Pontybrenin Primary School

Inspection report for early years provision

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400937 Unique Reference Number 20 October 2005 Inspection date Mandy Black Inspector

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Integrated Type of inspection Childminding Type of care

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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.

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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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder has been registered since September 1997. She lives with her husband and children aged 13 and 16 years, in the village of Redmire in Wensleydale. The family home is semi detached with an enclosed garden to the front of the house. Family pets include two dogs, two guinea pigs, a rabbits, fish and turtles. Children are collected from primary schools in Leyburn. The childminder is registered for six children under 8 years when working alone, and up to 11 children at any one time when working with her co childminder. They currently have 17 children under eight years on roll, of which two are receiving nursery education funding. The childminder receives support for her educational provision from the local authority, she is a member of the National Childminding Association and is the deputy chairperson of the local branch of the Pre School Learning Alliance.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

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.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are protected from the risk of cross contamination through well implemented health and hygiene policies. This includes good support for children when washing their hands and using the toilet. Children learn successfully about the importance of keeping warm when they go outside, and older children are encouraged to take responsibility for helping to dress themselves as they put on their own shoes.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder provides a varied, well balanced range of nutritious cooked lunches each day, and also healthy snacks such as raisins, bread sticks, apricots and fresh fruit. This ensures children are well nourished. Children can freely access their drinks in easily recognisable cups and milk, juice or water is offered in accordance with parental choice. Older children learn effectively about what constitutes a healthy diet through a game, which categorises the types of food they need to eat.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy physical activity and take part in daily outdoor activities in the large, well equipped garden. They positively benefit from being outdoors in the fresh air, experience regular outings and visits to local parks. During poor weather they enjoy music and movement sessions indoors. Children develop their fine motor skills as they draw, complete jigsaws, roll conkers in paint and hold paintbrushes properly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children thrive in a very welcoming, secure and safe indoor and outdoor environment. They play in a very warm, clean and attractive playroom, with children's art work and photos on the walls, as well as impressive displays showing their current topic, which is transport. All of this helps to increase children's sense of belonging and supports their learning. Furniture and equipment is arranged sensibly to maximise opportunities, giving children plenty of room to play and enabling younger ones to toddle about safely.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are well supervised and protected from potential hazards due to the safety equipment, such as fire guards and safety gates that are securely in place. They are kept very safe on outings because the childminder carries out written risk assessments. She works with her co childminder to plan together, which ensures agreed responsibilities and highlights potential hazards.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

A range of very suitable and safe equipment is provided for all children. Excellent resources that positively reflect diversity such as books, ethnic dolls and small world resources, are used well. Children receive appropriate challenge. For example, different levels of jigsaw, from lift out pieces, progressing to more complex types with smaller pieces, are used to ensure children can make progress. All resources are safe, clean and easily accessible to all children, they are regularly rotated from a large supply to ensure variety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

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. Children are well protected because the childminder understands her role in child protection and is able to put appropriate procedures into practice when necessary. She does not, however, have a copy of the local guidance to support her in this.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children successfully develop confidence and self-esteem because the childminder helps children to feel good about themselves through her constant encouragement and praise. She comments on how well particular children are behaving and how she is very impressed with them when on an outing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children show interest in what they do, for example, all children are very enthusiastic about a painting activity. Some effectively use conkers and paint for marbling, whilst younger children clearly enjoy the experience of paint on their hands and initiate their own hand painting instead.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Further activities provided to interest children, as well as increasing their knowledge of nature and the local area, including visits to Wensleydale Creamery, Hazel Brow farm and a local gamekeeper. Children have great fun and develop new skills as they make butter, milk goats and learn how to handle baby pheasants.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children ask questions freely, for example, 'Where is the big doggy?' as they visit 'Wallace and Gromit' during an outing, 'Can we have an ice cream?' and 'I like tomatoes, can I have one?'. All children of varying ages, play well together because they are encouraged by the childminder to support and interact with each other. Children approach her easily and naturally, which shows that relationships are warm and caring.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

She clearly knows the children well, is extremely familiar with the requirements of the National Standards, the Foundation stage of learning, and works well with her co childminder to plan appropriate activities to promote outcomes for children. She has not yet put recent knowledge gained through training, into practice, to develop planning and activities for young children, by using the Birth to three matters framework.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Children confidently initiate interactions with others, shown well as one child tells the inspector all about the Thomas the Tank train he is playing with, and how it works. Children demonstrate good flexibility and enthusiasm to a big change in their usual routine, as they visit 'Wallace and Gromit' at the Wensleydale Creamery. They enjoy games and activities as well as giving Wallace and Gromit big, affectionate hugs. Children show care and concern as they delicately replace mini beasts back into their own habitats after looking at them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They listen to stories with increasing attention and recall; children are clearly very familiar with a story they're listening to and demonstrate this by pre-empting the next words. Children use talk to explain what is happening in their play. For example, 'Look at my aeroplane flying in the sky, I need to land it and it needs to be washed'. Children willingly attempt to count up to five when reading 'Thesaurus Rex' together, and use some number names accurately in their play. They put a numbered car into a correct number space, and sing songs such as 'Five little

