Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY250800 Unique Reference Number 06 September 2007 Inspection date Anne Daly 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 satisfactory. 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 2002. She lives with her husband and two children, aged 13 and nine years, in Colchester, Essex. The whole of the childminder’s home is used for childminding, with the exception of the first and fourth bedrooms. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The family has a cat.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time, currently minding two children under five and seven children over five before and after school, all part-time. In addition, five children over eight are minded. The childminder walks or drives to the local school to take and collect children. She attends a parent and toddler group with children and also takes them to local museums, recreational facilities, the beach and the zoo.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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 learning the importance of good personal hygiene through daily routines and by following the childminder’s effective hygiene procedures, such as regularly washing hands to avoid cross-infection. They know that hand washing removes germs and that they will be ill if they do not wash their hands. They are being protected from the spread of infection by the childminder’s sickness policy, although she is very sensitive to parents and carers’ individual needs if children are unwell by treating each case in line with their requirements. She has a means to record medication and accidents to ensure that parents or carers are kept fully informed of any treatment given to their children. However, children are not being fully protected, as the childminder has not yet requested parental written agreements for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment if children have a serious accident or illness.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children eat well and enjoy their food. Meals incorporate fresh fruit and vegetables daily to contribute to the children's intake of 'five a day'. They know that fruit makes them big and strong. Their individual dietary needs are being effectively met by the childminder requesting information from their parents or carers to ensure that they are being safeguarded from any adverse reactions, especially if children have peanut allergies. Drinks are made readily available throughout the day to avoid children becoming thirsty or dehydrated, including always taking their sports bottles on outings.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have daily opportunities to choose from a very varied range of physical activities, both indoors and outdoors, to contribute to their good health. They are able to play in the garden and go on trips to the local park and soft play areas, to enjoy the physical freedom of environments contributing to healthy lifestyles. Pre-school aged children enjoy attending a gymnastics session with their childminder, where they have many opportunities to balance, jump and roll. They have opportunities to crawl through tunnels and to bend to get inside tents at the childminder’s home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are able to self-select activities from a good range of toys and equipment meeting required safety standards and their developmental needs. The playroom is set out with many different types of activities to enable them to independently access resources appropriate for their individual needs. The childminder regularly cleans, checks and repairs equipment and toys to ensure that they remain safe for children’s use.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are being protected from the risk of accidents through the childminder risk assessing her home to reduce potential incidents. However, following her recent house move, there are some aspects of her home and garden which may pose potential hazards to children, especially the low-level glazing and the outdoor play space not being securely fenced.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are very effectively learning how to keep themselves safe, for example, being aware of the evacuation procedures to ensure that they can quickly leave the house in an emergency.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder will be able to act in children’s best interests on outings and in an emergency by ensuring that she has her mobile phone and parental telephone contact numbers with her at all times. Younger children are either strapped into a buggy or holding the childminder’s

