CASPERS

CASPERS Inspection report for early years provision

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EY288455 Unique Reference Number 11 October 2007 Inspection date Rachel Ayo Inspector

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Cullingworth Primary School, Station Yard, Halifax Road, Cullingworth, BD13 5DG

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Setting Address

01535 273 839 Telephone number mobile - 07890 661154 E-mail CASPERS 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 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?

Caspers Out of School Club was registered in 2004 and is run by a voluntary parent committee. It operates from a room within Cullingworth Primary school in Bradford and children additionally have access to the school hall. A maximum of 16 children may attend the setting at any one time. The club is open Monday to Friday from 07.45 to 08.50 and again at 15.20 to 17.20 term time only. All children have access to the school playground and field.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 30 children aged from four to 11 years on roll. The setting solely accommodates the children from Cullingworth Primary School.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The out of school club employs six staff, including the manager. Most staff work on a part time basis. The manager holds an appropriate early years qualification and one staff member is working towards this.

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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. Children are well protected from infection because staff follow current and appropriate environmental health and hygiene guidelines along with the setting's good health policies and procedures. For example, staff who prepare food have attended training, therefore, are aware of safe practice, such as washing their hands and fruit. They use an anti-bacterial solution to clean tables before snack time and children have an individual piece of kitchen roll to put their fruit on. The clear illness policy, along with separate hand drying arrangements and anti-bacterial hand wash, effectively minimises cross-infection. Children take part in topics and good routines that help them learn to understand simple good health and hygiene practices. For example, they wash their hands before snack and tell the inspector that this is to get rid of germs that 'make us poorly'.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are helped to be well nourished. Staff plan and display a weekly menu, which reflects a variety of healthy snacks, and water is readily available for children to access during the sessions. Children clearly enjoy choosing their preferred flavoured yoghurt and happily crunch on the apple provided at snack time. Children additionally help to prepare snacks, such as fruit smoothies.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children effectively learn about healthy eating and living. A range of posters and signs remind children about the 'five a day' regime and healthy foods, and children engage in a wide range of topics reflected in a booklet. For example, children have cut out a range of pictures showing foods that should be limited, activities that help them to stay fit and healthy, foods that may make people overweight and the types of sugary drinks that should be avoided.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children take part in regular physical activity indoors and outdoors, which helps them to stay healthy. Children play outside, weather permitting, and use a good range of small and large equipment. Staff additionally plan a range of games or activities in the hall. For example, they use skipping ropes, a parachute and engage in the 'Casper's got talent' show. A low-level indoor climbing wall enables children to be physically challenged and develop their skills and confidence.

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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 warm and welcoming environment. A good range of posters, notices and attractive displays, such as 'under the sea', create a pleasant visual impact to children and parents and help children feel a sense of belonging. Space is organised satisfactorily to enable children to make sufficient choices in their play and learning and take part in a suitable range of activities. Equipment is suitable to meet children's needs and is checked daily to ensure that it is safe and well maintained.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff implement generally suitable safety procedures to promote children's welfare. For example, a daily checklist is completed for the main classroom that children use, access to the premises is monitored well and electrical sockets are covered. However, a written risk assessment has not been completed for all areas used by children, including the outdoor area, which is not secure. Although a system has been set up by the manager to improve the safety of children using the toilet, the supervision of children remains ineffective. This additionally applies to the

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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 supervision of the younger children who are coming from their classrooms to the out of school club room.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children effectively learn to keep themselves safe. They have devised a safety booklet that addresses a range of issues. This includes the safe use of mobile phones and the internet, stranger danger, use of the Green Cross Code, keeping away from electricity, and playing safely, for example, wearing a helmet to ride a bike. Visitors are additionally invited into the setting to promote children's learning, for example, around road safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded because staff working directly with them understand their role in child protection. Staff attend a basic child protection course and the designated person has attended intermediate training to ensure that they have the necessary knowledge of possible signs of abuse or neglect and the procedures to follow. The most up to date safeguarding documentation is held, which means that any concerns of this nature are passed on in an efficient and prompt manner in order to promote children's safety and welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children present as happy on their arrival as they sit down at the snack table with their friends and readily start talking about their day at school. After the tea-time snack a suitable range of activities are provided which are appropriate to the ages and interests of the children attending. Children readily choose what they want to get out of cupboards and tubs, such as mark making materials and construction toys. They eagerly put their hand up to say that they would like to play on the games console or the computer. Additional daily activities are well thought out and interesting. Photographs show children enjoying playing with the foamy soap, pinning the tail on the donkey, decorating biscuits, creating pasta pictures and making entries for the Easter egg competition.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have opportunities to be creative. For example, they make 3D horse pictures and make Halloween flags and cards as they draw, cut out and choose from a range of shapes, such as a ghost or spider. Children use their imagination as they make dens, create a cardboard castle or use role play resources, such as the cash register.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children relate well to others, for example, as they build with construction toys or as they take turns to play on the games console, offering advice to each other. Children respond well to staff who talk to them about what they are doing. For example, staff show children how to knit, explaining how wool jumpers would have previously been made, and children talk to staff about their Halloween pictures and what they are going to dress up as. Children readily tell the inspector that they like playing out, drawing and making different things to take home.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are valued and included in the setting as staff satisfactorily work in partnership with parents. Suitable systems are in place for sharing information about the setting and for obtaining details that enable appropriate care to be given. For example, staff are fully aware of the needs of children with a particular health or dietary requirement and meet these needs well. Staff exchange information suitably when parents collect their children and a suggestion box enables parents to share their views.