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

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. ducks' and 'Ten in the bed'. Children are beginning to show an interest in number problems; they count the number of children for snack and then count out the required number of bowls. This is well supported by the childminder, who encourages children to develop their skills. Children use size language frequently in their play as they talk about big trains and little conkers.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

They show a good awareness of change as they make butter by shaking the milk in the required receptacle, following instruction from the childminder. Children take great delight in finding out about past and present events in the lives of people they know, as they look together with the childminder at photos of recent activities, such as using a hosepipe to wash toy cars. They show an interest in and ask questions about where they live. The childminder talks to them about the local Wensleydale Railway and how they travelled on a train. Children recognise road signs and talk about the purpose of traffic lights. Children successfully learn about the importance of keeping clean and washing, as they bath dolls, and they talk about the need for warm clothing in cold weather as they select what they need when getting ready to go outside.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children respond well to rhythm, music and stories by means of gesture and movement, and they learn new ways to dance to music from Australia and Bali. They are developing some control over their developing throwing and catching skills as they access the equipment in the 'Top Start' bag. They climb on larger equipment as they take part in mini assault courses in the garden, set up by the childminder. Children correctly identify the colours orange, red and yellow as they select paint for conker printing, and choose a purple apron. They sing familiar songs such as 'Baa baa black sheep' well, and use musical instruments, such as shakers and bells, with great enthusiasm to accompany them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are clearly making progress in relation to their starting points, although parents are not sufficiently involved at this stage. Their developmental records are based on ongoing observations and assessments, and these are regularly evaluated.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are well cared for by the childminder who works very effectively with parents to meet individual children’s needs. This includes discussions about children's dietary and sleep requirements, obtaining consent for outings, taking photos and successfully exchanging information about children's care each day. Children with special needs receive appropriate support.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is satisfactory in regard to those children receiving nursery education funding. Parents of new children are not sufficiently involved with the childminder when she is assessing children's starting points, and they are not adequately informed about the Foundation stage of learning. They are however, freely encouraged to view their children's developmental files at anytime.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

A written complaints policy is shared with parents but needs to be revised in line with recent changes in requirements. In addition to this, a complaints record must be introduced, which should also be shared freely with parents, link to the National Standards and be kept up to date.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

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. Children understand responsible behaviour and behave well because the childminder has appropriate strategies in place to manage behaviour. She uses lots of distraction for younger children whilst clear explanations are given to older children. Behaviour is always managed calmly and quietly. Children play well together and are actively encouraged by the childminder to share toys and to consider the feelings of others. For example, she says to them, 'Why don't we take turns with Thomas so we can all have a go?'.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder ensures that children have access to a range of very suitable resources and activities to promote diversity and develop an understanding of the wider community. This is shown as the children celebrate cultural and religious festivals such as Easter, St David's Day, and Diwali. Children take part in exciting and interesting activities in the local community such as Hazel Brow farm and the Wensleydale Creamery. Children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is fostered.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are well protected and cared for by the childminder who has secure knowledge and understanding of child development. She has attended all mandatory training in addition to a level three childcare qualification and many other relevant courses. She clearly has a high regard for the well-being of all children and works well together with her co childminder to provide high quality care. They have created a well organised, attractive environment where children can play and learn happily, and become independent as they freely access resources. Overall the childminding service meets the needs of the range of children for whom care is provided.

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Organisation

Both childminder's take responsibility for different tasks during the day such as preparing snacks, setting up activities and taking children to the toilet, which ensures that children are always well supervised and ratios are maintained. Policies and procedures work well in practice to promote positive outcomes for children. For example, positive methods of managing behaviour are always used, as detailed in her policy.

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Organisation

The childminder ensures all documentation is well organised and up to date. Her certificate of registration is not on display which is a mandatory requirement. She maintains a high level of confidentiality which reassures parents.

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Organisation

Children receiving education funding benefit positively from the support the childminder receives from the Local authority childminding development worker. She visits regularly and offers advice to ensure that children continue to make good progress towards the early learning goals.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection, the childminder has continued to enhance her knowledge and understanding in many various aspects of childcare, and further develop her childminding service for all children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

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. She has attended training which includes the foundation stage of learning, planning and assessment, the Birth to three matters framework, managing behaviour, working with parents and providing an anti bias curriculum. She continues to be well supported by the local authority childminding development worker who regularly monitors her educational provision.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection.

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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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE AND NURSERY EDUCATION

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 AND NURSERY EDUCATION

The quality and standards of the nursery education are good.

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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): • develop planning for young children by using the Birth to three matters framework • revise the complaints policy for parents and introduce a complaints record, in order to meet the new registration requirements • ensure that the childminder's certificate of registration is displayed for parents.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

To improve the quality and standards of nursery education further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • provide opportunities for parents to be actively involved in their children's learning and the assessment process.

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The quality and standards of the nursery education

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 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.

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