Childminder in St HelensOfsted report card, 28 Sept 2026

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2754365 Registered with Ofsted: 02/11/2023 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 achieve extremely well from their starting points. Any gaps in children's learning are closing consistently. Children develop an extensive range of knowledge and skills across the curriculum. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who may face other barriers to their learning or wellbeing, receive sensitive support and make swift progress during their time at the setting.

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Achievement Strong standard

Young children develop a love of books. They happily listen to stories about diverse cultures, discussing the characters' feelings with their friends. Children also hear a wide range of new vocabulary that motivates them to repeat words and develop their early communication skills. Children respond extremely well to the carefully planned environment and enjoy freely making choices to play indoors and outdoors. This supports lots of natural and spontaneous child-led play, where children show deep interest and explore their own learning. Children acquire high levels of self-esteem and confidence. They develop an eagerness to learn and are excited to develop new skills and knowledge. Children demonstrate readiness for their next stage of learning and eventual move on to school.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children's behaviour is impeccable. They show consistently high levels of engagement and enjoyment in learning. The childminder and any assistants she works with are positive role models. They are nurturing and make joining in fun. The childminder places a clear focus on teaching children about kindness, listening and turn-taking in an age-appropriate way. She encourages politeness, respect and harmony during play. Even very young children show a clear understanding of the routine and boundaries of the setting. This is apparent when they organise toys into their specific storage spots.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder frequently acknowledges children's efforts and achievements. There are 'wow books' to recall children's learning and artwork displays on windows and walls. The childminder shares children's learning and special moments with parents and carers each day via photos, at pick-up time or through the setting's own online app. The childminder is skilled at extending children's concentration and play skills through her positive interactions. This fosters children's willingness to keep trying, even when a new skill is trickier.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

Children openly talk about their feelings throughout the day. They access resources and visuals provided by the childminder to help them understand and independently regulate their emotions. The childminder works in close partnership with parents to promote excellent attendance.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of children's individual needs and adapts routines to support children's independence. For example, she carefully plans the induction for babies to ensure that the settling-in period will help them feel safe, and allocates time for parents and carers to receive bespoke support. The consistency between home and the provision is highly valued, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to ensure all children receive personalised support to help them settle in.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder consistently models positive manners and hygiene practices. She ensures that arrangements for eating and sleeping are well managed. For instance, the childminder reminds children of the importance of sitting to eat, and carries out frequent checks on sleeping children to help keep them safe. She ensures that children receive nutritious food and drink. The childminder is aware of the impact of children's poor oral health and implements a full programme that consistently supports oral hygiene at home and in the setting.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Healthy choices are positively promoted. The childminder encourages physical activity through daily outdoor play and highly enriching experiences, including trips to the beach and planting vegetables in the garden. Children learn about managing their own self-care and regulating their emotions. She arranges for specialist teachers to lead regular sessions focused on dance and music. These activities support children's physical development and wellbeing.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder plans an engaging and well-sequenced curriculum to promote children's learning. She incorporates children's interests and precisely plans a range of activities depending on what skills and knowledge children need to focus on next. The childminder skilfully adapts her teaching, routines and resources to meet the differing needs of children. This helps all children to make excellent progress during their time at the setting.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder broadens children's understanding of the world through new and exciting experiences. These include regular visits to the library, the beach, local stay-and-play sessions and a safari park. The childminder uses these visits to help children to extend their knowledge, confidence and social development. She carefully plans an extensive variety of activities. For instance, children love growing sunflowers and discussing how they harvest sunflower seeds when the petals dry out and the flowers turns brown. They also show high engagement as they explore storytelling props and talk about the seasons, the night sky and a solar eclipse. These conversations expand children's vocabulary and understanding of new words and concepts, which supports their early literacy skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder places a clear focus on fostering children's mathematical knowledge. Children enthusiastically participate in a range of counting rhymes and explore why a bridge made out of different shapes can fall down, and how to fix it. In addition, the childminder offers ideas to extend children's learning at home, to help children consolidate their newly learned knowledge.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder gains a comprehensive knowledge of each child's preferred learning style, unique personality and learning needs. She achieves this through highly effective communication with parents and carers, ongoing observation and meticulous assessment. This enables her to monitor children's progress and to identify any gaps in learning and development at the earliest opportunity. The childminder is aware of the relevant multi- agency support available. She is skilled at making referrals for specific support, for example for speech and language, to ensure that children receive appropriate and targeted interventions.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder understands how monitoring children's progress allows her to identify the impact of her personalised care plans and developments. She uses specific and sensitive strategies, such as spending time with individual children, to playfully encourage children to develop confidence. The childminder adapts the environment to include children at different stages of development. For example, she arranges floor spaces so that babies can explore safely alongside older peers.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder understands how to access additional funding for children, including for those with complex needs, to support their individual progress. She uses funding continually to provide resources and improve all areas of learning. For instance, she has created a mud-kitchen area in the garden to enhance engagement for children who have a preference for sensory play and who enjoy activities in nature. This helps to build children's physical strength and resilience.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is highly passionate, dedicated and focused on giving every child the best start she can. She plans a wealth of enriching trips and experiences to broaden their knowledge of people, cultures, nature and the wider world. The childminder knows children and their families extremely well, and forms trusting relationships to ensure that children receive continuity in their care.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder engages in an extensive variety of professional development opportunities. She uses these well to enhance her practice and keep her knowledge up to date. The childminder also has excellent arrangements in place to monitor the quality of her assistants' work, and a comprehensive training plan to keep building on their knowledge and skills.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder is highly reflective and takes on board feedback from parents and carers to develop positive ongoing relationships. She keeps parents frequently informed about their child's new achievements and next steps in learning. The childminder provides parents with access to an online learning app, which has links to their children's favourite activities. Parents express very high levels of appreciation and state that the childminder is extremely supportive to all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder has established links with local schools and ensures that families understand the importance of attendance.

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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 thrive in this caring and nurturing learning environment. They benefit from the childminder identifying and building on their individual needs, interests and abilities thoughtfully. Children develop secure bonds with the childminder and any assistants she works with. This helps to support their emotional wellbeing and confidence. Interactions between the childminder and children are nurturing and respectful. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, feel happy, safe and secure.

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Inspector:

Sandra Hamilton Children benefit from exciting activities and stimulating opportunities to learn outdoors. This is evident when they frequently visit different places to support new interests and learning. For instance, children enjoy visiting a safari park, and look for the animals they have talked about during story time. Children show high levels of curiosity and engagement as they play. They consistently demonstrate excellent behaviour and positive attitudes towards learning and trying new things. Children play cooperatively with each other in a harmonious, trusting environment that is rich in language. Children demonstrate a sense of pride and belonging at the setting. They help the childminder to prepare meals and take an active lead in making pizzas for lunch. Children quickly learn to manage their own feelings, show kindness to each other, build friendships and flourish.

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Inspector:

Children develop their creativity and imaginations as they learn in an inviting and well- planned environment. They enjoy experimenting in an inspiring and well-resourced mud kitchen. Children access high-quality resources that capture their interest and support them to develop a real love of learning. They engage in meaningful conversations about healthy eating, exercise and looking after the environment. Children's behaviour is consistently exemplary. Furthermore, the childminder works closely with parents and carers to promote regular attendance, in order to help children receive positive levels of continuity in their care and education.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain her work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. She should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, her assistant, 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 : 07:30 - 17:30

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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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