The Dales School

Inspection report for early years provision

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121771 Unique Reference Number 30 October 2007 Inspection date June Fielden 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 was registered in 1998. She lives with her husband, 12 year-old twins and three teenage children in Banstead, Surrey. The whole of the downstairs, plus two bedrooms on the first floor are used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children at any one time and is currently minding three children under five part-time. The childminder walks to the local schools, parks and shops. She regularly attends local childminding groups.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a clean and tidy home. Sick children are excluded to protect others from infection. The childminder's accident and medication records are well kept, and she has effective hygiene routines to maintain children's health. Children wash their hands before they eat, after using the toilet or playing in the garden, to avoid the spread of infection. The

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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 childminder ensures children blow their nose when necessary and provides them with a bin to place their dirty tissues in.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's food is provided by parents, and the childminder monitors what they eat to make sure they have a nutritious diet. The childminder has a good understanding of healthy eating, and stores children's food appropriately to keep it fresh. She checks whether children have any allergies when minding commences, and makes drinks available to children at all times, to ensure they are not thirsty.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children exercise in the childminder's garden, playing on the wide selection of equipment available to them. They visit play parks where they keep fit using the swings and slides provided. Children visit toddler groups where they socialise with others during their play and are taken to activities, such as swimming in the school holidays. If children are tired they sleep in a travel cot in one of the childminder's bedrooms.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a welcoming and friendly environment. The childminder provides good quality toys which are appropriate for the needs of all minded children. They move around freely in the childminder's spacious living room, where the furniture is arranged in a manner that allows maximum space for children to play. The majority of the toys are easily accessible to children, and they select what they wish to play with. The childminder has the appropriate equipment for children to use, including buggies and child size chairs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Effective measures are in place to ensure children's safety. A fireguard is fitted around the living room fire and there are gates to prevent children having unsupervised access to the kitchen and stairs. The childminder has a fire blanket and smoke alarms on both floors of her house, to ensure children's wellbeing in the event of a fire. However, the low level glass in the garage windows in the garden is accessible to children, which impacts on their welfare.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected from harm, as the childminder has recently attended training to update her knowledge on child protection. She is aware of the signs of abuse to look for and understands the appropriate procedure to follow to report her concerns to the appropriate authority.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children have access to a broad range of effective play activities. The childminder sits on the floor with children to aid them in their tasks. She helps them dress the dolls and finds additional resources for them to use, to enhance their play. The childminder shows children how to use the equipment, such as the toy stethoscope or the large measuring tape. She helps younger children manipulate the small pieces of jig-saw puzzle, and enables them to develop their independence by assisting her to tidy up. The childminder lets children decide what they want to do and follows their lead. As a result, older children are confident in their play and are able to amuse themselves. When children have difficulty completing a task the childminder discusses with them what they are doing, in order to get them to think about the activity. She uses the Birth to three matters framework and competently completes progress records on the children

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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 does not currently have any children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities on roll, although she demonstrates that she has a good understanding of how to adapt her practice to meet their requirements. The childminder tries to ensure that all children are given some individual attention. They have access to effective resources to promote their understanding of diversity, and the childminder liaises with parents to find out about children's specific needs when minding commences. However, the childminder does not record this information to enable her to refer to it when required, to further enhance the care she provides for children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents are kept well informed about their child's progress, as the childminder speaks to them at the beginning and end of the day. Parents know that they can call, text or make an appointment to see the childminder at anytime if there is something they wish to discuss with her. They have been made aware of her complaint's procedure, so that they know how any concerns raised will be handled. She has some house rules which are also in picture form, to allow younger children to understand them. The childminder uses successful strategies to manage children's behaviour, such as distracting the younger ones, and encouraging them all to share. She promotes positive behaviour with praise.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children's safety is assured when visitors are present, as the childminder remains with them at all times. Since the last inspection the childminder has attended several courses to update her knowledge and improve outcomes for children. The childminder has a broad range of policies in place which are reviewed regularly, to ensure that parents are clearly informed of the arrangements for the care of their child. Her certificate of registration is on display, to make parents aware of the conditions under which she operates. Children's records are stored securely to maintain confidentiality, and are available to a child's parents on request. The childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The last inspection recommended that the childminder ensure that accidents are recorded in sufficient detail and that all medication given to children is recorded. In addition it was recommended that she ensure that the child record form and the written agreement with parents contain sufficient information and that she extend the range of resources that promote children's learning about equality and anti-discriminatory practice.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder now thoroughly completes the accident and medication record forms she uses, and ensures that they are signed by parents. Since the last inspection the childminder has developed the range of resources she has to raise children's awareness of diversity. She signs contracts with parents which are now more detailed. However, information about children's specific requirements, such as their likes and need for comforters are still not recorded, and a recommendation relating to this has been included in the current report.

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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 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 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 that the garden is free from hazards • ensure that children's records contain sufficient information about their individual needs.

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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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