Wedmore After School Club

Wedmore After School Care Club

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Wedmore After School Care Club

Unique Reference Number 511566 Inspection date 22 June 2006 Inspector Elaine Douglas

p.1

Wedmore After School Care Club

Setting Address Wedmore First School, Wedmore, Somerset, BS28 4BS

p.1

E-mail

Registered person Sharon Crandon Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Out of School care

p.1

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

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

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.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Wedmore After School Care Club is a privately owned after-school club and holiday playscheme. It opened in April 2003 and operates from Wedmore First School school hall, one classroom, playground, playing field and swimming pool. The club serves children from the First School and other local schools. A maximum of 24 children may attend the group at any one time. The group opens five afternoons a week during school term-times. Sessions are from 15.25 until 17.30. The playscheme operates each school holiday from 08.30 until 17.30. There are currently 58 children from four to 13 years on roll. Children attend for a

p.2

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 variety of sessions. The setting offers support to children with learning difficulties. Eight members of staff work with the children. Of these, four hold appropriate level three early years qualifications. One member of staff is working towards a level three qualification.

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health is extremely well promoted through healthy eating. They choose from a variety of nutritional snacks, such as breadsticks, pitta bread and dips, carrots, cucumber and a variety of fruits. Children are able to help themselves to a drink at any time throughout the session. Information is sought from parents on their child's dietary requirements. Children have daily opportunities to play outside and engage in physical activities. They play football, tennis, skipping, and can use the school adventure playground for balancing and climbing. During the summer term and the holiday playscheme, the children have the opportunity to use the school's plunge pool for swimming. Children's health is protected by very good first-aid procedures. A good supply of hygienic equipment is easily accessible and an effective system is used to check the contents are maintained. Staff use gloves to serve food and tables are cleaned.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

However, some children are not developing good hygiene practices, as they do not all wash their hands prior to eating their snack.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are kept very safe, through good systems effectively implemented by staff and the children. Children sign themselves in on arrival, supervised by a member of staff and the register is taken at the beginning of the session. Parents sign their children out on departure. The youngest children are collected from their classroom and escorted to the club. If staff are informed that a child will not be attending then this is followed up to gain confirmation from parents. Good written procedures are used as a working document for staff supervising swimming. Very good risk assessments are carried out daily and excellent supervision ensures children are always safe. Children select from a good range of developmentally appropriate toys and resources, these are regularly checked to ensure they remain in good condition. Some low-level storage allows children to access further resources safely. Children

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

have very good space to play both inside and outside, and during the playscheme they have access to further safe provision within the school. Children's welfare is safeguarded through the staff's good knowledge of child

p.3

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 protection issues, confidentiality and reporting concerns. Good documentation and support through the school is available for further guidance for staff. Children learn to take care of their own safety through taking part in regular fire drills; they understand that whistles are a sign of an emergency and not to be used in games. However, the emergency evacuation procedures do not include taking children's contact numbers, in the event of not being able to re-enter the premises.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy a good range of activities and games. Staff plan around the different interests of the children attending, consequently, children are very happily engaged as they choose which activities to take part in. They are able to be active or quiet, according to their own needs. The free-flow system allows children to make decisions about being inside or outside. Good systems ensure all the children who wish to take part in an activity are able to do so. Children are confident in their relationships with staff and benefit from good interaction. Staff listen and respond well to them, supporting their play. Children enjoy a range of creative activities, such as playdough, face painting and creating their own designs by colouring squared paper. Children who attend the holiday play schemes take part in a range of planned activities. For example, they take part in cooking, art and craft such as making lambs

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

from yoghurt pots and pom-poms, air-hockey, pool, swimming and hama beads.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are happy and relaxed within the environment. They are confident and enjoy their time at the group. They independently move around the premises to make decisions about how they spend their time. Consequently, they are extremely well-behaved, share, take turns and are polite. Children are valued and their ideas respected. They have a book in which they can put down any suggestions. Staff have used this to purchase resources suggested by the children and improve practice. For example, when children asked for an improvement in the snacks, staff reviewed the provision and now provide a wide variety of nutritional foods. Children learn about other people's differences through positive discussions and celebrating festivals. However, there are limited resources to provide positive images of people with disabilities. Children with learning difficulties or disabilities are well

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

supported through good liaison with the school and parents. Equipment and activities are checked for suitability and adapted when necessary. Children's welfare and individual needs are well met through good communication with parents. Parents are provided with good information on the provision and the availability of policies and procedures. Regular newsletters keep parents informed of

p.4

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 any changes or forthcoming events. Parents have good opportunities to speak to staff on a daily basis.

p.4

Organisation

The organisation is good. Children benefit from the very good deployment of staff, who have a daily rota with written responsibilities to ensure all areas are covered. Children's care and welfare is promoted through good procedures. Most of these are clearly written to share with staff and parents. Children are cared for by suitably qualified and experienced staff. All staff are checked to ensure their suitability. However, the recruitment and induction procedures are not in writing, and therefore do not ensure consistency in ensuring rigorous systems. Regular supervision with the manager identifies staffs developmental needs and ensures good teamwork. There is a shared commitment to evaluating practice and updating their knowledge. Children's records are well organised and effectively used to provide appropriate care. The setting meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the group were asked to devise a procedure for lost children, practise the emergency evacuation procedures and ensure procedures to follow if an allegation was to be made against members staff were included in the child protection statement. Since that inspection, the group have devised written procedures to be followed in the event of a child being lost and procedures to be followed if an allegation was made against a member of staff. This ensures that parents are aware of the procedures that would be followed and any member of staff would consistently follow the appropriate procedures to protect children's welfare. The emergency evacuation procedures are now practised once every half term and during every holiday playscheme. The procedures are frequently discussed with the children. This ensures that children and staff are aware of their own responsibilities in evacuating the

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

premises, and that the procedures work in practice.

p.5

Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted 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.

p.5

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.5

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 quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

p.5

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 children's awareness of healthy practices, with regard to hand washing prior to eating • review the fire procedures to ensure parents can be contacted in the event of an emergency evacuation • increase activities and resources which provide positive images of people with disabilities • write the recruitment and induction procedures to ensure consistency

p.6

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

p.6

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

p.6