Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY286488 Unique Reference Number 30 October 2007 Inspection date Jane Wakelen Inspector

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Integrated 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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder was registered in 2004. She lives with her husband and one school age child in Chatham. The whole ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside 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 years and two children over five years on various days and times during the week. The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children. The childminder attends the local parent and toddler groups. The family have a cat.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder holds a childcare qualification and has experience of supporting children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. She is accredited and a member of an approved childminding 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 The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association (NCMA).

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a clean environment, where they learn the importance of good personal hygiene, such as washing hands before eating and after using the toilet. Cross-infection is well prevented through individual named hand towels and good nappy changing procedures to ensure children's welfare is promoted. Each child has a toothbrush which is used to further promote children's understanding of good personal care. The childminder has obtained permission from parents to seek emergency medical treatment if necessary. She is due to re-new her first aid certificate, thus ensuring children are safe in the event of an accident. All the relevant documentation is available for parents, such as the accident book.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children learn about healthy eating because the childminder understands the importance of offering healthy choices to the children for meals and snacks. A weekly menu is given to parents, keeping them well informed about their child's diet. Parents also receive a separate sheet detailing exactly what snacks and meals the children have eaten throughout the day. Children have regular access to their drinks and are often reminded about having a drink to keep them hydrated.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from the fresh air when walking older children to and from school and have opportunities to visit the local park to use the large play equipment. They visit two parent/carer and toddler group sessions a week where they have access to a range of large play equipment, promoting their physical development. When the weather is fine, they have access to the garden. However, occasionally children do not have outdoor play to help use up excess energy and therefore their concentration levels are not fully supported.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children play in a safe, compact environment. They have easy access to all the toys and resources around the room. The childminder rotates the equipment to ensure children's interest can be maintained, and ensure the resources available are suitable for the children attending. Older children are able to play with alternative toys at the table, and are given an explanation as to why certain toys or equipment are not suitable for the younger ones, such as the scissors. They learn about keeping themselves safe, such as not kneeling on the chair or climbing on the furniture. When playing with the chef's role play outfit, children learn why it is important to use oven gloves, when taking things out of the oven and enjoy making their own meals with the play food.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has carried out an informal risk assessment of the premises and put measures in place. There is a stairgate on the stairs, a stairgate across the kitchen and locks on the upstairs doors to prevent children using any of the rooms. There is a departure policy in place and details of another registered childminder in the event of an emergency. This is shared with the parents

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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 to protect children's safety at all times. Children are told about an evacuation procedure and only use the upstairs for sleeping.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has completed a safeguarding children course and has a good understanding about her role regarding protecting children. All the relevant paperwork and documentation is available, together with relevant phone numbers and information to promote children's welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are confident, happy and settled at the childminder's house. They form good relationships with each other and the childminder and are at ease in the homely environment. Children become independent, making choices about what they want to play with and adapting it to meet their own needs. For example, the older child cooking with the play food and saucepans and the younger child banging the saucepan lids to make a loud noise. Both children fully engage in their play and are developing at their own pace. The childminder works with the Birth to three matters framework to meet the needs of the children under three and records their development. However, occasionally the childminder plans an activity, but does not fully differentiate this to meet the needs of both children playing. Therefore, the younger one, sits and watches, rather than becoming fully engaged in the activity, such as making the Incy Wincy

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. The funded child has only recently started at the childminder's home but is already forming friendships and enjoying a good range of activities, linked to topics they are interested in, such as the Incy Wincy Spider. The childminder allows the child to extend the activity, by finding spiders in a book, singing the rhyme and making the drainpipe and Incy Wincy spider with a cardboard roll and sheet of card. The childminder is flexible with her planning to ensure the children are interested in the activity, but extending his skills in all areas. However, some areas are not always given equal consideration, such as creative development in child-led activities and large physical play. The childminder has a sound knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum and uses long, medium and short term plans to meet the needs of the children. Each child has an individual daily, activity plan which is used

