Childminder in Central BedfordshireOfsted report card, 29 Sept 2026

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2779485 Registered with Ofsted: 04/04/2024 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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Achievement Expected standard

All children, including those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, make progress from their starting points.

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Achievement Expected standard

Older children are confident and keen to share their love of books with younger children. They retell their favourite stories to younger children. They know to show them the pictures on the pages of the book, to help them to understand what is happening in the story.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children show imagination, curiosity and enthusiasm during their play. They independently develop the idea of creating a potion, and explore the natural environment to collect fresh herbs and suitable materials. They show respect for nature and living things as they only collect fallen leaves. Children explore natural materials by crunching dried leaves. They compare the differences between brown and green leaves and describe how the fresh herbs smell. Children develop observation skills, descriptive language and an understanding of the natural world.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children understand some mathematical concepts, such as size, numbers and weight. They develop critical thinking skills, such as when working out how to turn on a special lamp to create small circles of light on the ceiling. Children demonstrate skills across all areas of learning, preparing them for the next stage of their education.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder creates a warm and inviting environment where children feel safe and have a positive attitude to learning. She has high expectations for children's behaviour. Routines and boundaries are embedded. This helps children to understand what is expected of them throughout the day. For instance, children know to wash their hands before mealtimes and after using the toilet. Younger children show that they understand the routine before mealtimes. The childminder provides them with the same opportunities as older children to prepare their own healthy snack. They patiently wait to be given their fruit and welcome the support of the childminder to help them to use a safety knife. However, the arrangement of seating at mealtimes does not consistently support children to develop their social skills. For example, older children sit at a low table alongside younger children in high chairs. This means that when children attempt to communicate with one another, they cannot easily see

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

each other's faces. This makes it more difficult for them to maintain eye contact, respond to facial expressions and engage in conversations, limiting opportunities for them to develop their communication and social skills.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard

The childminder and any assistants she works with show a genuine interest in children's play, and make this fun and enjoyable. Children thoroughly enjoy their interactions in their chosen play. The childminder and her assistants are positive role models and typically support children to develop respect for each other. For instance, they help children to make positive choices, such as taking turns to go down the slide. Children develop secure relationships with the childminder's own children. They eagerly hold their hands and include them in the action songs that the childminder sings. The childminder emphasises the importance of regular attendance and punctuality with parents and carers during settling-in periods. She has clear procedures in place for taking appropriate action to protect children's welfare and promote positive routines so that children fully benefit from learning.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder provides highly effective inclusive care that meets the individual needs of all children. She builds positive, secure relationships, helping children feel safe, valued and confident. Children trust the childminder and any assistants she works with. They seek their guidance, knowing that they will be listened to and supported. This helps children to master new skills, such as during toilet training. The childminder makes nappy-changing time for younger children meaningful and seamless. For example, she sings to children and encourages them to repeat the sounds of different animals. This creates a positive and engaging experience during personal care routines.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder is attuned to children's non-verbal cues. She swiftly identifies and meets their evolving physical and emotional needs. For example, when younger children become tired, the childminder helps them to settle with their favourite comforter. This enables them to peacefully drift off to sleep and ensures their wellbeing. They wake refreshed and ready to resume their play and exploration. The childminder consistently follows safe eating and sleep practices and increases children's awareness of their own safety. For example, she sensitively explains to children the need to briefly pause their eating at mealtimes when she needs to attend to other children's care needs in the bathroom. This ensures she can meet children's individual needs while maintaining safe supervision during mealtimes. However, mealtime seating arrangements do not provide children with sufficient opportunities to develop their social skills.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard

