Regents Academy

Inspection report for early years provision

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120744 Unique Reference Number 24 May 2006 Inspection date Deborah Jaqueline Newbury Inspector

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Childcare Type of inspection Childminding Type of care

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This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder registered in 1994. She lives with her husband and four children aged five, 10, 13, and 15 in Lightwater, Surrey. The home is in walking distance of local shops, parks and the library.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Children have access to the ground floor of the property with toilet facilities provided in this area. Children sleep upstairs. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for four children under eight years and is currently minding two children under five years of age. Days and times of children's attendance vary. The childminder's husband acts as her assistant on some occasions. The family has a rabbit and guinea pigs.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Children regularly go to childminding and toddler groups, and visit parks. The childminder has completed NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) Level 3 in Early Years, Child Care and

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Education and is an accredited childminder. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and a member of the Surrey childminding network.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a clean and comfortable home. They stay healthy because the childminder implements good procedures to promote good hygiene and to minimise the potential for the spread of infection. For instance, she wears gloves when changing children's nappies and disposes of nappies hygienically. The childminder begins to instil in young children an awareness of good personal hygiene practices as she talks to them about washing their hands and faces and as she explains about the need to wipe their noses.

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Helping children to be healthy

Parents and childminder share responsibility for the provision of food. Parents supply most meal items whilst the childminder provides snacks; these generally compromise of fruit to promote children's awareness of healthy eating. Children enjoy having a choice of different fruits. These are prepared by the childminder in suitable sizes for small hands to manage independently. She sits alongside children as they eat and offers encouragement by talking about the different fruits they have. The childminder seeks information from parents about children's dietary requirements and keeps a written record of everything that children have to eat whilst they are with her. She ensures that she stores all food items provided by parents appropriately so there is no health risk to children. Young children use tableware appropriate to their stage of development. They develop independence as the childminder encourages them

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Helping children to be healthy

to feed themselves and she praises their efforts which adds to their sense of achievement.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children sleep according to their individual need and their parents' wishes. The childminder discusses children's sleep routines with parents to ensure a consistent approach. Children sleep in comfortable surroundings; they are checked regularly to ensure their safety.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a variety of activities that enable them to be active and contribute to their good health. They regularly spend time outside in the fresh air as they go for walks and visit different parks where they can explore the apparatus available. They go to soft play centres and different childminding and toddler groups where they have access to different equipment, such as climbing frames and play tunnels. Babies have sufficient space within the home to crawl and the childminder responds positively as young children show interest in standing and walking by providing them with the necessary support and supervision.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children remain safe, inside and outside the home, because the childminder is fully aware of her responsibility to ensure the safety of the children in her care at all times. She identifies areas of potential risk and takes steps to minimise these. Thus, children are able to move around independently. The childminder supervises children closely but allows them the freedom to play where they wish and to develop confidence in their surroundings. For instance, a crawling