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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 hand during their walks. Children know that they must stop, look and listen before they cross roads. They are transported in a vehicle with appropriate documentation, although their parents or carers have given their written permission for their children to be taken in a vehicle or on outings.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Babies and toddlers use appropriate and safe equipment. Older children have a good understanding that they must keep small toy pieces out of the reach of babies and toddlers through developing a good understanding of their own safety and that of others. Babies and toddlers are being consistently monitored by the childminder to ensure that they remain safe while they rest.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has a good understanding of her child protection responsibilities, ensuring that she keeps clear information, such as, contact telephone numbers for supporting agencies, readily available if required.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy a good range of worthwhile activities planned by their enthusiastic childminder, such as, caring for garden plants, making cakes and modelling with dough. They are developing confidence and self-esteem through the childminder ensuring that there is time for them to focus on activities and experiences to develop their own interests, for example, they particularly enjoy playing imaginatively with small world figures. Their emotional well-being is being well-fostered through the childminder ensuring that she is warm and affectionate in her care. She ensures that they are able to share books with her to develop their language and understanding.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children ask the childminder many questions on a daily basis, such as, why are there speed cameras around the surrounding area. They show great interest in what they are doing, while acquiring new knowledge and skills. They love to go to the zoo in the early morning to watch elephants being washed or to the beach to dig big holes and to collect shells.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Toddlers are able to make positive relationships and are learning that experiences can be shared through their childminder planning activities to enable them to be members of a social group, such as, by taking them to a parent and toddler group.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are making positive relationships with one another by taking turns at playing ‘I spy’. Pre-school aged children are beginning to hear and say initial sounds of words and know which letters represent some sounds. Children have many opportunities to use a wide variety of resources to enable them to communicate their thoughts, feelings and ideas. They are able to be creative when mark-making, drawing and model making with the varied range of construction toys. They are able to enjoy the sensory experiences of mark-making when painting or drawing. They are acquiring control over their bodies while learning new physical skills, such as manipulating the malleable material of play dough.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are being valued and respected as individuals by their childminder. Their needs are being met as their normal daily routines and need for any special services or equipment are discussed with parents or carers and followed by the childminder, such as, allowing them 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 sleep in their buggies. Older children are beginning to learn about the wider world, showing an interest in the news and discussing some events with each other and their childminder. Younger children are beginning to appreciate and value each other’s similarities and differences by the provision of books and resources, such as, play people from around the world. They feel a good sense of belonging through the childminder displaying their artwork to effectively promote their good self-esteem by showing them that she values them as individuals. Children are able to make choices and to take decisions, such as, choosing what type of fruit they wish to have at snack time or when fabric painting tee-shirts.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Young children are developing close relationships with their childminder and are being supported to deal with the separation from parents or carers. They have many opportunities to feel valued through the childminder cuddling and comforting them and recognising the signs when they need to sleep. She recognises their individual needs and personalities by ensuring that she responds to their achievements in a positive way to increase their self-confidence.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder ensures that children are developing a good awareness of kindness and consideration for others. She encourages them to talk about their feelings and to learn how their actions may make others feel, while also encouraging them to say sorry if they hurt another child. She encourages their good manners and politeness by not allowing them to leave the table without asking and by ensuring that they know that they have to say please and thank you.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are benefiting from the childminder’s trusting partnerships with parents or carers, who are made welcome and kept informed of their children’s experiences through a daily exchange of information. Prior to any child being received into her care, the childminder expects parents or carers to visit her home to enable discussion of her policies and procedures and to ensure that they are aware of her role to promote their children’s care and learning. The majority of the required records are maintained, although the childminder has not requested written parents or carers’ agreements to promote children's well-being.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The childminder has a sound understanding of the need to notify Ofsted of anything that may affect the safety and welfare of any children in her care, such as, her recent house move. Children are being protected from adults who have not been vetted through the childminder ensuring that they are always within her sight on outings.

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Organisation

The childminder organises her day around school runs, while giving all children opportunities to experience a good range of both inside and outside activities. She limits the number of under fives to enable her to have plenty of time during the school day to talk, to hold and to play with babies, toddlers and pre-school aged children. Children enjoy the space to move freely between rooms, although a designated playroom is being utilised for the majority of their indoor activities. The childminder organises her time to ensure that she spends most of her working day completely involved with the children, who all evidently enjoy each other’s company and their time together.

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Organisation

The childminder has attended relevant training to support her childminding practice. She renewed her first aid qualification last year to enable her to deal with a child’s serious accident. Records are maintained, although the childminder has not requested all required parental consents to enable her to act in children’s best interests.

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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 Overall children’s needs are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the childminder was asked to continue to develop the range of toys and resources reflecting equal opportunities. The children now have access to a range of books and small world figures to help them to appreciate each other’s similarities and differences.

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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

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 satisfactory. 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 that hazards to children on the premises, both inside and outside, are minimised (this refers to the low-level glazing and the insecure garden) • request written permission from parents for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment and for taking children either on outings or in a vehicle.

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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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