Hayward Gillian

Inspection report for early years provision

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505140 Unique Reference Number 18 February 2008 Inspection date Linda Filewood 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 1995. She lives with her family in Roundhay, a suburb of Leeds and works as part of childminding group. The whole ground floor of the childminder’s house is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play.

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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 when working on her own and 10 children when working with other childminders. She is currently minding eight children on a part time basis. The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children. The family has pet guinea pigs

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. Children's health is competently promoted. They are cared for in a very, clean home where positive steps are taken to prevent the spread of infection and to encourage children to learn

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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 about good hygiene procedures. Children learn how to wash their hands properly and photographs are clearly displayed to remind them. They use individual flannels and paper towels to prevent the spread of infection. Children receive good care if they become unwell and parents are fully aware of the clear sickness policy, which is updated regularly from the Department of Health website. The childminder has a current first aid qualification and robust systems are in place for recording accidents and any medication given.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder has an excellent understanding of healthy eating and gives a high priority to ensuring that children enjoy wholesome and nutritious snacks and meals. She has attended various training and constantly updates her knowledge of food standards, which significantly enhances the menus offered to the children. Children enjoy learning about healthy eating, especially when visiting the local food stores to look at the differing varieties of fruit and vegetables available. Fruit is available for the children throughout the day and they know they can ask for yoghurts or fruit smoothies as an alternative. Children access drinking water from their own bottles, which are labelled with their name and photograph and this actively supports their increasing independence.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from a very wide range of activities which contribute to their good health and help develop their physical skills, including the daily walk to and from school. The garden offers a pleasant environment for outdoor activities and they enjoy using slides, wheeled vehicles and digging in the garden. Visits to local parks provide excellent occasions for children to run around in large open spaces and use larger play equipment. At home, they take part in a regular activity session with a sports leader which gives them suburb opportunity to make good physical progress.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children are cared for in a welcoming, secure and safe environment which presents a very friendly atmosphere for the children. The children have plenty of space to play and as they can easily reach the stimulating selection of resources, they choose toys and activities independently significantly enhancing their development. Children’s art work is attractively displayed, showing that the childminder values their work and this raises their self-esteem. There is ample child-size equipment including a dedicated low toilet on the ground floor, which supports their independence in their personal care.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has comprehensive, written risk assessments in place. As a result, the risk of accidental injury to children is minimised. She is vigilant and takes precautions to reduce potential hazards, such as ensuring safety gates are in place to prevent children accessing the kitchen when meals are being cooked and a carbon monoxide detector is fitted. A buzzer and intercom system is used when visitors arrive which allows the childminder to monitor access to her setting particularly well and ensures children’s safety. Children are beginning to learn how to keep themselves safe by practising the fire drill with the childminder to ensure they leave the premises quickly in an emergency, especially when new children attend. They fully understand about a safe routine when crossing roads and the childminder carries out pre-visits to any new outdoor amenities before taking the children to ensure they are suitable.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's safety and welfare is given utmost priority and is constantly promoted by the childminder. She demonstrates a very clear understanding of child protection policies and procedures and fully understands her duty to protect the children in her care. The childminder has completed further child protection training and has a comprehensive child protection policy,

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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 which is shared with parents, that fully supports her practice. Robust procedures are in place for safe collection of the children and to ensure children are never left unsupervised with an unvetted visitor.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children are making very good developmental progress as they take part in a varied range of high quality activities during their time with the childminder. She has an excellent understanding of providing them with activities and play opportunities that fully support their overall development. Activities are extremely well planned to motivate children and maintain their interests, enabling them to learn and develop in all areas through play. For instance, numbers, colours, size and shapes are discussed whilst the children make a picture in ways that support the development of their ability to think and learn. Children participate enthusiastically in activities, are confident to ask for what they want, for example, extra pieces to cut up to put in a specific place on their picture. They happily talk about their pictures, which are attractively displayed in the playroom. Children are very confident in the setting and in their relationship

