St Mary's Out of School Care

St Mary's Out of School Care

Inspection report for early years provision

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St Mary's Out of School Care

EY338405 Unique Reference Number 06 December 2006 Inspection date Patricia Joan Latham Inspector

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St Mary's Out of School Care

St Mary's C of E Primary School, School Lane, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, HP7 0EL

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Setting Address

01494 734 251 Telephone number lynne.dell@buckshosp.nhs.uk E-mail Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust Registered person Childcare Type of inspection Out of School care Type of care

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Setting Address

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?

St Mary’s Out of School Care is one of several provisions run by the Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust. It was registered in 2006 and operates from various rooms within St Mary’s C of E Primary School in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. It is open each weekday, during school term times, from 08.00 to 08.50 and 15.05 to 18.00. The holiday club operates during selected school holidays from 08.30 to 17.30. The breakfast session or holiday play scheme was not inspected on this occasion. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 34 children attending the provision, some of these being over eight years of age. Children in attendance during term times are mainly from the school. During holiday times the group is also open to families of the hospital trust members.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are four staff members, plus the Officer in Charge who attends on a regular basis. All staff are employed by the Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust who can call upon other suitably trained staff to cover staff absences.

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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. Staff help maintain children's health by minimising the risk of cross infection. They ensure all areas children use are clean, and follow a policy of excluding children with contagious illnesses. Children learn to follow good practice to safeguard their health. They put warm clothing on before going outdoors, and wash their hands before eating. Staff are trained to deal with medical emergencies and follow clear procedures when recording accidents or medicines administered.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are offered nutritious food, at both the breakfast and after-school sessions, to maintain their health. In the morning they are offered a choice of cereal and yoghurt and toast. In the afternoon they have a light tea, such as, beans on toast, pizza or sandwiches plus fruit. Children with individual dietary needs are catered for.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have the opportunity for regular exercise to maintain their physical well-being. When weather permits they can use equipment available in the school playground. They are also able to use the school hall for large team games and have a selection of resources available for this.

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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 safe and welcoming environment. The children have use of a designated area, and share additional space with school staff. Their own room is made bright with examples of children's work, has a quiet book area with floor cushions and a role play area with appropriate equipment. Children have access to a good range of toys and resources to support their play. These are stored so that children can freely choose what they wish to play with.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All children are supervised closely and all exits to the premises are kept secure. There is a good procedure followed for booking children in and out each session, and staff have clear guidelines to follow if expected children do not arrive on time. Younger children attending the breakfast session are supervised closely until they enter school. Children are encouraged to follow safe practice, such as sitting correctly on chairs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is safeguarded. Staff receive training regarding child protection issues and follow clear procedures based on present school policy. However, these procedures have not been formalised into the child protection policy for the out of school provision. Neither has a procedure been established for staff to record concerns they may have regarding children's care.

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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 receive good care and take part in fun activities to ensure they enjoy their time spent at the provision. There is a daily routine followed but this is flexible enough to enable children to make choices and direct their own play. Core activities are available each day, such as a book corner, role play area, and a structured craft activity. As well as this, children are able to access drawing material, construction toys, and a wide selection of board games. Staff form a good relationship with the children and involve themselves with their play. Children are relaxed in their care and eagerly chat to staff about what has occurred during their day. Staff are aware of the differing needs of the wide age range of children attending. They are sensitive to these and try to ensure that activities available are appropriate for all interests.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are developing high self-esteem and are learning to respect others. They take responsibility for helping with routine tasks, such as helping at snack time and staff give lots of praise when children do well. Children understand the rules that need to be followed to enable them to play well together. They share resources well and involve others in their play. Staff offer clear guidelines to children, and have appropriate strategies to use to manage difficult behaviour.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There are procedures in place to ensure that a child with disabilities, or learning difficulties, receives the level of support needed when attending the provision. As yet this procedure has not been formalised into a policy for the out of school provision, which can be shared with parents. There is a designated person appointed to coordinate any additional support needed, and to work with parents and other professionals.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff form a good relationship with parents, which ensures continuity of care for children. Parents are given regular information about what their child does at the club and know how to raise any concerns appropriately with staff.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Staff work together as a team and organise the daily routine well. They follow established procedures to ensure children remain safe and healthy, and receive support from management to carry out their duties. There is an officer in charge, who manages this, and two other early years provisions, and a designated staff member who has day-to-day responsibility for the provision when the officer in charge is not present. There is a system in place for appointing suitably checked and trained staff. All have relevant childcare qualifications and are encouraged to attend further training courses to extend their knowledge.

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Organisation

Documentation is well-organised and all paperwork is kept secure to ensure confidentiality of children's details. Accurate records are kept of children's attendance and concerning any medical issues. There are written copies of most of the policies and procedures followed by staff, which

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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 are made available for parents. These need to be extended to include other required policies. Staff have established a log of complaints received, but have not established a means of recording any pre-existing injuries of children attending.

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Organisation

The provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards.

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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): • establish a system for recording any pre-existing injuries to children attending • formalise Special Educational Needs and Child Protection policies, and make them known to parents

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The quality and standards of the care

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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