Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY274308 Unique Reference Number 04 February 2008 Inspection date Carolyn Mary Hasler 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 has been registered since 2003. She lives with her husband and two children aged nine and twelve years. They live in a house situated in a residential area close to local amenities such as parks, shops and schools in Edmonton in the London Borough of Enfield. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding, an outside building offers additional play space. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. She takes and collects children from the local school and attend a variety of community groups during the week. She is currently registered to care for six children and has six children on roll, five of which are under eight years.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. She helps run a local Carer and Toddler group and is part of a network.

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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 learning how to live healthy lifestyles. They enjoy a variety of activities which help them to be active, by stretching and building strong muscles. For example, they have access to the rear garden where they can play on scooters, trikes and cars, and play bat and ball games. They walk to and from school each day, visiting the park, toddlers and soft play areas.

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Helping children to be healthy

Very young children are learning about personal hygiene and most children are independent in self help skills, going to the toilet and washing hands independently. They have a clean and well maintained play space to play in because the childminder has efficient cleaning routines. If a child becomes sick or injured the childminder acts appropriately. A first aid kit is on hand and the childminder has a current first aid certificate. In an emergency, parents are contacted and medical assistance is sought. All of the appropriate paper work and systems are in place to keep all required records to safeguard children's health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are learning about healthy eating. They can access fresh drinking water throughout their day, preventing them from becoming dehydrated. The childminder shares menus with parents and provides children with fruit snacks each day. Finger foods are offered as a midday meal, children who are still on the premises for an evening meal are offered a freshly cooked meal from fresh ingredients. The childminder records children's dietary needs and takes account of religious, cultural, medical and lifestyle choices made by parents on behalf of their children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are welcomed into a child friendly environment. Brightly coloured play equipment are immediately available for them to choose from. They have access to the whole of the ground floor of the childminder's house, the rear garden and a play room called the den at the end of the garden. This is used by children who attend after school. The toilet is close to the main play area and this supports those children who are learning new skills in toilet training. Well planned positioning of furniture ensures that maximum space is provided for them to play in. Low level storage ensures they can easily access toys and play equipment. There are comfortable places to sit and rest or space to be active. Table space ensures comfort and social experiences while they eat. The room is bathed in natural light from the French windows and the temperature can be regulated to ensure that the environment is conducive to playing and learning.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Play, nursery, safety equipment, and furniture are age appropriate, well maintained and of good quality, offering children safe experiences throughout their day. They are learning how to keep safe and have practised evacuating the premises in the event of a fire and through watching and listening to the childminder they see and hear messages about staying safe. On outings they are learning basic road skills, while younger children travel in the buggy, as they get older and more confident in walking they are learning to hold onto the buggy to stay safe. Although the premises has been risk assessed, the childminder has not sufficiently considered the hazards of low level glass and this compromises children's safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder demonstrates a confident knowledge and understanding of child protection issues. She is informed on the different areas of abuse and their signs and symptoms. The childminder knows how to record, when it is appropriate to discuss concerns with parents and

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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 how to report her concerns. The childminder demonstrates verbally what to do if an allegation is made against a member of her household and acts appropriately to support the needs and welfare of the children within her care. This ensures that children are safeguarded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are building confidence and self esteem and are increasingly becoming independent in most activities. For example, younger children are feeding themselves, learning and becoming more confident in toileting skills, they help themselves to toys and play resources from the low level storage boxes and containers and enjoy helping to tidy up after play. They build secure relationships with the childminder and extended members of her family because they are friendly and offer them time and attention which helps children feel important. Older children have been attending for long periods of time and are familiar with the routines and house rules which help them feel secure.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are building skills in communication through hearing language all around them while they play. Frequent opportunities to enjoy books and stories, songs and rhymes help children build language. They are learning how to take turns in conversations, listening and responding and on most occasions can express themselves verbally. All children have opportunities to be creative, enjoying art and craft activities such as painting, gluing and sticking, drawing and colouring, from time to time they enjoy cooking activities. During free play toddlers enjoy helping themselves to a variety of shape sorters, building equipment, ball trails and programmable toys, they are learning to count and recognise colours. Older children have a selection of equally exciting and interesting play equipment which they can choose to play with or equally they can choose to complete homework and read books in the quieter room after

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder is beginning to build confidence in making observations of children in order to evaluate planned activities and monitor children's development. She records children's development within journals both through photographic and written evidence. This helps her keep parents informed of children's progress.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are learning about their own and others' cultures, lifestyles and religions. They come from different cultural back grounds and have access to social situations such as toddlers and community groups in order to build friendships. This helps them find common interests and build respect for others. A wide variety of interesting play resources which reflect positive images of others and an interest shown by the childminder in different cultural celebrations such as Chinese New Year and Hanukkah, provide children with opportunities to question and explore issues that confuse or interest them. This helps them build confidence and self assurance in themselves as individuals and in others, recognising differences that make each of us unique.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder supports children with medical and dietary needs and those with English as an additional language. She ensures that all children have equal access to play resources and activities and that they are not disadvantaged in any way. She is committed to working in partnership with parents and other professional bodies and works towards children meeting their milestones. Project work helps children think about issues that confuse them and learn respect for others who have different abilities to themselves. The childminder takes account

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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 of current children's needs before entering into new care arrangements. She makes all reasonable adjustments to meet individual needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

While older children manage their own behaviour well, younger children are building valuable social skills and learning how to get along with others, playing in a harmonious manner. When they are interested and occupied in play and receive high levels of attention, they behave respectfully towards others. They are learning how to share and take turns when using popular pieces of equipment. The childminder is aware of triggers and supports those who are tired or uses boundaries to remind older children of the rules. They respond well to positive reinforcement of good behaviour and this helps them feel valued and important as individuals. When younger children behave inappropriately towards one another, the childminder responds sensitively, helping them acknowledge what they have done and how they can put things right. Behaviour management techniques are shared with parents to ensure consistency. As a result

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit when the partnerships with parents and the childminder are collaborative. Issues of separation are dealt with sensitively and this helps children feel secure and settle well into the childminder's home. The sharing of information related to children helps the childminder tailor their care and meet individual needs. The childminder provides parents with information about her service including how to make a complaint. Daily verbal feedback helps parents feel informed, those parents who have less access are kept informed by telephone. Regular questionnaires provide the childminder with feedback from parents and help her to evaluate her service.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are cared for by the childminder who shows a caring attitude towards children and this helps them feel happy and secure. She has completed a basic course in childcare and maintains her knowledge by attending short courses provided by her local authority. She ensures that each member of her household has been vetted by the Criminal Records Bureau. The organisation of her service ensures children are learning about how to keep healthy and stay safe. They enjoy themselves while at the childminder's house, their achievements are acknowledged and affirmed. They are successfully learning social skills such as how to manage their own behaviour and are finding out about others who are different to themselves which will help them contribute to their own community.

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Organisation

The childminder generally ensures that her record keeping underpins her service. However, the attendance record for children who attend after school is not sufficiently detailed and in the event of the need to check historical records or evacuation, the childminder is not sufficiently able to ensure every child is accounted for and protected. However, she demonstrates an appropriate understanding of privacy and confidentiality issues and provides a secure place to store confidential records.

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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 the childminder agreed to develop knowledge and understanding of responsibilities for notifying Ofsted of serious injury, death and infectious, communicable

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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 diseases. The childminder demonstrates a confident knowledge in this area. This means that children are safeguarded because Ofsted can make the appropriate checks.

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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. 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): • risk assess the premises and ensure that children are safe at all times • review the attendance record for older children to include times of arrival and departure

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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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