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

with the childminder and her co-workers. There is continuous positive, warm and friendly interaction between them. Children chatter happily to each other as they play or eat their meals and are engaged well in decision making.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children's imagination, learning and language are strongly encouraged through all activities and praise is constantly offered. The childminder shares her obvious enjoyment of books with the children, reading stories and questioning them about the contents. She skilfully extends the enjoyment of the story. For example, a story about a hedgehog is superbly extended into a craft activity where children follow the story by sticking fruit, such as blackberries, onto spikes of cocktail sticks on model hedgehogs to take home. They fully enjoy taking part in further such play opportunities that significantly extend their creativity and imagination. Children are very comfortable using technology and confidently use digital cameras to record their creations. Their photos are displayed on a digital photo frame or sometimes e-mailed by the children to their parents. The children thoroughly enjoy their extremely well planned outings, especially

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

when they visit the farm shop to buy food, such as rhubarb or goose eggs, to be used in baking.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children's individuality is well respected and they are given excellent encouragement to develop a positive attitude to others. All children are very well supported in gaining an understanding about the wider world and community through vibrant posters on the playroom walls, access to a very good range of play resources and interesting outings that introduce children to other ways of life. Festivals that are important to the children and their families are recognised and celebrated. Children's individual needs are very well met, as the childminder is skilled at including all children in the life of her setting and helping them reach their full potential. She works exceedingly well with parents and other carers to support all children, including those with additional needs, so that they receive good continuity in their care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well. Behaviour management is extremely well understood by the childminder who has clear age appropriate strategies in place. If children behave inappropriately discussions are used with older children about why the behaviour is not acceptable whilst younger children are distracted and offered alternative play. Children know and fully understand the boundaries

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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 in place and happily comply with these. The childminder is a positive role model, treating children with great care and respect. The children play well together, negotiating, sharing and taking turns. They are readily praised for positive behaviour which raises their levels of self-esteem.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is excellent. Children benefit from the very close communication between their parents and the childminder which significantly enhances the children's development. For example, parents are e-mailed a copy of the planning for each focussed topic and their child's digital photographic records so that they are fully included in their child's learning and can continue to offer support to the children at home. Time is taken at the beginning and end of each day to share information verbally and the childminder ensures that important information, such as developmental progress, is passed on, with parental consent, to other carers, such as nursery staff or teachers. This helps to promote continuity in the children's learning exceedingly well. Very high quality information is available for parents in the form of policies, procedures and information about the childminder's experience and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

practice. Parents' views on the service their children receive are constantly sought through questionnaires and they have an extremely high regard for the childminder and her co-workers.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. The childminder makes extremely good use of space, both inside and outside the home, creating a very safe, extremely welcoming and child friendly environment. Children are very settled and familiar with their routines. They are competently supervised at all times and activities thoughtfully planned to stimulate and challenge the children, whilst also providing flexibility for events, such as a change in weather or a child's particular interest. Outings are planned effectively into the daily routine, ratios are well maintained and trips are taken further afield during the school holidays. Children benefit from the childminder's strong commitment to gaining further qualifications. This considerably broadens the range of the children's experiences and greatly increases the childminder's knowledge, contributing to the outstanding quality of care.

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Organisation

Children’s welfare and safety is positively promoted through the childminder’s comprehensive, written policies, procedures and guidelines that underpin her excellent working practice. A wide range of information is exchanged with parents when new children start attending and their personal information and parental consents are confidentially stored. The childminder works as part of a team of very busy childminders and operates an exceptionally well organised service, which she constantly evaluates. Regular observations are made of the children's development so that parents are fully informed of their child's progress and time at the setting. The childminder is highly organised and all legally required documentation, which contribute to the children's health, safety and well-being is in place and is accurately maintained. 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 previous inspection the childminder was asked to develop resources that reflect positive images of disability. This recommendation has been met. The children have plenty of opportunities through resources, books and discussion to learn to value differences and to be kind and considerate towards each other.

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Improvements 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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Complaints since the last inspection

Since 1 April 2004 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 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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