Whellans, Lisa

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 02/07/2014 12/11/2009

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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

 Children enjoy a wide range of stimulating activities, matched to their individual interests and needs. This is because the childminder knows the children extremely well and has a clear understanding of how she can support them further.  The childminder communicates with parents effectively. Ongoing communication means the childminder and parents work together to meet the needs of the children.  Children settle very quickly into the setting and are happy in the childminder's care because she has well thought out settling in procedures, which enable her to form caring relationships.  Children are very safe in the setting because there are robust procedures in place to ensure children's safety.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The childminder does not always seize opportunities to fully extend children's learning of key concepts, because there are, occasions when she asks too many questions to check understanding.  There is scope to develop the organisation of resources so that children can access resources independently to support their emerging interests.

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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 held discussions with the childminder at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to children and observed play and learning activities inside the home.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.  The inspector took into account feedback from parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the childminder, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2009. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her grown up son in the residential area of Roker in Sunderland. The home is close to local amenities, such as shops, primary schools and playgroups. The whole of the ground floor, except the sitting room, is used for childminding purposes and there is an enclosed garden available for outdoor play. The childminder collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently eight children on roll, of whom one is in the early years age range and attends on a part-time basis. The childminder is open from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, for 48 weeks of the year. She supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 extend the use of narrative language, for example, by commenting on an activity, in order to promote further learning about key concepts, such as colour

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

 develop further children's already good independence skills by ensuring that resources are easily accessible, enabling them to follow their own emerging interests and make independent choices more easily.

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who attend

Children enjoy interesting, motivating and challenging activities across the seven areas of learning. They are clearly motivated as they play with the playdough. They enjoy using various modelling tools and demonstrate good small muscle skills as they carefully pull the playdough apart with thumb and fingers. The childminder demonstrates a good understanding of how to support children's play. She observes children and gives them the space and time to explore things for themselves before she intervenes to offer further support. Effective support by the childminder helps children to understand that they can make clearer patterns if they press on harder. This activity clearly motivates children as they concentrate for extended periods of time, given their age and stage of development. These skills effectively support children in the next stage of their learning.

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who attend

Children make good progress. The childminder knows where children are in their learning because she uses information from parents and her own observations to establish their starting points. This helps her to develop a clear understanding of the needs and interests of children when they start. She carries out regular and precise assessments, which are matched to age related expectations. As a result, she has a good understanding of children's achievements and how she can support them further. She talks to school staff about what they are working on and how she can support children further. For example, she talks to school about how they are developing speech sounds so she can build this into her planning too. This means that the childminder offers targeted support to meet the needs of individual children in her care. She also works closely with parents, offering daily feedback about what their children have been doing and how they can support them

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who attend

further. She shares information with them about their children's learning. Parents are also encouraged to share information about what children have enjoyed at home, which the childminder then complements and extends. As a result, the childminder has a full picture of children's interests, both at home and in the setting and plans effectively using these to support their future learning.

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who attend

The childminder has a good understanding of how to develop communication. She alters her language to suit the learning needs of the children in her care. For example, she uses sign language to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to learn new vocabulary. She talks to the children constantly, introducing new words and phrases and asking developmentally appropriate questions throughout the session. She listens to children carefully and offers further comments to support what children are saying. This helps children to link statements and develop conversational skills. The childminder also comments on what children are doing, using comments such as; 'you've got a yellow ball', to support planned learning on colour. This has a positive impact on children's learning, who begin to use some colour names correctly later in the activity. However, on occasions, the childminder uses questions, such as; what colour is this?' to

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who attend

check children's learning, which children often struggle to answer. There is scope, therefore, to extend the use of the simple commentary to reinforce key concepts. The childminder plans in a wide range of activities to support physical development. She plans in visits to local parks, while activities, such as simple climbing walls, offer challenge to older children. The childminder has set up her garden to further support physical development. Young children enjoy experimenting with balls, balancing them on a racket, or filling bottles with sand. This supports the development of both small and large muscle skills.

