The Thomas Coram Church of England School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 117559 Inspection date 20 December 2005 Inspector Hilary Turner

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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 has been registered since 1995. She lives with her husband and 2 school aged children. They live in a house in a residential road in Hanwell, in the London Borough of Ealing. The premises are situated close to local bus services and amenities. The whole house is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The family has no pets. The childminder is registered to care for 6 children under 8 years. There are currently 6 children on roll who attend for a variety of sessions.

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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 is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are happy in the warm, friendly, clean environment. The childminder has good hygiene procedures in place that enable children to be cared for in an environment that reduces the risk of infection. Children are protected from unnecessary illness, they do not attend if they are contagious. Children enjoy a good range of healthy snacks and meals, most of which are provided by the childminder in agreement with parents, which take into account children's individual dietary requirements. Meal times are sociable occasions and children's independence is promoted as the childminder encourages the younger children to feed themselves. They are able to access drinks regularly throughout the day. Children enjoy a selection of activities which contribute to their good health. There are regular outdoor activities. For example, playing in the garden, outings to the park, walks and visits to indoor physical play facilities to develop their physical skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are secure in their surroundings as they are looked after in a welcoming and caring environment. They can move around freely and safely as the childminder has taken the necessary steps to minimise potential hazards within the home. The childminder has given careful consideration to safety procedures, including fire evacuation which helps keep children safe. Children's welfare is protected through the childminder's good understanding of potential signs and symptoms of abuse and her sound understanding of her role and responsibilities in relation to child protection. Children have a varied selection of interesting toys and resources appropriate to their ages and stages of development, which are of good quality and meet safety standards. Overall, the premises provide children with good amounts of space to rest, eat and play comfortably.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are settled and content as the childminder knows the children well. They enjoy a warm and secure relationship with the her, which enables children to extend their learning and overall development in a supportive and caring environment. For example, a child enjoys the attention of the childminder as she involves her in a

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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 colouring activity. The older child involves the baby in her play as they both sit on the floor and look at a book together, the baby responds by smiling as he sees himself in a mirror of a book. Children make good progress in their overall learning because the childminder has a good understanding of how children learn. For example, she provides a balance of child initiated and adult led play allowing children time to play independently and solve problems for themselves. She offers a variety of interesting activities, toys and resources appropriate to children's age and stage of development. Such as play dough, water play, colouring, music, puzzles and books. The toys and resources are well organised and toy boxes are swapped over regularly to maintain children's interest.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are comfortable, happy and secure as their individual needs are well met. Good information provided by parents is shared with the childminder about the children's individual routines, feeding, sleeping, likes and dislikes. Children receive consistent care as there is a daily exchange of verbal information with the parents. The childminder understands the importance of helping children to develop a positive identity and feel good about themselves and their family. She provides a good range of suitable resources which reflect differences in culture, gender and disabilities. This helps children to develop a strong sense of self and learn about the world they live in. Children's behaviour is managed appropriately and according to their ages. Children feel secure in the care of the childminder because she has clear boundaries which are shared with them, as she helps them begin to understand right from wrong. The

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Helping children make a positive contribution

childminder is a positive role model. For example, a child explains that it is important to share, take turns and be friends.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children feel at home in this happy, friendly environment. The childminder has a sound knowledge and understanding of caring for young children, which means their care and developmental needs are met effectively. She is warm and affectionate towards the children who are relaxed and happy in her care. The childminder is very organised and the children benefit from a variety of outings to the park and pre school groups where they are able to socialise with other children and widen their play experiences. Most of the required documentation is in place, detailed and up-to-date. Good information is shared regularly with parents to keep them well informed about the service and their child's activities. This contributes to continuity in the children's care. However, children are not fully safeguarded as the arrangements to ensure all

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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 household members are appropriately vetted is not effective in practice. The childminder is committed to developing her knowledge and skills to benefit the children. For example, she has attended a number of training courses including child protection, behaviour management and Birth to Three Matters framework. Overall the childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection one recommendation was raised, to obtain resources that reflect positive images of disability. The childminder has extended her selection of toys and resources to include a variety of resources which show positive images of disability. This has increased children's awareness and understanding of each others similarities and differences.

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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 complaint 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): • make sure there are effective arrangements in place to ensure that all household members 16 years and over have completed a criminal record check • implement a complaint log for the recording of any complaints made by parents relating to the National Standards.

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The quality and standards of the care

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and

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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 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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