Kidscape Out Of School Club

Kidscape Out Of School Club

Inspection report for early years provision

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Kidscape Out Of School Club

EY337010 Unique Reference Number 16 November 2006 Inspection date Heidi Falconer Inspector

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Kidscape Out Of School Club

Milton Road Primary School, Ascham Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB4 2BD

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Setting Address

01223 461 982 Telephone number libby.morley@ntlworld.com E-mail Kidscape Out Of School Club 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?

Kidscape Out of School Club opened in 2006, although it previously operated on the old Milton Road Primary School site. It operates from a hall within Milton Road Primary School in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. A maximum of 28 children may attend the club at any one time. The club is open each weekday from 15:00 to 18:00 during school term times. The club also operates a breakfast club. All children share access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 28 children under eight years on roll. Children come from a local catchment area, as they attend the school. The club employs four members of staff. Of these, one is working towards a qualification.

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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 satisfactory. Children are cared for in a light, airy and clean environment. Children’s good health is being promoted generally well through appropriate policies and procedures. For example, staff act as good role models, washing their hands before preparing and handling food. Staff have undergone training in food hygiene and first aid to ensure that their practice in these areas is up to date. If children have an accident whilst at the club they receive appropriate treatment. Staff have ensured that a first aid box is easily accessible and they have gained consent from parents to enable them to seek emergency advice or treatment if required. Records are kept of all accidents and medication which is to be administered. However, parents are not consistently asked to sign these records when they collect their children. This compromises children’s health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children learn about ways that they can stay healthy and look after themselves. For example, on cold evenings staff explain to the children why it is important that they wear their coats when they play outside. In addition, children have learnt good personal hygiene routines and they wash their hands independently before snack time. Children are provided with liquid soap and warm air dryers, which help to prevent cross contamination.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are provided with a good range of healthy and nutritional snacks which they enjoy. These include a variety of fruit, toast, crackers and crumpets with cheese. A selection of food is set out throughout the session so that all children, including those who arrive late after clubs, can eat in accordance with their needs. Children help themselves to fresh drinking water throughout the session.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children participate in a range of physical activities which, contribute to promoting their good health. For example, each day there are opportunities for the children to play outside, using equipment such as climbing frames, footballs and basketball nets.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children develop a good understanding of a keeping themselves safe, through discussions with staff. For example, children take part in regular fire drills. These fire drills are practised each day over a week period to ensure that all children have the opportunity to practise the routine. Staff organise these practises well to cause minimum fear and distress to the children. At the beginning of the session staff remind the children that they will be having a fire practise and discuss with them what they must do if they are playing indoors or outdoors when they hear the alarm. This also gives children time to ask questions such as, what they would do if they do not hear the whistle or what they would do if they were in the toilet? This enhances children’s understanding.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is protected by the staff's good understanding of child protection issues. The designated child protection officer at the group has recently attended a training course in

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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 this area and is knowledgeable about whom to report concerns to. There are clear guidelines and documentation to support staff in following the appropriate procedures if they had concerns about a child’s welfare. For example, a written child protection procedure is in place and the group has a copy of their Local Safeguarding Children’s Board guidelines.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children enjoy using the large play space in the school hall, where the club is based, racing cars to each other and demonstrating their break dancing skills. Staff work hard to create an environment which is welcoming to the children and which helps them to distinguish between their day at school and their time at the club. Staff set up the room before children arrive, using different areas of the hall for different activities. For example, there is a craft area, reading area, computer area and snack area. Equipment and resources are set up in an interesting way, which allows the children to access them independently. The furniture and equipment is appropriate to the developmental stages of the children and the good range of resources are well maintained.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children display high levels of confidence at the group and they are becoming increasingly independent. They make choices on how they spend their time, selecting activities and resources, and choosing whether to play inside or outside. As a result all children spend their time engaged in purposeful activity. Children have daily opportunities to take part in a wide range of art and craft activities such as, making jewellery and creating hedgehog models from plaster of Paris. Children enjoy free access to junk and scrap materials, which allow them to develop their design and creative ideas. For example, at the inspection one child made a 'large trumpet' from an empty plastic milk carton. Other activities include, using computers, building with construction sets and drawing. Children talk enthusiastically about the different activities they enjoy at the club and a firm favourite is having a film session, where they and staff sit down together to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have developed a friendly rapport with all of the staff at the group. As children arrive they are greeted warmly, by staff who are enthusiastic about their job and take interest in the children. Children show great pride in their achievements and are keen to share their models and pictures which they have completed at school with the staff and other children. Staff take time to listen to the children and praise children’s efforts. This promotes children’s self-esteem and sense of belonging at the group.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Staff genuinely respect the children's thoughts and ideas, which results in children who are confident to voice their opinions. For example, on the day of the inspection, some children said that they ‘would like to make a complaint about the quality of the sandwiches’ to the group leader. The group leader listened to the children and explained to them why they could not always have lemon curd sandwiches for their snack. This interaction by staff helps the children to feel valued and feel that they play an active role in the club. Children have all been involved

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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 in writing the 'rules' of the club. Children’s behaviour is good, they play well together and are respectful to the staff.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff treat children as individuals and ensure that there are opportunities for them to learn about other cultures and diversity through play and activities. For example, children enjoyed an activity where they had the opportunity to try on a member of staff’s sari and talk to her about her culture. All children are treated as individuals and the staff ensure that they have the necessary information to be able to meet any individual needs or beliefs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff recognise the importance of having good, professional relationships with parents. They communicate well with parents to ensure that they are informed about the provision and their child. The clubs notice board displays information for parents, including the clubs written policies and details on how a parent can make a complaint about the service. Parents speak highly of the club and are pleased with the quality of care and range of activities provided for their children.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children feel welcome and at ease in the well organised environment, which provides them with a wide range of activities and space to play. This means they are confident to initiate and extend their own play and learning both indoors and out. Children's care is enhanced by the good deployment of staff who work well as a team to ensure that children enjoy their time at the club. The manager and committee have a commitment to developing staff by ensuring that they have opportunities to attend regular training courses. For example, all staff have recently attended a food hygiene course. However, at least half of the staff do not hold a level two qualification in the care and development of children. This has a minimal effect on the care the children receive, as all staff show a genuine interest in the children and have previous childcare experience.

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Organisation

Sound written policies and procedures, which are followed most of the time, provide a framework to ensure that children are safe and well cared for. Most records are shared with parents appropriately. All documentation is stored in a lockable filing cabinet to ensure that children’s confidentiality is maintained. The staff ensure that appropriate ratios of adults to children are in place at all times, to ensure the children's safety and individual needs are met. However, their attendance register does not clearly show the arrival and departure times of all children, particularly those who have arrived late after attending a club within the school. Overall children’s needs are met.

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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. The provider is required to

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Complaints 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 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): • ensure that attendance records show the arrival and departure time of all children • develop an action plan to show how the supporting criteria regarding staff qualifications will be met • ensure that written records of accidents and administered medication are all countersigned by parents at the end of each day

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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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