Callaghan, Helen Nicola

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY417983 Inspection date 24/06/2011 Inspector Janet Fairhurst

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Type of setting Childminder to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the childminding

The childminder was registered in 2011. She lives with her partner in a residential area of Hendon in Sunderland. The living room, kitchen, dining room and toilet of the childminder's ground floor home is used for childminding and there is a enclosed yard for outside play. The family has two cats.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of six children aged under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding six children of who four are in the early years age group. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 12 years.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder collects children from the local school and is a member of the childminding network.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

All children and parents are made to feel welcome as part of the childminder's commitment to provide an inclusive service. She has a good understanding of how children learn and develop and this is translated into positive practice. As a consequence, children are making good progress in meeting their early learning goals. Children benefit from the effective partnership with parents although the partnership with other settings is not yet fully established. The childminder demonstrates a strong commitment to continuous improvement and has already planned improvements and undertakes training to update her skills and knowledge.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 develop partnerships and systems for sharing information with other providers who deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage to ensure consistency in care and learning for individual children  build upon the already good systems for monitoring children, to show how children's next steps are effectively planned for.

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the early years provision

Children are protected because the childminder has a secure understanding of safeguarding procedures and knows when to take action to safeguard children in her care. Children receive care in an environment that is safe and secure and they This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 are supervised closely at all times. Comprehensive risk assessments are in place and daily safety checks are carried out throughout the childminder's home. Well considered written policies and procedures relating to children's overall health, safety and welfare are effectively put into practice by the childminder and shared with the parents. This combined with up to date records for attendance, medication administration and accidents ensures children are well protected. The childminder organises her provision very well so that children feel secure. The space and resources are arranged so that children can move around with ease and

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the early years provision

are able to access the toys and equipment independently.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from being in the care of a dedicated childminder and her assistant who clearly both enjoy their work. They have established a very good partnership, sharing areas of responsibility which has a positive impact on the care the children receive. They both approach children in a natural way and there is lots of warm, spontaneous interaction between them. Children benefit from the good relationships forged between the childminder and their parents. An effective settling in period is in place. Parents stay and settle their children for as long as the child needs ensuring they feel secure in their new environment. The parents have a clear insight into their children's time within the childminder's care because they exchange information at the beginning and end of the day and through the effective sharing of their children's learning journal. Through this the childminder makes sure parents are aware of their children's ongoing progress and actively

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the early years provision

encourages them to make their own contribution to this process. The childminder is aware and has identified an area for development. The need to establish systems which enable her to share information about children's learning and development with other settings that they attend to ensure continuity in their learning. The childminder has not yet cared for any children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, she has a clear understanding of the importance of working with other professionals to provide a good level of support for such children when the need arises.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a clear vision for the provision of high quality childcare and is committed to making ongoing improvements to her service. She has made a good start in evaluating her provision and has identified ways she could further improve what she provides for children. She has made very good use of local authority advice and the support offered by her fellow childminders to help develop her practice.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their time with the childminder as close and caring relationships have been established. Observations and monitoring of children's progress is thorough and reflects the childminder's good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the individual children in her care. The childminder uses the information gained from her observations to plan activities taking into account the children's interests and capabilities. Alongside the narrative observation,children's This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 learning journals also contain photographs and samples of their creative work, all of which help to demonstrate the good progress they are making. Children's next steps are identified and although the childminder is able to outline how she plans to address them she is not yet recording this within their learning journals to help track their progress over time.

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and outcomes for children

Interesting activities keep the children motivated and involved and offer them lots of scope in which to have fun and enjoy themselves. They like to paint and draw; this allows them to express their creativity and enables the childminder to extend their learning, identifying colour, shape and pattern. Gluing and model making are popular activities too and provide opportunities for the children to experiment with basic design and construction. For example, from recyclable boxes the children made a theatre and finger puppets then created stories and a show. All children are treated with equal consideration and regard. The childminder knows their individual needs and preferences and plans activities that allow each child to participate fully. The children learn about the wider world when they engage in activities to create posters, and when they play with jigsaws and look at books showing images of people with disabilities, people from other cultures and

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and outcomes for children

countries and people engaged in tasks traditionally associated with the opposite sex. These influences help the children to form positive views of diversity. Children demonstrate their curiosity as they examine the toys and spend time exploring and working out how to operate resources such as the activity centre and interactive bear. This helps to build children's concentration, supports their ability to make connections in their learning and helps them develop their skills with technology. Outdoors children plant seeds and enjoy features such as tubs filled with fragrant plants and growing fruit such as raspberries and figs. Alongside this wind chimes help to create a pleasant place for children to be and a place where they are encouraged to use their senses of smell and touch. Children's behaviour is good, they play socially and get on well. They receive lots of positive praise from the childminder which raises their self esteem and helps them to understand what is

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and outcomes for children

Children express themselves freely, secure in the knowledge that they will receive a consistent, warm response from the childminder. For example, sharing their concerns about an incident at school which then helped them resolve a sensitive issue. Children have lots of opportunities for fresh air and exercise as they are often out and about. For example, they go for walks to a local park, beach and play in the yard. This ensures that their overall physical needs are effectively met. The childminder encourages children to try different foods by gentle coaxing and encouraging them to participate in baking activities. For example, making meringues and filling them with exotic fruits. This ensures that their nutritional needs are met very well. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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