Childminder in North YorkshireOfsted report card, 10 Sept 2026

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2809773 Registered with Ofsted: 23/12/2024 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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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder is highly attuned to children's emotional needs and responds sensitively to their verbal and non-verbal communication. She reflects on children's behaviour and interactions to understand how they are feeling and adapts her approach accordingly. Through her calm and nurturing support, she helps children to recognise, manage and express their emotions appropriately. As a result, children demonstrate that they feel emotionally secure, develop growing confidence and form positive relationships with others. The childminder works with parents and carers to promote attendance and has begun to share with them information in support of children's development, such as information about safer eating and nutrition guidance.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children consistently demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and show high levels of respect and consideration for one another. The childminder is an excellent role model. She responds sensitively to children's emotions, recognising and validating how they feel while maintaining clear and consistent expectations for behaviour. The childminder uses meaningful and personalised praise to acknowledge children's efforts and achievements, helping them to develop a secure understanding of what is expected of them.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Well-established routines and high expectations support children to behave exceptionally well and develop increasing independence. Children demonstrate kindness, empathy and consideration for others. For example, older children thoughtfully support younger children as they prepare to rest, sharing books with them before independently moving on to quiet, focused activities. This calm and respectful environment helps children to develop strong social skills, positive relationships and the ability to manage their own behaviour effectively.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder places a strong emphasis on promoting children's emotional wellbeing and ensures that her practice consistently helps children to feel safe, secure, valued and respected. She establishes warm, nurturing relationships with children from the outset and works closely with parents and carers to develop a detailed understanding of children's routines, preferences and experiences. This enables her to provide highly responsive care that reflects children's individual needs. For example, when babies first join the setting, the childminder offers reassurance through sensitive interactions, including opportunities for close physical comfort, helping them to develop secure attachments and settle quickly.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder promotes children's health and wellbeing through well-established daily routines that help children develop healthy habits and increasing independence. Children enjoy nutritious, home-cooked meals and are encouraged to try a variety of foods, helping them to develop confidence in making choices and broadening their tastes. Mealtimes are positive social occasions where children are supported to develop good eating habits. Children demonstrate high levels of independence in managing their personal care and self- help skills. For example, they take responsibility for clearing away their plates after meals and confidently follow hygiene routines, washing their hands and faces using their own

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Expected standard

individual face cloths and towels. These consistent routines help children to understand the importance of healthy practices and support their growing independence and self-care skills.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children build their knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. They develop curiosity and a positive attitude to learning as they explore alongside the childminder and investigate the world around them. For example, children notice changes in materials as they play, such as observing how cloth absorbs water in the outdoor kitchen, and they confidently share their observations. They develop their imagination through regular opportunities to listen to stories and engage with familiar narratives. This supports children to play alongside and with others, share ideas and express themselves through play.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children benefit from regular opportunities to play outdoors and engage with the natural environment. They typically develop increasing control and coordination as they practise a range of physical skills. For example, children move in different ways as they join in with action rhymes, hopping like bunnies and stomping like dinosaurs. They also develop their fine-motor skills through repeated opportunities to use tools and equipment. For instance, children strengthen the small muscles in their hands as they pinch pegs to hang wet cloths in the outdoor kitchen. As a result, children develop the physical skills that support their growing independence and future learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder designs an inclusive curriculum that is focused on enabling children to be confident and capable communicators and adapts her teaching to meet the needs of different children. She has effective oversight of children's development and uses her assessment of their learning to plan meaningful experiences that both engage children's interests and build on their skills and knowledge across all areas of learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder engages children in interactive storytelling, supporting them to develop narratives in their play or practice early maths skills. For example, during story time, the childminder encourages children to count animal characters and explore mathematical language, such as 'more' and 'less'. These opportunities help older children to develop their understanding of number and counting. Younger children are introduced to mathematical concepts through songs, rhymes and counting experiences woven into daily routines. However, there is scope to strengthen the curriculum for mathematics for the youngest children by providing more opportunities for them to explore early mathematical concepts, such as quantity, shape and comparison, through their play and interactions.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Community and outdoor learning is at the heart of the curriculum. The childminder plans activities and experiences that engage children in multisensory play with cross-curricula opportunities for learning. For example, children explore the changing season as they play with scented dough and harvested blackberries. As they explore the provision, children develop their physical skills when investigating the marks the berries leave. Younger children practise their grasp as they pick up and squash the berries in their hands, whereas older children use tools to press the berries onto fabric. The childminder skilfully supports language development, offering new vocabulary, such as 'squelch' and 'stain'. The childminder provides children with opportunities to engage with the local community, for example, during trips to the market. Further opportunities for children to learn about communities other than their own would support children to broaden their understanding of

