Falcons Prep - Richmond

Inspection report for early years provision

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145195 Unique Reference Number 09 May 2007 Inspection date Jan Healy Inspector

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Integrated 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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder registered in 1993. She lives with her husband and two children aged seven and nine years, in the town of Trowbridge, Wiltshire. The children have access to the conservatory, office, kitchen and lounge on the ground floor and one bedroom on the first floor. 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 is currently caring for three children who receive nursery education funding. When working with an assistant she is registered for a maximum of 10 children at any one time. Currently, the childminder is caring for 13 children from 20 months to seven years of age. The family own two rabbits.

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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. The childminder ensures the children in her care are safe and free from illness and infection. She prohibits the children suffering from a contagious disease to enter the premises, to protect the good health of the other children in her care and separates a sick child who becomes ill during their stay. Cross-infection is minimised by the use of anti-bacterial soap and the provision of individual drying towels. The nappy changing mat is cleaned after each use, with the spraying of an anti-bacterial agent for the benefit of children and babies. The children are taught about their own personal hygiene, through the availability and the use of paper tissues for nose blowing and to cover their mouth when coughing. A successful system for the recording of any medication administered, helps to keep the children healthy and provides the parents with the secure knowledge that their children are safe. Parents are requested their written permission

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Helping children to be healthy

for the seeking of emergency medical treatment or advice, to prevent the delay in the children from receiving appropriate care. The childminder holds a current first aid certificate and is confident to deal with an accident, all of which are recorded, with the parents being notified about any injury to their child.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children have the benefit of enjoying a home made cooked lunch everyday, which varies according to the likes of the children and the nutritional content, helping them to grow strong and healthy. A mid-morning snack of fresh fruit aids the children's understanding of the foods that are healthy, as they are taught about its nutritional value. The childminder holds a food hygiene certificate and is up to date with food handling practices, helping to protect the children from illness. Fresh drinking water is freely available, to prevent the children from becoming dehydrated, particularly after physical play.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The home is bright, warm and welcoming with the children's artwork being displayed on the walls of the playroom, making for a child friendly environment. The space is well organised to include a nappy changing area, and toys are stored within the children's reach, aiding their independence. Windows are opened for ventilation during warm weather and the heating is adjusted for the children's comfort during colder months. A bedroom enables the children to rest and to sleep in contentment as it is a quiet and peaceful area.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children have access to a wide range of safe and suitable toys and equipment, which are checked daily for any damage, protecting the children from injury. The childminder has effective understanding that the resources available have a strong influence on the children's developing progress, so provides age appropriate and challenging activities, including recycled objects for junk modelling and natural material, such as clay.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children are safe whilst in the care of the childminder, as she takes appropriate precautions to minimise safety hazards. She conducts a regular emergency evacuation procedure with the children, so they learn to leave the premises safely and swiftly. Smoke alarms and a carbon

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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 monoxide alarm are tested regularly, so they inform the childminder of impending danger, giving her precious time to evacuate her home. The pond in the outdoor play area is appropriately fenced off, for the protection of the children, who are supervised at all times during play. Hot liquids are kept out of children's reach to prevent scalding and dangerous substances are locked away to prevent poisoning. The children are taught to keep themselves safe, by picking up the toys off the floor after play, to prevent trips and falls.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

A written child protection policy is in place, which the childminder shares with the parents, helping to keep them informed about her responsibility to report any concern she has with regard to a child's safety or welfare. She has strong knowledge about the signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect and is confident to request parents for an explanation about an existing injury, therefore ensuring children's good health.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The childminder is kind and affectionate towards the children who enjoy her company, requesting her to join in their games and involving her in their play. The children are encouraged to try new activities, such as gardening in a safe and secure environment, where the children are able to experiment and investigate using a wide range of tools. The childminder is interested in what the children have to say and listens carefully as they re-tell events that are happening at home.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. The childminder has a good understanding about child development, providing age appropriate tasks which the children complete, helping to enhance their progress, for example, to allow the children to identify how many places are required for lunch and to set the table accordingly. The positive attitude of the childminder, successfully influences the children to respond and behave in an enthusiastic manner, which helps the children to progress rapidly. The childminder has accurate knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum, therefore, plans a successful and a wide range of interesting activities, which hold the children's concentration, helping them to expand and to build on what they already know. The childminder is developing an assessment programme, which will help to further the children's progress as it will help to inform future planning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are making efficient progress in their personal, social and emotional development, as they are keen to join in with the activities available and are confident of their surroundings when self-selecting the toys of their choice. They invent games during play, for example, when using the shopping trolley when pretending to be a customer purchasing fruit for their snack. They work with materials, such as play dough, making shapes using their own initiative as well as developing those initiated by the childminder.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Strong progress is being made in the children's communication, language and literacy, as they listen and speak confidently to their friends, the childminder, assistant and visitors, asking them relevant questions and acting upon instruction. They explore and experiment with sounds, patterns in rhymes and the rhythm of sentences. The younger children make marks on paper,

