Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY290297 Unique Reference Number 11 January 2008 Inspection date Janet Fairhurst 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 has been registered since June 2004. She lives with her partner and their two sons, one aged over 16 years and one aged four years. The whole ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding. The family has a dog.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time and is currently minding eight children of whom two are aged over eight years. The childminder attends the local parent and toddler group and is member of the local childminding network.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is outstanding. All children's health and well-being are extremely well promoted and greatly enhanced through the childminder's robust knowledge and understanding of related policies and procedures. Children benefit from being in the care of a childminder who is vigilant in maintaining extremely high standards for their health and hygiene. They are consistently protected from cross-infection as they have individual face cloths which are for their exclusive use. The childminder uses

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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 disposable gloves when changing nappies and dealing with bodily fluids. She conscientiously ensures that children clean their hands regularly and encourages them to brush their teeth after meals. Babies' toys are regularly sterilised and excellent procedures are in place for the storage and preparation of food. This practice is highly effective at reducing the risk of cross-infection. Children receive appropriate first aid treatment as the childminder ensures that her first aid certificate is maintained.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy an excellent range of energetic physical activities. They develop self-confidence as they use an extensive range of equipment imaginatively. For example, they love creating obstacle courses, balancing on benches, jumping and climbing. The childminder regular accompanies the children on bike rides using the many safe cycle-ways available to them. The children enjoy exciting trips out with the childminder which include a train journey to York Museum and local trips to the Discovery Museum. They enjoy very good opportunities to use local play and leisure facilities as the childminder introduces them to new activities and organises frequent outings that offer challenge, fun and interest. This, along with the ample support and encouragement given by the childminder, allows them to test their abilities and to further enhance and develop their physical skills.

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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. Children's independence is developed very well at meal times because children take an active part in the food preparation. The childminder uses fun and innovative ways to encourage children to eat healthily. For example, they use child orientated cookery books to select recipes and make decisions regarding the toppings they will use for their jacket potatoes. They bake their own bread and mix sun-flower seeds in as well as dried tropical fruits. This approach greatly enhances the children's understanding and willingness to eat healthy foods. The childminder is passionate about ensuring that children are aware of healthy eating

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children play in a welcoming and homely environment. Their artwork is consistently valued and attractively displayed for others to see and enjoy. An excellent range of photographs are easily available for both children and parents to see, which enhances children's self-esteem and promotes their confidence. Risk of accidental injury to children is minimised by the excellent supervision the childminder provides to children. Positive steps are also taken alongside very comprehensive written risk assessments to ensure the surroundings are very safe and secure. Examples of these include the emergency care plans the childminder has devised which are discussed and agreed with parents, as well as the recording of all visitors to the home. The childminder regularly reviews safety arrangements, taking into account children's age and stage of development. Space and equipment are organised effectively so children move around freely

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

and explore with confidence. Children have easy access to an excellent range of activities and resources, which have been carefully chosen to effectively support their play. All resources and equipment are rigorously checked by the childminder to ensure they are completely safe and suitable for children to use.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's safety in case of fire is given high priority. The childminder has sought additional advice and training from the local Fire Safety Officer and has devised both an emergency and evacuation plan for her home. Children regularly practise the emergency escape plan so that

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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 all know what to do and are familiar with the routine. Older children have the opportunity to participate in activities and simple puzzles regarding fire safety. This further develops their awareness and understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Children are protected in the home and on outings because the childminder has an excellent awareness of her responsibility to safeguard them. Parents are informed through clear policies and statements about the childminder's commitment to safeguarding children and about the procedures she will adopt to promote and maintain their safety and welfare. During outings children are closely supervised. Children learn outside safety rules to keep them safe, for example, older children are allowed appropriate levels of independence knowing exactly how far ahead they can go to ensure they

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has an excellent understanding of child protection issues, which are in line with those set out by the Local Safeguarding Children Board. She attends regular training to enhance her practice and to ensure her knowledge is sound, which means that children are protected and kept safe from harm.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children are cared for in an extremely relaxed and friendly atmosphere where they develop warm and affectionate relationships with the childminder. This contributes significantly to the children’s enjoyment and feelings of security. Children’s play and learning are very well supported by a childminder who has an excellent understanding of how children learn. The childminder is perceptive to children’s interests during self-initiated play and uses questions very successfully to challenge children’s thinking and develop their language skills. Children have free access to a superb selection of stimulating drawing and colouring materials so they can make marks and learn to communicate their ideas through pictures and early writing. Babies and young children enjoy lots of cuddles and physical closeness, so that they feel secure and content. The childminder has a very high regard for what children say. She is interested in them, she listens,

