Childcare @ Dawn to Dusk

Dawn To Dusk Club

Inspection report for early years provision

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Dawn To Dusk Club

Unique Reference Number 301898 Inspection date 10 March 2006 Inspector Kathleen Snowdon

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Dawn To Dusk Club

Setting Address Morpeth All Saints, Lancaster Park, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 3RD Telephone number 01670 513636

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E-mail

Registered person Dawn to Dusk Club Ltd Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Sessional care, Out of School care

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E-mail

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?

Dawn to Dusk Club registered in 1995 and has 88 children on roll. This includes children with special needs and children who speak English as an additional language. The group operates a playgroup, wrap-around care and an out of school club. The opening times of the out of school club are 07.30 to 09.00 and 15.30 to 18.00, Monday to Friday, during term time and holidays. The opening times for the playgroup are 09.05 to 11.35, Monday to Wednesday, during term time. Wrap-around care operates outside the hours that the playgroup and the out of school club

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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 operate, on a daily basis during term time. The setting is based in a mobile building in the grounds of All Saints Primary School, on the outskirts of Morpeth, Northumberland. There are two rooms which the children have access to, one of which is used mainly for quiet activities, such as reading and homework. The other room is for more creative and energetic activities. The hallway is also used. There are 10 members of staff to care for the children. 6 are qualified. Children attending the Out of School Club are mainly from the school during term time but children from the surrounding areas also attend during holiday time. Children from the surrounding areas attend the playgroup and the wrap around care. The setting uses the foundation stage and the Birth to three matters framework to

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

plan activities for the children who attend the playgroup. It does not receive funding for 3 and 4-year-olds. The group is well supported by the school in which it is based.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. The children benefit from a satisfactory range of snacks, such as fruit, crackers and biscuits. Snacks are presented to the children in a very basic but acceptable way. This keeps the children comfortable during their time at the setting and makes a contribution to their health and their nourishment. The children drink milk, water or sugar free juice, to promote good dental hygiene. Effective reminders from staff ensure that the children wash their hands after using the toilet and before they eat. Consequently, the children acquire good personal hygiene habits. This, alongside the sensible arrangements in place to deal with children who are ill, helps to minimise the spread of infection and common illnesses. There are good opportunities for the children to exercise. They race around the school field and the older children play group games like football or cricket. Beneficial

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Helping children to be healthy

activities like these are good for the children's health overall, promote their general fitness levels and increase their stamina. The children are becoming increasingly aware of their physical responses through spontaneous conversation with their peer group and with staff. For instance, they chat about how they perspire and breathe faster after vigorous exercise. Enjoyable games, such as Captain's Coming, ensure that the younger children have fun while they become acquainted with their body parts. During these games the children practice a range of movements. For example, they stretch, roll and pretend to climb to improve their co-ordination and their ability to control their movements.

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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 The children are learning effective ways to keep themselves safe. When they are indoors, the children are reminded to walk rather than run, for example, which teaches them how sensible behaviour contributes to staying safe. Regular fire drills, which every child on roll participates in, equip the children with the knowledge that they need to stay safe in emergencies. The children are becoming increasingly aware of security issues. They understand, for example, why the external doors must remain locked while they are in the group. They alert parents and others about carrying out daily procedures, like signing the register or the visitors' book. Staff acknowledge and praise the children's vigilance, which lets the children know how much their interest is valued. Children choose from a range of resources which are easily accessible. They play

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

with clean and well-maintained toys and equipment, and use potentially dangerous items, like scissors, safely and appropriately. The children are encouraged to return items to where they belong. This helps the children to understand how good lifestyle habits make a positive impact on the environment. The children's safety and wellbeing is further safeguarded by the staff's awareness of child-protection procedures. This protects the children from dangerous situations and harmful influences. There is a written policy which is clear and which contains sufficient detail, though some is out of date and inaccurate.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children enter the setting happily and quickly choose from the range of equipment available to them. The easily accessible equipment encourages the children to make independent choices and prompts them to exercise their initiative. The informal and relaxed daily routine gives the children scope to play with enthusiasm and energy, alone, alongside and with their peers. The younger children enjoy using their imaginations. For example, they use blocks to build large-scale structures and pretend that they are specific buildings, such as a school. They introduce small-world characters in to the game to bring their designs to life. This encourages the children's creative development. Later, when the structure is demolished, the children pretend very appropriately, that it is a scrap yard and act out the roles of people who work there. Giving the children opportunities like this, to have

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

fun and to pretend, ensures that the time they spend at the group is worthwhile and enjoyable. The children form very good relationships with the staff. Staff give the children lots of affection and attention. These relationships help the children to understand that they are valued and special and give them a sense of belonging. The children have lively and humorous conversations with their peers and with staff about a wide range of issues, including animals, exercise, friends and siblings. Such opportunities help the children to acquire good communication and social skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

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 make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The children behave well through the sensible and effective guidance that they receive from staff. They are reminded that they should share, for example, which encourages the development of positive personal qualities, such as kindness and consideration. The staff's good behaviour management technique teaches the children about boundaries and informs the way that they behave towards others. The children have access to an adequate range of resources, primarily jigsaws and books, which reflect different aspects of diversity. Occasionally, the children celebrate festivals from this and other countries. These opportunities help the children to form positive views of culture, disability religion and ethnicity. Some of the children and some of the staff use sign-language and practice speaking French, which acquaints the children with different languages and ensures that all the children feel included

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Helping children make a positive contribution

and valued. Walks within the school grounds and in the immediate locality, allow the children to observe how nature works and increase their understanding of the wider world. Partnership with parents is satisfactory. Daily discussions ensure that parents are kept informed about what their child has done during their time at the playgroup. As well as this, there is a parents notice board which holds information relating to the playgroup, the wrap-around facility and the out of school club. Photographs here identify staff and, in the case of the out-of-school club, enable parents to approach directly their child's key worker. Parents have easy access to the full set of written policies.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Essential written policies are in place and are readily available. There is no process in place to review them. Consequently, the child protection policy contains information that is inaccurate and out-of-date. Records are well organised and stored securely on site. All essential details are in place, but no parental signature has been obtained on several medication entries. Good recruitment procedures ensure that suitable staff are employed, which contributes to the children's safety and wellbeing. Firm deputising arrangements ensure that the setting continues to provide reliable care in the event of the manager's absence. Regular staff meetings help staff to identify any training needs. They undertake further training with enthusiasm. Recent courses include sign-language and basic food hygiene, which have improved the staff's awareness and understanding. There are satisfactory opportunities for the children to enjoy and achieve. Staff refer

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Organisation

to the foundation stage and to the Birth to three matters framework for ideas and guidance. The daily routine is informal and well-balanced, and gives equal weight to child-initiated and adult-directed activities. The toys and equipment that the children

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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 use are varied and appropriate, though the range of items that reflect positive images of diversity is limited. Overall, the setting meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, an action was raised relating to medication records. Parents now sign to acknowledge the completion of a course of medication given to their child. However, further improvement is needed as parental signatures are not obtained to account for every day that medication is given.

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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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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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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): • obtain parental signature to account for every day that medication has been given to a child. • increase the amount of resources which reflect positive images of diversity • review and update written policies to ensure that they are accurate and up-to-date.

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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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