Ashgate Infant School

Inspection report for early years provision

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112714 Unique Reference Number 30 May 2007 Inspection date Carole Gronow 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 1991. She lives with her husband and two children

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

both of whom are students. They live in Hiltingbury, near Eastleigh from where she walks to the local shops, Hiltingbury Schools and the recreation ground. All areas of the property are available for childminding, however it is normal practice for this to occur on the ground floor. There is a fully enclosed rear garden available for outside play. The family have a pet rabbit which is kept in the front garden.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under the age of eight years at any one time. She is currently caring for five children of preschool age, all of whom attend on a part time basis and one school aged child who attends occasionally during the holidays. The childminder meets with other childminders and their minded children on a regular basis. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and she holds a Diploma in Childminding Practice.

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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 good. Children are cared for in an environment where they learn about good hygiene practises and routines. They are expected to wash their hands at appropriate times and do so as soon as the childminder asks them to. They are provided with their own hand towels, each of them choosing the colour that they want to use. They talk with the childminder about washing the germs off their hands before they eat. The risks of illness to children through cross infection is minimal because the childminder ensures that her property is clean with surfaces wiped down using an anti-bacterial spray and because she informs parents that if children are ill they must not attend. Children are well cared for if they are hurt or become ill because the childminder holds a current first aid certificate and has all the necessary documentation and signed parental consents to be able to provide the most appropriate treatment.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have daily opportunities to get out in the fresh air and have physical exercise. They make regular visits to the local park and woods, where they play hide and seek and practise their balance and co-ordination on the fixed play equipment. Children are provided with a healthy and nutritious diet. They are learning about what foods are good for you because the childminder discusses this with them and they always have fresh fruit and vegetables with their meals. Fresh fruit is also offered at snack time. Children have continual access to drinks, the childminder ensures that their individual cups are always within their reach and that they are kept topped up. This means that children do not go thirsty and that they remain hydrated.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children access a range of play provision that is modern, well maintained and suitable for their age and stage of development. Children are very safe when they are at the childminder's home because she has identified all potential risks and has taken appropriate steps to reduce these. For instance, the hearth is protected and the knife rack is out of reach. Children are learning about how to keep themselves safe. When they are out walking with the childminder they have to hold hands and they talk about the dangers of traffic and learn how to cross roads safely. They also talk about stranger danger all of which helps children to become aware of potential risks. Children have opportunities to learn about how they should respond in an emergency. They are very much aware of and talk about the procedure to follow if they have to evacuate the premises and they know where the different exits in the house are. They are further

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

protected by the smoke detectors which are installed and are regularly tested and by the fire blanket in the kitchen. However, this has not been wall mounted which will hinder its immediate release.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder places extreme importance on the security of the children she cares for. Doors are kept locked and children do not answer them. The childminder makes sure that children are in her company at all times that visitors are there. To further ensure their safety children are only ever collected by people who the childminder already knows because she insists on meeting them in advance. The childminder is very well aware of her responsibility to protect children in her care if there is cause for concern. She is familiar with the signs and symptoms of abuse and knows where to refer for advice or support.

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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 both very confident and well settled, they relate well to the childminder and to each other. They introduce themselves to visitors at the house and tell them what they are doing. The childminder provides a purposeful range of activities for children which they have fun participating in whilst learning through their play. They enjoy dressing up and happily approach the childminder to ask for her help when they need it, for example, to wrap a sari around themselves. They also enjoy hiding in the den that they helped to make where they spend ages talking and playing together. Children enthusiastically remind the childminder that she has promised them that they can help her prepare their lunch and they eagerly await their turn to help cut and grate cheese and carrots under her supervision. Children have opportunities to meet with other children and develop their social skills because the childminder takes them

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to meet with other childminders and their minded children on a regular basis.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children make choices about what to play with from the range of provision that is available and the childminder involves them in decision making as they can chose things such as whether to go to the park or the woods. All the children play together very well. They are learning to negotiate for example, as they agree between themselves what they are all going to do next, whether to colour in pictures or paint. They keenly join in the pasta painting activity that the childminder has pre-planned for them and they make free choices about what to do with it. Some make pictures on paper plates whilst another very carefully threads it onto elastic to make a bracelet. Children are delighted with their efforts and the childminder immediately puts them on display thereby making children feel valued and increasing their self-esteem. Children's language and listening skills are developing well because the childminder spends her day with

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

them talking to them and asking them questions to make them think. For example, how you can make pink paint and how many places to lay at the table for lunch. Children all sit together at the table and enjoy very sociable mealtimes, learning to take turns and listening to one another as they have interesting conversations between themselves and the childminder.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The childminder provides activities and resources which promote a positive view of the wider world and increase children’s awareness of diversity, for example she has books to help children become aware of wheelchair users. Children are learning some sign language, such as the names of animals and through this are becoming aware that some people communicate in this way. Children learn about their local community as they visit places of interest such as the play area at The Rapids. They walk in the woods taking bags to collect things in to use for collage pictures. They listen to and try to identify the sounds that they hear and they play hide and seek. They also go on routine visits to the shops and they join in story time and singing activities at the library. All children are valued and respected as individuals and the childminder ensures that she talks with parents prior to children starting with her. This means that she is familiar with

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Helping children make a positive contribution

children's routines and preferences so that she can offer continuity of care and help children to settle in quickly.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are well behaved. They are polite, routinely saying please and thank you to one another and to the childminder. Children make themselves at home they help themselves to drinks and independently visit the toilet. Children show care and concern for each other, and play together harmoniously sharing and taking turns. Children benefit from the good relationships that exist between their parents and the childminder. Children's achievements, their daily activities 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 care issues are discussed and shared with parents on a daily basis at both drop off and collection and this contributes towards ensuring that there is continuity of care for the children. The childminder provides parents with some written information about the service that she offers and included in this a comment about what parents can do if there are any complaints of the service provided. She is not however, familiar with the requirements to maintain a complaints log which is a breach in regulation.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children benefit from being cared for by a very experienced and long established childminder and they are at home and very much at ease in her care. The childminder has organised space in order to ensure that children can move around freely and safely and so that there is room for floor play and more boisterous activities as well as areas for quieter things. The childminder holds all the required documentation that is necessary for her to provide the most appropriate care for children. She stores all paperwork confidentially, however, most of the individual record forms are not dated to show when they were last reviewed and the frequency of emergency evacuation practises has not been recorded. The childminder ensures that parents are aware of her conditions of registration by displaying her certificate where they can see it. The childminder meets the needs of the range of the children for whom she provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection two recommendations were set. The first was to ensure that children have an appropriate range of activities and resources that reflect positive images of culture, ethnicity, gender and disability. The childminder now provides resources such as books, dolls, small world figures and puzzles and celebrates festivals such as Chinese New Year with children, all of which helps them to become aware of diversity and the needs of others.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The second recommendation was: update records to include, written parental consents for all children to travel in the car, to seek emergency medical advice/treatment and for the administration of medication. The childminder now holds this information on all the children in her care which means that their good health and well-being is further promoted.

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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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Complaints 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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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): • develop knowledge and understanding of the requirement about how to investigate and record any formal written complaints made by parents which relate to the National Standards • appropriately locate the fire blanket so that it can be immediately released. Maintain a record of emergency evacuation practises and ensure that documentation is dated.

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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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