Harwood Meadows Primary School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 137991 Inspection date 07 October 2005 Inspector John Edwin Warren

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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?

This childminder has been registered since 1995. She is registered to provide care for 4 children under the age of 8 years, of these not more than 3 may be under 5 years, and of these, not more than 1 may be under 1 year. The childminder lives with her husband and 3 children aged 9 and 7 and 1 years old. They live in a house in Morden. There are shops and parks within walking distance. Children have access to all rooms on the ground floor, first floor and garden. All areas of the property are used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden

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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 available for outside play. There are currently 3 children on the roll. It is a non-smoking household. The family have a dog. The childminder attends the local carer and toddler group on a regular basis.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are benefiting from a healthy routine that meets their individual needs. Children sleep according to their individual rest patterns, this is because the childminder recognises the signs of tiredness of the children. Children's dietary requirements are being met through working in close partnership with the parents. The childminder is aware of the children's likes dislikes and if they have any allergies. Children are encouraged to wash their hands before meals and after using the toilet. Children's risk of infection is kept to a minimum because of good hygiene practices. The childminder maintains a good standard of hygiene throughout and follows good hygiene procedures during nappy changing. Children are also kept healthy through sharing of information between the childminder and parents. They are asked to exclude their children when they are unwell, subsequently preventing the spread of

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Helping children to be healthy

infection. Children enjoy the walks to and from school and benefit from the challenge of larger physical activities in the local parks. The childminder has a sound knowledge of first aid and knows what action to take in the event of a crisis. She is booked on a first aid course in the near future in order to enhance her knowledge.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are able to play freely in an environment that is centred around them. Equipment is kept at a level where they can easily access them. Children can also play freely in a garden that is safe and secure. Equipment and play resources are checked regularly and large play equipment is risk assessed to ensure that children remain safe when playing. Children are reminded about their own safety, for example, when a child was running in the front room she was reminded that she could hurt herself and informed of where she could run that would be safe. Children are kept safe within the home and on outings by a childminder who uses parks that are familiar to her and the children to ensure risk is minimised. The home is checked for safety on a daily basis and procedures are in place at all times to keep children safe, for example, gates kept in the stairs. The childminder has a basic knowledge of child protection procedures, however this

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

knowledge could be enhanced through further training.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children benefit from having easy access to resources that meet their needs and offer them a challenge. Children are confident in their play. They choose their toys and welcome the childminder to join in their play. They respond well to the open ended questioning from the childminder playing with the resources for extended periods and exploring them fully. Children are confident communicators, the childminder listens intently to the requests of all the children and responds accordingly. Children enjoy the opportunity to be involved in a good range of creative play experiences, for example, painting, gluing and play dough. Children benefit from the support of a childminder who recognises the importance of the experience children gain from the activity rather than the end product. Children also enjoy the good range of imaginative play experiences including puppets and small world

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

materials. Children enjoy the challenge of the good range of resources offered in the garden area, for example, wheeled toys and trampoline. Children attend groups with the childminder where they benefit from the experience of playing in larger groups and with a wider range of resources.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's behaviour is generally good. They happily say please and thank you without any prompts from the childminder. They have a good understanding of other children's feelings and are playing co-operatively with each other. Children respond well to praise from the childminder, for example, a child who asked to go to the toilet was praised for asking. Subsequently she has had few accidents since the beginning of toilet training. Children also have an understanding of the house rules and the possible outcomes of unacceptable behaviour. Partnerships are valued and the childminder welcomes comments from the parents that will assist her in meeting each child's individual need. She in turn gives feedback on a daily basis, for example, if the child has slept, how much they have eaten and what activities they have been involved in. Children have equality of access to all resources regardless of gender. There also

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Helping children make a positive contribution

have access to books and resources that promote positive images of ethnicity, disability and culture.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The home and resources are organised well in order to meet the children's needs. Space is created so that children can play freely and without hindrance. Documentation is kept clear and up-to-date. Children's daily attendance is recorded including times of arrival and departure. Public liability and car insurance are all in place. Any accidents that occur are recorded and signed by the parents. The

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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 childminder uses the accident logs as a way of carrying out a risk assessment and ensuring that the risk of similar accidents occurring is kept to a minimum. A written contract is kept with all parents outlining the business and childcare arrangements. Parents give permission for the giving of medication however there is currently no written permission for emergency medical treatment. The childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. 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 knowledge of first aid in relation to young children and babies is updated • develop knowledge of the child protection procedures. • ensure permission is sought from parents for emergency medical treatment

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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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