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 baby enjoys the freedom to practise and develop his skills as he goes out of the playroom. He remains under the watchful eye of the minder but is not prevented from exploring. Good security and fire safety precautions contribute positively to children's overall safety. Children learn how to keep themselves and others safe as the childminder uses situations that arise to talk about potential hazards. For instance as she explains to an older child about the need to keep toys with small pieces out of a baby's reach and the need to clear some toys away as the floor becomes too cluttered.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children have access to a wide variety of age appropriate play materials. Items suitable for the children present are arranged to be easily accessible so they can help themselves to what they wish. The childminder regularly checks play materials and equipment to ensure everything is safe and ready for children to use. She rotates items to keep children's play provision fresh and appealing and makes a point of getting out resources that she knows children enjoy playing with.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded because the childminder is secure in her awareness of issues relating to child protection. She has recently updated her knowledge by attending a relevant training course. The childminder ensures parents are informed of her responsibility by means of a written policy.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are very settled and secure with the childminder. They experience a varied day that is planned around their individual needs and which includes times for them to play, to be active and to relax. They become familiar with their environment as they go on outings both locally and further afield, and they begin to develop their social skills as they regularly meet up with other children and adults at toddler and childminding groups.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children benefit from the childminder's active involvement in their play as she sits on the floor alongside them, talking and playing. They build towers of bricks together and count the number of bricks used. Older children receive good levels of support and guidance as they complete puzzles. Babies enjoy playing with noisy toys which enable them to explore using their senses. They enjoy the closeness of cuddles as they crawl onto the childminder's lap and snuggle in. Their efforts to communicate are acknowledged by the childminder as she listens and responds to their babbling. The childminder recognises when children's interest begins to wane, and responds well to this by offering suggestions for other things children might like to do. Thus, she helps them to remain occupied.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder is aware of the Birth to three framework of good practice as a means of supporting young children's learning and development. She has attended an introductory session about Birth to three and is due to attend further training for this.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are treated with equal concern by the childminder who takes positive steps to ensure that they feel involved and included. They are confident in their relationship with her and she provides them with lots of reassurance and support. For instance, she is accepting of a child's wariness in the presence of the childcare inspector and is sensitive to this by providing cuddles. The importance of children's home lives is acknowledged as she listens to children chat about their families and tells a child that she must remember to tell his parents how much he enjoyed the fruit he had for snack. The childminder's practice of providing children with their own bed linen, cups and spoons and ensuring that children use the same high chair and sleep in the same bedroom each time they come to her house adds to their sense of belonging and helps them feel secure. Children have access to some resources within the home that reflect

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Helping children make a positive contribution

positive images of diversity. The childminder supplements these by borrowing items from the childminding network.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children learn acceptable ways to behave with the support of the childminder. For instance, she encourages sharing and good manners as she encourages children to say please and thank you. The childminder's use of praise effectively fosters children's developing self-esteem.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit because the childminder works in partnership with parents to ensure children receive continuity of care. A daily exchange of information through informal discussion, completion of a written diary and the provision of copies of any accident and medication records means that parents are well-informed and can share fully in their children's day. The childminder has put together a portfolio of information and written policies to inform parents about the way she organises her childminding service. She amends policies as necessary, for example to take account of information gained through training and she provides parents with copies of any amendments. Parents receive details of the procedure they should follow if they have a complaint, although currently this does not reflect the recent revisions to the National Standards. They therefore do not have access to up-to-date information. Written consent is obtained for

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides. Children are settled and secure within the physical environment of the childminder's home and they receive good levels of support which enables them to feel confident and at ease.

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Organisation

Required documentation and other records that contribute to the health, safety and welfare of children are in place and well organised. However, it is not clear from the attendance register when the childminder's husband, who sometimes acts as her assistant, has been left in sole charge of children. Parents are informed that the childminder has an assistant and have given their written consent for their children to be left in the assistant's care on some occasions. Records are stored securely and there are suitable procedures in place to ensure confidentiality.

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 The childminder has a positive attitude towards professional development. Since her last inspection, she has completed a Level 3 National Vocational Qualification in Early Years, Childcare and Education and various other workshops.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the provider was asked to improve one aspect of her record-keeping by ensuring that parents sign medication consent forms. Medication records sampled at inspection show that parents give their consent for medication to be administered to their children and that they also sign to acknowledge the childminder's entry in the medication log. This practice further consolidates the health care records of children within the setting and contributes positively to children's welfare and the overall organisation of the child care provision.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Information was received which related to National Standard 6: Safety, in that it was alleged that on a day in October 2005, children were left unattended in a vehicle for 15 minutes outside a school, whilst the provider went to collect other children from the school. Ofsted contacted the provider and requested a detailed report regarding this information within seven days. The provider reported back and letters from witnesses were also received stating that the childminder's assistant was in the car and the children were not left on their own. No further action was taken and the provider remains qualified to be registered.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • expand further the written complaints procedure to take account of the additional responsibilities placed upon the provider as detailed in the revisions to the National Standards (October 2005) and ensure that the attendance register reflects those occasions when the childminder's assistant has responsibility for children.

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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