Dermott, Sandra

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/11/2014 25/01/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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 warmly engages with children and the quality of teaching is good. She plans activities that are purposeful and developmentally appropriate across all areas of learning.  The childminder has a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This ensures children are kept safe and their well-being is effectively promoted.  The childminder establishes positive partnerships with parents and other adults involved in children's lives, so they can work together to support children's individual needs and promote their development.  The childminder evaluates her provision, so that practice is developed and plans for continuous improvement are in place.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not consistently give sufficient time for children to consider the answers to her questions and to formulate their response before she answers for them.

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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 observed activities in the indoor play area and viewed the resources and equipment available to the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder at appropriate times during the inspection and conducted a joint observation with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of the childminder and her assistants, the self-evaluation form, and a sample of policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records of learning and the planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the written views of parents about the childminder's provision.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2009 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to work with two assistants. The childminder lives with her husband and child over 16 years in West Derby, Liverpool. The whole of the ground floor and rear garden are used for childminding. The family has a pet cat. She collects children from the local schools. There are currently eight children on roll, of whom five are in the early years age range and they attend for a variety of sessions. The childminding provision operates all year round, from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She is a qualified nursery nurse.

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

 extend children's language development and thinking skills, by consistently giving them time to consider the questions asked and to answer the question themselves.

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who attend

The childminder has a good understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She is a qualified and experienced childcare practitioner and knows how children best learn through play. The childminder promotes the characteristics of effective learning to help children become confident learners for the future. For example, the accessibility of the play materials encourages children to make independent choices as they play and explore. Consequently, their concentration levels deepen as their interest is sustained. The childminder uses a mixture of child-initiated and adult-led activities to support children's progress and to help them acquire the skills, attitudes and dispositions they need to be ready for school. The childminder promotes partnership working with parents, and they are encouraged to be actively involved in their child's learning and development. Effective communication systems are in place to give

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who attend

guidance to parents to support continued learning at home. These include access to their child's record of learning and being given a regular summary of their child's progress. The childminder completes the required progress check for children between the ages of two and three years. She completes ongoing observations and precisely assesses the children's stage of development to inform the planning of the next steps in their learning. The childminder uses her child development knowledge and documents to track children's progress and to identify any gaps in their learning and development. Her planning then include the priorities for children's learning, to help reduce the gap. The learning records show children are making good progress in relation to their starting points. The children clearly enjoy the childminder's involvement in their play activities. She skilfully engages the interest of the different ages of children as they build with blocks at

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who attend

floor level, through modelling play and asking questions. However, she does not consistently give children sufficient time to think and answer the questions. This means that opportunities for children to make connections in their thinking, and decide what they want to say, are not always as well promoted as possible. The childminder consistently talks clearly for children to hear the correct pronunciation of words. She uses Makaton signing to improve the younger children's communication skills and support their emerging language. The childminder uses mathematical language as she plays with the children and encourages then to compare sizes and to count. Children eagerly participate in a painting activity. They select blocks from the construction resources and use these and their hands to make paint prints. Children discover changes to the colours as they mix the paints together. The childminder shows respect for children's own work and, as a result, they are

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who attend

proud of their achievements. They talk about how happy their mummy and daddy will be to see their painting. Children have good opportunities to learn through using their senses. For example, they explore different textures in the treasure basket, make models with play dough and clay, and create their own sounds using musical instruments. Younger children's interest in role play is emerging. They talk into the telephones and use play resources to represent other objects, such as a block becoming a camera, as their play ideas develop. Children learn about technology. They sit with the childminder and help to operate a hand-held electronic book as she reads the story to them. Traditional books are placed books in different locations to help trigger children's interest in reading.

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who attend

The childminder has undertaken training to become a registered Forest Childcare provider. As a result of this training, she has increased children's outdoor learning opportunities. They regularly visit natural areas including woodland, parks and beaches giving children opportunity to explore the natural world, investigate their finds and use materials found in different ways, such as in art work and role play. Through these first-hand learning experiences, children's confidence is promoted and they learn new skills.