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

talks and extends their play through effective questioning, such as 'how can you?', 'what will happen?' and 'can you remember?' All these activities are underpinned by the childminder's considerable knowledge of how children progress and as a result each activity becomes an opportunity to learn.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder's experience and understanding of child development is evident in every aspect of her care for the children. Children benefit from excellent guidance and are learning to make their own decisions and to express their own thoughts and ideas. They learn about the world about them by visiting places of interest, socialising at toddler groups and attending events and childminding get-togethers. Children are building very good relationships with their peers as a result of the happy and cooperative atmosphere in the childminder's home. The childminder has devised superb photograph albums, which links successfully to the relevant aspects of the 'Birth to three matters' framework; this approach provides pictorial account of all children's ongoing development. The album is given to parents as a permanent memento of their time with the childminder.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The excellent communication with each child ensures children enjoy and achieve to their full potential. She uses this knowledge very effectively to plan activities designed to engage their specific interests, and promote and encourage further development through play opportunities. Children develop mathematical skills through practical, spontaneous and fun activities. For example, while visiting the bathroom the childminder and child count each stair, and as they divide the bread dough she introduces mathematical concepts, such as 'half', 'big' and 'small'.

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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 Children are developing the ability to play well on their own as well as with others in the care of the childminder. The childminder uses the 'Birth to three matters' framework as a knowledge base for planning and extending learning opportunities for the younger children. Plans are flexibly applied to take account of events which may arise unexpectedly and lead to different learning opportunities. The nurturing environment and the childminder's sensitive, caring nature helps children to feel totally secure in her care.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. All children have a real sense of belonging, due to the childminder's extremely warm and caring nature and her outstanding ability to relate to children. As a result, children are very secure in her home. The childminder is a very good role model for children by being calm and polite. She has gone to a great deal of effort to ensure that individual needs of all children are met most effectively. This sometimes involves accessing additional training, for example, Makaton sign language. Children who may have additional needs benefit from being in the setting because the childminder consults with parents to support the children. She works very well with them and other professionals to maximise children's potential and development. Children benefit greatly from the childminder’s ethos of inclusion and her knowledge of how meaningful activities and resources promote a positive view of the wider world and our differences and similarities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

They have daily access to an excellent range of resources that encourage discussion and awareness of diversity and they learn about a range of customs and celebrations. These resources include dolls, books, role play equipment, dressing up toys and colouring materials. Consequently, they begin to appreciate their own culture and the culture of others. Children’s individual needs are clearly understood by the childminder, who gathers excellent information from parents which is then recorded on the 'all about me' sheet. This helps to ensure their individual needs are recognised and met successfully.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s behaviour is exemplary. They have developed a good understanding of acceptable behaviour and what is expected of them as a result of familiar routines and consistent expectations. For example, children tidy away resources and return them to the shelf or box when they have finished with them. The childminder develops young children’s understanding of the need to share and take turns by encouraging the children to share popular resources. This is also reinforced through simple but effective posters which are displayed at their level. The childminder has high expectations and sets consistent boundaries for older children, which helps them learn to negotiate with others and take responsibility for their own behaviour.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from highly effective relationships between the childminder and their parents and carers, which significantly contributes to their care and well-being. Excellent written and verbal information is shared with parents and carers, such as the daily information sheets for younger children, so that parents know about their children's time in the setting. Written testimonials from parents demonstrate their high regard for the childminder and is evidence of the high quality care she offers their children. Children benefit from excellent settling in procedures, which enable a new parent to visit the setting freely to get to know the childminder and the other children who attend. This helps children to make the transition between home and the setting with confidence. Through discussions with the childminder, parents know how their children are progressing and developing. These steps ensure extremely effective continuity

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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 demonstrates that she is committed to offering a service of the highest quality through her outstanding record of relevant in-service training. She has completed three levels of certificated childminding training, as well as several other training courses to further enhance her knowledge and skills. Evidence of many of the courses attended is reflected in her practice as children of all ages and stages enjoy a broad range of purposeful and developmentally appropriate activities and high quality care. The childminder also regularly attends childminding conferences and she belongs to her local childminding network, where she meets with other childminders to share good practice. She takes every opportunity to further her skills and is planning and booked on more training courses, to improve and develop her knowledge and skills further.

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Organisation

A wealth of detailed documentation is in place. Policies, records and procedures are clear and comprehensive, underpinning the childminder’s outstanding practice of promoting positive outcomes for all children. Children’s care and enjoyment are greatly enhanced by the childminder’s exceptional quality of organisation. The childminder’s home is organised extremely well to allow the children to make decisions and pursue their own interests in a very safe environment. For example, children have free access to the indoor space, maximising their play opportunities. As a result, children confidently play in the different areas of the home which best suit their play. Children are having an exciting time, they are very happy, busy and secure in the stimulating 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

At the last inspection the childminder was asked to ensure that parents countersign all recorded accidents. The childminder now has a very effective system in place to ensure that all parents are informed in writing of any accident that has occurred and this is countersigned by them.

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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

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

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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