Harris Primary School

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

119152 Unique Reference Number 22 November 2007 Inspection date Heidi Wilton 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 satisfactory. 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 1998. She lives with her husband who is also a registered childminder and their two children aged over eight. The childminder is registered for a maximum of six children and currently has five children on roll. She co-childminds with her husband and together they may care for a maximum of eight children. Currently they are caring for eight children between them.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

They live in a town house in Harmans Water, Bracknell close to schools, shops and parks. The whole of the first floor of the property is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder attends the local carer and toddler group when appropriate. She is a member of the National Childminding Association.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. The childminder works alongside her husband, her co-childminder, to ensure children are kept safe and healthy. She ensures all children wash their hands before meals and has provided

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 separate hand towels for children to dry their hands. This ensures children are protected from cross infection. The childminder has ensured paperwork is completed by parents and has gained written parental consent to seek emergency medical treatment for all the children. This ensures all children will be treated without delay in an emergency. The childminder has appropriate systems in place to protect children's health. However, she not does not have a current first aid certificate in place.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The childminder has gained information both verbally and written from parents about their child's allergies and dietary requirements. This ensures she is informed. Parents provide children with their meals and the provider stores these foods appropriately and at the correct temperature. She communicates with parents about the foods they provide in children's lunchboxes and encourages parents to include healthy options.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

The childminder provides the children with opportunities to engage with physical exercise. She takes younger children on a weekly basis to the local toddler group where they join in with activities and socialise with the other children. Children walk to and from school and often stop at the local parks on the way to play on the range of play equipment. The childminder takes the children to local country parks and farms where the children see the animals and play within the play area.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. The childminder has an extremely good understanding of ensuring the children are cared for within a safe environment and continually risk assesses to ensure hazards are rapidly identified and minimised. She works alongside her husband, her co-childminder and although safety is her husband's clear strength, she also demonstrates an exceptionally good awareness about safety. They both work exceptionally well together, discussing together and putting safety measures into place.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has installed a security surveillance system to ensure visitors can be identified before opening the front door and she ensures visitors have very clear identification before allowing them to enter the premises. After discussion with her husband, they both added hooks up high near to the ceiling next to the blinds at the conservatory windows. The childminder always ensures the ropes hanging from the blinds are lifted high and hung over the hooks to ensure the children are extremely free from harm. The childminder has extensive range of safety measures in place such as extremely good stair gates and high bolts on doors to make rooms around the home inaccessible to the children. She has extremely good safety measures for sleeping children as she plugs in a baby monitor, listens constantly for the children and conducts very regular visual checks to ensure they are safe.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder alongside her co-childminder has created a comprehensive smoke alarms log book which ensures all smoke alarms are tested every month. In addition, both childminder's have written the date the batteries need to be changed on a sticky label and attached to the batteries. This ensures the batteries are changed before they expire and children are kept extremely safe.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder demonstrates an extremely good understanding about recording incidents, signs and symptoms. She is highly knowledgeable about where to make referrals should she suspect abuse or neglect for any of the minded children. She communicates effectively with

p.3

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 her husband, co-childminder, should she have any concerns and has a very detailed policy in place to ensure parents are extremely well informed.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children arrive at the childminder's and very happily and independently choose toys and resources from the low level shelving and storage. They are extremely happy and relaxed and interact very well with both their peers, the childminder and the co-childminder. She skilfully asks open ended questions to extend the children's learning and listens to what the children are saying to her. This ensures children feel very valued for their contributions which in turn enables them to develop high levels of self esteem and confidence. The childminder knows the children extremely well and uses her knowledge and observations of children to extend their learning through play.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder offers parents and their children settling in visits at the outset and parents are extremely welcomed to stay for as many sessions as they wish. The childminder, alongside her co-childminder, works effectively with parents to ensure they and their children are very happy within the environment. The childminder communicates effectively with parents and facilitates a high level of understanding of each child's starting points, individual needs and home circumstances.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children of different ages have an extensive range of age and stage appropriate toys and resources to play with. The childminder, alongside her co-childminder has organised the environment extremely well to ensure children can independently access toys and resources. Young babies and toddlers become fascinated as they listen to musical toys and immensely enjoy playing with an extensive range of textured toys. Older children thoroughly enjoy joining pieces of train set together and have lots of fun moving toy cars down in the ramp on the toy garage. They become very engaged as they draw around their hands and cut these out independently to stick onto their pictures. The childminder interacts at child level with the children, offering huge amounts of guidance when necessary.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder is exemplary with her interactions with the children. She knows the children extremely well and takes time to listen to them carefully. She and her co-childminder have an extremely close relationship with the children and demonstrate dedication and affection towards them.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. The childminder works extremely effectively with her husband, her co-childminder to ensure children feel extremely valued. She values the children highly as individuals and listens to the children at their level. The childminder acts as an excellent role model showing both her co-childminder and the children high levels of respect. Children foster a great understanding about other cultures and positive gender roles incidentally through the extensive range of books, puzzles, toys and clothes within their play environment. They have immense amounts of fun as they dress up in Japanese and cowboy outfits. The childminder is very passionate about her role as a childminder. She works effectively in partnership with parents and outside agencies to achieve consistency in learning for the children. The childminder works extremely well with her co-childminder to ensure they are meeting the individual needs of all of the

p.4

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 The childminder, alongside her co-childminder, has developed a set of clear house rules to use with the children. She talks to the children at their level about their behaviour and gently reminds them of the house rules. She uses great amounts of positive praise and encouragement for children's achievements and good behaviour. The childminder ensures she communicates children's celebrations and achievements to parents effectively at the end of the day. This enables children to gain lots of recognition and they feel proud about what they have achieved. The childminder communicates with parents effectively each day and discusses with parents if they would like additional written feedback about their child's day. She and her co-childminder create fantastic digital compact discs for the parents with many photographs of their children

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

to show them the things their children have been doing. This is an excellent link between the parents and the childminders. The childminder has an extensive range of children's art work around the environment. This ensures children feel very valued for what they do and parents are very well informed. Parents are given detailed information about how to contact the regulatory body should they have a concern and the childminder has a very good understanding about maintaining a complaints log should any concerns arise.

p.5

Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides. She works with her husband, her co-childminder and ensures they remain within their conditions of registration. The childminder displays her registration certificate to ensure parents are informed of her conditions of registration. She organises the environment to enable children to freely choose their own activities which ensures they are interested.

p.5

Organisation

The childminder organises and implements the paperwork and policies. She ensures all contracts are completed, written parental permissions are gained and any other information is obtained. She records children into the attendance register at the actual times of arrival and departure to ensure they are accounted for in an emergency. The childminder has not maintained a paediatric first aid qualification. This is a breach of her requirements as a childminder and does not ensure she is fully knowledgeable about administering first aid to the children. However, she does have first aid knowledge from past first aid courses and is going to obtain an up-to-date first aid qualification in the near future.

p.5

Organisation

The childminder knows her responsibility to ensure all adults within the household are vetted and she ensures documentation is stored confidentially.

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last care inspection the childminder was asked to address one recommendation for care. The childminder was asked to update all required documentation. The childminder has now updated all required documentation. This ensures the childminder has appropriate records, parents are well informed and children are safe.

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. 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

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

p.5

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

p.6

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): • obtain an up-to-date paediatric first aid qualification.

p.6

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.6

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.6