George Fentham Before & After School Club

Club

Inspection report for early years provision

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Club

Unique Reference Number 261012 Inspection date 19 July 2005 Inspector Mary Pratty

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Club

Setting Address George Fentham Endowed School, Fentham Road,Hampton in Arden, Solihull, West Midlands, B92 OAY Telephone number 01675 442800

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E-mail

Registered person George Fentham Voluntary Management Committee Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Full day care, Sessional 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

George Fentham before and after school club initially opened in August 2001, it provides care for children aged 3 to 11 years. The service operates from two buildings located on the site of the school. During term time, the before and after school service operates from a building known as the Base. As there are no toilets in the premises children use the school facilities located in the main school. The school's nursery building which has self contained facilities, is used by the club during term time in the afternoon, in order to provide care for the younger children. This building is used during the holidays for all children. The club has the use of the

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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 school's outdoor play facilities. The club opens 5 days a week during term times. Sessions are from 08.00 until school begins and after school until 18.00. Provision for younger children begins at 11.30 and continues until 15.20, when these children can transfer to the Base if later care is required. Holiday care is also provided, dependent on demand, the service may operate from 08.00 to 18.00. The provision is registered to provide care for 36 children aged three to eight years. There are currently 92 children on roll, they attend for a variety of sessions, on a flexible basis. There are five permanent staff, over half hold a recognised childcare qualification. The setting receives support from the local authority early years service.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is inadequate. The procedures for recording the administration of medicine and documentation relating to accidents is unsatisfactory and is not sufficient to ensure that parents are kept fully informed about the care of their children. The documentation also lacks the necessary detail to meet all the requirements of the national standards. Overall there are some staff who are appropriately qualified to administer first aid. However the current staffing arrangements in the sessional provision is not adequate. There is currently no designated or qualified first aider available. In addition the contents of first aid box in this area is limited and is therefore not sufficiently stocked to administer emergency first aid to children. Children are encouraged to be independent in self-care skills, there are established hygiene routines in place to promote their general good health and well-being.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's individual and specific health needs are clearly defined and care plans are known by all staff in order to deal with any emergency situations. Children have plenty of opportunities to play outside. They benefit from participating in a wide variety of sporting activities and there is a good range of equipment and resources available to develop their physical skills, both inside and outside. Children's dietary needs are respected and healthy eating is encouraged by the provision of nutritious meals and snacks, both groups of children have regular access to fresh fruit. Children also participate in activities that raises their awareness of healthy foods, for example the younger children visit the local allotments where they observe and learn about the various fruit and vegetables available. They enjoy tasting the different foods and discussing the various tastes and textures. Children's independence is effectively encouraged through the provision of food and

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Helping children to be healthy

drinks. Various drinks are readily available in both areas and older children can help

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 themselves. The younger children are competent and confident in selecting and carrying their lunches in the main school dining room and they benefit from getting to know the school environment and staff in readiness for their transition to school.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is inadequate. There is no general risk assessment in place for either of the premises in use and trips out have not been assessed for safety purposes, therefore staff are not adequately informed of potential safety risks. In addition there are no procedures in place if a child becomes lost or is not collected therefore there is no clear guidance available for staff. This compromises children's safety. Children do not participate in regular fire drills, therefore the provision does not meet fire requirements. Children and staff do not have sufficient opportunities to practise the procedures. However children do benefit from organised visits from a parent who is a fire officer when they learn about fire safety and the work of the fire service. Children are learning to keep themselves safe they are involved in the setting of safety rules and this encourages them to have a sense of ownership and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

commitment in taking care of themselves and others. Children can move freely within the designated play areas. Space is well organised and toys and activities are developmentally appropriate and safe. There are effective systems in place to enable the children to understand how many of them can participate in a specific activity at one time, encouraging them to make other choices when necessary. Outdoor play mats used in the nursery area present a trip hazard, as they are worn and the covering is torn. The manager is aware of the procedure to follow if there are child protection concerns. Staff have an understanding of issues that might give cause for concern. Procedures are not readily available to all staff and they are not sufficiently detailed, in order to be effective, consequently the children's well-being is not fully protected.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. The children are happy and settled in both areas of the provision and they enjoy attending. The older children were keen to discuss the range of activities provided and they said that they particularly enjoy the opportunity to socialise with their friends in the relaxed atmosphere of the club. Children are confident in accessing resources and they have various opportunities to make choices between activities. Children relate well to each other, they play cooperatively as they develop their own play and when participating in specific activities. The range of play props that support imaginative play is good, enabling 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 children to explore a range of situations and concepts through role play. All children have opportunities to participate in local trips, they visit the library and other places of interest. The younger children benefit from the continuity of care gained by having a member of staff who works with them throughout the day. This helps staff gain a good understanding of each child's stage of development and their interests. This information is used when providing further experiences in the afternoon. However as systems for planning, observation and evaluation have not been developed throughout the provision, staff do not monitor the balance and range of experiences offered during the sessional care. The care needs of the children are generally accommodated within the daily routines