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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 whilst the older children are learning to write their name using clearly written letters. They look at the pictures and the words in books, learning that the English language begins from the left to the right and from the top to the bottom.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are making successful progress in their mathematical development, as they are learning to count through a wide range of activities, for example, when singing counting songs and rhymes, counting the number of children in attendance and the cups and plates required for snack. The older children are able to recognise the written names of numbers in order, whilst the younger children are able to count by rote. They are learning the names of a broad range of shapes and when taken to the local supermarket, they are encouraged to find the large packet, the smallest time and the medium size jar.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Good progress is being made in the children's creative development, as the older children recognise and name the primary and some secondary colours, whilst the younger children are grappling with this concept. They select various colours for their drawings and paintings, and are learning that some objects have a traditional colour, for example, daffodils are yellow. Musical instruments aid the children to explore how sounds change and they experiment with percussion instruments and how they can make patterns with the sounds they create.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Extensive progress is being made in the children's knowledge and understanding of the world, as the children are taken on walks to the local country park, where they learn about nature and the changing seasons. They are learning which direction sounds are coming from during their outings and have the experience to look at and to identify the features of living things, such as the wings on butterflies. Older children are learning to recognise some patterns and sets in the animal world, including the number of legs on a spider.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are making successful progress in their physical development. They have the advantage of accessing wheeled toys, helping them to learn about their own and others space and to avoid bumping into each other. The older children are adept at throwing and catching a ball with accuracy, whilst the younger children are learning this task with increasing accuracy. The older children are learning to choose games which are appropriate to the space and context available.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All the children in the care of the childminder are treated with equal care and are provided with equality of opportunity, as all the toys are stored at their level, helping them to self-select the resource of their choice and they are encouraged to make use of all the toys available. Resources reflect positive images of diversity, aiding the children to learn about similarities and differences. The childminder avoids the use of stereotypical language and all the children are encouraged to play together in harmony, making for a pleasant and secure atmosphere.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered. The children are encouraged to display desirable behaviour, as the childminder sets a good example by showing the children how sharing can be fun, readily praising their efforts and involving them in the setting of 'rules', such as no throwing the toys. They are encouraged to accept responsibility, for instance, to

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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 help tidy the toys away after play, helping to enhance their self confidence. The childminder works closely with the parents so consistency is applied, and she keeps them informed about any incidents, so any problems may be eradicated.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder provides an inclusive environment, where the children who have a learning difficulty are able to grow in confidence and progress in their development. The childminder and parents work together when such a difficulty is noted, discussing the best way forward in the provision of suitable equipment and resources, to aid the children's progress and to further their development, helping them to reach their full potential.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. The childminder has a strong knowledge of the great importance working closely with parents is, due to this being an advantage to the relationship she shares with the children. The childminder is available for discussions with parents with regard to the children's progress, so they can be further developed, or about any concerns noted, so swift action can be taken for the children's benefit. Newsletters keep the parents up to date about details regarding holiday times, the projects the children are involved in and suggestions of how the parents can help the children make progress at home. A notice board displays information about the planning of activities and the children are encouraged to bring items from home, for example, a cucumber for the 'green table'. A written complaints policy is in place, but contains the incorrect address and telephone number for Ofsted, which may cause

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Helping children make a positive contribution

a delay in the concern being dealt with.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The impact of the childminder's organisation on the nursery education is positive and successful, as she has a clear and well organised vision providing extensive and stimulating activities for each of the children in her care. She provides equality for all, having an encouraging and motivating attitude, which has a positive effect on the children to achieve their highest potential. She reviews the effectiveness of the improvements the children are making, and is developing an assessment programme, which will keep parents informed about their children's achievements, or about any concerns noted. Stimulating teaching strategies are put into place, which encourages the children to make strong and consistent progress in their development and learning.

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Organisation

The childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides. She shares a successful partnership with an assistant, who is competent, supporting the children and guiding them in their play to help them make efficient progress. An attendance register contains sufficient detail, to ensure the children are accounted for in an emergency evacuation procedure, to protect their health and welfare. Well organised space allows the children to take part in a wide range of activities, both indoors and outdoors, maintaining adult to child ratios at all times for their safety.

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Organisation

The childminder ensures that all documentation is stored confidentially to protect the children's personal details, which are readily available for inspection. All records are retained for a reasonable period of time, so historical checks can be made. The childminder is aware of the occasions to inform Ofsted about any significant changes, to ensure the children's welfare.

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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

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the childminder was requested to keep her records with regard to the children, for a minimum of two years, which she now does, so historical checks can be made. She was also requested to request written permission from parents, for the seeking of emergency medical treatment and advice, which is now in place, to prevent the delay in the children receiving appropriate care.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection, 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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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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): • update the complaints policy to contain the correct address and telephone number for Ofsted

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • continue to develop the assessment programme to inform future planning

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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 nursery education

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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