Aston Manor Academy

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 136882 Inspection date 01 November 2005 Inspector Elizabeth Ellen Mackey

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Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Childminding

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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 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 registered in 1993. She lives with her husband and 3 adult children in a home situated in the London Borough of Bromley. The downstairs of the home is used for childminding and includes a kitchen/diner, extended living room and cloakroom. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of 5 children at any one time, she is currently minding 6 children, 5 of whom attend on a part-time basis.

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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 family have a rabbit. The childminder holds an NNEB qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a warm, clean home where they learn the importance of good personal care through their daily routine. They learn about hygiene as they wash hands before eating and learn about germs and the importance of not sharing cups. Children receive a varied choice of good quality nutritious snacks and meals, encouraging them to develop good healthy eating practices. They enjoy their meals, they are freshly prepared by the childminder and include fresh vegetables daily. She demonstrates a good standard of food hygiene practice and meets the specific dietary needs of the minded children. Children can freely access drinks and are able to help themselves, which increases their independence skills and their awareness of their own physical needs and wellbeing. Children enjoy the range of opportunities and activities provided. They are confident and demonstrate a sense of belonging through exploring their environment freely and

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Helping children to be healthy

selecting resources independently. Children play well together and on their own. They welcome the input from the childminder who skilfully balances her time and attention to support the children in their play and learning. Children enjoy a range of activities including building a tower of bricks, and making faces with play dough, which encourages them to practice their hand-eye co-ordination. They enjoy a good sense of fun, which is evident in the lively interaction with each other and the childminder. Children's physical wellbeing is fully included in the daily activities. Children have regular outings to the local parks and enjoy play sessions in the spacious garden with activities that promote their gross motor skills. Children are able to relax and rest if they need to and the childminder respects their individual routines. There is a system in place for the administration of medication, however it lacks parental signed

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Helping children to be healthy

acknowledgement, which is required to ensure the system is safe.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy playing freely in a safe and secure environment; the childminder closely supervises children at all times. Children are protected from hazards because the childminder minimises risks and ensures children can play safely both indoors and outdoors, for example the play areas are organised to prevent children accessing areas where they are not fully in sight.

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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 Children learn about keeping themselves safe by the good procedures the childminder demonstrates. Clear house rules and a regular routine create a calm environment and contribute to children taking responsibility for their actions, they know what is expected of them. For example, the children have a practised routine when out walking and know they must stay close to the childminder at all times. The childminder talks to them about road safety and the importance of crossing the road safely at the pelican crossing. The children’s welfare is protected by the childminder‘s good understanding of child protection issues and procedures, however checks are outstanding for one household member. The childminder has a responsibility to ensure all persons over 16 years living in their household are subject to a vetting procedure to determine the

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

suitability of those having direct contact with children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy challenges from a varied range of good quality activities that stimulate and extend their learning, including craft activities, and cooking. Children try things for themselves and practise their skills with confidence because of the consistent support and meaningful praise from the childminder. Children show pleasure when involved in activities; they welcome the childminder's input and respond affectionately towards her. Children make good progress and relate well to the childminder. She listens closely to them and encourages them to express themselves. She consistently uses opportunities throughout their day to extend their play, for example, when the children are playing with the play telephone she asks them who they are calling and what did they say. This extends children's language and encourages their creative play. Children are confident and are independent in choosing how they spend their time.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They enjoy a good balance of playing together and being on their own engaged in a quiet activity. The children demonstrate a sense of belonging and clearly feel at home. Children are very happy and contented in the childminder’s home. They self-select resources and choose what they wish to play with. The childminder knows the children well and considers the needs of individual children to plan activities and organise the routine.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children feel valued, their self-esteem is high and they are confident, because the childminder gives plenty of praise and encouragement to them. She values their achievements during play, and encourages the children to take their paintings and pictures home; this acknowledges their work and includes parents in their daily activities. Children are learning about taking turns and sharing through playing

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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 together. They are encouraged to use ‘please' and 'thank you’ during meal times and all help to tidy toys away. They are able to express their feelings freely and enjoy a social environment at mealtimes with shared conversation and gentle humour. Children behave well and respond to the childminder’s positive approach to behaviour management. The childminder has good relationships with the parents of the minded children. She regularly informs them about the child’s day and activities that they have done together. She uses a written agreement with parents and minds the children according to their wishes. Parents are very satisfied with the care their children receive. Children are finding out about the wider world when they play with toys that reflect different cultures and share books with the childminder. She encourages their natural

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Helping children make a positive contribution

curiosity and interest about world news and local events.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a comfortable well-organised environment. Effective planning of an organised routine ensures that the children are occupied and provided with well thought-out activities, to extend their play and learning and good attention is paid to their individual needs. The childminder effectively uses the policies and procedures to promote the welfare, care and learning of children, however the system for documenting administration of medication requires improvement to confirm parents are fully informed. The vetting of all adults in the household, which is required to ensure the safety of children is yet to be completed, the childminder is prioritising this procedure. The childminder works closely with parents. She communicates daily with them and encourages feedback about the service she provides. She has a complaints procedure in place. All relevant documentation is confidentially maintained.

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Organisation

The childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides care.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the childminder was asked to extend the equipment to include more positive images to promote culture, ethnicity, gender and disability and to extend the information given to parents' about the service provided. Children now have access to a wider range of resources that promote positive images of culture, ethnicity, gender and disability. Parents are given information about their child's time in the setting, this includes children bringing artwork, or things

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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 they have made home to share with parents.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted 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 all adults in the household are subject to vetting procedures • ensure administration of medication record is acknowledged by the parents' signature

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The quality and standards of the care

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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