Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

EY287550 Unique Reference Number 18 December 2007 Inspection date Gill Ogden Inspector

p.1

Childcare Type of inspection Childminding Type of care

p.1

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

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.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder has been registered since 2004. She lives with her husband and two children, aged five and two, in a house in the city of Lincoln. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. Amenities such as primary and secondary schools, a playgroup, toddler groups, shops, a library and a park are within walking distance.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children under eight years of age at any one time and currently looks after four as well as four older children. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and the local childminding group.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a home where close attention is paid to their health needs. Regular cleaning routines such as wiping down surfaces with anti-bacterial spray help to ensure the premises are kept hygienic. Children learn good personal hygiene by being supported or reminded

p.2

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 to wash their hands after using the toilet and wiping their noses on tissues and understand that it is necessary to do so to stop germs spreading. Parents are kept well informed about any infectious illnesses that are around and the issues regarding the care of sick children. All of this contributes towards minimising opportunities for cross-infection.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

Children get fresh air and exercise daily. They go on the school runs, for walks and to the park. In the summer they spend most of their time in the garden and use a range of equipment and toys to help them develop their whole body skills. Indoors they enjoy, for example, dancing to recorded music and doing actions to rhymes.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy sociable snack and mealtimes. All their food is provided by the childminder and she endeavours to ensure that children have a balanced, nutritious diet whilst eating food that they like. During holidays children enjoy making their own pizza and this gives them a good opportunity to talk about different toppings and their health benefits. Other meals offered include spaghetti bolognese, a variety of sandwiches, fruit and drinks such as milk and very dilute squash. The childminder responds well to individual children's dietary needs by, for example, ensuring a child who is late going home on certain days always has a cooked meal.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are looked after in a safe and secure home environment that is warm and welcoming for the children and their families. All the necessary safety equipment is in place and the childminder is acutely aware of the need to risk assess according to the children being cared for at any one time. Children's safety on outings is assured because the childminder has high regard for the importance of robust road safety habits and the children quickly understand why this is necessary. From being quite young they begin to understand when it is safe to cross roads. Additionally, they are well versed in the dangers of fire and talk about how they will get out of the house and practise doing so. All the toys and play resources are suitable for the children being cared for and their condition is checked as they are used.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are further safeguarded because the childminder has a solid understanding of her child protection responsibilities and is confident in dealing with any issues that might arise.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled with the childminder. They relate to her warmly and play together harmoniously. The childminder offers children a wide variety of activities that support their social, physical, intellectual and emotional development. The 'Birth to three matters' framework is used to reflect the childminder's practice and she also uses aspects of the High Scope approach to promote children's development and learning. Recently the childminder has attended Early Years Foundation Stage training and has the pack to support her in beginning to work towards its implementation. A more structured approach to planning is already underway and the childminder talks to children about what they have been doing elsewhere, for example in nursery class, so she can take this into account when organising the rest of their day.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Currently, younger children are fully engaged in learning to sign as a result of watching a television programme. They competently sign along to rhymes and songs as they watch the programme and are encouraged by the childminder. Children have recently spent time creating calendars for Christmas gifts. They have thought about each month and decided on appropriate

p.3

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 drawings, paintings and photographs that they could put in to represent the weather or events at that time of year. The children proudly show off the calendars and talk about what they have done. Children enjoy using their imaginations in role play and small world activities, often acting out home scenarios and using the doll's house. They talk excitedly about making jelly the day before when suddenly remembering that they had intended to have it at lunch time. The childminder is careful to take into account children's interests and is confident to follow their lead and develop their ideas further when planning activities.

p.3

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. All children are made welcome at the childminder's home. She pays close attention to their individual needs by developing effective working relationships with parents and making every effort to ensure that the children experience good continuity of care. Information is shared regularly with parents in a way which best suits them. For example, some parents prefer to have a written journal of their child's day whilst other are happy just to chat. They are also kept up to date with what their children are doing because the childminder e-mails them photographs just after they have been taken to their workplaces.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

Children develop high self-esteem through, for example, taking part in music workshops which result in a CD for them to use at home. They are delighted when they listen to it and identify the particular songs they featured in and remember the instruments they played. Children spend time out and about in the community and learn to respect others whilst doing so, for example, when they see someone with a guide dog and talk about it. However, although they take part in festivals such as Chinese New Year, their opportunities to learn about the wider world generally are more limited because the childminder lacks confidence in this area. Children behave well because they receive plenty of positive attention and are well occupied.

p.4

Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder organises herself and her premises well to promote children's welfare. She is committed to providing as well as she can and as a result attends appropriate training events and takes part in local childminding group activities. She prioritises her training needs well, achieving a healthy balance of events that are vital to keep up to date with local and national guidance such as the Common Assessment Framework and Early Years Foundation Stage, and those which are of interest to her personally and directly beneficial to the children such as music and High Scope.

p.4

Organisation

The childminder's home is used effectively for the care of the children. All care takes place on the ground floor where rest and toilet facilities are available. Plenty of toys and play resources are set out for children and others are easily accessible. Older and younger children have different key areas for their activities but they all move freely between rooms as they wish and all areas are easily supervised.

p.4

Organisation

All the required records are maintained well and retained as necessary. Overall, children's needs are met.

p.4

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

p.4

Improvements since the last inspection

As a result of the recommendation made at the last inspection written parental permission to seek emergency medical treatment or advice is in place for all children. This ensures a more robust framework for the care of children.

p.5

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.

p.5

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.

p.5

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.5

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.

p.5

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): • increase confidence regarding helping children to learn about and understand the wider world.

p.5

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

p.5

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

p.5