All Saints Church of England Aided Junior School

The Winchester Project Inspection report for early years provision

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116358 Unique Reference Number 25 July 2007 Inspection date Pauline Nazarkardeh Inspector

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Old Winchester Arms, 21 Winchester Road, London, NW3 3NR Setting Address

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020 7586 8731 Telephone number winch@easynet.com E-mail The Winchester Project Registered person Childcare Type of inspection Out of School care Type of care

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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 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?

The Winchester Project opened in 1994 and provides a year round service to children and young people living in the Swiss Cottage area of the London borough of Camden.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 24 children under eight years may attend at any one time. The provision operates alongside a youth service for young people aged over thirteen.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Children have access to a ground floor playroom, first floor gymnasium and two other activity rooms. There are currently 62 children on roll of which 13 children are under eight years.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The project currently supports a number of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and also supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting employs six members of staff. Of these, five hold appropriate qualifications.

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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 outstanding. Children benefit from an environment that is maintained to a very good standard of cleanliness. Children are confident about their personal hygiene skills, many children are able to explain why this is important.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children make excellent use of the adventure play areas for physical exercise. They enjoy running around in fresh air as they have developed advanced abilities at climbing on the monkey bars and practising throwing balls at the giant target. Regular off site trips are organised during full day operation which provides children with more opportunities to extend on their physical skills. Children also benefit from the opportunities to participate in multi sport activities at the local Astro Turf football pitch.

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Helping children to be healthy

Parents provide children's packed lunches during all day operation, food is provided by the scheme during after school activities. Extensive project work has raised children's awareness of the importance of healthy eating. Children are aware that they have adapted their tastes to enjoy a more nutritious and balanced diet, which excludes sweets and fizzy drinks.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The premises are bright and welcoming for children. A wide range of exciting equipment is used by the scheme and provides a challenging environment for the children. Good use is made of the adventure area which is very popular with the children due to the range of activities on offer. All equipment and furniture is clean and in good condition.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Effective systems are in place for the safe arrival and departure of children. Children benefit from a spacious environment that is free from obvious safety hazards. Thorough risk assessments are carried out on the transportation of children and on all venues where trips are undertaken. Well established policies and procedures are in place to manage the situation should a child become lost.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Although a system for risk assessing children's access to the adventure play area is in place further assessment is needed to minimise risks to children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's welfare is safeguarded by the staff's in-depth knowledge of child protection matters. They understand the signs and symptoms a child may exhibit that could indicate they were being harmed and are familiar with the procedure to follow to report such concerns.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children enjoy attending the play scheme because they are happy and settled. Many children return to the summer scheme each year because they enjoy the range of activities on offer and because they have attended all year after school. Children are eager to join in, happy to leave their parents in the morning and keen to tell them what they have done when they are collected. Adults provide a calm environment where children are happy and confident; they ensure that children are well informed about what is going on through discussion time, where children

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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 choose what to do, and through the use the children council where their ideas and views are brought to a meeting with staff. This ensures that children are included and valued.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children benefit from the well planned routine and activities at the play scheme and after school club which include lots of art and craft activities, singing competitions and physical play. Staff encourage themed work and ongoing projects such as 'Children are VIP' are very popular with the children. Care is taken to allow arts and crafts to be taken home, creating a link between home and play scheme and thereby fostering children's self-esteem. Good warm caring relationships between adults and children are evident, they communicate easily with each other which helps children to enjoy and achieve. Staff discuss projects with the children at the planning stage to ensure that they are fully included in the decision making. Projects on crime and graffiti give children the opportunity to see how these issues effect the community and involved local artists and Police beat officers.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There is an excellent balance of adult and child led activities as well as outings to popular destination such as Butlins Holiday Camp. Additional off site trips are organised for children under eight years of age which include Paradise Wildlife Park. This means that the atmosphere of the play scheme is vibrant and exciting as children enthusiastically choose from a range of activities and trips.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. The staff team reflects the cultural identity and the gender of the children attending; in this way children have positive role models to relate to. Children are given free choices in their learning and have the full support of their allocated key worker. As a result all children are able to take part.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children attending with learning difficulties and disabilities are able to participate fully because staff are trained and experienced and able to provide for there needs. The high staff to child ratio provides additional support to ensure that less confident children are comfortable with a particular activity.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

All children attending respond very well to the sensitive support of the staff and they settle easily into the routine. This is primarily due to the flexibility and calm support of staff to help them adjust to the day. This is achieved through plenty of encouragement, praise and support combined with a high regard for the personal feelings of each individual child. As a result, children who need more time and space are allowed this and staff work well together to manage challenging behaviour in a non-confrontational way.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from staff's good communication with parents in order to provide continuity of care. The staff team is well co-ordinated, offering a friendly and welcoming environment. Children openly share their views about the facilities and the staff with comments such as 'this is the place to be'.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The care of each child attending the scheme is enhanced by the support of skilled and experienced staff. Adult child ratios are appropriate for the needs of the children attending, thereby enhancing their level of care and well-being. All staff undergo appropriate checks and

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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 there is a relevant induction programme to ensure that staff understand their responsibilities and policies and procedures are shared. Staff meetings take place before and during the scheme, ensuring that they are clear about their roles and responsibilities, and staff's rotas and activity plans are organised effectively.

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Organisation

The person in charge of the play scheme is highly effective at assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the scheme through assessment of parent evaluation forms and feedback. This shows a commitment to evaluative practice and an ability to plan for and secure future improvements.

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Organisation

Children's health and welfare is well supported by a range of written policies and procedures. Issues relating to the security of the adventure play area are continually assessed in order to make improvements. Documentation for the day to day organisation such as attendance registers are used well to support the care of children and comply with regulations.

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Organisation

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

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the setting was asked to make the adventure playground climbing frame safe for children. The adventure playground equipment has since been replaced.

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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 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 the system for risk assessing children's access to the adventure play area is used effectively to minimise risks at all times

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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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