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

of both provisions. However, there are no suitable sleep facilities for younger children who may need to rest, particularly those who attend the different types of provision throughout the whole day. Children's confidence and self-esteem is well supported. Interaction between staff and children is respectful and caring. Children are keen to talk with staff who make time to listen attentively to them as they chat about themselves and their interests.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are well behaved, they learn to cooperate and care for each other and their environment, through discussion, the provision of meaningful house rules and by observing staff who act as good role models. The older children participate in a children's council which helps them to learn to negotiate and consider the views of others, as they discuss their ideas about activities and codes of behaviour. Team games and sporting activities encourage a good attitude to competition and cooperation. Younger children are encouraged to share and take turns with gentle and positive reminders from staff, who also make good use of distraction as a behaviour management strategy. Children learn to respect and value differences and similarities throughout the world as they participate in activities that enables them to find out about various celebrations and festivals. There are various resources that provide positive images

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Helping children make a positive contribution

of diversity and all children are encouraged to participate in activities regardless of gender. Staff demonstrate an awareness of the need to provide an inclusive environment. Activities observed are suitable to accommodate children with different abilities and interests. However, access to the out of school room is difficult for adults and children with additional mobility needs as there is no ramp available. Relationships with parents are friendly. Parents are encouraged to provide staff with all relevant information about their children in order to help staff ensure that care and learning needs are met. Parents are provided with some information about the groups policies and procedures and some records are shared. Whilst there is no formal method of sharing details about activities or children's progress, staff are readily available to chat to parents as they collect their children from both groups.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. There is no designated manager on site during the afternoon session, which takes place in the nursery premises, resulting in staff being unclear about lines of responsibility. This lack of clear leadership compromises the quality of care, it also results in different working practises within the groups and confusion about the interpretation and understanding of some policies and procedures. Sufficient staff are present during the session. The operational plan which includes documentation, records, policies and procedures is not sufficient to ensure the safe and effective management of the group and care of the children. For example, lost and uncollected child policies, medication and accident records, sick child policy and the register, relating to the times of departures of younger children. The recently appointed manager has not yet located and reviewed all policies and some documentation can not be found. This jeopardises the

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Organisation

children's safety and well-being, as staff do not always have the appropriate guidance and documentation available. Children do benefit from good access to toys and activities, space is well organised and children can see what is available and this motivates them to participate in the variety of experiences provided. Overall the provision does not meet the needs of all children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection there were three recommendations to improve the environment with regard to, the use of play space, accessibility of resources and the general maintenance and cleanliness of the provision. All aspects have been attended to, the children enjoy opportunities for free movement both inside and outside the playrooms and they have easy access to various toys and activities, enabling them to make decisions about their play and learning. The premises are cleaned regularly and the site manager is informed of any maintenance issues as they arise. In addition it was recommended that safe procedures be devised for staff requiring hot drinks. Staff only have cold drinks in the play rooms and hot drinks are confined to the kitchen only to improve safety for children.

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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

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 quality and standards of the care are inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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, the registered person must take the following actions: • make sure enough staff are qualified in first aid to ensure that, at least one member of staff with a current first aid certificate is on the premises and ensure that the contents of the first aid box is sufficient to comply with Health and Safety(First Aid) regulations • conduct a full risk assessment and make sure that fire drills are carried out periodically • demonstrate how you will ensure that a suitably qualified manager and deputy are in place • ensure that all records, policies and procedures which are required for the safe management of the provision, and to promote the welfare, care and learning of children are maintained. These should be available for inspection at all times. These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice.

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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: 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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