Childminder in HertfordshireOfsted report card, 23 Sept 2026

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2817223 Registered with Ofsted: 07/02/2025 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 Strong standard

All children, including those with barriers to learning, make rapid progress through the curriculum, particularly in their communication and language skills. Young children have a wide vocabulary and learn new words swiftly. They make connections in their learning. For example, children say that a mouse squeaks when the childminder says a balloon is squeaky. They show great concentration and focus when playing, especially when drawing, painting or looking at books.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children develop independence in their daily routines. They learn to manage their own self- care, such as by washing their hands independently. Children put on their own coats and learn to put on their shoes.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children are particularly well supported and prepared for their next stage of learning as the childminder focuses on children's communication, social and physical development. Children develop social skills so they can play well with other children. They develop the confidence to speak to adults and make their needs known. Children develop the physical skills to move confidently around others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children benefit from the childminder's calm and patient manner. She supports children's behaviour extremely well with care and consideration. The childminder helps children to follow safe boundaries and the expectations of the setting. Children build positive and beneficial relationships with her. The childminder treats them with respect, and encourages this from them too. When children need support, the childminder gently offers choices with clear age-appropriate explanations. She ensures that children have opportunities to further develop their social skills with other children through visits to playgroups.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder plans engaging activities and interesting resources that hold children's attention and fully engage them. This helps to develop children's ability to focus and concentrate on the task at hand and to work things out for themselves. The childminder is highly skilled at knowing when children need interaction and support, and when they need time alone to work things out.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder plans routines to make the most of all opportunities to teach children and encourage them to practise new skills. Children learn to be independent and show excellent skills for their age. For example, children remember by themselves when they should wash their hands, and do so independently. The childminder understands the importance of supporting children's regular attendance. She has policies in place for this, which she shares with parents and carers.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children enjoy the childminder's company and are reassured by her presence. She is highly attentive to them. The childminder builds positive and warm relationships with children, sensitive to their unique characteristics. She prioritises their physical and emotional health, and their happiness is of the utmost importance to her. This means that the childminder rapidly notices changes in children's behaviour that might reflect a change in their wellbeing. The childminder is highly skilled at supporting children to become confident, resilient and independent learners. Children learn to recognise and manage their own emotions through lots of stories and conversations with the childminder.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder teaches children healthy habits. She encourages outdoor physical play and plans next steps to support children's physical development. The childminder supports parents and carers in providing nutritious food by giving examples of healthy lunches. The childminder is highly aware of safer eating practices, and ensures that children learn to sit still to eat. Children learn positive hygiene habits and independently wash their hands without reminders before meals. Children learn to keep themselves safe. Parents and carers comment on how well their children hold hands and talk about being safe when out and about on walks.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has a highly ambitious curriculum with clear aims of preparing children for their next stage in learning, whether this is nursery or school. She fully understands how to achieve this according to the different ages and stages of the children she teaches, and how to adapt her activities to their interests.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder is a highly skilled teacher. She notices the ways in which children are playing with resources and adapts her teaching accordingly to further extend their learning. For example, as children drop a stepping stone, they discuss bouncing and then test out other items to bounce. The childminder highly prioritises the development of vocabulary and communication skills. She uses every opportunity to increase children's knowledge of language. The childminder quickly and gently addresses misconceptions. For example, when children use the word 'ball' for 'balloon', the childminder ensures that she uses the word 'balloon' until children confidently use it too.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder promotes a love of early reading through the enjoyment of sharing books. Children love to snuggle to read them together, and the childminder uses every opportunity to develop their observational and vocabulary skills. She recaps previous experiences with children to help them make connections and develop memory skills. For example, the childminder talks about a visit they had to a farm when reading a book about farms. Children develop mathematical skills through their play in counting and understanding the concept and vocabulary of size. Children make excellent progress and gain skills rapidly.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder swiftly identifies children's individual needs before they start with her. She meets with parents and carers and together they discuss in detail their children's accomplishments and any gaps in their learning. The childminder makes careful observations of children and uses guidance and her experience to explore their individual needs. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or other barriers to learning make rapid progress from their starting points because the childminder offers them one-to-one support to help close any gaps and to remove barriers to their learning. The childminder makes observations of children and ensures their continued progress by planning activities that further their development. She regularly reviews and monitors the impact on children's learning. The childminder has a range of adaptations she would use, such as using signs to help children with language development. She fully supports children

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Inclusion Strong standard

to learn new vocabulary by using storybooks and repetitive language. For example, the childminder repeats the word 'sad' several times in a story until children begin to use it too.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has a clear understanding of how to use funding to support children's positive outcomes. She works closely with parents of children with SEND and, where necessary, other agencies, such as the local authority and health visitors. The childminder works well with the local nursery and supports children's transitions.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has a very clear vision for her setting. She recognises her own strengths in getting to know children extremely well so that she can support them to make rapid progress in their learning. The childminder ensures that she is up to date with changes to the requirements. For example, she recently completed food hygiene training to further develop her understanding of allergies. The childminder is considerate of her own wellbeing, and aims to keep her standards high by keeping her numbers of children low so that she can give them personalised care.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is highly reflective and continually strives to improve, making changes as and when the need occurs. She has a plan for professional development as she understands the value of continuing to gain further knowledge. The childminder has extremely close relationships with parents and carers. She liaises closely with them on all aspects of children's care and learning. The childminder develops a consistent flow of information between herself and parents to ensure continuity. She liaises with other agencies as and when is needed, such as for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to their learning or wellbeing. The childminder has a secure knowledge of the local area and uses it well to support children's development.

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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 have a fabulous time at this nurturing and welcoming childminder's setting. They are clearly settled and happy because the childminder knows them extremely well and values them as individuals. Children benefit hugely from the childminder's calm and gentle manner. They hold their arms out for cuddles, telling her they love her. Children display high levels of emotional wellbeing and clearly feel safe and secure. This allows them to fully explore the range of learning activities on offer to them. Children are busy and engaged in her home, maintaining focus and attention as they play and learn.

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

Children enjoy a wide variety of opportunities to find out about the wider world. They go on walks to playgrounds and in the local area. Children enjoy visits to the library for rhyme and story time. They have opportunities to develop their social skills and confidence when they meet up with other children or visit playgroups. Children benefit as the childminder carefully observes their play and makes the most of all opportunities to extend their thinking and develop their skills. For example, children test out whether stepping stones are as bouncy as balls when dropped. They observe the textures of them, count them and put them into size order, as well as developing their balancing skills when stepping on them. Children love to snuggle with the childminder and share books with her. They find creatures in the pictures and name and talk about them, developing their language skills.

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

Children have an extremely positive attitude to their learning. They bring books of their choice to the childminder to read to them, and fully engage in activities. Their behaviour is excellent because the childminder provides activities which are well matched to their individual needs and interests. Children make rapid progress from their starting points in the

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:30

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About this setting

Local authority: Hertfordshire setting, particularly in their personal, social and emotional skills and communication and language development. Parents and carers speak highly of the progress their children make. The childminder ensures that parents understand the importance of attendance and punctuality.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain their work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. She should continue to develop her own extensive knowledge of how children learn in order to realise a transformational impact on all children's achievement and wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder and read written feedback from 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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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. 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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