Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY280486 Unique Reference Number 27 February 2008 Inspection date Geneen Yvonne Hulse-Brown 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 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 2004. She lives with her family in a semi-detached property in Doncaster. Local shops, schools and parks are within walking distance.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding, this includes kitchen, lounge, dining room, downstairs toilet and hallway. Children have access to a fully enclosed area for outdoor play to the rear of the property. The family has a cat. Children are escorted to and from local schools.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. She is registered to care for six children at any one time and is currently minding two children who attend on a part time basis.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder holds the NVQ level 3 in Childcare and Education.

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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 enthusiastically enjoy a wide range of physical activities, which contribute to their well being. They develop very good control of their bodies as they undertake daily walks, outings and physical play to explore their surroundings. Effective use of outings broadens their understanding and interest in the environment. Children enjoy visits to the local Surestart centre to meet their friends and learn about keeping healthy. They purposefully undertake numerous activities to develop and improve their physical skills both indoors and out, including walks in the local area and visits further afield to places of interest.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children recognise their individual needs and older children are proactive in deciding what they want to eat and drink. The childminder serves the children’s packed lunches and supplements with well balanced nutritious snacks to ensure children thrive. She uses topics to introduce children to healthy eating and makes memory books for them to recall what foods are good for them. Mealtimes are very enjoyable and social occasions where children sit together, share interests and talk about their day. The childminder has a considerable awareness of children's likes, dislikes and any allergies. She ensures children enjoy healthy foods by involving them in shopping to extend and nurture their understanding of healthy eating.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are cared for in a warm, inspiring and clean environment. They learn excellent practice through daily routines, knowing why they wash their hands after messy activities and before eating. Projects about the dentist help children learn how to care for their teeth and photographs of them acting out visits to the dentist consolidates their understanding. Children are starting to recognise and understand the importance of good personal care as the childminder promotes exemplary health and hygiene practices. Children receive considerable support to learn how to keep healthy and are encouraged to be increasingly independent in attending to their individual needs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children are well cared for in a stimulating, child friendly and welcoming home where all potential risks have effectively been minimised, as the childminder demonstrates a high degree of safety awareness. She ensures all areas of the home are safe and identifies possible concerns prior to taking children on outings by conducting risk assessments. She has a written outings policy to ensure children remain safe away from the home. Children move around the home in safety as they develop their independence and start to understand about dangers. They quickly learn not to climb or throw toys as they can hurt each other. Children are developing an excellent understanding of safety as the childminder consistently discusses limits and boundaries with them. She is proactive in helping them recognise how to keep themselves safe by reinforcing good practice through the use of routines and projects backed up by memory books and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children enjoy many stimulating experiences in a well-maintained home, choosing toys and games from an excellent range that meets safety standards. They independently choose toys and activities from easily accessible boxes at floor level. The childminder carefully selects good quality equipment in line with the children's age and stage of development. She uses her local Surestart centre and toy library to complement her wide range of equipment and provide the

