Ysgol Gymunedol Croesgoch

Inspection report for early years provision

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400691 Unique Reference Number 15 November 2007 Inspection date Shirley Maynard 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 1996. She lives with her husband and two children aged 15 and 12 years. They live in a detached house in the small village of Cold Cotes, near Ingleton. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under the age of eight years. She is currently caring for five children, all of whom attend on a part-time basis.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder uses the kitchen, playroom and lounge for childminding, children access a toilet on the ground floor. There is a garden available for outside play. The childminder visits the local toddler group on a regular basis and is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children stay healthy because the childminder understands and follows good hygiene practices. They learn to wash their hands when finished in the bathroom. The childminder provides minded children with liquid soap and paper towels to minimise the risk of cross-contamination. Children's

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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 understanding is further enhanced by the childminder talking to them about being clean. The childminder has a hygienic nappy changing procedure and follows the children's individual routines.

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Helping children to be healthy

The required medical and accident documents are up to date, accurately maintained and include parents' signatures. The childminder holds an appropriate first aid certificate, enabling her to deal effectively with minor accidents or if a child in her care suddenly becomes ill. This together with prior consent to take children to hospital in an emergency, means the childminder can act in the child's best interest.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished as they enjoy a balanced diet of fresh foods, yoghurt and toast at snack time. They enjoy drinks of water, milk or juices and readily access their own cups. Their physical needs are developed by delightful walks and ample opportunity to play in the garden. They are encouraged to move in different ways, such as running, jumping and pedalling the wide variety of wheeled toys.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The children benefit from being cared for in a clean, welcoming and generally safe environment. The childminder demonstrates a secure understanding of ensuring children feel welcome and secure to promote their emotional well-being. The children make some choices from the range of equipment which is changed daily. The toys and resources are well maintained and cover all ages of development.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children learn to keep themselves safe because the childminder talks to them about not running inside, being careful and listening to instructions, therefore, they start to take some responsibility for their own safety. The children's safety is mostly protected as many safety features are in place. For example, the emergency fire procedure is displayed, regularly practised and accurately recorded. However, there is an insufficient number of smoke detectors fitted in the home to effectively warn against fires. This could result in delays in leaving the premises in an emergency. Furthermore, the childminder was unable to provide evidence of appropriate car insurance at the time of inspection.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is well protected because the childminder understands her role in child protection. She is fully aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse and is confident in the action to take should any issue arise.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy and achieve and their individual needs are met because the childminder has a clear awareness of the 'Birth to three matters' framework. She uses this to provide a broad range of activities which meet the children's needs and stages of development. She has established a system of flexible planning which covers all areas of development and includes free play, structured activities and outdoor play. Children are confident to ask for help and support in their play, for example, when they need help with craft activities such as printing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder works closely with parents to ensure all children make good progress in their language development, for example, by sensitively encouraging them to find and name objects and by acting out real life situations. This also helps them to make sense of the world around

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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 them. As a result, children constantly chatter as they play, talking about what they are doing. The children are very familiar with books and delight in choosing from the extensive range of quality books. For example, children giggle with delight as they sit on the floor and look at a Postman Pat story and then continually show the Inspector 'Jess the cat'.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children greatly benefit from an environment which is well organised. The play and learning opportunities keep them interested and occupied as they play dominoes and put on music and dance. The children also gain an understanding of size and shape as they play with construction toys, bricks and jigsaws. They delight in role play, messy activities and ample opportunities for outdoor play and walks in the countryside. The younger children attend the local toddler group where they socialise, make new friends and experience new environments.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The children's individuality is valued by the childminder. She has established effective relationships with them and works closely with parents to ensures consistency in their care. Parents receive a comprehensive information pack prior to starting which includes copies of all the policies and procedures. Together with daily feedback, this keeps them well informed of their child's care. There are currently no children attending with a learning difficulty or disability but the childminder has an effective understanding to ensure any needs are promptly identified and children sensitively encouraged.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder demonstrates a good awareness of equality of opportunity for all children and has a policy in place. Children are gently encouraged to take part in all activities. Their understanding of diversity is well promoted as they have access to a range of appropriate activities and resources, for example, play people, books and dominoes. This is enhanced by homemade posters and a treasure basket containing a wonderful selection of multi-diverse items from around the world and includes sparkly mirrors and musical instruments.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are beginning to understand right and wrong because the childminder uses age appropriate reminders to reinforce rules and boundaries, for example, not to run on the wooden floors and to share the toys. She uses effective and consistent praise, such as 'well done'. As a result, children are generally well behaved and play harmoniously together. The childminder also ensures the children are occupied and follow a daily routine, to enable them to benefit from a structure to assist in feeling safe and secure.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children positively benefit from the childminder's clear commitment to her own development. She regularly takes part in further training in early years to increase her knowledge. Therefore, the care and leaning of the children is enhanced. For instance, recent training has included supporting positive behaviour in children and an introduction to the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has also maintained a current first aid certificate to ensure she can meet children's medical needs appropriately.

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Organisation

The childminder makes generally good use of the space, time and resources by ensuring children can play freely and make some choices from the toys and equipment. The children benefit from established routines and so feel secure, valued and confident. The childminder links with other childminders within the local area and attends the local toddler group.

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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 The childminder has clear documentation which is securely maintained. Children's records are used effectively to inform her practice and to provide parents with information on their individual child's progress. Children are not left with any persons not vetted, which protects their safety. There are mostly appropriate policies and procedures to promote the welfare, care and learning of the children. However, the child protection policy needs updating in line with local and national guidelines.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the childminder agreed to provided activities and resources that promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice. This has been successfully met. The childminder values all children's individuality. There are regular opportunities for children to use the resources which promote non gender specific roles, for example, dressing up clothes, books, small world figures and picture dominos. The childminder has also made additional resources including posters. Consequently, children's understanding is well developed in an environment where they feel valued and secure.

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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 smoke alarms are fitted on every level of the home • ensure all vehicles used hold appropriate insurance before being used to transport minded children • update the child protection policy in line with local and national guidelines.

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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 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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