Benton, Jayne

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number EY310945 Inspection date 24 October 2005 Inspector Liz Margaret Caluori

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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 2005 and lives with her husband and three of their children aged 18, 15 and 8 years in the Clive Vale area of Hastings. The childminder's eldest daughter works with her as an assistant. The property is within easy walking distance of a number of schools as well as local shops and bus routes. Childminding mainly takes place on the ground floor although all areas of the property are available to children. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outdoor play. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time

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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 and is currently minding eight children on both a full and part time basis. The family has a pet dog. The childminder is able to support children with special educational needs and receives support from the local authority.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children play in a clean environment and follow good personal hygiene practices. They independently wash their hands after using the toilet, before eating and after messy art and craft activities. They are protected by the well thought out arrangements the childminder has in place regarding the care of sick children and administration of medicines. Meal and snack times are very sociable, with children enjoying taking an active role in their preparation. Food is generally nutritious and children are given a good level of choice. For example, when given bread or toast they are provided with a selection of spreads and they also enjoy the opportunities they receive to try different fruit and salad vegetables. Children take part in physical exercise on a very regular basis. They enjoy going to local parks and open spaces where they take part in a range of games and sports. They also make good use of the garden which has a variety of toys and equipment

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Helping children to be healthy

including garden chess, hop-scotch and ride-on toys.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from the childminder’s commitment to ensuring that their safety is considered at all times. For example, additional fencing and handrails have recently been fitted in the garden to reduce the risk of accidents and, as a result, children play with a greater level of independence. Children are also learning to keep themselves safe, they understand and abide by a number of simple rules that have been agreed by everyone in the setting. Fire safety is discussed and children take part in practise drills to ensure that they are aware of the evacuation procedures. The toys and equipment used are all clean and very well maintained and children are able to access them easily and safely. The childminder and her assistant have both attended child protection training and are confident in their abilities to recognise the possible signs of symptoms of abuse. They have all the necessary written information and contact details to report any

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

concerns. They both hold current first aid qualifications and are able to deal appropriately with accidents. All required written records are appropriately maintained.

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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 form very good relationships with the childminder and enjoy her calm, good humoured manner. They also interact well with the assistant and approach her readily for support in their activities. There is a very strong feeling of group friendship amongst the children and each individual child is relaxed and confident to express their views and opinions. All children are considerate and are very good at sharing and taking turns. The childminder and her assistant demonstrate a very good understanding of the individual needs of each of the children attending. They skilfully set out activities which provide a good level of challenge for each child. Younger children are well supported in their reading and all children enjoy learning about the wider world. For example, they are currently involved in topic work looking at the Romans. Children enjoy playing freely with the resources provided as well as taking part in a

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

wide range of planned activities. They regularly take part in role play games as well as playing with construction materials, puzzles, board games and computerised toys. The childminder and her assistant respond promptly to support children in their play by providing additional resources or one to one attention. Children are provided with many opportunities to take part in arts and crafts activities and are generally able to express themselves freely. However, the high level of adult support given during some themed activities, for example making Halloween masks, restricts children’s creativity. Despite this, children take part enthusiastically and show very good levels of concentration.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children behave extremely well and are able to play co-operatively. They often exchange good humoured banter but are respectful and supportive of each other. They listen well to the childminder’s explanations of the behaviour boundaries within the home and are very polite and well mannered. Children learn about the different cultures and traditions of people from around the world through a range of discussions and planned activities. They are supported in their learning by a range of toys aimed at reflecting positive images of people from throughout the community. Both the childminder and her assistant have experience of working with children with special needs. They are committed to ensuring the needs of all children are met. The childminder has a very positive attitude to adapting her practice to support children wherever possible. Children benefit from the positive relationships between the childminder and their

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Helping children make a positive contribution

parents. The childminder provides a very good range of written information which details all aspects of her service. In addition, information is shared during friendly

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Helping children make a positive contribution

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

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder has an NVQ level 3 qualification in play work and this is reflected in the high standard of the activities provided and the quality of the documentation and records. She skilfully manages her time and uses her assistant effectively to ensure that children are well supported and receive a good level of adult attention. As a result of this children are happy, settled and confident. Space within the home is very well used, encouraging children to move around independently and to allow a number of different activities to take place at the same time. The childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder has improved her documentation by obtaining written consent for her assistant to be left in sole charge of children during their collection from school. As a result parents are clear on the procedures within the home and are able to make an informed decision regarding the care of their children.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Concerns were raised on 21/09/2005 relating to National Standard 2: the number of children minded. National Standard 4: the space available for children to play. National Standard 6: the safety of children whilst being transported and the suitability of activities provided. An Ofsted childcare inspector made an unannounced visit on 22/09/2005. No evidence was found that National Standard 2, 4 or 6 had been breached. The provider remains qualified for registration. 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

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 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): • review the implementation of planned art and craft activities to ensure that the support given by adults does not restrict children's creativity

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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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