Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY256425 Unique Reference Number 12 December 2006 Inspection date Kelly Eyre 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 satisfactory. 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 was registered in 2003. She lives and works with her mother who is also a registered childminder, and her five siblings who are aged 18, 13, 11, 10 and eight years. The family live in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The whole ground floor of the house is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children at any one time and, when working alongside her mother, is currently minding 12 children under five during the day on a part-time basis, and four children over five before and after school on a part-time basis. Care is also provided for children over the age of eight. The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children. The family has two dogs as pets.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder holds the 'Diploma in Nursery Nursing' qualification awarded by the Council for Awards in Children's Care and Education.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a comfortable, clean home. Effective hygiene procedures, such as washing hands before eating, ensure that their health is generally promoted. A written policy regarding the exclusion of children who are unwell further promotes children's health and helps to minimise the spread of infection. The children's dietary needs are met as the childminder discusses individual requirements with parents and keeps a record of these. Drinks are available at all times and children are offered a wide variety of healthy meals and snacks containing foods such as fresh and dried fruits, breadsticks and fresh vegetables, helping to promote their growth and development. Children's health is further promoted because there are clear records of their health requirements. However, their immediate health in an emergency situation is affected as there is no written parental permission for emergency medical advice or treatment.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are offered regular opportunities to participate in a variety of physical activities, contributing to the promotion of their good health. They walk to school and enjoy using the nearby playing field where they play football, practise for their annual sports day and use ride-on toys. Additional equipment in the garden, such as balls, hoops, a climbing frame and slides, offers them further opportunities to develop control of their bodies and improve their physical skills. The childminder is experienced and has a good understanding of child development. She uses this knowledge to promote children's individual developmental stages, for example, younger children learn about balance and co-ordination as they use balance boards and scooters.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children's safety is effectively promoted because the childminder has a clear understanding of this area. She reviews her work in order to identify potential risks and dangers, taking steps to minimise these, for example, carrying out an informal check of the home before children arrive. However, children's safety in the garden is affected because they are able to access a loose fence panel leaning against the fence. Children are beginning to build up their knowledge about keeping themselves safe because the childminder reminds them about issues such as road safety, practising these on the walks to and from school.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Toys and play resources are well organised and are easily available in a range of low-level storage units and containers, enabling children to see what is available and make choices about their play. Equipment is of the correct size and is appropriate for the ages and developmental stages of the children, enabling the childminder to provide appropriate care and to promote children's independence. Their safety is further promoted because much of the equipment is purchased from a reputable nursery supplier. Children's welfare is consistently promoted as the childminder has attended additional training and has a clear understanding of child protection issues. She has made sure that she has the required documentation in place to enable her to identify and report any concerns.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled, confidently choosing activities and moving around the childminder's home. Their security and comfort are enhanced because the childminder is experienced and confident in her approach to her daily work, helping to create a relaxed, secure environment. Children have good relationships with the childminder who shows them that she enjoys their company, joining in with their play and conversations and helping them to feel welcome and valued. For example, a child returning from nursery sits with the childminder and they look through the Christmas cards he has received, reading the names of the senders and discussing the pictures. Children become engrossed in their play and are content to play with the childminder, independently or with each other. An example of this is two young children exploring a construction activity using cogs; they are given time to explore the shapes and

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

concepts on their own and are encouraged to work out how the cogs connect and to press the button on the baseboard to start the mechanism, re-arranging the cogs as needed.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder plans some activities in advance and makes use of monthly themes and topics to ensure that children are consistently offered a wide variety of activities which promote their learning and development. They are offered regular opportunities to participate in activities such as imaginative play, basic cooking, construction and outdoor play. The themed work enables them to look in more detail at subjects such as 'farm animals', 'Summer', 'Christmas', 'the weather' and 'Transport'. Their creativity is developed and they are able to express themselves because the childminder is skilled in providing an exciting range of craft opportunities such as making picture frames, spiral mobiles, printing and collage-making.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's overall development is consistently promoted and they are encouraged to extend their knowledge because the childminder has a good understanding of child development. This ensures that they are offered a balanced range of play opportunities which cover all areas of learning. Children are able to participate in the activities and opportunities because the childminder ensures that these are adapted to suit individual children and their stages of development. For example, when participating in a recent topic about 'Autumn', younger children collected leaves and were encouraged to name the colours of the leaves as they made them into collages.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are equally welcomed and are able to feel at home because the childminder respects their individual personalities and is aware of all individual needs. Appropriate care is consistently provided because the childminder is aware of any issues which affect children's daily lives, adapting her work and routines to accommodate these and ensure that children are able to participate. Their behaviour is good and they are learning about sharing and turn-taking. The written behaviour management policy ensures that both childminders adopt the same approach when working together, providing a consistent and fair environment for children. The childminder acts as a good role model, remaining attentive and polite and creating a calm, relaxed atmosphere.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Children are offered opportunities to learn about society and their community through outings to local facilities such as parks and shops. Their knowledge of the wider world and other cultures and lifestyles is promoted through regular access to a range of resources such as books, dolls, play figures, puzzles and dressing-up clothes. The childminder is experienced and has a good understanding of how to include and care for children who have special needs, working closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that children's needs are recognised and consistently met. All children are included in the daily routines and activities and have access to a wide range of toys and play resources.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder has good relationships with parents, which contribute to the children’s well-being and development. Parents are given clear information when their child starts and are encouraged to discuss any issues or concerns as they arise. There is an appropriate complaints procedure and parents are fully aware of this. They are kept well informed of their children's progress and activities through regular discussions with the childminder and the production of scrap books for each younger child, containing examples of their work and records of their progress.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Overall, children's needs are met. The efficient organisation of most areas of the daily routine helps children to feel comfortable, secure and relaxed, assured that their needs will be met. They are able to initiate their own play and learning because toys and play resources are well organised and easily accessible. Children's individual details and requirements are clearly documented and filed and the childminder ensures that she has all relevant information to enable her to meet their needs consistently. However, their ongoing safety is affected because Ofsted was not informed of changes to the accommodation and garden and was not therefore able to check that these are suitable for children to use.

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Organisation

The childminder pays attention to the organisation of her work, producing a practical and flexible daily routine which ensures that children are offered a balanced range of activities and play opportunities. For example, each day there is time for structured activities, outdoor play and free play. Children's health, safety and welfare are promoted by the clear organisation of all paperwork. The childminder also organises her time well so that she is able to spend time talking and playing with the children and is able to meet her commitments in terms of collecting children on time from school and nursery. There are written policies covering most areas of work and these are available to parents so that they are well informed of the childminder's practice and can ensure that consistent care is provided for their children. However, children's welfare and safety is compromised because the childminder and her co-childminder failed to

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Organisation

maintain the correct adult:child ratio for a short period of time during this inspection.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At her last inspection, the childminder was asked to make sure that low-level glass panels are safe or inaccessible to children. These have now been covered with safety film, improving children's safety.

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Improvements since the last inspection

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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Complaints since the last inspection

Since 1 April 2004 there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards. 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 satisfactory. 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): • ensure that there is written parental permission for the seeking of emergency medical advice or treatment • improve children's safety by ensuring that they are not able to access hazardous items in the rear garden. This refers to the loose fence panel • ensure that the correct adult:child ratios are maintained at all times, as stated on the certificate of registration • ensure that Ofsted is informed of any changes.

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The quality and standards of the care

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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