Horsforth School

Project

Inspection report for early years provision

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Project

137775 Unique Reference Number 29 January 2007 Inspection date Chris Banks Inspector

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Project

Gladstone Park Primary School, Sherrick Green Road, London, NW10 1LB

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E-mail

Joan McFarlane 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?

The Children Making a Change After School Project was registered in 1997. It is a privately run provision based in Gladstone Park Primary school in the NW10 area of Brent. The service operates from 15:30 to 18:00 during term time only and is for pupils aged between four and 11 years who attend the school.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 27 children on roll. Of these, 16 are aged under eight years.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Children have access to a ground floor hall and first floor library. There is also a playground for outdoor activities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A team of three staff work with the children, one of whom holds a recognised qualification in early years 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. Children are cared for in a clean and bright school setting with easily accessible outdoor play facilities. They enjoy free play in the open air and confidently participate with staff in lively and energetic ball games. They also now make independent choices about how and when they use the outdoor area.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children understand simple health and hygiene practices. There are rigid daily routines for hand washing and staff use suitable hygiene practice when preparing snacks for children. Table covers are used and wiped down before and after use. Children's health is suitably protected because there is a written sickness policy which staff follow. There is also somewhere relatively comfortable for children to relax if they become unwell or feel tired. One member of staff has recently renewed a first aid qualification which means appropriate action is taken in the event of an accident or emergency.

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Helping children to be healthy

Snacks are healthy and nutritious. Children enjoy a range of fruits and yoghurts and are able to help themselves to water throughout the session. Allergies are clearly recorded which means risks to children are minimised.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are secure in the setting because staff supervise them well and ensure they are accompanied when moving around different parts of the building. Younger children are further protected because they are collected from their classroom by staff and brought to the after school project.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are also well protected because fire drills are now practised on a regular basis and suitably recorded. This means children are better equipped should an emergency evacuation of the building be necessary. Daily checks of areas used by children are carried out and basic safety checklists are completed each week. Toys and equipment used by children are safe and in reasonable condition with arrangements in place to ensure they are regularly checked.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The overall welfare of children is safeguarded because staff are suitably informed about their role and responsibility in child protection. New staff are familiar with the process for monitoring and reporting concerns and have written guidelines to follow. The role of Ofsted is clearly outlined and there is also a clear written procedure to follow if any allegations are made against a member of staff.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for by staff who are quite friendly and approachable. Although younger children are in the minority, they are happily settled and well integrated. This is because the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 older group is very welcoming to new children. The overall atmosphere during play activities is relaxed and companionable.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Routines are now more flexible. Snack time is an enjoyable and sociable occasion where children chat happily together and help staff tidy up afterwards.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are provided with a reasonable choice of play opportunities and also confidently initiate their own free play. They are not given the opportunity to engage in arts and crafts or imaginative play because resources are limited and these activities are also not built into the programme. Children, however, enjoy playing with a range of floor puzzles, board games and construction toys. Outdoor play is particularly popular and greatly enjoyed by children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children learn about other cultures when they celebrate different festivals such as Diwali, Eid and Christmas. Provision of some diverse play materials encourage children to explore difference through their everyday play activities. They are, however, insufficient for the number and ages of children being cared for.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well and clear explanations combined with encouraging children to co operate together helps diffuse any potential conflicts. Despite the absence of a formal settling process, new younger children are happily integrated with their peers. Older members support less confident children and behave responsibly towards them. Staff are aware of new children and informally monitor how they are settling in.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents receive a friendly welcome on arrival to collect their children and informal exchanges of information help ensure they are kept reasonably well informed. Parents are not given any written information about the service but are kept updated by occasional newsletters. A recently updated parents' notice board also helps keep them suitably informed.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are better protected because all staff are now checked for their suitability to work with children. There is also a formal recruitment procedure in place which includes the checking of references. Contingency plans to cover unforeseen absences are in place, but existing staff are not sufficiently well informed about their roles and responsibilities when the manager is away. This is because there are no formal deputising arrangements.

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Organisation

Space is sufficient for the number of children the setting is registered to care for. It is suitably organised and prepared in advance of children's arrival. Children are able to move around in safety and comfort because suitable safety precautions are taken. There is now a comfortable space in the hall where younger children can rest and relax.

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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 Accurate attendance records are kept and parents are familiar with the signing out process. Arrangements for the storage of confidential information has improved with provision of a lockable storage cabinet.

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Organisation

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

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Improvements since the last inspection

There has been sufficient improvements made since a Compliance Notice was served on the provider in December 2006.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The provider was required to ensure there are effective procedures in place to check that staff are suitable to work with children. All staff are now on record as having clearance from the Criminal Records Bureau and a formal recruitment procedure is in place. Children's safety is therefore better protected.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Written child protection now includes the telephone number of Ofsted alongside that of other agencies. There is also a paragraph about the procedure to follow for dealing with allegations made against staff.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The requirement to ensure positive steps are taken to promote safety within the setting has been addressed because safety checklist are now completed on a weekly basis. This means children's overall safety is more closely monitored. Children are familiar with emergency evacuation procedures and fire drills are carried out and recorded.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection, the overall quality of activities for children has improved to a satisfactory standard.

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Improvements since the last inspection

There is also a comfortable space in the hall for children to rest and relax if they are tired or unwell.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action to meet the National Standards. The provide 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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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

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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): • continue to extend the range of activities for children and ensure imaginative and creative play opportunities are built into the programme. • extend the overall range and diversity of play resources and ensure there is sufficient choice for children. • ensure there are clear deputising arrangements in the absence of the day to day manager

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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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