Hopscotch Kids Club

Hopscotch Kids Club

Inspection report for early years provision

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Hopscotch Kids Club

Unique Reference Number EY316911 Inspection date 02 May 2006 Inspector Nicola Mary Eileen Matthews

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Hopscotch Kids Club

Setting Address Heathlands Primary School, New Church Road, West Bergholt, Colchester, Essex, CO6 3JF Telephone number 01206 240288 E-mail admin@heathlands.essex.sch.uk Registered person Gillian Alayne Sims Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Out of School care

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Hopscotch Kids Club

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 satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Hopscotch Kids Club is an out of school club which is privately owned. It opened in 2005 and operates from the Lilac Suite in Heathlands Primary School. It is situated West Bergholt, near Colchester. A maximum of 24 children may attend the out of school club at anyone time. The out of school club is open each week day from 08:00 until 09:00 and 15:00 until 18:00, school term time only. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area. There are currently 45 children from 4 to under 10 years on roll. Children come from Heathlands Primary School. The out of school club currently supports a number of

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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 children with special educational needs and who speak English as an additional language. The out of school club employs five staff. There are three of the staff, including the supervisor, who hold appropriate early years qualifications. There are no staff working towards a qualification.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children's health is well-maintained as both staff and children practise good hygiene procedures when preparing snacks. They are cared for in a clean and well-kept environment. Children know they must wash their hands after toileting and before eating and the adults clean the tables prior to snack time which helps to prevent cross infection. Children's allergic reactions to foodstuff are met as staff are aware of the correct procedures to follow to administer the appropriate medication. However, the recording of medication administered is not always completed which compromises children's health. Children who are sick whilst at the club or have an infectious illness are not prevented from infecting others, who attend, as there is no clear policy in place. Children are given healthy snacks which are mainly made up of sandwiches and fruit. They are given a drink at snack time. However, they cannot always access fresh

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Helping children to be healthy

drinking water during the session to quench their thirst especially after playing energetically outdoors or in the school hall. Children enjoy physical activities outdoors when the weather permits to develop their balance and coordination. For example, as they participate in a game of football, throw the Frisbee and use a skipping rope.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a mostly safe environment indoors however, some hazards have not been minimised as there is no regular risk assessment conducted. They can leave the play room unsupervised which compromises their safety. Children play outdoors in a safe environment as the staff have thought carefully about the safety of the large equipment outside and made this out of bounds. Children can safely access the play resources which are kept in good order and can be easily and safely accessed from the low level cupboards. They are able to sit in a large group at snack time as there are ample chairs and tables. Children benefit from the use of an appropriate adjustable office chair when playing on the computer.

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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 Children's welfare is maintained as staff have knowledge of the local safe guarding of children procedures. However, there is no clear policy or procedures to follow in the club should a child raise concerns or allegations are made against a member of staff which compromises children's safety.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children enjoy being at the out of school club. They are able to follow their own interests such as playing football or pretending to be spies. Children use their own initiative when deciding who will be in a team or how they will imaginatively catch others. They mostly choose what they want to play with and have a range of play resources indoors and outdoors to support their needs. Children play with resources that are appropriate for their ages. They can access a computer and several games which develops their hand to eye coordination and computer skills. Children participate in art and craft activities. They make snow flakes by persevering to cut out a pattern in the folded paper and then show delight with their efforts when they unfold it. Children are creative with paints and are able to represent their own ideas using attractive metallic colours which add more interest in

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

the activity. Children are making friendships at the club. Older children play with younger ones negotiating roles in imaginative play sharing and taking turns with the resources. Children's behaviour is managed well to help reinforce some boundaries. For example, explaining to the younger ones that they must not go over near the large wooden apparatus as it is not safe.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are developing an understanding of similarities and differences in others as they play with and alongside each other. They have limited opportunities to handle resources that show positive images of a multicultural society and rarely participate in a range of cultural activities. Children do celebrate their own culture as they participate in sharing out goodies on their birthday and have their special day's date displayed on the wall. Children are able to make choices in their play and what to eat at snack time which fosters their independence. They take control of their play and the adults sensitively supervise and wait to be invited to participate. Children are learning about social competencies as they spontaneously say please and thank you. However, they are not encouraged to develop their own positive statements of how they would like to be treated and should behave towards each other which results in some negative

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Helping children make a positive contribution

behaviour emerging such as name calling. Children with special needs are welcomed into the club and benefit from consistency

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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 of carers as some work in the school. However, they are not encouraged to take an active part in their play as their interests are not supported well which does not promote their sense of belonging. Children's parents are informed of the expectations of the club in the contract they sign. They see the routine their child follows by looking at the poster on the notice board. Children's parents complete a personal detail form which provides the adults with clear information of the child's needs. However, they receive limited information about policies and procedures that are required to ensure the smooth running of the setting. The staff work well with parents to meet individual children's medical needs to ensure their health is well-maintained. Information about the child's time in the club

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Helping children make a positive contribution

is informally passed on when parents come to collect.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children benefit from a well-organised room and large outdoor area to support their play needs. The staff have completed all the necessary checks to ensure they are suitable to work with young children. The standard of recording children's attendance is well-maintained. However, other documentation necessary for the smooth running of the setting is very limited. The policies and procedures are either very basic or not in place for example, the child protection statement and a lost child policy. Children benefit from a work force that has experience in child care and working with school age children. This enables children to experience a suitable range of activities to support their play needs. Staff are encouraged to attend training such as, safe guarding children which ensures the children's welfare is paramount. Overall the children's needs are met.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since 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

The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets

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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 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 medication administered is recorded and parents asked to countersign the records • ensure a regular risk assessment is conducted, this refers to unused socket covers, the toilet door lock, fire safety and the security of the exit door • encourage children to behave respectfully towards each other • ensure children with special educational needs have access to a range of play opportunities to promote their development • develop all the necessary policies and procedures required to maintain the safety, health and welfare of the children, ensuring they reflect current legislation and are shared with the parents.

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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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