Beis Trana Girls' School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 131342 Inspection date 05 September 2005 Inspector Jennifer Pearce

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Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Childminding

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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 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 1999. She lives with her husband and two children aged 11 and 8 years in a house on the East side of the city. The whole of the childminder's house is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden with a grassed area for outside play. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time and is currently minding five children under five and four children before and after school and during school holidays on a part time basis. The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children. She is a member of the Southampton Childminding Association and belongs to the

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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 local childminding network. She takes the children out on a regular basis, to toddler groups, playgroup, childminder drop-ins and to the park. The family have pet rabbits and a budgerigar.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. The minded children enjoy a variety of activities which contribute to their good health and physical development. Each day there are outdoor activities and garden games, for example the use of the slide and ride on wheeled toys. These along with regular visits to the local park, music and movement activities and swimming, improve the children's physical skills. The children are cared for in a welcoming, clean home which does become hot on occasions. The children are not always encouraged to wash their hands before snacks. This does not promote a good awareness and understanding of good personal hygiene. Children begin to understand the benefits of a healthy diet as the childminder introduces a variety and choice of healthy snacks and drinks. The childminder discusses all aspects of the child's care with parents and together they seek to meet the children's individual dietary needs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a spacious home where risks are identified and minimised. This means children are able to move around safely and independently. The careful organisation of equipment and resources helps the children to access them easily and safely. Children benefit from a good range of safety measures, for example socket covers, smoke alarms and a fully secure outdoor play area. Children develop a good awareness of safety through practising emergency evacuation procedures on a regular basis and discussing the reasons for this with the childminder. The childminder has all the required procedures and documents in place to ensure children's welfare is safeguarded and promoted. For example, the childminder holds a current first aid certificate and has a secure understanding of child protection procedures in line with those of the local Area Child Protection Committee.

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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 The childminder knows the minded children well and makes provision for their needs on arrival. Children settle well at the childminder's house. They enter confidently and make themselves at home. Children enjoy their play and are interested in a suitable range of indoor and outdoor activities. Whilst there are a good range of resources for very young children, the range of materials are not always readily available to enable older children to engage in activities of their choice. The childminder interacts well with the children and joins in with their play activities encouraging the children to identify colours and develop their language skills when sharing a book together. Children socialise with other children through regular attendance at a local toddler group.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children have a good relationship with the childminder who has experience of caring for children with additional needs. Children are confident to approach the childminder as she takes time to listen to them and is interested in what they say and do. Children are valued and respected as individuals. The childminder uses plenty of praise and encouragement developing their confidence and celebrating the children's achievements, for example when they identify colours and recognise objects while playing. The children are taught good manners and gain an understanding of appropriate behaviour by the expectations set by the childminder. Children's needs are met as they follow their normal daily routine. The childminder develops a good relationship with parents and information is exchanged about the children's routine needs, where the children are going and what they do.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The designated children's play room is bright and inviting and the children settle quickly on arrival. They are relaxed and at ease in the childminder's home. Parents are able to see and access leaflets for their information, while children are able to see their own art work displayed on the walls. Policies and procedures are used effectively to promote the welfare, care and learning of the children. They are shared regularly with parents to keep them well informed about the service and their child's activities. This contributes to continuity in the children's care. The childminder attends regular training and workshops to enable her to develop her skills and practice.

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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 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 the childminder needed to improve confidentiality when completing incident and complaints records. The entries in the incident and accident records are recorded in a confidential way. At the last inspection the childminder needed to ensure that Child Protection procedures included the duty of the childminder to inform Ofsted of any concerns. This is now in place and the childminder shares all policies and procedures with parents. At the last inspection the childminder needed to maintain a behaviour policy which is shared with parents. This is now a written policy and all parents receive copies of all the childminder's policies and procedures. These improvements help to support the welfare and care of the children.

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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): • encourage children to wash their hands before snacks. • provide a range of materials that are readily available to enable older children to engage in activities of their choice.

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The quality and standards of the care

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website:

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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 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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