North Tyneside Childminder celebrating 'outstanding' Ofsted rating

Childminder Lyndsay McKellow is celebrating her ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted rating following an inspection earlier this year.

As the owner of Lyndsay’s Childminding based in Longbenton, Lyndsay and her daughter offer childcare in North Tyneside for children from birth to school age.

The success of the service is evident in the report. Lyndsay has reached the highest possible Ofsted rating, moving from good to outstanding, while being judged against an even more stringent set of criteria.

The glowing report describes the childminding setting as ‘a highly inclusive environment’ where the ‘uniqueness of every child is valued and celebrated’ and where children ‘rapidly feel at ease’.

Inspectors praised all elements of Lyndsay’s approach, including the child-led curriculum, her focus on children’s physical development and the support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Lyndsay herself is commended as an ‘ambitious and dedicated’ childminder with ‘consistently high expectations’, something which she is passing on to her daughter who works with her as an assistant.

Her knowledge of the childcare industry is evident throughout the report, including the continued professional development she seeks for herself and her daughter. This includes completing courses with the local authority and being registered with other organisations for approval.

Speaking of her fantastic success, Lyndsay said: “I love working within North Tyneside, childminders are supported by the various teams with training and SEND. 

“I've developed fantastic working relationships and this in turn has given many opportunities to connect with other settings within the borough in order to upskill and support each other. 

“We are super proud of how inclusive our setting is and that this was recognised by our inspector.”

Lisa Cook, Assistant Director for Education and Inclusion at North Tyneside Council, said: “I’d like to congratulate Lyndsay on this fantastic achievement and thank her for her dedication and commitment to giving children in our borough the best possible start to their life.

“We have an amazing childcare sector here in North Tyneside that’s varied and meets the needs of our residents, and childminding is a fantastic offer.”

Lyndsay has been a childminder since 2005 and has a range of qualifications including level 3 Early Years SENco, paediatric first aid and CYPOP 5 Childminding certificate just to name a few.

She is also a Portage Approved Early Years setting and currently the only one in North Tyneside. Any practitioners can take part in the Portage training program and work towards accreditation, it offers a great service and resource to support children in the early years with SEND.

North Tyneside Council offers a range of support to childminders in the borough, including access to training and development.

You can find the full Ofsted report for Lyndsay’s Childminding here.