Sunny Bank Primary School

Inspection report for early years provision

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132118 Unique Reference Number 20 December 2007 Inspection date Amanda Jane Tyson 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 1996. She is currently caring for six children aged under eight, of whom one is aged under one year, two are aged seven and the remaining are aged five, four and two years. One child aged over eight also attends.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder lives with her husband and son, aged 12 years, in a house which is situated within a residential area of Surbiton. There are direct bus routes to Kingston town centre and British Rail links to London. Tolworth Broadway shops and a variety of community facilities, such as parks, schools and a library are all within walking distance.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Children have access to a playroom, living room, garden, kitchen and downstairs toilet facilities. The front double bedroom on the first floor is used for children's sleep purposes.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

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 to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a clean and child-welcoming environment. The childminder promotes good hygiene by taking instant hand sanitising gel with her on outings, which is very useful when they are in the countryside with no public facilities. She sprays down mats and wears disposable gloves during nappy changing, hovers outside the toilet when four year-olds go independently, just to make sure they do remember to wash their hands with the soap. Young children have their own face flannels and older children know that they must wash their hands and tie their hair back before starting cooking activities. This, along with the childminder's policy on the exclusion of children with contagious illnesses, helps to minimise the risk of cross infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Young children confidently move around the childminder's home, play contentedly and are comforted by her when they become tired. Babies and toddlers benefit from sleeping in the same place every day with their own bedding and preferred comforters, and at times consistent with their home routines. The childminder operates a gradual settling in policy for new children; parents visit with children a few times, then leave them for increasing periods until they are ready to stay a full day. The childminder makes good use of this time with parents and children to gather a wealth of information about children's individual needs and characters which is securing very positive outcomes for children; they are secure, happy and developing a strong sense of belonging within the childminder's care.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's daily health related incidents, such as accidents and any administered medication, are clearly documented and signed in acknowledgement by parents at the end of the day. The childminder is laying the foundations for children to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle by making sure that they take part in daily physical exercise, and opportunities to take part in outdoor activities, for instance visiting natural wide open spaces, or playing in her very well equipped garden. Children walk daily to school, the park, library and shops. The childminder makes sure that all children keep hydrated with regular drinks of water, including babies. Parents currently provide children's meals and snacks.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The childminder has organised her home to provide a main play room which is well equipped with a good, and accessible range of play and learning resources. The childminder pays good attention to ensuring that children are safe whilst they play. For example, small part toys are stored out of reach from babies and toddlers, her heating is serviced yearly to ensure that it remains in good working order and her kitchen hazards are stored in cupboards secured by child safety locks. The garden is secured with perimeter fencing, the climbing apparatus is cemented into the ground and the summerhouse window panes are covered with protective film. This shows that the childminder has very competently identified potential hazards within her home and taken steps to prevent accidents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Regular practice of the emergency evacuation procedure means that children know what to do and where to go if the smoke alarm goes off. The childminder takes good precautions when taking children out within the community. They wear wrist bands with her mobile telephone number detailed, which means that they can be reunited quickly with her, if misplaced but

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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 found by a responsible adult. Toddlers wear wrist straps/body reins when they go to busy public places and older children can ride safely on the buggy board. The childminder has a well planned lost child procedure in place and carries the contact details of all parents with her.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder completed a child protection module recently on her NVQ 3 training, which means that she is up-to-date on current legislation. Her secure knowledge and understanding of the signs and symptoms of possible concerns, and of the recording and reporting procedure provides children with a good level of protection.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. School aged children look forward to the school holidays because they know that the childminder will have some exciting activities planned for them. For example, during the Christmas holiday period they enjoy a wide range of arts and crafts, such as glass painting Christmas tree decorations and cooking activities. After school activities often follow a short term topic. Most recently these have included, space, fish and the body. Children like to compile their findings and collection of art work within a scrapbook which they can then take home to keep. Picnics are regular during the summer holidays, along with visits to various farms and swing parks. Excellent use is made of the garden where water fights and outdoor theatrical performances feature greatly. The older children organise these with the younger children, who enjoy helping to make the props and scenery, and choosing their role. It is very clear that the younger children

