Fagley Primary School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 107249 Inspection date 30 November 2005 Inspector Lorna Lorraine Hall

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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 satisfactory. 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 a registered childminder since 1996. She lives with her husband, and their three children aged 16, 13 and 7. They live in a house in Kennington in the borough of Lambeth. The ground floor of the childminder's home is used for childminding. The children have direct access to outdoor play. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children. Currently there are eight children on roll, all 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 childminder has a recognised child care qualification. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. There are no pets.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. The children learn about good hygiene through effective daily routines. For example, they brush their teeth after meals and wash their hands after visits to the toilet. Good measures are in place to minimise the spread of infection. The children's personal belongings are clearly labelled, so they do not have to share. The parents receive good information about the care of those children who are ill. The childminder has a good knowledge of communicable diseases that must be reported. The childminder has a current first aid certificate, thus she is confident that she would be able to deal appropriately with any incidents which require first aid.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children engage in outdoor and indoor activities, which promote their good health, in addition they walk every day to the school and to playgroups. Riding bikes and climbing complex playground equipment, provide good opportunities for all the children to develop control over their bodies. Being active enables the children to learn how their bodies function. For example, after running they know that they are thirsty; they also check their heart rate by putting their hands on their chest. The childminder was unable to produce permission from parents, for their children to receive medical treatment or advice in an emergency. This could delay giving the children medical treatment in an emergency. Through discussions and visits to the allotment to pick fruit and vegetables, the children learn the importance of healthy eating. The children enjoy wholesome nutritious meals that are freshly prepared. They are involved in cooking activities, in

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Helping children to be healthy

which they learn that cooking and preparing food can be fun. The children are able to access fruit juice and water according to their needs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The children are cared for in a safe environment, this means that the children can move around safely freely and independently. The children have individual trays, where they can store their work before bringing it home. This promotes their self esteem. The premises are well maintained and there is a lot of colourful childcare information on display for parents, so that they can update their knowledge.

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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 The children are able to access an excellent range of natural and manufactured learning resources, appropriate to their individual learning needs. Resources are clearly labelled and stored in brightly coloured boxes at the child's level. The childminder purchases toys and other equipment from reputable manufactures, to ensure that they are safe. Those toys that are used by babies are cleaned and washed on a weekly basis, so that they are safe for the babies to handle. The children have use of child size furniture, suitable to promote their independence, such as tables and chairs. The childminder's good understanding of safety, guarantees that effective measures are in place to promote children's safety indoor and outdoor. The parents give their consent for the childminder to transport the minded children in her car. This

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

safeguards the children's welfare. However, a low level bolt on the back garden door could compromise the children's safety. The childminder promotes well the children's understanding of fire safety. As an extra safety measure, aluminous fire signs are displayed at the main doors. Clear glass has large coloured circles to prevent the children from walking into the glass door. The childminder has a good understanding of child protection issues; in addition, she knows whom she needs to contact to report any concerns. However, she was unable to produce the Government summary booklet. This could compromise the children's welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The children are happy and settled in their environment, confidently accessing activities which enable them to make good progress in their development. Through interaction and observations, the childminder ensures that all the children spend their time purposefully and enjoy learning through play. For example, manipulating dough enables the children to develop hand and eye co-ordination. All the children play enthusiastically with a good selection of manufactured and natural play resources. The childminder exploits every opportunity to promote the children's understanding of letter, colour and number recognition during play. For example, she does so by asking the children to show her the red cutter. The childminder is in the early stage of using the "Birth to three matters frame work", to provide activities which are geared to meet individual learning needs. However, this has little impact on the children. Weekly care diaries enable the parents to chart

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

their children's progress. These diaries also provide the childminder with good information, so that she can write developmental reports on the children. The childminder then shares the reports with the parents and the schools, if appropriate. There are a lot of opportunities for the children to develop their vocabulary during the daily routine. For example, the childminder explains everything she does carefully to the children on their level and she waits for them to respond. The children are involved in book making activities, using pictures and items collected from various sources. This enables the children to revisit past experiences and make connections.

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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 The children benefit from outings to local child-centred places of interest, which provide good opportunities for them to socialise with other children and enjoy playing on a wider scale.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The children are valued as individuals. For example, the childminder asks the parents to give detailed information, in order to ensure that individual routines are consistent with home routines. All the children engage in activities that promote their knowledge and understanding of other cultures, such as the celebration of festivals from around the world. Through outings and discussions, the children learn about the world around them and to appreciate features of their environment. For example, they collect leaves during walks in the park as part of their art work. There is good provision for those children and families who have special educational needs. The childminder has a good understanding of how resources can be adapted to meet individual learning abilities. The children are well behaved. They have the opportunity to make choices and are given choices; this helps them to learn the difference between right and wrong. The

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Helping children make a positive contribution

children behave well, due to the childminder's calm but fair approach and gentle reminder of acceptable behaviour. The childminder promotes good partnership with the parents. She values the parents and takes their wishes on board, in order to provide a service which meets individual needs. She asks the parents to read and sign a detailed contract, to guarantee appropriate care. The childminder’s daily contact with the parents and the care diaries she keeps, allow the parents to contribute to their children's learning. The childminder is able to provide a balanced range of stimulating activities, therefore the children are happy and settled.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The way in which the childminder organises her day, ensures that all the children spend their time purposefully and are able to participate in structured and free play. Her good organisation creates a rich learning environment, where the children learn through play. The childminder has a copy of the local childcare training manual and has identified some courses she hopes to access. Those courses will enhance her childminding service and keep her abreast of changes within her field of work. Records on the children are appropriately stored and are up to date. The childminder has a good understanding of the information that must be passed on to Ofsted. This promotes the children's welfare.

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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 Overall, the provision meets the needs of all the children.

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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 satisfactory. 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): • obtain permission from parents to seek emergency medical treatment or advice • ensure low level lock on back garden gate is safe or inaccessible to the children • obtain a copy of the Government summary booklet • develop knowledge and understanding of the "Birth to Three matters framework.

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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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