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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 children with new resources and exciting activities. The childminder maintains excellent levels of supervision appropriate to the children's ages and abilities, allowing them to explore in safety and extend their independence and confidence.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder demonstrates high regard for the children’s well being. She has a comprehensive file of policies and procedures to ensure children stay safe. The childminder holds a valid first aid certificate for working with babies and young children and has recently completed child protection training to update her knowledge and understanding. She demonstrates a significant understanding of child protection procedures and shares her knowledge with parents via her policy folder. Accurate documentation systems are in place to effectively record accidents and medication, as the childminder uses all the National Childminding Association publications to support her work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children settle extremely well and make themselves totally at home in the childminder’s house. They are very confident as they purposely immerse themselves in a wide range of interesting, stimulating and fun activities. The childminder’s resourceful and dynamic approach to planning ensures children receive constant challenges to extend their understanding and reach their full potential. Memory books and photographs help children enthusiastically recall outings and activities, as the childminder effectively uses them to extend their vocabulary and observational skills. The childminder has made photographic jigsaws that depict the 'Birth to three matters' framework using coloured tiles to match the aspects and promote discussion.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have established excellent relationships with their childminder. They develop first rate social skills and demonstrate high levels of self-esteem, as they receive consistent support from their childminder. She plans numerous shared experiences where they learn from each other, such as outings to toddler group where they can mix with their peers to undertake fun activities. Children demonstrate high levels of independence in making decisions and adapting activities to meet their individual ideas. They actively plan what they want to do and make confident choices, for example, finding out what cause and effect toys do. Children enjoy gainfully exploring their surroundings and delight in recalling enjoyable events, such as visits to a local farm and the Mining Museum. Older children are very interested in current affairs as they discuss the previous night’s earthquake with their childminder.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are extremely motivated and absorbed in their play, as they enthusiastically explore their natural creativity through use of paint, glue, play dough and collage. The children see their art work displayed around the home and in memory books for them to share together. They imaginatively act out roles using dressing up and small world equipment purposefully to attain an agreed outcome. The childminder has made photographic story cards to show an activity from start to finish helping children understand the sequence of events. She listens intently to what the children have to say, engages them in conversation and responds positively to non-verbal communication to ensure they develop excellent early communication skills. The childminder skilfully uses language in all activities to broaden the children’s understanding and is proactive in extending their play.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The childminder offers a wide range of meaningful resources and offers numerous activities to promote children's self esteem. She makes excellent use of all her resources to introduce children to the wider world, promote a positive view and increase their awareness of diversity. Children enthusiastically recall outings they have enjoyed, such as visits to the zoo and share personal experiences. This is due to the childminder producing very good resources that remind and reinforce what the children remember. They are very confident and demonstrate positive self-esteem, to make choices. Children enjoy daily outings to improve their awareness of their local environment and further afield.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are highly valued and respected. Their behaviour if very good as they follow daily routines, in agreement with parents to meet their individual needs. The childminder has a high expectation of the children’s behaviour using clear and constant boundaries to help them learn how to behave. Children are encouraged to respect each other and embrace differences and older children agree house rules together. The childminder recognises the abilities of all the children, supporting and encouraging them to try different experiences and learn new skills. Children learn to respect each other due to the childminder's sensitive and calm approach. She values their individuality and works closely with their parents to ensure she meets their specific needs. The childminder has attended Makaton training and uses picture cards to introduce the children to early sign language.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents share and receive a wealth of information to build secure relationships with the childminder, ensuring a consistent approach to the children's care. The childminder works very closely with parents to effectively meet the children's individual needs. She uses daily diaries as a two way communication aid to keep parents well informed about their children’s day. The childminder has produced a comprehensive portfolio for parents including some information about the outcomes and child development. She is in the process of starting to do children's observations to record progress and share development with parents as a ongoing process, although they are still in the early stages. Children enthusiastically make themselves at home and confidently make decisions about what they want to do.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. Children are very relaxed and self motivated in a well organised and inspiring environment. They relish their time there, as they make themselves totally at home and are extremely confident to initiate and progress their own play. Meticulous systems are in place to support the childminder’s working practices and promote the children’s care and well being. A wide range of very comprehensive policies and procedures support consistent and professional practice. The childminder maintains excellent records in a professional and systematic manner ensuring they are up to date, as she regularly checks information with parents. Excellent support systems are in place to ensure continuity of care for children.

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Organisation

Forward thinking and flexible planning systems allow children to make extensive choices to plan their own time. The childminder has worked hard to produce excellent documentation to support her day to day work, making very effective use of photographic evidence to support children's learning and successfully promote outcome for children. The childminder is highly skilled at adapting plans to effectively support and guide children to extend their play and learning. Creative use of all available play space enables children to enthusiastically access a

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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 challenging and interesting environment. 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

Previous recommendations relating to fire safety have been successfully addressed to ensure children are kept safe. The recommendations relating to parental permissions and their understanding of the complaints procedure have been effectively addressed to support the excellent organisation of the provision.

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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 complaint 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 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): • consider further extending information for parents to raise their awareness of activities and how they help children to develop.

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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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