Callaghan, Helen Nicola

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20 July 2015 24 June 2011

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is good

 Excellent opportunities are provided for parents to keep up to date about the progress their children are making. Highly detailed information is shared, this includes how parents can further support their children at home.  The children are safeguarded exceptionally well. The childminder and her assistant make the most of training and ongoing learning opportunities to ensure their practice reflects the very highest standards.  The childminder and her assistant provide high levels of care within their home environment. As a result, children are happy and develop good relationships with them. They are motivated, confident and show a willingness to explore, experiment and try things out for themselves.  Children's assessments are reviewed well. This ensures any intervention required, to address any possible gaps in learning, is secured at the earliest stage.  Partnerships with local schools are good. The childminder works well with teachers to

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This provision is good

share information and provides activities that complement children's learning in school.  Good use is made of the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years. Effective information sharing with parents and health visitors has a positive impact on meeting children's needs.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Opportunities for children to develop their early writing skills are not regularly provided indoors.  The childminder does not always provide sufficient opportunities for children to follow their thoughts and ideas as they play.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 provide regular opportunities for children to develop their early writing skills in the indoor environment  provide more opportunities for children to follow their own interests and ideas during play-based activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed all parts of the childminder's home used for childminding.  The inspector observed play and learning activities and spoke to the childminder, assistant and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the childminder.  The inspector viewed regulatory documentation, including evidence of the suitability checks, children's details, learning journals, and a sample of policies and procedures.  The inspector discussed self-evaluation and how this is organised to drive improvements that benefit children.

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who attend. This is good

The quality of teaching is consistently good, and as a result, children make good progress in their learning. The childminder and her assistant use appropriate teaching strategies to support children's learning and development. They model language for children and use effective questioning techniques, to help them develop their communication and language skills. This supports children's readiness for school. Very good systems are in place to assess children's learning. Information is used well to provide activities and experiences that are interesting, challenging and effectively meet children's individual needs. Children develop good hand-to-eye coordination skills through encouragement and guidance that teaches them how to handle toys and resources. However, they are not always able to follow their own thoughts and ideas to direct their learning. This is because, occasionally, the childminder and assistant make their own suggestions about how children can use and

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who attend. This is good

play with equipment and do not always take the lead from them. The outdoor environment is planned well to encourage children to develop their physical skills and to have good opportunities to make marks using resources, such as sand. However, fewer opportunities are provided for children to develop early writing skills indoors, through activities which are designed to improve their small muscle skills.

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good

Children are supported to develop an understanding of behavioural expectations within the childminder's home. They are encouraged to take part in activities, such as tidying up and begin to develop an understanding of the importance of keeping the environment safe. Children are supported very well when they first start attending. Very good quality information is gathered from parents and is used very well to provide continuity in children's emotional and physical well-being. The childminder works closely with parents to ensure children's care plans are regularly updated, successfully meeting their individual needs. Children's independence skills are fostered well by the childminder and her assistant. They support young children to wash their hands and access resources independently.

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provision is good

The childminder is well qualified and has good knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She maintains a very good overview of the educational programmes she provides to ensure they meet children's individual learning needs. The childminder effectively oversees the work of her assistant. She regularly observes their interaction with children, providing supervision opportunities to ensure her assistant has a good understanding of their role. Professional development opportunities are good and help the childminder and her assistant to improve their already good practice. Self-evaluation is good. The childminder gathers the views of parents and children to help her identify areas for improvement. Strong partnerships are in place with local authority professionals and other local childminders to support the self-evaluation process even further.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY417983 Local authority Sunderland Inspection number 851886 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 1 - 8 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 5

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection 24 June 2011

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Telephone number

The childminder was registered in 2011 and lives in Sunderland. She operates all year round from 7.30am to 7.30pm, Monday to Thursday and until 6pm on a Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder works with an assistant. The childminder has a relevant childcare qualification at level 3.

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Telephone number

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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Telephone number

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

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Telephone number

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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Telephone number

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

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