Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY219683 Unique Reference Number 14 June 2005 Inspection date Elizabeth Welborn 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 has been registered since 2002. She lives with her two adult sons in the Shadwell area of Leeds, West Yorkshire. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's house and the front bedroom are 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 six children under 8 years of age at any one time, and is currently minding three children under 5 years old and two children at school. She also minds two children over 8 years old. The childminder takes and collects children from Leeds Grammar School. She regularly attends the local childminder "Drop-In" and some of the local toddler groups.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder holds the Cache level 3 Diploma in Childminding Practice. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and an active member of the local childminding group.

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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 a very clean, warm and welcoming home. They are encouraged to follow good routines of personal hygiene and have individual towels to dry their hands. They learn why this is important through discussion and by the good examples set by the childminder. She routinely washes her hands after toileting, nappy changing and before preparing any food.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are learning about healthy eating and enjoy a wide range of healthy and nutritious foods. The childminder has a good knowledge of the properties of different foods. She takes great care to discuss the children's individual dietary requirements with the parents. She has a very flexible approach to providing the children with breakfast, lunch or tea to fit in with the parents changing work patterns. The children sit together with the childminder for meals, where they learn good table manners, including how to use cutlery properly. Mealtimes are also used as a time for chatting and developing language and communication skills. Drinks are available to the children throughout the day, whether they are at home or on outings.

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Helping children to be healthy

There are very good arrangements for dealing with any accidents that the children might have. The childminder holds a current first aid certificate and ensures that she has first aid equipment with her at all times. She also has a written policy for sick children, which she shares with the parents, in an effort to reduce the spread of infection between the children.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy some outdoor activities every day. They play in the garden with a good range of suitable outdoor play equipment and enjoy planting bulbs and seeds in the garden. The children enjoy visits to local parks and play areas, where they can run, jump, climb and swing, which improves their general health and development. At these local parks they often meet with the children cared for by other local childminders and enjoy playing together in a larger group. All children join in enthusiastically with outdoor activities, as the childminder ensures that the activities are suitable for the children's stage of development. She knows the children very well and provides appropriate support for them to develop new skills. She supervises the children constantly and allows them to set their own limits, offering support as required.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children and their parents are warmly welcomed on arrival. The children enjoy coming to the childminder's house and happily leave their parents. The house is warm and welcoming with good evidence of children's play and activity. The childminder prepares appropriate toys and activities for the children attending each day. There are samples of the children's work and posters, on the walls. Children also have independent access to most of the excellent range of good quality toys and play equipment, stored in the playroom and conservatory. They also have a good selection of outdoor play equipment to choose from. The space is used very well to meet the children's needs and all areas are very clean and tidy.

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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 Good procedures are in place to protect the children from people who have not been vetted and visitors to the house are never left alone with the children. The children's welfare is particularly important to the childminder. She periodically attends child protection training. This ensures that she has the knowledge and confidence to deal with any concerns that she might have about the children's welfare.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Risks of accidental injury are minimised because the childminder has a very good awareness of possible hazards and has made her home safe for the children to play freely. The children are familiar with the written emergency evacuation procedure. The older children practice this procedure periodically and the childminder familiarises the little ones with the sound of the smoke alarms, as they are regularly tested. The children are well supervised at all times. They enjoy a good balance between the freedom to explore and develop new skills and the childminder's setting of safe limits. They are gaining an awareness of potential danger, including the need for road safety and they willingly follow the childminder's sensible procedures to keep them safe on outings.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are very happy and well occupied by the very wide range of activities provided for them. The activities are age-appropriate and cover all recognised areas of play and learning. The children's days are planned well. They enjoy a very good balance between home based activities, opportunities to play with large groups of children and outings to places of interest. Children play well together learning to share and take turns from an early age. They are encouraged to make choices about what they want to do and the older children enjoy helping to plan activities for the school holidays. Even the youngest children make independent choices from the resources available. The younger children also develop independence by feeding themselves, fetching their own coats and shoes when they are going out and trying to put them on.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children relate to the childminder particularly well and enjoy plenty of praise and support as they try new activities and develop new skills. She talks to them about everything they see and do. The children are encouraged to explore and to work things out for themselves, and the childminder is happy to provide any support required. The children enjoy clear daily routines which helps them to feel secure. Most days, they have the opportunity to enjoy joint activities with other local minded children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are recognised and valued for their individuality. The childminder knows them very well. They relate to her particularly well and are happy in her care. Children also relate to each other well, sharing and taking turns with the excellent resources and activities available. The children have the opportunity to learn about the wider world, in a variety of ways. For example, they enjoy outings where they meet many other people. At the childminder's house they

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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 celebrate a variety of religious and cultural festivals. They also enjoy taking part in activities and playing with resources, which positively reflect ethnicity, gender and disability.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children behave very well and learn to distinguish right from wrong. They respond positively to the childminder's clear and consistent guidance. The older children helped to devise the realistic house rules. The children are well supported and they feel secure and confident. They make themselves at home and make decisions about what they want to do. The regular sharing of information between the childminder and their parents ensures that the children's needs are met very well. The parents are kept well informed about their child's activity and development. The parents of babies are also given daily information about sleep patterns, food intake and nappy changes.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are happy in this very well organised environment, where there are clear daily routines to help them feel secure. The days are planned to provide time for outings, home-based activities, meals, rest and free-play. The space is used particularly well to accommodate the wide variety of activities and the needs of the children with regard to meals, play, sleep and toileting. The play and activity resources are very well organised for the children to access freely. This helps them to extend their own play and development.

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Organisation

Documentation is very well organised. This ensures that the required information about the children can be easily accessed as can parent contact details. All documentation is kept up-to-date and stored securely so confidentiality is maintained. The childminder has prepared a folder of information about her provision to share with the parents. This folder includes her written policies and procedures, which are used effectively to ensure that the children are well cared for.

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Organisation

The children and parents benefit from the childminder's undertaking of training and her commitment to further improve the service that she provides.

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Organisation

Overall the provision meets the needs of the children attending.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection it was recommended that the childminder could improve the way she shared daily information with the parents of babies. She still talks to the parents and shares verbal information with them, but the childminder also provides written information for them. This ensures that they are fully aware of the children's day and routines.

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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 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): • continue to develop the service provided.

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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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