Childminder in Bromley

Inspection report for early years provision

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256303 Unique Reference Number 03 March 2008 Inspection date Laura Brewer 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 outstanding. 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 has been registered since March 2001. She lives with her husband and their daughter aged 11 years. The family live in a house in a residential area of Bromley. Public transport, parks, schools, shops and pre-school facilities are all within walking distance.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

All of the house is included in the registration. The areas available for the children to use include the dining room/playroom and lounge. Sleep facilities are available upstairs. There are upstairs and downstairs toilet facilities, and a fully enclosed rear garden for outdoor play. There are no pets.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time. Currently she has nine children on roll from 18 months to 11 years. Two children attend on a full time basis, the others attend on either a part-time or out of school basis.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and holds a first aid qualification.

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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 outstanding. Children thrive on an excellent range of activities which contribute to their good health and well-being. They enjoy the opportunity to take part in outdoor activities on a daily basis, which contributes to a healthy lifestyle. They visit the park and play centres where they are able to develop their climbing and balancing skills. They enjoy the fresh air whilst going on regular local walks. The childminder provides frequent opportunities for the children to practise physical skills indoors, such as building with blocks and completing puzzles together, which helps the children develop their co-ordination and manipulative skills. The childminder's clear understanding about appropriate types of activities and warm interaction gives the children confidence to try out new skills, set their own limits and know when to ask for help.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are cared for in a warm, clean home where they learn the importance of excellent hygiene and personal care. Pictorial signs displayed in the children's toilet area, reminds them of effective hygiene practises such as good hand washing which reduces the risk of cross contamination. Children's health is promoted further by the childminder holding a current first aid certificate and maintaining exemplary records and procedures relating to their health needs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are beginning to understand the benefits of a healthy diet as discussions about healthy eating practises are often encouraged. They are well nourished because the childminder provides a nutritious and well balanced diet which often includes much organic produce. The childminder ensures the children are offered fruit and vegetables on a daily basis and encourages them to frequently drink water. The childminder takes full account of the wishes of parents and children's choices to provide meals and snacks that appeal to the children whilst meeting their dietary needs exceedingly well. The childminder has a system in place where children are given a certificate to reward them for trying new foods. This encourages the children to sample new tastes and increases their self-esteem.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children are cared for in a bright and exceptionally well-maintained home where risks are identified and minimised. The childminder has an excellent understanding of how to achieve a balance between freedom and setting safe limits, and how to involve children effectively in organising their environment. Children are able to move around safely and freely. They access an excellent range of varied resources to meet their needs and are happy, relaxed and secure in the vibrant and homely environment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children independently select from a superb range of toys and play resources, which meet safety standards. The home is extremely child-friendly as colourful posters, pictures and photographs are displayed and resources are organised to encourage children's independence. Toys are sorted into sets and organised in labelled boxes with a picture attached of the contents to encourage children's self-selection. Children are exceedingly well supervised both indoors and outdoors to ensure their safety at all times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder is committed to helping children to learn about their own safety and involves the children in setting safety procedures to make them more meaningful to them. For example, the children were involved in developing the fire safety procedures and have drawn pictures

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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 of what they should do in the event of a fire occurring in order to leave the premises safely. The children also have access to a range of resources which develop their awareness of safety issues both inside and outside of the home such as why it is important to wear safety helmets on bikes and how to cross the road safely.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Clear and comprehensive policies and procedures are effective in protecting children. The childminder recognises her responsibility to the children in her care and has a very good understanding of procedures to follow to ensure children's welfare is protected.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children are confident, very independent and develop self-esteem by the childminder encouraging them to try new activities and giving praise. Children are highly motivated and very interested in an excellent range of purposeful activities which provide consistently high levels of challenge appropriate to their age and stage of development. The daily routines include visits to a wide range of interesting places such as toddler groups, parks, music and movement sessions, libraries and play centres which provides them with numerous opportunities to stimulate their interest in the local environment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children select rich, varied and imaginative resources which provide optimal challenge and enhance all aspects of their learning. They confidently ask questions during the course of their play and receive excellent support from the childminder to challenge and extend their learning. They are absorbed in the activities provided. For example, they enthusiastically danced and sang as they joined in a music and movement activity initiated by the childminder. Whilst the children sat down to complete puzzles, the childminder promoted discussions about colour, shape, size and texture to expand children's learning and to extend their vocabulary and thought processes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children respond well to the childminder who gets down to their level and follows their lead to ensure they are learning whilst having fun. Children make their own choices and access a wealth of resources which highly meet their needs. They experience an outstanding learning environment through innovative activities provided by the childminder. The older children are given questionnaires to complete in relation to what activities and experiences they enjoy participating in. This demonstrates that the childminder highly values their opinions and shows a commitment to wanting to provide a fun environment where the children excel and feel at home.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder records what the children can do and logs their achievements in their written trackers. These are used well to monitor how the children are progressing and help the childminder to plan appropriate and interesting activities to promote their future learning and development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children have equal access to a wealth of play resources which positively promote anti-discriminatory practices. The childminder ensures that children learn about diversity through play and discussions which helps them to develop positive attitudes. She includes the celebration of festivals in her activity planning and ensures she has all of the correct information in order to meet children's individual needs well. The childminder is aware of the information she would

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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 need to gather to ensure the appropriate care of children who have learning difficulties or disabilities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's behaviour is exemplary due to the childminder's consistent and highly skilled approach in promoting positive behaviour. Children show respect for themselves and others, encouraged by the childminder setting an excellent example. Children are rewarded with stickers for positive behaviour which builds their self-esteem and helps them to learn about what is acceptable within the setting. The children are able to proudly recall times when they have been given a sticker for something they have achieved.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The partnership with parents and carers is outstanding which significantly contributes to children's well-being. Children's needs are met by daily verbal and written communication between the childminder and parents. Children are looked after according to parents' wishes and the childminder ensures she has an excellent understanding of their opinions and attitudes.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder proactively seeks parents views about the service provided and ways in which improvements can be made, through detailed written questionnaires. Parents have extensive information about the setting as the childminder's comprehensive portfolio displays clear policies and procedures which enables them to have a clear view of the service provided.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. Children's care is significantly enhanced by the exceptional organisation. The children feel at ease and very comfortable in the well organised and child orientated environment. Children's play opportunities are maximised because of the excellent organisation of the home, which includes a designated, well resourced playroom. This helps children gain confidence and develop their independence.

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Organisation

All policies and procedures are clear, robust and fully support the expert practice to an exceptionally high standard. The knowledgeable and highly skilled childminder gives the utmost priority to protecting children, promoting their well-being and ensuring that all children develop to their full potential. Parents are kept well informed about the service provided by regular verbal and clear written communication. 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 practises an emergency escape plan with minded children and requests written permission from parents for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment. The childminder has been extremely proactive in involving the children in the emergency escape plan and regularly practises this to enable children to develop their awareness of safety issues. Written consents have since been obtained from all parents, enabling their wishes to be followed in the event of an emergency.

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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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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

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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 outstanding. 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

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of care are outstanding.

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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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