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to help plan the child's next steps in their development. This is recorded under the six areas of learning and the stepping stones.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are able to develop their speech and language skills as the childminder talks to the children about the activity. She explains unusual or unfamiliar words and encourages children to reply to open questioning. Children enjoy looking at books independently and sharing with the childminder. They are encouraged to use them for enjoyment and to find different things relating to their topic or theme. Children enjoy making marks on paper, developing their hand and eye coordination. They use scissors and tape and enjoy constructing and joining materials. They have opportunities to use electronic toys, learning about cause and effect or using the computer, developing their mouse skills.

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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 Children are encouraged to count objects during practical activities and enjoy finding objects around the room for colour, shape or quantity. Children show basic skills in counting, but are encouraged to gain an understanding of number concept using objects. They are beginning to do basic sequencing and able to learn about volume and measure when cooking. Children enjoy using recyclable materials to create an end product and use their imagination and creativity with different materials. All children enjoy the role play equipment, acting out familiar roles and enjoy playing with musical instruments and singing.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are welcomed into the childminder's home and valued as individuals. The childminder works closely with parents to ensure children's family circumstances are taken into account. Children learn to care for each other and enjoy learning about their differences, such as languages they speak at home and their family structures. They enjoy looking at the different cultures and play with books, jigsaws and small world figures, which promotes a positive image of diversity within society. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children listen to the childminder and understand her expectations for behaviour. She reminds children about the house rules, such as not climbing on the furniture and offers children lots of praise and encouragement to promote wanted behaviour. They respond when the childminder asks children to clear away and show patience when waiting for the childminder to finish clearing away the lunchtime plates, by looking at books, before starting a new activity.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is good. Parents are kept well informed about their child's care and what activities they have been doing during the day. Each parent receives a folder with the information in about their child, which is taken home each day. There is also a contact book where parents can make written comments regarding their child and a folder with the weekly menu and food and drink their child has consumed during the day. Parents have access to their children's development records, recorded under the six areas of learning and are asked to review the service the childminder provides, through the use of questionnaires. Parents spoken to were very happy with the service provided.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are happy and settled in the childminder's home, where they are well protected from harm. Children are confident individuals and are able to initiate their own play, although they enjoy the support and intervention of the childminder, for the majority of the day. Children benefit from the commitment, experience and childcare qualification of the childminder, who has worked in different settings. This experience helps to support children's all round development. She is a member of an accredited network and has attended additional training to maintain her knowledge and update her skills, such as child protection and food hygiene. The childminder's practice is monitored on a regular basis as part of the accredited network. This enables good practice to be shared with other childminder's and helps maintain a good standard of care and education.

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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 All the required documentation is in place and shared with parents to ensure they are aware of the service she provides. Written consent has been obtained from parents for certain aspects of care, such as travelling in the car, outings and photographs to promote children's welfare. The childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder was given one recommendation from the previous inspection regarding her knowledge of the Birth to three matters framework.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Children now benefit from the childminder's knowledge and understanding of the Birth to three matters framework. The childminder uses the framework to plan activities and ensure children develop to their full potential.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration a complaint was received regarding National Standard 1: Suitable person and National Standard 11: Behaviour management regarding the suitability of the childminder in relation to her behaviour management techniques. Also under National Standard 6: Safety, that minded children are not under the direct supervision of the childminder at all times. A visit was made by an inspector and the concerns discussed. An action was set under National Standard 1: to ensure direct supervision of the children at all times. The provider responded to the action and remains qualified for registration.

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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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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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): • extend opportunities for children to benefit from large physical play and fresh air (also applies to nursery education)

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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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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure all areas of learning are given equal value and opportunities extended for children to develop their imagination and creative skills, through child-led activities • develop planning to reflect differentiation in adult-led activities to meet the needs of all children attending (also applies to care)

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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 nursery education

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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