Gilsenan, Sara Louise

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 24/06/2013 10/07/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 The childminder provides a safe warm welcoming environment where children feel happy and secure. Consequently, they enjoy strong positive relationships with the childminder and with each other.  Children make good progress because the childminder knows and understands their starting points. She makes careful observations and takes into account children's individual needs when planning for, and assessing, their learning and development.  The childminder gives high priority to children's language development. They have many opportunities to develop their speech and language and extend their vocabulary through a variety of activities, songs and rhymes.  The childminder has strong effective partnerships with parents and other early years professionals. This enables her to provide continuity of care and extend learning opportunities so that children are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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This provision is good

 Children's behaviour is exemplary because the childminder knows what good behaviour looks like and shares her high expectations with children and their families.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to further develop the setting's self-evaluation process in order to set more precise and challenging targets for improvement.  There are few opportunities for children to further investigate and explore the natural world.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journey records, planning documentation and a range of policies including those for safeguarding.  The inspector considered the range, relevance and accessibility of resources.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's play both indoors and outdoors, including adult- led and child-initiated activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked with the childminder throughout the inspection and carried out joint observations.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took into account the views of parents and other professionals from comments received.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2001 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two adult sons in Wavertree, Liverpool. The whole of the ground floor, first floor bathroom and rear garden of the house are used for childminding. The family has a dog and a cat as pets.

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Information about the setting

The childminder leads a toddler group two days a week. She visits the local shops, library, parks and takes children on trips to places of interest on a regular basis and collects children from local schools.

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Information about the setting

There are currently eight children on roll, five of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 7.45am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She is a member of the Liverpool Childminder Network.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 further develop the self-evaluation process by setting more precise, challenging and measurable targets for improvement

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 enhance the use of the outdoor space to give opportunities for children to investigate and explore the natural world by, for example, providing chimes, streamers and bubbles to investigate the effect of wind.

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who attend

The childminder has a good knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements. She makes effective use of her knowledge of individual children's abilities, likes and dislikes when planning activities and learning opportunities. The children make good progress because the childminder provides a wide range of activities to support their learning and development. She effectively captures their interests and skilfully extends their learning through play. Children enjoy regular outings to the local park, shops and playgroups. They use public transport, such as the bus, train and ferry, to access places of interest, for instance, the museum or seaside play area. Well-presented and annotated photographs, paintings and artwork, show that children clearly enjoy their outings and visits.

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who attend

The outdoor area is easily accessible. It provides both grassed and paved areas for extended play. Children's physical development is well supported as they use wheeled vehicles and the slide. They use the play house to extend role play outdoors. The garden has a planting area where children are encouraged to plant seeds and watch them grow. The childminder talks with children about how plants grow and introduces words, such as, absorb water, sunlight and nutrients. In this way children learn about the natural world and their vocabulary is extended. However, there are fewer opportunities for children to investigate and explore the natural world, such as the effect of the wind.

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who attend

There is a wide range of well-maintained and age-appropriate resources in the playroom. These are easily accessible and labelled with pictures and text. The small world activities and role-play resources support a positive view of different cultures and gender. Children readily choose materials to make a collage and they talk about shape, colour and texture. They choose to make collages of their favourite insects and comment 'I am making a bee. I like bees because they make honey for my toast' or 'a dinosaur because I like its noise - roar!'

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who attend

Children enjoy role play using a play supermarket, they stack shelves, sort fruit, vegetables, tins and boxes. They play very well together taking turns to be the cashier and shopper. Children pay for goods with cards and money and talk about their purchases. In this way children are showing inquisitiveness, confidence, critical thinking and problem solving skills. Children love books. They select favourite stories from a range of well- presented books and snuggle up with the childminder to share stories together.

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who attend

Children are confident active learners. Their learning journeys show excellent individual planning, observation and assessment. She is aware of the progress check at age two and she shares her assessments with parents and other professionals. Parents are well informed of their child's progress. They readily share their child's achievements and extend daily activities at home. In this way children's needs are well met.

