Panagakis, Kate

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 318983 Inspection date 27 April 2006 Inspector Kathleen Snowdon

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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 registered in 1994. She is currently registered to care for three children under 8-years-old and has current part-time childminding arrangements for four children aged 11-months, 1, 2 and 4-years-old. Her home is close to all facilities including schools, shops and leisure facilities. She lives with her husband, who is also a registered childminder, her father and two daughters, aged 10 and 12-years-old. Childminding takes place in all the rooms downstairs. Outdoor play takes place in a

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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 large secure rear garden, while access to upstairs is restricted to use of the toilet and two bedrooms, where young children and babies sleep. The childminder is a member of The National Childminding Association. She supports children who speak English as an additional language.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. There are excellent opportunities for the children to exercise. For example, they run around freely in the childminder's very well maintained back garden and go for daily walks. They crawl and walk from room to room with confidence and growing skill. The children thoroughly enjoy using a wide range of equipment, such as hoops, slides, see-saws and bicycles. These experiences are highly beneficial to the children's physical development and help to teach them that exercise is fun. Very sensible arrangements are in place to deal with children who are ill. Alongside this, the standard of hygiene within the childminder's home is impeccable. Timely reminders from the childminder prompt the children to wash their hands regularly, especially after using the toilet and before eating. These factors help to prevent the spread of infection and common illnesses, which makes a valuable contribution to the

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Helping children to be healthy

children's overall good health. Older children relish eating their packed lunches and babies enjoy bottles that are prepared for them at home. In addition, the childminder provides appetising and nutritious snacks, such as fruit, crackers and sandwiches and ensures that the children drink enough water. Occasionally the children eat delicious Greek dishes, made expertly by the childminder's husband. This helps the children to form a positive approach to food and eating and provides them with the nourishment that they need in order to grow and develop as they should.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Outstanding practices are teaching the children effective ways to stay safe. For example, the childminder discusses, plans and practices monthly fire drills with the children. As a result the older children know how to contact the emergency services, which enables them to get appropriate help in a crisis. They learn valuable lessons about priorities, when they talk with the childminder about factors to be considered during an evacuation, such as whether to take favourite toys or not. These excellent opportunities equip the children with the knowledge that they need to survive dangerous situations. The childminder makes frequent checks on sleeping children. In addition, good use is made of a monitor to ensure that the children remain safe and well as they rest. A

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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 very good range of safety equipment, such as a fire blanket, socket covers and carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, make the childminder's home as safe as it possibly can be. As well as this, all the rooms that the children use are very well organised with ample floor space. This helps the children to remain safe on a day-to-day basis. The children are learning about potential hazards in the environment, such as traffic and over exposure to sunlight. For example, when they go for daily walks they are taught about the importance of wearing reins and wrist restraints to avoid accidents on the road. The children automatically reach for sun hats before they play outside when the sun is shining. This, alongside the childminder's vigilant supervision and very good awareness of child-protection issues, keeps the children safe from

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

potentially harmful situations and influences.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. The childminder forms superb relationships with children, who flourish in the wonderful atmosphere in the childminder's home. Consequently, the children are confident, extremely happy and very secure. This helps them to make very good progress in all areas of their development. An outstanding selection of toys and craft materials is readily accessible to the children. The choice is so good that the potential for children to enjoy themselves and achieve is huge. They dress-up and pretend, sing and dance, paint, build and make models with junk. These excellent play experiences enable the children to practice design skills, use their imaginations and express their creativity. The children really enjoy visiting places in and around the local community, such as museums, parks and farms. They particularly like to go to the library, where they love to handle, look at and read the books. These excellent opportunities acquaint the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children with the wider world and encourage the development of literacy and other intellectual skills.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The children are very well behaved through the highly effective strategies that the childminder uses. Her sensitive and gentle guidance steer the children in the right direction and teach them how to behave. Consequently, the children understand boundaries and are developing positive personal qualities, such as respect and good social skills, such as politeness. The children have very good opportunities to learn about diversity. For example, they see wall posters and play with jigsaws and small-world toys which show positive views of disability and gender. They listen to music and taste food traditionally associated with this and other countries. Children who speak English as an additional

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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 language are very well supported and encouraged to speak in their first language as well as in English. This gives the other children first-hand experience of another language and helps them to form positive views about culture and ethnicity. Partnership with parents is excellent. Parents have highly positive views about the childminder and the service she provides, which they describe as second to none. Daily discussions keep parents up-to-date with their child's progress and experiences, while questionnaires give them the opportunity to express their views and opinions. A set of written policies is available for parents to read through should they wish to. Contracts are used to set out clearly the expectations of both parties, which creates a good working relationship between parents and the childminder.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Very well organised records are readily available and stored securely. They contain all essential information and are reviewed twice a year to keep them up-to-date and accurate. The registration certificate is displayed prominently to enable parents to scrutinise the details. The childminder is experienced, committed and well-informed. She participates in relevant training courses, such as equality and diversity, to raise her awareness and to increase her understanding. She provides excellent play opportunities for young children. She is currently focussing on the Birth to three matters framework to further enhance her work with children under 3-years-old. The children's safety and well-being is of paramount importance to her. Consequently, they are extremely well protected. The childminder works alongside her husband, who is also a registered childminder. Their practice is inextricably linked yet both bring qualities to it that are unique to

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Organisation

them as individuals. In this case, the childminder teaches the children to place high value on others, for example, when she reminds them during fire drills that it is people, not things that are important. This very good guidance helps the children to become well-balanced and caring individuals. Overall, the childminder meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. 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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Complaints 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

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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): • continue implementing the Birth to three matters framework to support children in their earliest years.

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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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