Greencroft Business and Enterprise Community School

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 114292 Inspection date 19 December 2005 Inspector Janet Marie Thouless

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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 was registered in 1995. She lives with her husband and two school age children in Horsham, West Sussex. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's home is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The childminder is registered to care for five children at any one time and is currently minding six children, all of whom attend on a full and part-time basis. The childminder attends local toddler groups, soft play areas and takes the children

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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 to local parks and places of interest. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. (NCMA)

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Good standards of cleanliness protect the children from illness and infection. Accident and medication records are well maintained, and the childminder holds a current first aid certificate, which enables her to care for children appropriately. Good hygiene is promoted through the children's daily routines. However, the use of the same hand towel could compromise the children health concerning cross infection. The children are well nourished and receive healthy snacks, meals and regular drinks. The childminder provides varied and nutritionally balanced food each day, made from fresh ingredients. Those children who cannot be persuaded to enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables in their daily diet, are still able to benefit from their nourishment through innovative ideas, such as blending vegetables into a sauce to include the recommended five portions per day. The children enjoy participating in a range of activities that contribute to good health

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Helping children to be healthy

and a sense of well-being. They enjoy throwing and catching games, use the climbing frame and wheeled toys to develop co-ordination, control and physical skills. They go for walks around the local community visiting local parks and soft play centres.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The children are cared for in an environment where risks are identified and minimised. They are encouraged to follow good practice to keep safe, such as the importance of staying together when on outings and being sensible and listening to instruction to minimise risk and ensure safety. The children confidently select from a very good range of safe, good quality and developmentally appropriate resources. Those resources are made easily accessible to the children in floor standing containers and low-level cupboards. The children know to ask for help when necessary, for example, to locate particular resources. The childminder supervises the children's choice of resources to ensure they are safe and age appropriate. The children are well protected, because the childminder understands her role in child protection. She has sound knowledge of the local area child protection procedures and has attended relevant training.

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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 outstanding. The children thrive in the childminder's care, because she has an excellent understanding of their developmental needs. Activities and resources are very well planned and presented to meet individual children's stage of development and learning. Through her dedication, the children gain the full benefit of the play opportunities provided. The children eagerly learn through interesting and practical play opportunities, such as the wide range of craft activities on offer. They have access to an excellent range of craft materials, such as textured paper, writing materials and utensils. The children enjoy making Christmas trees, with the older children making detailed decorations for the tree. They enjoy tile painting, drawing Reindeers and Christmas trees and take these home as presents for family members. They use their imaginations in role play and construct with confidence when using the Duplo train set. The children develop a

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

healthy interest in books; they listen with excitement and confidently share their own thoughts on the story line. They delight in looking at photos and converse with each other recent outings and events. The children gain in independence and self-esteem, as they select and construct activities for themselves. They are valued as individuals and the childminder takes into account each child's ability and needs. The children are sociable, happy, have fun and enjoy quality time with the childminder.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The children benefit greatly from the good partnership the childminder has with their parents. The children's needs are effectively met because the childminder values each child, makes them feel important and treats them as an individual. The children's additional needs are identified and supported extremely well, because the childminder gets to know the children and their families very well. The parents are kept fully informed about their children's care and progress through detailed information recorded in daily diaries. The childminder manages behaviour calmly and appropriately to the children's level of understanding, which enables them to know exactly what is expected of them. She sets clear boundaries and strategies, which are agreed with the parents and help the children to distinguish between right and wrong. The children become aware of a wider society and learn to respect diversity through

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Helping children make a positive contribution

carefully planned activities and topics. For example, they celebrate festivals using well-chosen books and resources and through outings into the local community.

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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 The organisation is good. Well planned daily routines ensure that the children feel at home. They are engaged and well occupied with stimulating play and learning opportunities. The childminder has attended relevant childcare workshops, to ensure her knowledge is kept fully up to date. She supervises the children well at all times, to ensure they are protected from visitors. The children's health, safety and well being is promoted, because the required documentation is in place. She displays her registration certificate when childminding and has a clear understanding of the requirements of her registration. Detailed written policies are available and shared with the parents, to keep them informed about the provision. The childminder's highly professional approach and regard for the welfare of the children, ensures the provision meets the needs of the

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Organisation

range of children for whom she provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection, the provider has improved contact details by including both parents to ensure the welfare of the children.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since registration. The childminder 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 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): • lower the risk of cross infection by improving hand drying facilities.

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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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