Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY350200 Unique Reference Number 07 August 2007 Inspection date Amanda May 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 registered in 2007. She lives with her husband and one child aged eight months in a residential area of Knaphill in Surrey. The home is within walking distance of local amenities. The ground floor of the property is used for childminding, with toilet and sleep facilities provided upstairs.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children from one to under eight years of age. There are currently two children on roll. The family has two cats.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The childminder follows effective procedures in order to protect children from the spread of illness and infection. The childminder shows a clear awareness of how she can best comfort children when they are feeling poorly whilst in her care and has clear procedures in place to ensure children who have infectious illnesses do not attend the setting in order to protect the

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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 health of other children. The childminder has good nappy changing procedures in which she sterilises the changing mat after each use, double bags used nappies and uses anti-bacterial hand gel to clean her hands. This protects children's health effectively. Children develop social skills as they eat meals together at the table in the garden in nice weather. Children generally bring in packed lunches from home, which are stored in the fridge to ensure they are kept cool and fresh. Children help themselves to iced water when they are thirsty or have a cup close by, with a lid on if necessary, depending on the child's developmental needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder manages accidents and the administration of medication appropriately and ensures details are recorded effectively and shared with parents who sign to acknowledge the entry. Children benefit from a good range of physical activities which include use of the garden and regular visits to the local parks and play-groups. Children enjoy walking around the local lake to feed the ducks and climbing on apparatus at the park. This contributes to their good health.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children who attend the setting are kept safe through the childminder's good procedures. The childminder has a good understanding of ways in which she can protect children from harm and keep them safe in an emergency. The childminder talks to children about what they should do if there was a fire, however this is not currently practised to ensure their understanding. Children also learn about personal safety as they keep together on outings and walks and when travelling in the car. The childminder constantly risk assesses her home and talks to the children about any potential hazards they think there might be. Stair gates are in place to ensure children do not access the kitchen unsupervised and children are reminded that they can not play with toys with small pieces near the babies and toddlers in case they put them in their mouths.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected through the childminder's understanding of issues surrounding safeguarding children. The childminder has a clear policy in place which explains to parents what she would do if she had any concerns about the children in her care. The childminder has relevant documentation and a knowledge of who she could contact for advice and to make a referral if necessary. Children's safety is therefore fostered.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children experience a varied and stimulating range of activities which contribute very well to their development both inside and outside the home. Children who are learning to read are supported after school and in the holidays as the childminder helps children understand words by breaking them down. Children show a keen interest in looking at books with the childminder and all gather around closely to her as she reads them a story using different voices and accents to enthuse the children even more. The childminder encourages children to look after each other as older children read and look at books with the younger ones. Children enjoy playing with a farm-yard and pirate ship and when they self-select their own resources the childminder encourages children to help themselves and bring them over to show her what they have discovered.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children also benefit from a wide variety of outdoor activities and trips, such as to Emsworth beach to go crabbing. Children carry their nets and enjoy paddling their toes at the beach and throwing pebbles into the sea before getting an ice-cream. Children at the setting play in a

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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 warm and welcoming environment and enjoy listening to Disney songs as they play, whilst trying to guess which movie the song comes from. An extremely close relationship is evident between all the children and their childminder who laughs and jokes with the children whilst providing them with encouragement and praise continuously for trying new things. Children obviously enjoy being in the childminder's company and as a result thrive in her care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The childminder develops good relationships with parents and children's individual needs are met through sharing information and expectations. Parents are very happy with the levels of care their children receive and benefit from regular feed-back from the childminder both face to face and via text message throughout the day, when appropriate, to keep them updated and informed. The childminder also sends photographs of the children to their parents. This ensures parents feel valued and included at all times. Children develop an awareness of social diversity as they play with resources, such as miniature figures from different cultures in traditional dress, as well as looking at books about different countries. Posters are displayed in the setting which depict children and adults from different backgrounds and cultures, encouraging children to embrace difference.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder is aware that some children develop learning difficulties and disabilities and knows to support these by sharing information with parents and providing suitable activities to support children in their care, learning and play. As children who attend enjoy a wide range of activities and constant supervision and support from the childminder, behaviour is very good. Children look out for their friends and help younger children turn the pages of a book which they are looking at. This shows they have a good understanding of each other's feelings and show concern and compassion for their friends.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Through the childminder organising her time and space effectively, children achieve highly in their play and development. The childminder organises her day to include children's individual routines and ensures that children of all ages who attend enjoy quality time with her in their play. The childminder has a secure network of support available to her as she attends local child-minding groups and meets up with other minders and nannies. This ensures ample opportunity for the childminder to discuss ideas and plan trips for the children, whilst they enjoy socialising and making new friends.

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Organisation

The childminder hopes to continue to develop her service by accessing various courses and workshops in relevant subject areas, such as Makaton. This demonstrates her belief in the importance of self-development in order to improve the service and care provided to children and their parents alike. The childminder has secure policies and procedure in place which work very well in practise. These are shared with parents who receive their own copy, as well as being available for parents to view at the setting. The childminder has a complaints policy also in place, however, this would benefit from being extended further. The childminder is effectively organised and ensures all documentation is kept locked away to keep it secure and to maintain confidentiality at all times. Therefore, the childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides.

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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

This is the first inspection since registration.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that require 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 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): • practise, time and evaluate fire drills with children in order to ensure they learn how to keep themselves safe in an emergency • develop complaints procedure to ensure parents are made aware of Ofsted's full contact details and how they can access the complaints log if necessary.

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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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