topic or activity quickly or does not expand on learning to aid children's understanding.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Typically, the childminder supports children's mathematical development through interactions and play. For example, she counts pieces of toast for snack, modelling the amount by using her fingers. She also talks about and compares sizes of objects, saying 'big' and 'small', for instance. The childminder adapts her teaching to support the needs of all children. For example, she repeats simple words for babies and uses longer phrases and sentences for older children. She also adapts her provision for babies to help support their physical development, such as by adding equipment to help them begin to walk and soft furniture for them to cruise and crawl along.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder gets to know children well, gathering information from parents and carers before they attend. She uses this information alongside her own observations to identify next steps in learning. She generally makes adaptations to her teaching and provision to support the needs of children. For example, she mirrors home routines to support children during sleep times. She also offers flexible settling-in sessions to help children feel comfortable and confident in her home. The childminder minimises barriers to children's learning by working closely with parents, for example by sharing advice to support reducing dummy use and to build communication and language skills further at home.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder is knowledgeable in identifying any concerns in children's development. She shares her observations with parents to support possible referrals. She works with outside agencies, and she typically puts in place the strategies that have been shared. The childminder uses assessment to identify small next steps to support children's learning. She also uses simple instructions alongside gestures to support children's understanding. She knows how to gain and use additional funding to support children's individual needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder has kept up to date with changes to guidance and attends mandatory training to ensure children are safe. She shares updates with parents and carers to help them support children at home, such as around safe sleeping. The childminder takes part in training linked to the needs of the children in her care. For example, she attended training on supporting younger children's personal, social and emotional development and has implemented some emotion cards to help them name feelings. She also gains advice from early years advisors, and has plans underway to make adaptations to outdoor areas to make them more accessible for younger children. The childminder seeks advice from other local childminders to develop her knowledge and skills further. She regularly considers risks in her home and when out in the community. For example, she assesses unfamiliar places to identify any risks and whether they are suitable for children, before attending. However,

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

the childminder has not identified some weaker aspects of her practice, for example around helping children understand the impact of their actions on others, or ensuring planning is effective to embed new learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder works in partnership with parents, sharing strategies to support them at home, such as online links to support communication and language during everyday routines. She also shares information on children's next steps in learning to support possible home learning. The childminder works well with local schools, where she shares information on children's development and any concerns. She also works closely with school settings to support children to settle. Overall, this supports continuity in children's care and education.

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

Children build positive bonds with the childminder, who is mindful of their interests as she helps them settle into her care. Children develop their confidence and become familiar with the childminder through flexible settling sessions alongside parents and carers. The childminder gets to know children well and uses gathered information to put in place adaptations. For example, children are supported during sleep times through music used at home, helping them to feel safe and secure. The childminder also has positive relationships with parents, sharing attendance expectations and following up any unexplained absences promptly.

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Inspector:

Amy Johnson (EM) Children's needs are met, as the childminder is responsive in helping children with their personal needs. Children listen to clear requests to change their nappy, for instance, and happily follow. Children learn to wash their hands and face, which also builds on their independence skills. They are comforted and reassured by the childminder during times of minor upset.

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Inspector:

Children develop their communication and language skills well. They enjoy exploring different foods in the toy kitchen, where the childminder models new vocabulary such as 'sushi'. Children repeat words as they regularly join in singing their favourite songs with their peers. They talk about objects of interests with the childminder, having positive conversations. Children enjoy following simple instructions, take turns with toys and match colours. They also learn about different textures, such as bumpy, when exploring coloured leaves. The childminder typically encourages children to persevere to build their resilience.

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Inspector:

Children enjoy exploring their local community. They meet other children to build on their social skills, and regularly attend their local library to sing and dance to familiar rhymes. Children enjoy getting involved in shared activities at a local care home, where they develop their communication and language skills with others.

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Next steps

The childminder should consistently help children to understand what they have done well, to lead to further success and achievement. The childminder should consistently support children's behaviour to help them understand the impact of their actions for others. The childminder should strengthen curriculum planning, to allow children the time to fully focus on the intended learning.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, children, and parents and carers 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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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 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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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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