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder creates an inclusive environment where all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are supported to access learning and make progress. She works closely with families from the outset to establish what children already know and can do. This information contributes to her initial assessment of children's starting points and helps her to identify any potential barriers to learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder uses ongoing observation and assessment to monitor children's progress and identify any emerging gaps in learning or development. She uses this information to adapt her curriculum and provide targeted support that meets children's individual needs. For example, she plans opportunities for children to develop their physical skills through experiences, such as negotiating obstacle courses and climbing at the park. This helps children to build on their existing knowledge and refine skills, making progress over time.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder recognises the importance of working in partnership with parents and carers and other professionals. She regularly shares information with parents about children's development and provides guidance on how learning can be supported at home. She exchanges relevant information with other settings that children attend to promote a consistent and coordinated approach to children's learning and development. The childminder has experience of working with other professionals to help identify children's needs and secure additional or specialist support when required.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder understands the local community and provides children with opportunities to extend their experiences beyond those familiar to them. For example, children enjoy visits to the coast and learn about places within the wider community. The childminder engages with the local community in which she lives through regular outings, such as to the markets, libraries and church. Through these experiences, children learn about keeping safe when crossing the roads and when speaking with strangers. However, the childminder does not provide consistent opportunities for children to learn more about diversity and the lives of people beyond their own experiences. This does not help to broaden children's knowledge and understanding of people and communities beyond their own.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder identifies priorities for improvement and takes steps to enhance her practice. For example, she is developing the support and guidance available to parents and carers and strengthening links with services within the local community. She has identified sources of support that may benefit families, including groups and services for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps to ensure that families are able to access relevant information and support when needed. The childminder communicates daily with parents, sharing information about their child's care, routines and experiences. Parents report on the excellent care and education their children receive.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is committed to improving the quality of her provision and the experiences that children receive. She engages in ongoing professional development and uses training opportunities to develop her knowledge and skills in response to the needs of the children in her care. The childminder evaluates her practice and has an appropriate understanding of the strengths of her provision, as well as areas she would like to develop further. She manages her workload to ensure her wellbeing; reflecting on further training to enhance her provision and prioritising her own welfare.

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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

Families are welcomed warmly into the childminder's home and children quickly settle into play with familiar toys and resources. They feel safe, secure and valued. Children who are newer to the setting develop trusting relationships with the childminder and gain reassurance and support as they begin to explore. As children become more familiar with the environment, they grow in confidence and independence. They understand routines well and take pride in helping others. For example, children collect outdoor clothing and shoes for their friends as they prepare for outdoor play. Children who face barriers to their learning are particularly nurtured by the childminder, developing their skills and knowledge through carefully adapted experiences.

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

Children spend much of their day outdoors, immersed in nature and exploring the local community. They enjoy meaningful experiences that help them learn about the world around them. For instance, children visit the local market to choose vegetables, which they later help to prepare and cook into soup. Stories enrich many of their experiences. For example, children visit woodland areas and recreate familiar stories, such as 'The Gruffalo', through imaginative play. These opportunities foster children's curiosity and encourage them to observe and talk about changes in the natural world, such as the seasons. In the garden, children play cooperatively, sharing ideas and extending their imaginations as they 'cook' together in the outdoor kitchen. For example, children negotiate adding more ingredients to their mixture in the form of leaves and blackberries. This supports them to develop positive social skills and learn to tolerate and respect one another.

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

Children's individual interests are recognised and nurtured. Activities build on what children already know and enjoy, helping them to deepen their engagement, learning and contributing to their achievement. For example, children who show an interest in vehicles and construction have opportunities to explore these interests further through play. Children express themselves creatively through singing, rhymes, movement and imaginative experiences. They also enjoy large-scale mark making on vertical surfaces, such as drawing with paint pens on glass windows. These experiences help children to develop the physical skills that support their emerging writing and early-literacy development.

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Next steps

Leaders should provide more opportunity for children to develop their understanding of diversity and the lives of people beyond their own experience. Leaders should provide more opportunities for young children to explore early mathematical concepts through their play and interactions.

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About this setting

Operating hours: 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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About this inspection

The inspectors spoke with the childminder, 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.

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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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