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

Children's emotional development is promoted very well and they develop strong attachments with the childminder. They enjoy snuggling up to the childminder as they share a story together and having a hug on her knee. Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging as they confidently play and interact with the childminder. She continues to talk to the children when out of sight, to reassure them that she is still close to them. Care needs and routines are discussed and agreed with parents before children start attending. Good settling-in procedures, tailored to each child's needs, mean that the move between home and the childminder's home is a positive experience.

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

The childminder is a positive role model for children's behaviour and uses praise and encouragement throughout her practice. Children happily share and take turns, showing their developing enjoyment of playing cooperatively with their friends. The childminder provides opportunities for children to play with a larger group of children through attending activities, such as toddler groups, to further develop their social skills. Children are becoming increasingly aware of their own safety because the childminder provides simple explanations which raise their awareness of potential hazards. For example, she explains to the children that if they stand on the inflated toy they will wobble off and may hurt themselves. Play materials and books are easily accessed and space is well planned for children to play and move independently and safely.

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

The childminder promotes a healthy lifestyle. Children are provided with healthy, nutritious meals and snacks, which are freshly cooked by the childminder. She provides children with a variety of tastes and textures to trigger their interest in a wider range of healthy foods. Children help to prepare snack to further encourage their interest in healthy foods. The childminder has attended food hygiene training to inform her food preparation practice and is knowledgeable about how to ensure good hygiene practices are implemented. Children have opportunity to enjoy being physically active and pursue energetic play in the childminder's outdoor provision, during visits to parks and other open spaces. The outdoor activities and visits to an indoor activity centre provide opportunities for children to challenge their skills and learn to take sensible risks on a wide range of larger apparatus. Routines help children to learn about the importance of hygiene practices, such as

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

washing their hands before eating and after toileting. The childminder encourages children to be independent in their self-care, such as dressing themselves, which helps prepare them for their next stage in education. The childminder and one of her assistants hold current paediatric first-aid qualifications, which means they have the skills to protect children's health in emergency situations.

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provision

The childminder meets the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children are effectively safeguarded and protected. The childminder has a good understanding of safeguarding and child protection procedures. She has written safeguarding policy and procedures, which include the procedure to follow if an allegation is made against herself, assistants or members of the household. She has completed further safeguarding training this year to make sure her knowledge is up to date. The childminder maintains all of the required documents that promote children's well-being, and these are shared with parents as and when required. For example, accident records and medication records are signed by parents, so they are kept fully informed. She promotes children's safety through high levels of supervision and the completion of risk assessments. The childminder is fully aware of her responsibility to

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provision

ensure the assistants are suitable and competent for their role.

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provision

The childminder monitors the planning and assessment of children's learning to ensure that children continue to make good progress towards the early learning goals. She plans purposeful and developmentally appropriate activities, which challenge and engage children effectively in their learning. The childminder is fully committed to providing children with good quality care and learning opportunities. She values, and is committed to undertaking, ongoing training to inform and continually improve her practice. The childminder evaluates her provision and considers her main strengths and areas for improvement. For example, plans are in place to develop the provision's outdoor area to increase opportunities for outdoor play all year round. The childminder involves children and parents in this process by asking for their opinion of the provision. Through these evaluation processes she has addressed the recommendation from the last inspection.

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provision

The childminder is committed to partnership working to help her meet children's individual needs. She encourages ongoing discussion with parents to exchange relevant information. Parents express their great satisfaction with the provision in their written comments. They refer to her 'professionalism', they state she is 'a fantastic childminder' and they are extremely pleased with the progress their children are making. The childminder uses a range of strategies to engage parents in their children's learning including children are able to take resources home from the provision. She prepares a welcome pack for new parents to the provision, which includes information about the Early Years Foundation Stage and the seven areas of learning. She shares her policies and procedures with parents to make them aware of the organisation of her provision and her responsibilities to safeguard children. The childminder works with other professionals, with parents'

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provision

agreement, to promote continuity and progression in children's learning and development.

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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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY396738 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 859820 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 0 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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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