Childminder in Doncaster

Inspection report for early years provision

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317700 Unique Reference Number 07 January 2008 Inspection date Lynn Masterman 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 outstanding. 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 1999. She lives with her three children aged 11, 12 and 15 in the village of Hatfield, near Doncaster. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding. The children have access to a secure outdoor play area.

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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. She is currently minding ten children under the age of eight and two children over the age of eight who attend on a part time basis. The childminder works with two registered assistants. She supports children with learning difficulties and disabilities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder takes and collects children from the local school. She takes children on outings and visits local play areas and amenities within the area. Overnight care is available. 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 outstanding. Children are cared for in an extremely clean and well maintained environment. The childminder implements very effective hygiene procedures and practices, which successfully promotes children's good health. For example, children learn effectively the importance of good hygiene and personal care. They know to use soap and water to wash their hands, in order to remove germs to keep themselves healthy. They have individual towels which are changed daily to reduce the risk of cross-infection. Children learn about good oral health through discussion with the childminder. They know to brush their teeth after meals to help keep their teeth clean and healthy. Children receive a very high standard of care and are kept comfortable when they are taken ill or have an accident. For example, a clear written sign shows the location of the first aid box in an emergency. These highly effective procedures ensure children's health is

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Helping children to be healthy

Children understand the benefits of a healthy diet. They thoroughly enjoy a superb range of nutritious snacks and meals which are made from fresh produce. For example, they are provided with an extensive range of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis to ensure they have the required five portions a day. The menu is displayed and all the children contribute effectively to the planning of the menu. Children are encouraged to make informed choices about their food. For example, the children make individual menu cards with their choice of food, which they can use should they not wish to eat what is available on the planned menu. Lots of posters and activities, such as role play, planting and growing vegetables, preparing their own snack and discussion with the childminder, effectively promote healthy eating. Meal times are treated as an opportunity to help children to enjoy their food and become independent in feeding

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Helping children to be healthy

themselves. They are very social times with lots of enthusiastic conversations.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children join in a vast range of physical play enthusiastically because the childminder plans and organises a highly stimulating and diverse range of activities. Excellent use is made of the garden to promote children's awareness of growth and movement. For example, children relish walking around the garden to find mini beasts and follow life cycles, such as the frog. They use twigs, leaves, branches and soil to make homes for the insects and wildlife to live in during the winter months. They jump in puddles and listen to the sounds of leaves rustling under their feet. Children enjoy an excellent range of physical activities, such developing their own obstacle courses, which include balancing, crawling through tents and throwing and catching balls. All children receive a medal for their achievements. They enjoy music and movement as they move their bodies in different ways. For example, the children recall a visit to the farm and move

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Helping children to be healthy

around the room making noises of familiar farmyard animals. This helps children to develop an extremely positive approach to exercise.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children are cared in an extremely well-organised, child-orientated environment. The childminder has taken highly effective steps to ensure children have lots of free space to play and the opportunity to move around the premises in an extremely confident manner. For example, extremely comprehensive and very thorough risk assessments are in place for inside and outside the home to reduce any potential hazard, and every consideration is given to ensure children are safe at all times. Children display an excellent understanding of how to keep safe because

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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 they are encouraged from an early age to take responsibility for their own safety. They actively contribute to safety routines. For example, children give clear explanations regarding the importance of tidying away toys and the potential hazards, which may result in an accident. This helps children to be aware of danger and how to protect themselves from harm.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children have access to a very extensive range of high quality play resources and equipment, which is age-appropriate and meticulously monitored to ensure it remains safe and suitable for children. Resources are stored at low level and are labelled in print and pictures to enable children to identify resources they may wish to use. Therefore, children independently and safely select toys.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are extremely well protected and safeguarded. The childminder has an in depth understanding of child protection policies and procedures, due to previous experience and training. She gives a high priority to children’s welfare and their safety is paramount. Parents are fully informed of the action that would be taken in the event of a concern and are asked to sign to say that they have understood the policy.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children are cared for in an extremely secure home-from-home environment. They are very content and have an abundance of confidence and positive self-esteem. They are valued and treated with trust, concern and respect by the childminder. Children have an extremely strong sense of belonging. This has been greatly enhanced by the childminder's ability to recognise the strong emotional journey for children and parents when joining a new setting. For example, the childminder firstly visits the children in their own home. She plays with the children using their own toys and begins to talk to them about their interest and family life. This exceptional practice is extended further when children are ill or during a family crisis to help maintain continuity for the child. The childminder visits the child at home and takes with her information about various events that have taken place in the setting. Consequently, through the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

childminder's overwhelming warmth, care and attention the children build strong purposeful relationships and gain trust in others.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are highly motivated and very interested in an excellent range of purposeful activities, which provide consistently high levels of challenge appropriate to their age and stage of development. They are able to make choices from the extensive, well organised and easily accessible resources. The childminder involves herself in children's play, listens carefully to their ideas and provides thoughtful support and encouragement. She uses excellent questioning techniques to develop children's ability to make links with past experiences and to communicate their feelings. For example, children play imaginatively with the dolls. The childminder asks the children, 'Why do you think the baby is crying?' 'Do you think the baby might be poorly?' 'Shall we give the baby a cuddle?' The children instantaneously respond to the childminder's warm, soothing manner. They sit on her knee and give her cuddle.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder makes excellent use of the stepping stones and 'Birth to three matters' framework to provide a vibrant range of interesting and innovate activities. The childminder has an extremely flexible approach to planning, which is based around themes. Children's play is very successfully promoted through the childminder’s enthusiasm for learning and her ability to allow the children to make informed choices and decisions about their play. She is responsive to children's interest and spontaneity plays a very active role in children's learning. For example, children may want to go and dig in the garden because the sun is shining. Children relish the

