Conway Primary School

Inspection report for early years provision

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132800 Unique Reference Number 04 May 2006 Inspection date Beverly Anne Self Inspector

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Childcare Type of inspection Childminding Type of care

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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

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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

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 1999. She lives with her husband and 3 children aged 17 years and 9-year-old twins. They live in a detached house, on a residential estate in Peasedown-St-John, Bath and North East Somerset. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder’s house is used for childminding, and 2 children's bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of 6 children at any one time and is currently minding 5 children under 5 years during the day, and 4 children over 5 years after school. All children attend on a part-time basis. The childminder walks to and from local schools to collect children, she attends the local toddler group regularly and takes children to the local park. The family keep tropical fish.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are beginning to learn about personal hygiene, as they are encouraged to wash their hands after using the toilet. The childminder explains to the children why they wash their hands, however, hand washing routines are not consistently encouraged before snack time. Children are protected from the spread of infection through the childminder's policy of not taking sick children. Hygienic nappy changing procedures also promote children's good health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have access to a wide range of activities which promotes their physical health. Each day they walk to school, visit the local park or play outside in the garden. They use their feet to push themselves along on ride-on toys and enjoy running, walking and jumping. These activities help to develop and improve the children's large muscle skills and benefit from the fresh air.

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Helping children to be healthy

All necessary consent forms have been obtained, and records of accidents and medication administration are maintained. The childminder shares these records with parents, ensuring children's health care needs are consistently met.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder follows the wishes of parents with regard to food and drink. The children bring a packed lunch with them to the childminder's, and she provides a healthy choice for snacks throughout the day. The children sit together to enjoy the social occasion of mealtimes, helping the childminder to count how many grapes they have in their bowls.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are kept safe from hazards in the home, as the childminder has put in place a range of safety features. She has devised an emergency evacuation plan which is regularly practised with the children, helping them to learn what to do if there was a fire, and to promote their safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children play in a well maintained, child friendly environment where possible risks are recognised and reduced. This enables the children to move around independently and safely, as they easily access and choose from a wide range of toys. There is plenty of equipment which is age appropriate and meets the developmental needs of all children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder encourages the children to learn about how to keep themselves safe. When they play outside or go on outings she talks to them about safety, such as, holding hands to cross the road and always staying together so they don't get lost.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has a good knowledge of child protection procedures and has written a child protection policy which is shared with parents. She has a clear understanding of her role in the protection of children, ensuring their safety is always a priority.

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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 settle easily at the childminder’s house, they are relaxed and familiar with their surroundings. They relate well to the childminder, socialising and interacting with her. Daily routines allow the children to benefit from regular outings to the park, the local toddler group and going on the school run. These outings allow the children to learn about their local community and to experience the wider world.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder is aware and has a good understanding of children's developmental needs, and the appropriate activities to provide. She regularly plans supervised activities of art and craft for the children to take part in, however, these activities are quite adult led and the children's independence and own creativity is not always fully encouraged.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are interested, well occupied and enjoy free play, the play opportunities provided help to develop the children’s skills in all areas. They especially enjoy role play, for example, pretending to pour drinks in the play kitchen, and 'going shopping' with baskets, as they push their dolls along in a buggy. The younger children can start to link words with actions by the childminder talking about what she is doing, such as, preparing a snack and putting away the toys. The children enjoy a close relationship with the childminder, responding to her with smiles and cuddles.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children feel a sense of belonging as they are welcomed into the childminder's home. A child greets another on arrival by saying "hello" and getting her a drink. The children are pleased to see each other and enjoy each others' company. The children are involved in a daily routine, they can become aware of and learn about the boundaries that have been realistically set. The children feel secure with this knowledge and respond effectively to the childminder's praise and reassurance.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children can begin to develop an awareness of self and how they fit into their surroundings, by visiting the local toddler group, school, shops and park. They also see positive images of all diversities when using a wide range of toys and resources.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder builds a strong partnership with the parents. Information about the children's progress and events of the day are exchanged when parents collect their children, this helps to ensure consistency and continuity in the children's care. The childminder also asks parents for feedback about her provision in the form of a questionnaire. This allows parents to contribute to the care and wellbeing of their child, whilst they are in the childminder's care.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The children feel at home in the welcoming environment. The childminder ensures they are well cared for, using her good knowledge of childcare and development. She regularly attends

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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 training courses and workshops to further improve her understanding of childcare. Policies and procedures are used effectively to promote the welfare, care and learning of the children. The childminder ensures that records are regularly updated and shared with parents, and the daily exchange of information and discussion of children's progress helps contribute to the consistency of care. Well maintained adult-child ratios and daily routines help the children to feel happy and secure. The childminder organises her time with children, so they have access to a range of experiences and activities to help them make progress in all areas of development. The childminder's provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection it was recommended that the childminder organised the toys so that children had full use of the available play space, to ensure that a wide range of activities were offered to the children and to ensure that small toys were not accessible to babies. It was also recommended that the range of toys for children under 2 years was extended and that toys that showed positive images of culture and disability were increased.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Toys are now stored appropriately around the room allowing sufficient space for play, a balance of toys to pay with and supervised activities are provided throughout the day and small toys are stored out of reach when babies are in attendance. The range of toys for children under 2 years now provides suitable challenge, and resources which reflect positive images of all diversities are available. As a result, children's safety, the range of toys available and learning opportunities have been improved.

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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

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): • ensure hand washing routines are consistently applied • allow children to develop their independence during creative activities

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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 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 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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