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

benefit greatly from playing with the older children who have a natural inclination towards inclusion.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder keeps notes on children's progress and development and uses this information to inform assessment and to set next steps for their learning. For pre-school aged children these records, and subsequent planning are very good indeed; highly beneficial, well-pitched and therefore effective in supporting and encouraging their learning. However, similar targets are identified for toddlers and these are pitched rather high. Records pay more attention to introducing children to letters and numbers, than to focussing on the aspects of the 'Birth to three matters' framework, such as exploring and experimenting through using their senses, imagination and making connections between their play and real life experiences. On occasions, toddlers participate in the same art and craft activities as the older children and these are similarly sometimes pitched very high for their stage of development. Nonetheless, during term

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

time when older children are not present, toddler's and pre-school aged children have opportunities for more age related play experiences. For example, story and singing times which encourage them to match animal sounds to names and they have regular access to sand, water and paint. Children help themselves to toys, such as cars and track, and enjoy extending it from the playroom to the hall. Toddlers explore cause and effect properties by pressing buttons to activate sound or an action. The childminder spends time with children supporting and encouraging their learning, for instance of shape and colour as they play together with the toys.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The childminder knows all the children very well, a view which is unanimously shared by parents. This is further demonstrated by the childminder's understanding of the different ways in which older children like to unwind after a school day; some like to engage in adult directed activities

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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 with her, such as crafts or cooking, others prefer to lose themselves in the world of make-believe, and some need a brief run-off in the park to release pent-up energy. She recognises the signs and symptoms of tiredness or irritability in younger children and is well prepared to support their emotional needs after a period of absence. The childminder listens to what the children have to say and encourages them to express their wishes and make their own choices, for example about what they want to play with. Children's awareness of diversity is raised as they look at books and access play resources that depict positive images of ethnicity, gender and disability. Children learn about the differences within society as they take part in creative activities linked to various religious and cultural festival celebrations, such as Chinese New

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Year, Diwali and Christmas. Although the childminder has never cared for children with physical and/or learning disabilities, her knowledge of child development is sound, and her methods for monitoring their development provide an effective system for noticing possible concerns. The childminder is secure in her knowledge of how to initiate supportive early intervention through communicating closely with parents and outside agencies.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children demonstrate a secure understanding of the childminder's behavioural expectations of them. For example, to follow her road safety rules when they go out, and to sit to the table for all drinks, snacks and meals. Older children have a superb relationship with the younger ones. They are kind, gentle and very accepting of their age/stage related differences. All the children, including two year-olds routinely use common courtesies, such as please and thank you. The childminder demonstrates a good understanding of how to manage challenging behaviour, for example by diffusing potential squabbles before they escalate. Children benefit from her patient explanations, which helps them to understand how their actions may affect others.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents benefit from the childminder's commitment to keeping them well informed about her operational and regulatory policies and procedures, for which they are provided with written copies, and of her systems for sharing information with them about children's day-to-day care, development and learning. This enables consistency of care for children between their home and childminding setting. Parental wishes, and their consents for a number of routine care practices and outings, are all clarified in writing which means that they are thoroughly verifiable.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder organises the use of her available space well to meet the needs of the children. The storage of play and learning resources is particularly beneficial in enabling children's independence. During term time, the childminder plans the day well to meet the needs of younger children and when both younger and older children attend together, she makes an effort to organise inclusive activities. This is particularly good fun, and with good outcomes for younger children during the warmer weather when they play outside or go to the park, but less beneficial for toddlers when they take part in creative activities that are more suited to children aged over three.

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Organisation

All records and documentation that are required to support the efficient and safe management of the provision and to promote children's welfare, care and development are in place. However, although the childminder ensures that records relating to accidents, existing injuries, administered medication and behaviour contain a good level of detail, the organisation of the keeping of these together in one book, weakens their use as a tool for monitoring children's all round development and well-being. Nonetheless, the childminder's commitment toward continually developing her knowledge and skills through training is well demonstrated by her recently acquired NVQ 3 qualification. Children aged over three are particularly benefiting from

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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 her newly implemented systems for monitoring and recording their progress and development, and from her ideas for play. 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 for care raised one recommendation for improvement; to obtain written permission from parents to apply sun lotion to children. This is now in place for all children and contains the details of the brand to be used.

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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): • improve the organisation of children's records so that they can be used as an effective tool to support monitoring systems.

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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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