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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 opportunity to develop their sensory skills through natural materials, such as bark and cardboard tubes. The childminder very skilfully helps the children to investigate and explore by the use of thought provoking questions, such as, 'What can you see through the tube and do you think you could hide toys in the tube?'

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's progress is monitored and observations recorded. Early communication skills are extremely well supported through spontaneous, but high quality, adult to child interactions. Children's individual needs are catered for as the childminder is very aware of their stage of development. She has excellent knowledge of the children's individual learning and provides very positive support and encouragement to help children achieve their full potential.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children's contributions are highly valued as they play a lead role in planning and organising activities and routines. For example, the children have excellent knowledge of the daily routine and this is further supported by simple pictures. The childminder respects children's individuality and their family context. She works in partnership with parents and gathers extensive knowledge regarding the children's individual needs. Children are extremely happy and settled in the childminder's care. They confidently express their needs, for example, 'I would like to play with the dolls now.' The childminder is very skilful in helping children to understand their emotional needs and to freely acknowledge their feelings of being happy, angry or sad. Consequently, children have developed very meaningful relationships with the childminder and each other.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s awareness and understanding of the diverse community is promoted well. The resources, activities and discussions accessed display care, respect and true admiration for others and their equality. For example, children play with a figure which portrays a damaged leg. The childminder reminds the children that there are some people who have damaged limbs but we can still show respect for their individuality. The childminder has extensive knowledge regarding the care of children with learning difficulties and disabilities. They are fully included because of the sensitive adult support, regular communication with parents and meticulously well-planned adaptations to resources and activities. For example, several items of the outdoor play equipment have a harness fitted to ensure children feel safe and secure.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is exemplary due to the childminder's consistent and highly skilled approach in promoting positive behaviour. Children show respect for themselves and others, encouraged by the childminder setting a superb example. They are given clear explanations when they are asked to conform, or in the case of younger children distraction techniques are used in a highly effective way. Praise and encouragement are used very effectively to reward children for their achievements and success. The childminder makes excellent use of smiley faces and stars for completed tasks. An effective behaviour policy and the 'golden house rules' support children's understanding of respect, kindness and safe play.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

An excellent partnership with parents contributes significantly to the children’s well-being in the setting. Parents are given a wealth of information in the form of a parent pack. This is about the service the childminder offers and includes an extensive range of policies, procedures and information about the childminder and the training she has attended. This ensures parents are extremely well informed and made to feel very welcome from the beginning. The childminder actively seeks parents’ views about their children’s needs and interests before their child starts at the setting, and on a regular basis throughout their time in her care. These steps ensure children receive a very high level of continuity of care.

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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 outstanding. The childminder greatly enhances children's care by the exceptional quality of the organisation. The premises are extremely well organised and space is used effectively to maximise play opportunities for children. They have access to a wonderfully inviting playroom that is extremely well-equipped and stimulating. This provides extensive play opportunities for children to reach their full potential within a warm and caring environment.

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Organisation

Children benefit from a highly qualified and skilled childminder who strives to improve her current excellent practice through attendance on courses, such as the 'Birth to three matters' framework, play work courses, child safety and protection courses and ongoing childcare practitioner qualifications. She makes excellent use of ideas from courses and the childminder support sessions to develop her practice. This enhances the enjoyment and development of the children in their care, learning and play. The childminder consistently assesses both her practice and the registered assistants who assist her in providing a highly effective childcare service.

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Organisation

There is an excellent and comprehensive range of written policies and procedures, which is individual to the setting and contributes to children’s health, safety and well-being. Documentation is kept in an extremely well-organised, professional manner and confidentiality is maintained at all times. All documentation is regularly reviewed to ensure it complies with and fully meets the changes in childcare practice and the requirements of the National Standards. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection one recommendation was made, with regards to obtaining written parental permission to take children's photographs.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder has written parental permission to take photographs of all minded children. This ensures children's privacy and confidentiality is maintained.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there has been one complaint made to Ofsted that required the provider to take action to meet the National Standards. The complaint related to National Standard 2: Organisation, National Standard 7: Health, and National Standard 14: Documentation. An unannounced visit was carried out by a childcare inspector on 29/11/2004. Three actions were raised and the provider submitted a satisfactory response. The provider remains qualified for registration.

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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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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 outstanding. 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

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of care are outstanding.

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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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