St Basil's Catholic Primary School

Inspection report for early years provision

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111390 Unique Reference Number 04 June 2007 Inspection date Alison Jane Kaplonek 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 has been registered since 1998 and is registered to provide care for six children under the age of eight years of age. At present she cares for six children on a part-time basis. She offers a childminding service from her family home in a residential area of Basingstoke, close to good local amenities. Children are collected from local schools and pre-schools. She shares her home with her two school aged children. Minded children have access to the whole of the ground floor, including, lounge, dining room, access to kitchen and down stairs cloakroom and one bedroom for sleeping only. A fully enclosed garden is provided for outside play.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children play an active part in keeping themselves healthy by taking themselves to use the downstairs toilet and washing facilities, and remembering to wash their hands when they have been playing in the garden. They benefit from sound hygiene practices which ensure that surfaces, floors and equipment are clean. However, the childminder does not ensure that children are protected from the spread of infection when drying their hands using a shared towel.

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Helping children to be healthy

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 a choice of nutritious snacks, such as a selection of fruits, each day and have regular access to drinking water. The older children who stay after school are offered a cooked evening meal which they eat together. Younger children bring lunch boxes provided by their parents and any perishable items are stored in the fridge. All children sit at the table to eat and enjoy the social occasion with their friends.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have access to a fully enclosed garden for outside play where they can enjoy physical activities such as sliding and scooting in safety. They sometimes visit a local park or soft play area where they take part in a further range of activities, for example crawling and running, all of which promote their physical development.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are well cared for in a spacious and secure environment which enables them to move around freely. Good use is made of the available space and children confidently access resources and take themselves to the cloakroom. They are protected from harm by the use of appropriate safety measures such as stair gates, smoke alarms and a fire blanket. Children are constantly supervised and the childminder checks resources and equipment as children use them. However, the garden is not appropriately checked and children are at risk from fungi which are growing there. The childminder keeps her public liability and car insurance up-to-date and carries children's contact details when on outings or collecting children from school.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has a satisfactory knowledge of child protection issues to protect children in her care, and knows that she has a duty to report any concerns she may have, although she does not have up-to-date national information and is unsure of local procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are provided with a wide range of resources and activities, such as construction, outside play, board games for older children, craft activities and role play. Some activities are planned, such as visits to the local soft play area or park. At other times children have free choice and can access from the good range of resources in the house or garden. These are changed frequently depending on the age groups of the children being cared for at certain times of the day. Younger children settle well. They are gaining in confidence and relate well to adults and each other. They are able to request particular activities or resources and particularly enjoy their outside play with their friends. They giggle as they roll around inside the tunnel or follow each other down the slide. Children ask questions as they play and the childminder responds well, encouraging new vocabulary or helping them to count or recognise their colours. Older

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children also enjoy their time outside when they can access the basketball net or play football together. Younger children are often provided with additional opportunities to interact with other children when they meet with other childminders and children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children feel valued and settle well. They arrive confidently, looking for their friends and choosing an activity that they might like to take part in. Consistent behaviour management strategies help children understand what is expected of them, for example taking turns and

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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 sharing the pushchairs when playing outside. Satisfactory information is obtained from parents regarding their children's individual needs. An appropriate range of agreements are in place between the childminder and parents, although these are not always accurate or signed and dated and are therefore invalid. Children have access to an acceptable range of resources which promote equality of opportunity and they talk about differences as they taste foods from other countries. The childminder passes on information about each child's routine to parents when they collect their children at the end of the day. However, she does not have appropriate systems in place for dealing with and recording any complaints.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are well settled in this family environment. They are supervised at all times and never left with an un-vetted adult. Children's health and safety is sufficiently assured as a range of agreements with parents, such as permission to seek emergency treatment or advice, and permission to take children out in the car are obtained. Essential records are in place such as a record of accidents, a daily register and children's detail forms. The childminder is clear about which children attend each day and maintains a good adult to child ratio. However, she does not display her registration certificate. As a consequence, parents are not informed about the conditions of her registration. Each child has a folder containing their personal information and these are stored confidentially. Overall, the childminder meets the needs of the children for whom she provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the childminder was asked to establish a clear record of children being looked after and hours of attendance on a daily basis. This is now maintained. She was also asked to request written permission from parents for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment. This agreement is now included on the registration forms completed by all parents.

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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.

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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 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):

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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 • ensure children are protected from the spread of infection when drying their hands. • risk assess the garden area daily before children play outside. • obtain the DfES booklet and local telephone numbers to enable any child protection concerns to be dealt with effectively. • ensure that a complaints log is kept, that agreements with parents are up-to-date, signed and dated by all parties and that parents know the procedure to follow if they have any concerns about the care of their children. • ensure that the certificate is displayed.

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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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