McCourt, Andrea Louise

McCourt, Andrea Louise

Unique reference number (URN): EY340932 Address: 1 Regency Gardens, New Longton, PRESTON, PR4 4ZU Type: Childminder Registered with Ofsted: 22/09/2006 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR Registered person: McCourt, Andrea Louise

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

All children make sustained progress in all areas of learning and development. They build on their learning over time and overcome any barriers to their learning as they may arise. Children develop a wide range of age-appropriate skills across the different curriculum areas. They become skilled communicators, asking questions to enhance their own understanding and learning. This helps to provide a firm foundation upon which to build their future learning and achievements. All children are prepared well for the next stage of their education, including their eventual move to school when the time arises.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder provides a warm nurturing environment in which children feel secure and demonstrate the confidence to try out their ideas. Children welcome the childminder into their play with enthusiasm. They value her suggestions as they try to work out problems for themselves. Children display impressively positive attitudes towards their learning. For example, they persevere to fit pieces of a train track together so that a toy train glides smoothly along the track. They excitedly celebrate with the childminder when they are successful.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder has high expectations for children's behaviour. She considers the individual needs of all children when establishing rules and boundaries. Children understand how they should behave. The childminder is kind and nurturing in her interactions with children. Children, in turn, demonstrate kindness and empathy. They learn to take turns, be respectful of the ideas of others and to take account of the feelings of others.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Strong standard

The childminder liaises with parents and carers to share her expectations for children's attendance and the importance of punctuality. She encourages parents to attend promptly so that their child's arrival does not disrupt key teaching times, such as group activities. This helps to establish positive routines before children go to school. The childminder carefully plans specific learning opportunities during the week to ensure that children who attend on different days are afforded the same opportunities to learn and develop.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder works with parents and carers in an ongoing way to review the information she holds on children's care needs. This enables her to respond quickly to any changes and to adapt children's routines accordingly. For example, the childminder supports parents to establish children's good sleep routines. She also shares important information on safe eating practices and online safety in the home. This consistent approach to children's care, between their home and the setting, helps to provide a sense of stability for children.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

Children learn to be independent in their personal care. For example, they recognise when they are hungry and receive support to help prepare their own snacks and pour their own drinks. The childminder carefully builds children's independence skills over time. She introduces tools when she is assured that children know how to use them safely. Children learn the importance of cutting fruit into manageable pieces. The childminder teaches children the importance of deciding for themselves if something requires to be cut into smaller pieces before they eat. Children as young as 3 years of age tell the childminder they need to cut the blueberries before they eat them. This helps children to keep themselves safe.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Strong standard

The childminder helps children to recognise the different emotions they may feel. Children develop strategies to help them regulate their emotions. Children are overwhelmingly positive in their interactions and develop close nurturing bonds with the childminder. All children thrive in the childminder's care. They demonstrate secure attachments from which they gain a sense of belonging.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder has a clear rationale for her carefully considered curriculum. She uses her understanding of how children learn and develop to sequence children's learning effectively. The childminder continually assesses children's learning. She has a secure understanding of what children know and can do. Children's individual learning styles and preferences are reflected in both the learning environment and resources available to enrich their learning. The childminder has a precise understanding of each child's current stage of development and what they need to learn next. Such careful consideration helps to ensure that every moment becomes a teachable opportunity.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The childminder gives a high priority to enhancing children's communication and language skills. Children are immersed in opportunities to sing, read stories and enter into conversations. For example, children remember and join in singing number rhymes. They confidently calculate and use mathematical words as they sing and use a range of props from the song bag.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Children enjoy regular opportunities to engage in a wide range of physical activities. The childminder plans enrichment activities for all children, such as gymnastic classes to enhance individual children's physical skills. She understands the importance of sequencing the development of children's physical skills. For example, the childminder provides plenty of opportunities for children to strengthen their hand muscles using resources such as dough. She ensures that children develop strength and dexterity in their hands before they begin to use different tools, such as scissors.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder has a secure knowledge of how to identify children's individual learning and development needs. She rigorously observes children to gain a secure understanding of their development. The childminder uses her knowledge of how to sequence children's learning to plan carefully targeted individual next steps in learning. She then assesses the impact of what she provides and adjusts her teaching. This robust approach helps to ensure that all children achieve well from their individual starting points in development. Should gaps emerge in children's learning and development, the childminder knows how to seek the support of relevant outside agencies. In the meantime, she works in close partnership with parents and carers to provide a consistent approach.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The childminder uses enhanced professional development successfully to focus on developing her skills in meeting children's specific needs. For example, training in the development of communication and language skills has benefited all children. The childminder skilfully adapts her teaching and approach to reduce any barriers that children may have to their learning and development. The thoughtfully planned environment and the childminder's personalised teaching approach help to ensure that all children have access to the curriculum provided. Should children receive additional funding, the childminder is clear on how this would be used to further reduce any barriers to their learning.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder has a clear and ambitious vision for her setting. She adapts her policies and procedures in response to the emerging needs of children and their families. The childminder continually reflects on the quality of her provision. She clearly has children and their families at the heart of everything she does. The childminder is perceptive in her evaluation of her setting. She identifies the many strengths of her setting, such as how she helps children to settle and builds warm attachments with children and families.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder targets areas for future development accurately and is committed to providing high-quality care and education. This reflective and proactive approach helps the setting to evolve over time and reassures the childminder that she is consistently providing what children and their families need.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The childminder considers the individual needs of the children she cares for when targeting further professional development. She identifies training opportunities that she hopes will enhance her skills even further in support of the children she cares for. The childminder evaluates the implementation of any new strategies to help ensure a positive impact on children's experiences, care and learning.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children develop close bonds with the nurturing childminder. They demonstrate a sense of security from her presence and show that they feel safe and secure in her care. The childminder meets with parents and carers when children first start to attend. She gathers important information about what makes each child unique. This is used effectively to help settle children and to ensure that their needs are met from the outset. Regular ongoing communication with parents about children's needs enables the childminder to quickly address any emerging barriers that children may face to their learning. This helps to ensure that all children achieve well.

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Inspector:

Denise Farrington Children receive support to achieve well and develop a love of learning. The childminder considers children's individual starting points when they first start to attend. She skilfully engages children in their learning. For example, the childminder knows that some children are interested in birds. She provides opportunities for children to talk about birds, share books about birds and enjoy trips to see birds in their natural habitats. Children experience things they may otherwise not have opportunity to explore.

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Inspector:

The childminder encourages children to be incredibly independent. Children make decisions about what they wish to play, select their own resources for tasks and welcome the childminder into their play. The childminder adapts her approach to include all children. She encourages them to persevere and to try and do things for themselves. Children are motivated to succeed. They gain confidence and enjoy receiving praise for their efforts.

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Inspector:

The childminder supports parents, when needed, to ensure that children's attendance is maintained, such as should parents be poorly. The childminder arranges to collect children from home, so that they do not miss out on the exciting opportunities she has planned for them.

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Next steps

The childminder should sustain her work to ensure continued improvement and high standards. She should focus on creating a transformational impact on the outcomes and experiences of children.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, the children and the parents and carers during the inspection.

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About this inspection

We carried out this inspection 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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Address:

1 Regency Gardens New Longton PRESTON PR4 4ZU

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Address:

Registered person: McCourt, Andrea Louise

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Address:

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday : 07:45 - 17:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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