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who attend

On entering the setting children remove coats and change shoes for slippers. They engage in tidy up routines and support each other in choosing different activities. Their growing independence and self-confidence means that children are developing the skills and attitudes they will need, and are well prepared for the next stage of learning.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The childminder provides a warm, welcoming, safe and stimulating environment for children in her care. She takes time to meet with parents and find out all about the children and their early experiences, including their routines, care needs, likes, dislikes and dietary needs. She puts parents and children at ease in her setting. As a result, children form strong, positive and secure relationships with the childminder.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children's behaviour is exemplary as the childminder is an excellent role model. She gently reminds children to cover their mouths when coughing, to share activities and to give others a chance to express their needs. The childminder speaks in a very calm quiet manner and listens intently when children talk. She uses good manners and gives effusive positive praise at every opportunity. The childminder has positive house rules and respects all families who attend. Children readily smile and play well together. They chat to visitors during their play time and enjoy receiving praise. Children look at the childminder when she speaks and repeat 'please' and 'thank you' when given snack and politely ask for more milk at lunchtime. As a result, children know what to expect, they are well supported, relaxed and enjoy their day.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are aware of healthy eating and making healthy choices. They access sessions on healthy food and drink and are awarded certificates of achievement. Children readily talk about their favourite food, such as carrots, apples and pears, and are provided with healthy snacks, such as, fruit, raw vegetables and toast. The childminder shares healthy options for meals with parents and invites their comments and input. Children are offered milk, fresh juice or water to drink. They are developing further independence skills by using cutlery, selecting their own puddings and sitting at the table when eating. Children's physical development is well supported because they have access to the garden on a daily basis. They enjoy visits to the local parks and activity centres to explore larger equipment and extend their play. Children discover how high they can climb or how to support their own weight when balancing. In this way they learn to take calculated risks and keep

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children learn about very good hygiene routines. They independently access the upstairs bathroom, wash their hands and faces after eating and understand about brushing their teeth after meals. When coughing, children are reminded to cover their mouth to stop the germs from being spread to others. A conversation about sharing germs ensues. Children use tissues to wipe their nose and put the dirty tissue in the bin. After lunch children like to rest and read stories. They sit comfortable on the large sofa and relax.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children's emotional needs are well met as the childminder provides a home-from home atmosphere. She is thoughtful and caring when talking to children about their feelings and experiences. The childminder has strong relationships with parents and extended family members. She communicates well with parents by email, text, telephone and in daily diaries, which detail the child's session with the childminder. The childminder details any outings and makes suggestions for follow up. This effective partnership means that children are safe, happy and secure.

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provision

The childminder fully understands her responsibility to ensure her setting meets the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. She is clear about who to contact if she has any concerns about a child. As a result, children are safeguarded in the setting. She has completed all relevant training and updates her knowledge through specific courses, such as two year progress check, behaviour management and 'Talking Tots'. The childminder has clear detailed policies and procedures in place and shares these with parents.

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provision

Doors are kept locked and the keys hung out of reach. All visitors are checked before entering the property. Regular fire drills are carried out and evacuation procedures displayed with comments and updates. The childminder has robust risk assessments in place for all areas of her house and garden. All outings to places of interest are well planned and risk assessments are undertaken to ensure each child's safety. For instance, which of the children will need wrist straps or reins. Times and routes of buses, trains and ferries are noted, and parents informed if children will be out all or part of the day. As a result, parents are confident in the childminder's ability to provide for their children and children are kept safe when in her care.

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provision

The childminder has an in depth knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and delivers an effective educational programme. She is aware of how children learn and plans well to support their individual learning styles. Planning is based on children's interest and development. Good, in depth observations are linked to areas of learning and next steps are noted. The childminder works closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that the particular needs of individual children are very well met. Parents are very happy with the care their children receive while at the setting. They feel that the childminder gives children a good start on their educational journey by providing a variety of well-planned activities and outings each day. She has established links with the local schools and pre- schools. The childminder meets with staff, shares information and takes children on visits.

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provision

As a result, children are well prepared for the next steps in their educational journey.

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provision

The childminder evaluates her setting simply and efficiently. She has addressed all previous recommendations and actions. Parents, children and other professionals contribute to her evaluation through questionnaires, discussions and notes of visit. The childminder recognises her strengths and areas for development. However, her targets for improvement are not sufficiently challenging or precise enough to measure achievement.

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provision

The childminder shows a very strong capacity to improve. She is passionate, well motivated and loves her work. She is fully committed to the children who attend her setting and their families. As a result, children in her care benefit from a safe, secure, inclusive and happy environment and make good progress towards the early learning goals.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted 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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Setting details

Unique reference number 503914 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 819353 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 8

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Telephone number

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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