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

The childminder has a very good relationship with the children. She is calm and caring and children relate very well to her. Children love being with the childminder, they talk to her confidently about things that have happened the night before. The childminder offers plenty of cuddles and kisses and children climb onto her knee, seeking cuddles and reassurance, as they get tired. This demonstrates that children are emotionally secure. Children settle quickly into the setting. This is because the childminder has well thought out settling in procedures. She feels it is important that children are able to leave parents happily before they start their contracted hours and has a very flexible settling in programme to enable her to achieve this. Children have a number of visits, which she gradually extends as children become more confident in the setting. The childminder finds out about their individual routines, care needs and likes and dislikes. This helps children to

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

settle quickly into the setting. She also helps children to settle into school and nursery as they talk about the new setting together. They get to know staff as they visit with the childminder and collect other children from school. This helps children to settle into their new setting quickly.

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

Children play in a child-friendly, safe environment with clean, age-appropriate and well- maintained toys and equipment that effectively support their overall well-being and care. The environment generally promotes children's independence as some resources, such as puzzles, books and games are attractively presented and clearly visible on floors and tables. However, other resources are not as easily accessible and, consequently, children tend to play with the toys they can see or access. As a result, children are not always able to easily select resources that reflect their emerging interests. There is room, therefore, to enhance this further by ensuring children can access resources independently to support their developing interests. The childminder is committed to encouraging a healthy lifestyle. Children walk to school and enjoy visits to the park and the beach. Children are also encouraged to enjoy walks in the local area, such as the marina. This helps children to

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

develop an awareness of the importance of fresh air and exercise. The childminder provides a range of healthy meals, supplemented with fresh fruit for snack. Drinking water is available throughout the session and children are reminded to drink this in hot weather. This encourages children to make healthy food choices. The childminder consistently reinforces good hygiene procedures, such as hand washing. As a result, children know they need to wash their hands. This demonstrates that they are beginning to learn how they can keep themselves healthy.

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

Children begin to develop an awareness of how they can keep themselves safe inside and outside. Young children sing songs as they cross the road with the childminder. This helps them to remember how to cross the road safely. The childminder encourages children to be independent in the setting. Children feed themselves and put on their own shoes. These skills prepare children effectively for the next stage in their learning. Children's behaviour is good as they are fully engaged in their activities. Children learn to play alongside each other and begin to learn how to share resources together. They also attend local toddler groups so young children can play and interact with children of a similar age.

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provision

The childminder has a good understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare and learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder has a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and is secure in her knowledge of the procedures to follow in the event of a concern about a child in her care. She also has an up to date list of people to contact if she needs advice. She has clear policies that have been updated, which she shares with parents. Her documentation is all very well organised, easily accessible and underpins her practice well. She is aware of her responsibilities when administering medication and treating minor accidents and holds a valid first aid certificate. Children are kept safe inside and outdoors. The home is secure and the childminder checks the home daily to make sure that it remains safe for children.

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provision

In addition, she has written risk assessments that cover the home, garden and any outings that she takes children on, therefore minimising any possible hazards.

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provision

The childminder monitors her provision effectively. Accurate assessments are reviewed regularly to ensure that there is a broad programme of activities, which enables the children to make good progress. She has a clear understanding of the progress children make over time and talks with confidence about their individual strengths and weaknesses and what she is doing to help children make progress. This means that she can highlight any possible gaps in children's learning and plan appropriate interventions to support each child. The childminder has an accurate understanding of how she can improve her provision further. The childminder demonstrates a good attitude towards professional development. She has taught herself basic sign language to enable her to communicate more effectively with children in her care. She has also identified further training to support this further. She talks confidently about the impact of recent training on her daily

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provision

routine. The childminder has developed good links with the local authority and other childminders through local networks meetings and this helps her to develop her provision further. This demonstrates that the childminder has a good capacity to improve further.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are good. They voice their appreciation of the invaluable service she provides. They comment about the progress their children have made too. Detailed verbal feedback at the beginning and end of the session mean that parents know what their children have been doing and how they can support them further. The childminder talks to parents about what they are doing at home too so she can complement this further. This means that they can work effectively together to meet the needs of the individual children effectively. The childminder is fully committed to working in partnership with other professionals. She has a good relationship with local schools and attends meetings and other events in school to support the children in her care and their parents. In addition, she talks to staff regularly about what children have been doing and how she can support them further. They share learning records together too. She demonstrates a

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provision

good awareness of the need to working in partnership with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and is currently attending meetings to enable her to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities more effectively.

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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 EY390398 Local authority Sunderland Inspection number 859271 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

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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