St Francis de Sales RC Junior School

Inspection report for early years provision

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102143 Unique Reference Number 14 August 2008 Inspection date Kay Williams 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 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 was registered in 1993. She lives with her teenage son. They live in Highgate which is located within the London borough of Camden. The whole the childminder’s home is used for childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of three children at any one time and is currently minding one child under five.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children. She attends local toddler groups and takes children to the library and the park.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health and well-being is effectively promoted. Children who become ill are appropriately cared for. The childminder has a current first aid qualification and is able to respond to children who have suffered an accident. Children are taught about the importance

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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 of good personal hygiene which in turn reduces the risk of cross infection. Children wash their hands before they eat and they have their own personal towels and bed linen.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy regular opportunities to play and exercise in the fresh air. They take daily trips to the park to feed the ducks and engage in robust physical play.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from the childminder's good knowledge regarding the importance of healthy eating. They eat healthy nutritious food and enjoy sampling and experiencing new foods such as olives. Children have easy access to drinking water and enjoy sociable mealtimes where the childminder and the children sit and eat together.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children feel safe and secure in the childminder's home. Their security is strengthened as the childminder has developed positive relationships with them and they clearly feel comfortable in her care, both enjoying each other's company. Children enjoy the child centred environment that the childminder has created. The home is bright, clean and well maintained. Children have easy access to several toy chests where they can help themselves to a range of age appropriate well maintained toys and resources. The childminder monitors the equipment to ensure that it remains safe for all children to use.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Overall, the childminder has good regard for safety and has taken appropriate steps to minimise hazards to children. The childminder has devised effective risk assessment procedures for all areas of her home. Children's safety is given due consideration, for example the use of socket covers and safety gates make the environment safe for children to explore feely. The recent visit from the fire officer confirmed that the childminder makes appropriate use of the smoke detectors and the fire blanket. Her emergency evacuation plan is appropriate although has yet to be effectively practised and the results assessed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are effectively safeguarded as the childminder is aware of her duty to protect the children in her care and she is able to reference local authority procedures should she need to seek advice. She has recently attended training to improve her knowledge, but has yet to plan her response if an allegation is made against her.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy their time spent with the childminder. The daily routines flow well, coupling good play and learning opportunities with familiar domestic routines. The children delight in the childminder's company and feel at home in her care, spontaneously participating in familiar activities such as fetching the morning post as it falls through the letter box. Children are developing their mark making skills accordingly as they use pens and paper. The childminder is attentive of the children's needs and spends good amounts of time playing with the children. Together they enjoy reading books such as 'The bear' and posting colour coded coins into the toy cash register. The childminder encourages children's language development by identifying and naming the colours which they endeavour to repeat back to her.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder plans the days activities in advance and the children enjoy a good balance of indoor play and outings to various places of interest including the city farm and the local park. Children's learning opportunities are extended further as they regularly attend toddler groups

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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 and the one o'clock club. During these sessions the children enjoying mixing and socialising with other children as well as painting, water play and dressing up.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are developing a good range of physical skills as they walk to local parks where they learn to climb and swing on large apparatus. They also enjoy pushing trolleys and riding bikes.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are well behaved. The childminder is calm and gently spoken with the children and has a good understanding of effective ways of managing children's behaviour. Children's self-esteem is effectively promoted as their efforts and achievements are praised and recognised, for instance children are praised for attempting to match the correct pieces of puzzle to the corresponding shape.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are confident individuals. The gradual settling procedure which the childminder implements works well. Consequently, the childminder and the children have formed a strong relationship. The childminder now records more detailed information regarding the children's individual needs which effectively supports her in knowing the children well, consequently their individual needs are well met. All children are treated with equal concern and some of the resources, especially the books reflect positive images of social and cultural diversity.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is satisfactory. The childminder works effectively with parents to ensure that children receive continuity of care and lines of communication are informative. For example, the childminder informs parents of any new achievements that the children have made such as when they learn to use new words. The childminder has recently developed a portfolio which offers a suitable range of written information for parents, although she has yet to inform parents of the complaints procedure and the subsequent records that she is required to keep.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The children are cared for in an environment which is generally well organised. Children and parents benefit from the childminder's increased knowledge of the National Standards for Childminding and the subsequent improvements that this has made to her service. The childminder is committed to her role and has sought to improve her practice by attending ongoing training. She has developed a more comprehensive system for recording and collating information and has established effective systems for seeking support and advice.

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Organisation

Documentation and record keeping is satisfactory. Children's arrival and departure is recorded and the certificate of registration is displayed and all relevant consent forms have been completed. However, there is no system in place for recording complaints.

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Organisation

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

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the childminder agreed to address two actions. Firstly, to obtain a first aid qualification and secondly to develop a greater understanding of the National Standards for Childminding. Children now benefit from the significant progress that the childminder has

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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 made. She has obtained a first aid qualification and is sufficiently developing her understanding of the National Standards.

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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 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): • practise the emergency evacuation procedure and asses the outcome to ensure the plan is effective • consider the course of action to be taken if an allegation of child abuse is made against the childminder • update the complaints procedure and devise a system for recording complaints in order to share these with parents.

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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

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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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