St Johns Roman Catholic Primary School (After School Club and Nursery)

(After School Club)

Inspection report for early years provision

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(After School Club)

EY259120 Unique Reference Number 08 February 2007 Inspection date Michele Anne Villiers Inspector

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(After School Club)

St. Johns RC Primary School, Chapel Lane, Burscough, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L40 7RA

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E-mail

St Johns Catholic Primary (After School Club) Registered person Childcare Type of inspection Out of School care Type of 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

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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 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?

St John's Roman Catholic After School Club opened in 2004. It operates from one large room in the parish church hall, and the computer suit and main hall in St John's Primary School, situated in the village of Burscough in Lancashire. A maximum of 16 children may attend the provision at any one time. The club is open each weekday from 15.15 to 17.30 term time only. Children have access to a secure enclosed outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 90 children on roll. The provision employs three staff. All staff hold appropriate qualifications in childcare.

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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. Staff follow suitable procedures and satisfactory standards of hygiene to help protect children from the spread of infection. The environment is clean and appropriately maintained. Young children are reminded to wash their hands regularly, helping to foster their awareness of personal hygiene. There are written guidelines for staff to follow on the procedure to follow should a child be sick or require medical help. This is shared with parents and includes a list of infectious diseases. One staff member holds a current first aid certificate in order to deal with minor accidents. There are adequate arrangements in place for the recording of children's accidents and for sharing this information with parents.

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Helping children to be healthy

Sufficient food is offered at snack time. Children enjoy toast, crumpets or pancakes, and fresh fruit is available each day, helping children to make healthy choices. Meal times are social occasions where staff and children sit together. Some planned activities and posters, such as 'Where do I get my vitamins?' help children to become aware of the nutritional value of food. Cordial juice is offered at snack time, and children may help themselves to drinking water from the water dispenser in order to quench their thirst.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from regular physical exercise in the main hall. They develop good coordination as they play with balls, hoops, and bats during organised team games. However, outdoor play is not always incorporated into the daily planning. Children do not regularly access the school playground for fresh air and more energetic play to promote their health and foster their strength and stamina.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The premises are secure and visitors are closely monitored, helping to keep children safe. Children access a good amount of space in which to play, and staff provide areas for rest and relaxation. Toys and equipment are suitably displayed for children to freely access and make choices. The environment is welcoming with sufficient furniture for children to sit and play together. Staff supervise the children well and follow written health and safety policies, including the procedure to follow should a child become lost. Regular risk assessment is conducted on the premises and equipment in order to identify any hazards.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children learn about safety during play. Staff remind the children to be careful when playing indoor football, or throwing frisbees, in case they hurt each other. Staff talk to the children about community services and people who help us, such as the police and fire fighters. There is a written fire evacuation policy. However, children have not practised the fire evacuation procedure with staff. Although children practise this during the day, when attending the school, they have not experienced evacuating the premises with the after school club, at different times of the day, such as during the dark evenings of the winter months.

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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 Children are further safeguarded as staff have a good understanding of child protection issues. There is a designated staff member who coordinates child protection concerns. Staff follow written policies and procedures that are in line with current legislation, and have access to relevant contact numbers should they have a concern about a child. Written policies are shared with parents.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children happily enter the provision and settle to activities. Staff build a positive relationship with the children, helping to foster their confidence and self-esteem. Children initiate interaction with adults and enjoy small group activities with staff support. However, staff do not use effective planning to provide a wide variety of activities. Toys, resources and play equipment are decided upon each day, but this sometimes results in insufficient activities being made available at any one time. Children sometimes become bored or spend a long time on one activity. There are no written activity plans, in order to ensure that a balance of play opportunities are provided, and that children may contribute their own ideas and thoughts on specific focused activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children become competent at using the computer. They develop good hand and eye coordination as they use the mouse and independently select programmes. Staff support young children to recognise the letters on the key board and type simple words and phrases. Children also access a suitable range of books, helping to promote their language and literacy skills. Staff listen to children, as they happily chat about specific events in their lives. They talk to children and use good questioning, encouraging the children to participate in meaningful conversation.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

During construction and model making children demonstrate good levels of concentration. They enjoy creating different structures out of small interconnecting blocks, following the pictorial instructions and using their cognitive and motor skills well. The children have fun dressing up, and using their imagination during role play with dolls and prams and playing in the small tent. Art and craft activities are provided for children to foster their creative skills. They access different textured materials to make colourful cards for special occasions, such as Valentine cards. Children may also draw and colour using the crayons, pencils and felt tip pens that are made freely available. A variety of board games enable children to learn the concepts and strategies of different games, helping them to match, sequence, count and recreate words.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children relate well to the staff and make a positive contribution to the setting. They learn about their culture and the culture of others through some focused activities. For example, they have a French day and children experience different types of food and discuss the French way of life. There are some books and puzzles reflecting different cultures, but there are few toys and resources fully representing diversity, such as race, disability and gender. All children have the opportunity to access all activities and play is not gender specific. Boys enjoy role

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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 play and needlework such as cross stitch, and girls play football. Staff work closely with the teachers in the school, and with parents, to ensure that all children are integrated, and those with additional needs are well supported.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Staff manage the children's behaviour well and children are very polite and considerate towards each other. They are cooperative and learn to share and take turns. They follow simple instructions and help to tidy away toys. Staff provide good role models and create a calm environment. Appropriate strategies are used to reinforce good behaviour and staff consistently praise and encourage children, helping to foster their self-esteem and confidence.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents are warmly welcomed into the setting and information is shared through informal daily discussion. Some information is displayed, and parents sign and agree to the regulatory policies and procedures. Sufficient information is obtained on each child to ensure their needs are met. Parental contracts are in place, plus relevant consent forms in order to protect children and promote their care and welfare.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. All staff are suitably qualified and experienced and use their knowledge and skills to provide suitable activities for the children. Appropriate recruitment procedures are in place for the employment of new staff. All staff receive induction training that includes health and safety, and regular staff meetings identify any specific training requirements. Staffing ratios are maintained and there are contingency arrangements in place to ensure cover during staff absence.

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Organisation

All regulatory documentation pertaining to the National Standards is in place. There are many written policies and procedures for staff to follow for the effective management of the provision. All children's records are stored securely for confidentiality and relevant information is shared with parents. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection it was recommended that the provision: ensure that food is stored at the correct temperature; ensure that the portable equipment in the kitchen is stored safely and securely, and update documentation to include procedures to follow if parents fail to collect children and if an allegation is made against a staff member regarding child protection issues.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Food is stored appropriately in the school, and there is now a lock on the kitchen cupboard in the church hall to safely store portable equipment. There is a written policy on uncollected children and the procedure to follow if a parent fails to collect their child. The child protection

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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 policy has been updated and includes the procedure to follow if an allegation is made against a member of staff whilst children are in their care.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection 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 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): • incorporate outdoor activity in the play routine • regularly practise the fire evacuation procedure with children • use planning to provide a wide range of adult directed and child led activities, and effectively organise time and resources • continue to increase toys and resources that reflect positive images of race, culture, disability and gender.

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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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