Childminder in Hertfordshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number EY304673 Inspection date 20 July 2005 Inspector Kerry Davey

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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 was registered in 2005. She lives with her husband and two children aged 3 and 6 years. They live in a house in Ware close to the town centre, local park and schools. The whole of the ground floor of the property is used for childminding and one upstairs bedroom for sleep purposes only. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of 4 children at any one time and is currently minding 2 children under five and 1 child before school. The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children. The childminder

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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 attends the local parent/toddler group. The childminder welcomes children with special educational needs. She is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children enjoy a wide range of activities which contribute to their good health. They participate in outdoor play which helps them to develop control of their bodies. For example, they climb on the apparatus, use swings, slides, wheeled toys, play ball games, play in the sand and participate in obstacle courses. Children are able to rest and sleep following their own daily routines, using the upstairs allocated sleep area and comfortable living room. Children are cared for in a warm, clean and spacious home which has recently undergone extensive building work to extend the property. They learn the importance of good hygiene and personal care through daily routines such as, washing hands after toileting and before lunch and are encouraged to keep their mouths closed when eating. Children gain independence as they enjoy their food together, use the bathroom and wash their hands. Children begin to understand the benefits of a healthy diet and are encouraged to eat

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Helping children to be healthy

fresh fruit and vegetables. The childminder takes account of the wishes of parents and the children's choices to ensure nutritious meals and snacks are provided, that appeal to the children and meet their 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 safe, well organised home where hazards are minimised and various precautions are in place to protect them, such as, safety gates, cupboard locks, door slammers etc. Children are therefore able to move around freely inside the premises. Children have access to a fun, spacious garden for outside play. Children are closely supervised when playing outside, however, the garden gate is not secure and there is a risk that children may exit the garden unattended. Children use a range of safe, good quality play resources which are well maintained and age appropriate. They are able to select from toys and equipment that are set out and rotated regularly to ensure variety and also reach other resources easily from low level storage. Children are protected through close supervision and monitoring. The childminder has the required procedures and documents in place to ensure children's welfare is

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

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

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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 the local Area Child Protection Committee procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children enjoy their time with the childminder and have established warm relationships with her, which contribute to their sense of belonging. The childminder has an exceptional understanding of child development and uses 'Birth to three matters' framework as a reference tool, which enables her to offer flexible, high quality care, which is suited to each child. Children enjoy a wide range of activities, which contributes to their creativity and imagination, such as making rockets and planets for a space theme, designing and writing postcards which were sent home to parents and creating pizzas for their tea. Children display high levels of confidence in their daily activities and are developing good independence skills, as they busy themselves and become absorbed in the their activities. Children's early communication skills are extremely well supported through excellent interaction with the childminder as they discuss activities and talk

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

about what they are doing. The childminder is skilful in encouraging children to make very good progress in all areas of development. For example, for the animal theme, children look at different sea creatures, they refer to books to find out more about them, draw sharks, count points on the starfish and learn different mathematical terms, such as, 'more' and 'less than' as they discuss the number of legs an octopus has. The childminder finds out about the children's skills, interests and needs and builds on this information effectively to help children to fulfil their potential.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled within the setting. Their knowledge of diversity within the community is increased through the varied resources available, discussion and local outings. This helps them to develop a positive attitude towards others. Children are valued and respected as individuals, the childminder knows the children well, she adapts activities to accommodate individual needs, likes and dislikes and ensures that she divides her time fairly between them. Children make themselves at home, confidently decide what to do and are familiar with daily routines. They have time to relax as well as be active. Children respond well to the childminder's expectations, they are aware of what is expected of them, are polite and enjoy each other's company. For example, they use 'please', 'thank you' and 'pardon'. Children benefit from a positive partnership with parents where detailed information is

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Helping children make a positive contribution

provided about the setting and parents are kept informed about daily activities, routines, sleep and meals, both verbally and through the daily diary.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The children's needs are met through effective organisation and good communication with parents. Space and equipment is prepared so that children can access resources easily and independently which enables them to make choices about their play. A balance of child led activities and organised play ensure children have a range of different enjoyable experiences whilst they are with the childminder. They benefit from routines which make them feel secure and relaxed. Children play, eat, sleep and rest as they need to. Documentation is stored securely and information shared appropriately with parents. All of the required policies and procedures are in place to help keep children healthy and safeguard their welfare. A daily register is maintained, however, children's actual arrival and departure times are not recorded and therefore there is no accurate record of children's attendance. Documents have been thoughtfully produced to

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Organisation

ensure new parents are well informed about the service and valuable information is passed to parents daily. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the children who attend.

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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): • ensure children's actual arrival and departure times are recorded • ensure that the garden is secure and children are unable to exit unsupervised.

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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 procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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