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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 Overall, children behave well and learn to respond to appropriate expectations for their behaviour. For example, a children's council has been set up to enable children to take responsibility for the out of school club. This entails children putting their ideas forward to council members and these are then addressed at regular meetings. Suggestions from children include having a Chinese day, movie day and obtaining a memory card for the computer. Children are involved in setting the ground rules for the setting and take turns in specific designated roles, such as the toy watcher. The anti-bullying topic additionally helps children to learn about acceptable or unacceptable behaviour, how to deal with bullying and what to do if you are a victim of this.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

However, children have to immediately sit at the snack table on their arrival from school and wait for everyone to arrive before snack is given. This means that they are waiting for a substantial amount of time, without having anything to do. This results in some children becoming bored, restless and disruptive. During this time positive strategies are not implemented and consequences given to the children for unwanted behaviour are not consistent with the setting's policy.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The planet reward system helps children develop self-esteem. This entails children earning points for a range of good behaviour, such as being helpful and polite, using manners and listening. Each time children earn a point they move their rocket up to different numbered planets. When they reach planet 10 children win a raffle ticket.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from a suitable range of resources and activities that help them value diversity. For example, positive images reflected in posters show people from a range of backgrounds. A large wall display reflects different countries, festivals and religions from around the world. Staff promote good anti-bias practice as they encourage boys and girls to access all resources and activities equally, such as skipping ropes and the computer.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Records demonstrate that staff who work directly with children are subject to vetting, which means that children are protected. However, Ofsted has not been appropriately informed about changes within the committee, including new committee members who are not known to Ofsted, therefore, have not been subject to a suitable vetting procedure. Although this is a breach in requirements by the registered provider, those individuals concerned do not have direct contact with children.

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Organisation

The manager has a clear sense of purpose and a commitment to continual improvement. Most previous weaknesses have been addressed suitably and a range of systems are in place for monitoring the provision. For example, staff evaluate activities provided for children and children can share their ideas through the suggestion box and discussion book. Parent and children questionnaires enable staff to address their strengths and areas for improvements and implement action plans to continue to enhance the provision and outcomes for children.

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Organisation

Suitable systems are in place for the employment of staff and the manager has recently set up an appraisal system to monitor staff's performance and development. Induction procedures include staff attending certain training, such as first aid and child protection, which promotes children's safety and welfare. The organisation of staff is generally suitable, however, there is no suitable named deputy who is able to take charge in the absence of the manager.

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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 Policies and procedures are generally satisfactory, although there is no clear recruitment policy showing procedures including how the suitability of staff is determined. Staff have a generally satisfactory knowledge of policies and procedures, which work in practice suitably in most aspects to promote adequate outcomes for children. Record keeping systems are used suitably overall to promote the efficient and safe management of the setting, meet children's individual needs and promote their well-being.

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Organisation

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 a number of actions were raised with regards to: safety policies and procedures; staff training; medicine and accident procedures with regards to record keeping; resources that promote equal opportunities; and child protection. A recommendation was additionally raised with regards to safety.

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Improvements since the last inspection

All actions have been suitably met. Children's welfare is enhanced because a lost and uncollected policy has been devised, most staff hold an up to date first aid training certificate, clear accident and medicine procedures have been implemented and staff have developed their knowledge of child protection and the statement is in line with the most up to date safeguarding procedures.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Children's awareness of diversity is enhanced because a suitable range of resources have been obtained and staff plan a range of activities with the children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The recommendation with regards to risk assessments has not been sufficiently addressed and is reflected in a further recommendation.

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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 all 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): • improve the supervision of children with regards to toileting and when they are coming into the out of school club room from their classroom

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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 • ensure that staff create an environment that encourages good behaviour and are fully aware of, and follow, the strategies reflected in the statement for behaviour management • provide an action plan demonstrating how there will be a suitable named deputy who is able to take charge in the absence of the manager and devise a recruitment policy • ensure that the procedures for notifying Ofsted of changes within the committee are implemented as required to ensure that appropriate vetting procedures are carried out • ensure that a risk assessment is completed for all areas used by children.

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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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