Horsforth School

Project

Inspection report for early years provision

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Project

Unique Reference Number 137775 Inspection date 13 June 2006 Inspector Deborah Wilkinson

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Project

Setting Address Gladstone Park Primary School, Sherrick Green Road, London, NW10 1LB Telephone number 020 8930 3837

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E-mail

Registered person Joan McFarlane Type of inspection Childcare Type of 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 inadequate - enforcement action. The registered person does not meet the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Children Making a Change After School Project which has been registered for seven years operates at William Gladstone Park Primary School in Brent and provides a service for children attending the school. The project is registered to provide 24 places for children aged between 4 and 8 years, children over the age of 8 also attend. There are currently 12 children aged under 8 on roll.

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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 The project supports children with English as an additional language and special educational needs although currently none attend. The after school club is open five days a week during term times from 3:00 to 18:00 There are four members of staff working with the children. The manager holds an Pre School Alliance diploma in pre school care, however, the other staff are unqualified. Two staff hold current first aid certificates. This setting receives support from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are provided with a selection of healthy and nutritious snacks when they arrive at the group after school. They enjoy the pitta bread which they eat with cheese or humus and finish their tea with fresh fruit. Water is always available if they are thirsty. Sometimes children participate in cooking activities. They make simple food including pizzas or fruit salad and enjoy eating the finished product. Staff talk with the children about the foods they eat and discuss the benefits of not having too much salt or sugar. Children learn about good hygiene practice through the daily routine which includes washing their hands at appropriate times. Children benefit from staff following procedures to prevent the spread of infections, such as cleaning tables before and after children eat. There are procedures for the administration of medication and reporting of accidents although some accident records are inaccurate. Two members

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Helping children to be healthy

of staff have current first aid certificates. Children have opportunities for fresh air and vigorous play when they use the outdoor play area.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is inadequate. Children are secure within the premises which provide adequate space for them to play and move around easily. The hall used is large and bright and children have access to the playground where they do outdoor activities. Staff supervise carefully and younger children are always accompanied when they move around the building. Children use resources that are clean and well maintained. Children's safety is compromised due to ineffective organisation. The records for staff are unavailable so it is not possible to confirm that the required checks have been completed. For one member of staff who was observed taking children to the library,

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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 CRB check is still in process. This puts children at high risk as they are in the sole charge of an adult whose suitability is not confirmed. Staff share the responsibility for ensuring that the premises are safe. However, there are no written assessments to confirm that they carry out regular checks and that any identified hazards are dealt with effectively. Children are not aware of the fire evacuation procedures as no drill has been completed within the past six months. Children's welfare is protected by the staff's knowledge and understanding of issues surrounding child protection.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is inadequate. Children use the limited activities that are provided for the latter part of the session. They build with the Lego and chat with a member of staff as they use the play dough. While staff join children as they use these resources, in one area children are not engaged in conversation about what they are doing or encouraged to play co-operatively. As a result they play in isolation, losing interest and leaving the activity. Children have limited opportunities to choose what they want to do. During the first part of the session they all spend 45 minutes in the school library. The two members of staff who are with them read with individuals while the rest of the children are in small groups, reading or chatting. Children become bored and restless and some wander about the room aimlessly. Children have few opportunities to select their own equipment due to the way in which it is stored. Activities are set out by staff and children can ask if they want to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

use a particular piece of equipment. Staff report that children enjoy playing outside, using the footballs, skipping ropes, hoops and basket balls when the weather is dry.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is inadequate. Children learn about other cultures when they celebrate different festivals for example Diwali or Christmas. Staff also introduce different foods in cooking activities. However the diverse makeup of the group of children attending is not visually apparent within the resources provided. Children's behaviour is good and they respond well to staff when asked to do something, for example, lining up to go and wash their hands. However some staff do not use appropriate or acceptable methods to manage children's behaviour, gaining their attention by speaking in a loud or inappropriate way. This appears to subdue the children, the quiet, sociable chatter stops and children remain silent as they leave the hall to wash and when, on their return they wait to find out about the activities. Children benefit from the regular exchange of verbal information between staff and their parents about issues relating to their behaviour, health and well being. News

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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 letters are sent to update parents on activities and there is a notice board which is a useful reference point, although not all the information displayed is accurate.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. The after school club is currently without a manager a role which the company Project Co-ordinator is filling. Weaknesses in the organisation result in a failure to ensure that there is evidence to show that the required suitability checks have been completed on staff. The requirement for at least fifty percent of the staff to have a recognised qualification is not met. Systems to monitor staff practice are not securely in place, as a result some staff act in an inappropriate way. All of these issues significantly contribute to children's safety and welfare being compromised. The Project Co-ordinator is aware of the areas of weakness and is looking for training courses. The activities provided are limited and the organisation of the session offers the children few opportunities to make independent choices about what they would like to do. Systems to record the attendance of children and staff are in place and

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Organisation

comprehensive registration forms are completed. However, not all the information available to parents is accurate. Confidential records are not stored in a secure way. Overall, the setting does not meet the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Limited progress has been made in addressing the actions raised at the last inspection, as a result some of the issues remain as areas for improvement. Children will benefit from the improvements that have been implemented. Those needing first aid will receive the correct treatment as two members of staff have a first aid qualification. Systems to record the attendance of staff and children are in place and the required ratios are met. Children's safety is compromised in several areas. The required staff records are unavailable, so confirmation that the suitability checks have been completed cannot be confirmed. No records are available of the risk assessments completed on the premises and fire drills have not been carried out during the last six months. There is still no facility to store confidential documents securely. Children still do not have access to a wide range of activities and the opportunities for

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Improvements since the last inspection

them to make independent choices are limited due to the way in which resources are stored.

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Improvements 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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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.

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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 inadequate - enforcement action. The registered person does not meet the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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The quality and standards of the care

Ofsted is taking enforcement action to safeguard the welfare of children.

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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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