Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

EY361388 Unique Reference Number 24 April 2008 Inspection date Victoria Gail Halliwell Inspector

p.1

Childcare Type of inspection Childminding Type of care

p.1

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

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.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder has been registered since 2007. She lives with her husband and two children aged seven and nine years. The family live in the Ashton-under-lyne area of Tameside. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed rear garden for outdoor play.

p.2

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 one child under five and three children over five on a part-time basis. The family have two cats.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's good health is effectively promoted by the childminder. Good standards of cleanliness are maintained throughout the home and particular care is taken of equipment used by babies. Children are learning the importance of good personal hygiene from a very young age, as they routinely have their hands sanitized before meals and snacks. The bathroom is well equipped

p.2

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 and children's posters are prominently displayed to remind children of the importance of hand washing. Young children are able to rest and sleep in accordance with individual routines when they become tired.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished and are developing healthy eating habits. A varied selection of tempting finger food is served at snack time, for example, carrot sticks and organic cheese to encourage young children to make choices and feed themselves. Mealtimes are valued as a rich learning experience, where children are encouraged to develop their awareness of healthy eating. Older children enjoy making their own tortilla wraps and benefit from an excellent range of freshly prepared meals made with high quality ingredients. Children have many opportunities to be physically active and play outdoors in the fresh air and sunlight, which contributes to a healthy lifestyle. Outdoor activities include planting and growing their own plants and taking care of the herb garden.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are warmly welcomed into a stimulating and child centred family home. They benefit from an excellent range of age and developmentally appropriate play materials, which are both well presented and easily accessible to encourage children to make choices about how they spend their time. Space within the childminder's home is well utilised, to provide a varied range of activities which meet the needs of a mixed age group.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has a very good understanding of safety within her home and has taken appropriate action to minimise any hazards. Daily visual inspections are completed to ensure children of all ages can move around her home safely. Very good systems are in place to ensure older children are familiar with emergency evacuation procedures, monthly fire drills are completed and often prompt further discussions which raise children's awareness of how they can keep themselves safe.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is appropriately safeguarded by the childminder who, following training, has a sound understanding of her role and responsibility to protect children from possible harm. The childminder has devised her own detailed child protection policy and demonstrated through discussion her ability to record and report any concerns.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children benefit from warm and loving relationships with the childminder and strong attachments are evident. Young babies snuggle in close, laughing and gurgling in response to the childminder, who sings nursery rhymes and interacts continually, pausing to allow babies time to respond.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder provides a broad range of age and developmentally appropriate activities and experiences, which help children of all ages make progress. Planned learning although not formalised, is well thought out and based on natural progression, taking account of what individual children can do. For example, finger foods are introduced to encourage the development of the palmer grasp, whilst favourite toys are positioned out of reach, to encourage non mobile babies to crawl. The childminder completes an informative daily diary which include details of how children's progress is promoted and notes any significant milestones, although this is not linked to the 'Birth to three matters' framework.

p.3

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 provision of sensory experiences for young children is particularly good; babies routinely explore the silky texture of 'gloop' a mixture of custard powder and water or investigate a range of natural objects during heuristic play. School age children confidently select their own activities after a day at school. They move freely around the childminder's home to find their own space to relax and unwind or complete interesting craft activities, for example, making three dimensional models of the seaside, using blue hair gel and yellow custard powder.

p.3

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are valued as individuals. The childminder recognises that all children have individual needs, beliefs and experiences. She works very closely with parents prior to admission to ensure she is well informed about cultural needs and puts systems in place to ensure individual requirements are met. For example, providing separate cooking utensils and storage facilities for children who eat Halal meat. The childminder stimulates children's interest and gradually raises their awareness of the diverse society in which they live, through explanations, stories and craft activities.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder is a positive role model, she treats the children with respect and values what they have to say. She patiently provides clear and consistent guidelines to raise children awareness of the importance of socially acceptable behaviour. Whenever possible the childminder focuses on good behaviour and all children benefit from her continuous praise and recognition for their achievements.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnerships with parents are very good. Parents are warmly welcomed into the childminder's home and are able to see the wide range of activities and resources available. They are very well informed of the childminder's practices and receive a copy of all policies and procedures. Parents of younger children comment on the benefits of receiving a detailed account of their child's day and on the benefits of the childminder's healthy eating policy.

p.4

Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder is very well organised and has a professional approach to her childminding service. She is very committed to improving the quality of care she provides and has completed a high number of relevant training courses since registration. She routinely reviews her training record and is able to identify future training needs. The childminder utilises her home very well to meet the needs of children under five years and school age children simultaneously. Children's play materials and resources are particularly well organised to promote independent selection. As a result, children of all ages are well cared for and enjoy a wide range of interesting activities within a safe and secure homely environment.

p.4

Organisation

Attention to written documentation is very good. All required documents are well ordered. In addition a wide range of personalised written policies and procedures have been devised and are effectively implemented by the childminder. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

p.4

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

p.4

Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration 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.

p.5

Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of any complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

p.5

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.5

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.

p.5

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): • develop the system for recording children's progress and planning the next steps for their development.

p.5

The quality and standards of the care

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

p.5

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

p.5