Castle Care Club at St Peters

Castle Care Club at St Peter's

Inspection report for early years provision

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Castle Care Club at St Peter's

Unique Reference Number EY290077 Inspection date 27 June 2005 Inspector Sally Wride

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Castle Care Club at St Peter's

Setting Address St Peters Community Centre, Rockhill, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 3LU

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E-mail

Registered person Castle Nursery Ltd - 4620461 Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Out of School 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 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?

Castle Care Club at St Peter's opened in 2004. It operates from the main hall in St Peter's Community Centre in the town of Bromsgrove. The setting serves the local area and has strong links with local schools. There is a playground available for outside play. There are currently 60 children from 5 to 10 years on roll. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting currently supports children with special needs, and has procedures to support children who speak English as an additional language.

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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 The group opens five days a week during school term times with sessions from 08:00 to 09:00 and 15:00 to 18:00. There are nine members of staff work who with the children, of these over half have early years qualifications to NVQ level 2 or 3. In addition, four staff are currently working towards a recognised early years qualification. The setting is one of a local chain of nursery and out of school care provision.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The children benefit from being cared for in a clean, warm and child friendly environment. They have a good understanding of good hygiene practice and encourage each other to wash their hands at appropriate times. Good quality hand washing resources are provided and children are able to independently access the toilet and washing facilities. The children enjoy regular outside play. They have access to a large playground where they enjoy running around and playing playground games. Children play and experiment with equipment such as bats and balls, hoops, footballs and scooters. They benefit from staff involvement in their play when outside and are encouraged to persist and develop new skills. The arrangements for shade are not always effectively used and children are not suitably protected from the sun in the warmer weather. The children confidently help themselves to fresh drinking water. They are provided

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Helping children to be healthy

with a varied range of healthy snacks, with their individual likes and dislikes well catered for. Children have the opportunity to learn about healthy eating through the activities that are provided. They enjoy helping to make fresh fruit salads that they then eat at snack time.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children benefit from being able to move freely between the indoor and outdoor play areas as part of their play. They enjoy well spread out activities and spend time exploring the resources that are prepared for them by the staff. Children concentrate, enjoy themselves and happily play and share with the other children. The wide range of toys and equipment are not effectively organised which means that children are not able to freely select what they would like to play with. Children's individual likes and dislikes are well catered for and staff take time to find out what interests each child. The indoor environment is safe and secure. Children are kept safe because staff take positive steps to minimise any identified risks to children. Risk assessments for the setting are currently being reviewed and updated. Children are closely supervised

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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 when playing outside but the playground is not enclosed, meaning that the children could leave them unsupervised if staff became distracted. The children's welfare is promoted and safeguarded with eight members of staff holding a valid first aid certificate. Staff have a clear understanding of the known indicators of abuse and the procedures to follow in the event of a concern.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The children are happy and settled in their care environment. They have formed good relationships with their peers and enjoy each others company. The children benefit from staff involvement and interaction in their play and confidently seek support if required. They initiate their own play and games and are keen to explore the resources available to them. The children enjoy a wide range of activities such as cooking, physical play, arts and crafts, free play and adult led activities. Their individual care needs are well met and they have the opportunity to relax and complete homework activities if they wish to do so. They enjoy planting flowers in containers that they have helped to decorate. They water the flowers on a daily basis and are proud of their colourful display that brightens up the entrance to the club.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The children's individual needs are well catered for. Staff know the children well and treat them all with respect and equal concern. Children have access to a range of resources and activities which promote a greater understanding of the wider world. They are keen to share their learning experiences from school with their peers. They perform traditional dances from different countries to the other children and this leads to group activities in the setting. There are effective procedures in place to support children with special needs. Staff are aware of children's individual needs and sensitively support them in their learning and development. Activities are adapted to meet the needs and abilities of individual children. The children play harmoniously together and respond well to effective behaviour management strategies and lots of praise and encouragement. They have developed

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Helping children make a positive contribution

an agreed set of club rules, which are reinforced by gentle reminders from the staff. Effective partnerships with parents ensures that they are informed of their child's care and the activities that they have undertaken whilst at the group.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The children benefit from the care of enthusiastic staff who are actively involved in

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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 their play. The care of the children is enhanced because the staff have formed strong working relationships and work well as a team. The environment and the resources are effectively organised and allow the children to move freely between well spread out activities. Staff training is given high priority and staff have the opportunity to regularly attend local short courses to ensure that they are up to date with new ideas and information. All of the required documentation has recently been reviewed and updated to ensure that they meet requirements. The parents are provided with a prospectus that details the services offered at the club. The setting has a range of clear policies and procedures that are understood by staff and are effectively implemented in practice. Overall the provision meets the needs of the children who attend.

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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 children are suitably protected from the sun • ensure that the outdoor play area is secure so that children are not able to leave them unsupervised • review the provision of all toys and resources to allow children independent accessibility and clear choices in their play.

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The quality and standards of the care

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements which is available from Ofsted's website:

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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 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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