The childminder skilfully teaches children about being healthy. This includes the importance of good oral hygiene and being active. The childminder and any assistants she works with teach children to stretch their legs to reach the next stepping stone and kick a ball into a goal. Children cheer and smile with delight in response to the praise they receive for their achievements.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder's inclusive curriculum is typically engaging and well organised. She thoughtfully considers the knowledge and skills that children require to prepare them for their next stage in learning. Generally, planned daily routines and experiences support children to gradually build confidence in these skills. For example, they learn to independently manage their self-care, develop an awareness of when they need to use the bathroom and thrive in their physical abilities. The childminder places great emphasis on reducing barriers to children's learning and/or wellbeing, particularly regarding younger children's personal and social development. She ensures that they feel safe and confident in their surroundings and that there is continuity in care through close relationships with parents and carers. All children make steady progress.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The childminder accurately identifies what children need to learn next. However, she does not always consider children's individual preferences in their learning. For example, the childminder asks children direct questions to encourage them to identify numerals and colours. As a result, some children become less engaged in planned activities. The childminder consistently provides a narrative to her own and children's actions, helping them to make links to words in context. However, the childminder does not consistently use the correct words when speaking to children. For example, she uses words such as 'horsie', 'duckie' and 'birdie'. As a result, children learn incorrect words for familiar objects and animals, reducing their development of clear and accurate language. The childminder fosters children's love of books. She reads to children with great intonation that captures their attention and helps them to recall experiences.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder completes ongoing assessments to help her to swiftly identify any gaps in children's learning. She uses her experience and knowledge of child development to put agreed plans in place to support children who have barriers to their wellbeing and/or learning. For instance, she implements effective solutions to validate and support children's emotional needs when they first begin attending. As a result, children settle quickly, feel secure and develop confidence in their new surroundings. They are supported to manage their emotions and build trusting relationships with the childminder and their peers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has high expectations for what all children can achieve, despite any barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. She introduces them to varied and purposeful experiences that help children develop their skills, broaden their interests and build confidence in their ability to learn. The childminder is very careful not to over-stimulate the senses of younger children who are settling into the new environment. She supports these children to explore the texture of sand by offering it in a small bowl, rather than in a large sand pit. This helps them to engage with the experience at their own pace.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The childminder has previous experience and understands the processes she would take if she had concerns about a child's development, as well as how to seek additional support. She is aware of where she can seek further training to develop her own skills if necessary.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder is committed to delivering high-quality provision. She keeps her knowledge up to date by completing regular and relevant training and ensures that any assistants she works with follow the same approach. They all share new knowledge and skills together and use this to typically continue to improve their practice. For instance, recent training on introducing children to solid food ensures that the childminder has a secure understanding of safe eating and appropriate opportunities for young children to explore foods that they can pick up independently.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The childminder and her assistants work well as a team and support one another to manage their wellbeing and workload effectively. Assistants report that they feel very well supported to fulfil their role. They regularly reflect on their practice and discuss ways to enhance children's experiences and learning opportunities. Clear plans are in place to transform part of the outdoor area to provide children with forest school experiences. However, the childminder does not yet sharply identify areas for further development in all aspects of the provision she provides. Partnerships with parents and carers are positive. Parents value how the childminder treats their children like a member of her own family, in a warm, welcoming and friendly environment. The childminder works in close partnership with other settings that children attend in order to fully support continuity in their care and learning.

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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 benefit from the childminder's calm and nurturing nature. This helps them to feel at ease, safe and secure. Children explore the inviting and inclusive learning environment that is carefully organised to embrace their interests and individual needs. Children's families are warmly welcomed into the childminder's home from the outset. This enables the childminder to build positive bonds with them and an understanding of the initial and evolving needs of children and their families. Children who are new to the setting welcome the childminder's reassuring cuddles. They quickly build secure bonds with the childminder and their peers. This helps them to feel relaxed and flourish in their confidence to be curious individuals.

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

Children are supported to fully participate in experiences and activities. The childminder makes successful adaptations to meet children's individual needs and help them to overcome any barriers to their learning. Younger children thoroughly enjoy the freedom to independently access sensory learning opportunities, for example water-play activities within a large tray positioned on the floor. They splash, squeeze sponges and wash a doll. Older children have equal opportunities to engage in similar and more advanced learning within a raised tray that they independently stand at. This ensures that all children have equal access to engaging experiences that are appropriate for their age and stage of development.

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

Children demonstrate kindness towards each other. For instance, older children show younger children the actions to songs. They smile and laugh with delight as they wiggle their body, pretending to be jelly on a plate. As a result, children feel valued and included and have a sense of belonging. Children benefit from organised outings further afield and in the local community, such as woodland walks, rides in the new wagon to collect older children from school and visits to National Trust sites. These experiences support their wellbeing, physical development and knowledge of seasonal changes and the natural environment. All children flourish in the care of the childminder, including those who face barriers to their wellbeing and/or learning. They are well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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Next steps

The childminder should review the arrangement of mealtimes to support children to build on their social skills. The childminder should build on her practice to fully support children in achieving their next steps in learning, considering how each child learns best, and focus on the use of correct language.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistants 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

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Wednesday,Tuesday : 08:00 - 17:00,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 09:00,Thursday,Friday : 15:00 - 16:00

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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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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. 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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