The Sacred Heart Primary Catholic Voluntary Academy

Inspection report for early years provision

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138813 Unique Reference Number 13 March 2008 Inspection date Jennifer Devine 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?

This childminder registered in 2001. She lives with her husband and three children aged seven years, 11 years and 13 years in Hayes in the London borough of Hillingdon . The whole of the ground floor and one bedroom on the first floor of the property is used for childminding purposes. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outdoor play. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children at any one time and is currently minding three children.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children enjoy a range of activities which contributes to their good health. Children have free access to the garden everyday where they thoroughly enjoy jumping on the trampoline, playing in toy cars or when investigating and digging for worms. They go out on many visits to places of interest such as the local farms, parks or toddler groups. All of these activities improve children's physical skills and enable them to have fresh air daily.

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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 Children are cared for in a warm environment where the childminder sustains a good level of cleanliness in her home. This enables young children to crawl around the floor with no risk to their health. The childminder ensures children's hands are washed at regular intervals throughout the day and has effective nappy changing procedures in place which prevents the spread of infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder holds a valid first aid certificate which enables her to confidently deal with an emergency situation. Systems are in place for the recording of medication administration or accidents. However, the childminder only records accidents which have resulted in a visible injury. The childminder also has not obtained parents written permission to administer emergency medication and both these compromises children's welfare.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished with the healthy and nutritious foods the childminder provides. Children have regular snacks of fresh fruit and always have access to a drink. Children's individual dietary needs are well known by the childminder.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children play in a mainly safe environment as the childminder is generally aware of hazards in her home and takes precautions to minimise these. Regular risk assessments are conducted and records maintained. Although children do not access the first floor of the premises unsupervised the stair banisters are currently unsafe due to some missing rungs and this compromises their overall safety. The childminder has a good awareness of having an emergency fire safety plan and practises this with children to help them gain an awareness of fire evacuation.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Space is organised well to meet the children's needs. The childminder has a dedicated play room where children can independently select their toys and play materials easily. Children are able to play, eat or sleep comfortably using appropriate furniture. Babies can either sleep in a travel cot or in their own car seats depending on parents requests. The childminder is vigilant about safety when outdoors. Children are placed in appropriate age car seats if travelling in the car and when walking young children are safely harnessed into the pushchair and older children learn about the importance of road safety at every opportunity.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is fully protected as the childminder has a good knowledge of the signs and symptoms of child abuse and understands the reporting procedures to follow if concerned about a child.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are settled and happy in the childminder's care. The childminder knows the children well and their individual needs, interests and routines are taken into account when planning the days activities. The childminder interacts with the children in a caring manner and it is evident from this positive interaction that she fully enjoys being with them. The childminder has a good understanding of how children learn and develop and has a good awareness of the Birth to three matters framework. She uses this to guide her planning of activities to encourage children's development. Children have lots of opportunities to develop their creativity and imagination such as when making St Patrick's cards where they could use a range of sticking materials, thoroughly enjoying exploring the green glitter and sprinkling it over the cards. The childminder divides her time well between the varying ages of children. Younger children have

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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 time devoted solely for them in the morning, when older children attend nursery, and this helps them develop their individual skills and build up their confidence. The good quality interaction given to the children by the childminder is supportive to their early communication skills. She talks to the children, asking them questions which are appropriate for ages and levels of understanding. Older children spend quality time with the childminder, whilst younger children are sleeping, and enjoy playing games such as Connect Four where they learn about counting, taking turns and are beginning to understand the rules of the game. Children also experience lots of outdoor activities and regularly visit the library for story times, go on picnics or walks around the local environment.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Good partnership with parents contributes significantly to children's well being. The childminder ensures that parents know how their children are progressing and developing. Information is shared verbally and through the use of daily diaries. The childminder has a good understanding of settling children and ensures all parents read and understand her written policies and procedures. Children gain a positive image of themselves and the wider world through playing with various resources which reflect different cultures. The childminder is proactive in seeking out particular resources such as having multi cultural art packs which contains skin colour paper and paints. She also involves children in events such as studying the local environment in Denham on archaeology.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is managed in accordance with their ages and levels of understanding. The childminder reacts gently and calmly when dealing with any issues and constantly praises children's achievements, which helps build up their self esteem.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder is organised, warm and appropriately affectionate towards the children, who are made to feel at home and at ease in the environment provided for them. This means that children are confident, comfortable and settled enough to initiate their own play and learning. Overall the home is safe, except for the stair banisters posing a safety hazard.

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Organisation

The childminder has a good understanding of the National Standards and is able to demonstrate she meets these generally well. Children benefit from a motivated and skilled childminder who is very keen to constantly develop her knowledge further. She regularly attends further training courses and has recently obtained a National Vocational Qualification level three in children's care, learning and development. She has comprehensive written polices and procedures and most documentation is in place; expect for not all accidents being recorded and parents written permission to administer emergency medication not being sought.

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Organisation

The childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection there were no recommendations made for improvements.

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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. 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 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): • ensure all accidents are recorded in the accident book. • ensure the stair banister is made safe • ensure parents written permission is sought for administering emergency medication.

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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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