Kids Time Club

Kids Time Club Inspection report for early years provision

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221967 Unique Reference Number 18 October 2007 Inspection date Heidi Falconer Inspector

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Somersham Primary School, Parkhall Road, Somersham, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 3EU

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E-mail

The Trustees of Kids Time Club 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 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?

Kids Time Club is run by a voluntary committee. It opened in 1997 and operates from a mobile building. It is situated in the grounds of Somersham County Primary School, Somersham, Cambridgeshire. A maximum of 32 children can attend the out of school club at any one time. The out of school club is open each weekday from 7:45 to 9:00 and from 15:15 to 17:45 during school term times. All of the children have access to the school playground and field for outdoor play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 61 children aged from four to 11 years on roll. Children come from the local area. The out of school club employs six staff. Five of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years/play work qualifications .

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are competent in managing their personal hygiene independently. For example, they wash their hands before snack time and after using the toilet, needing few reminders by staff.

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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 Positive steps are taken to ensure that children are cared for in a clean and hygienic environment. For example, staff clean the tables with anti-bacterial spray before and after serving food.

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Helping children to be healthy

Effective procedures are in place to protect children from the risk of infection and appropriate measures are taken when children are ill. For example, a clear sickness policy is in place which parents are asked to adhere to if their children have an illness which may be contagious. All medication administered is recorded and prior to giving medication staff always ensure that they have parents' written consent. However, at the end of the day parents do not countersign the records to acknowledge that the medication has been given. This practice does not fully support children’s good health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy using the outdoor area and they are eager to play outside after they have had their snack. Outdoors they use the hard and grassed areas of the school playground using equipment such as play crutches, balls, bats, hoops and scooters. In addition, the children are able to use the school’s climbing apparatus to further develop their physical skills.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are provided with a suitable range of generally healthy snacks which they enjoy. For example, snacks include fresh fruit, pita bread with cheese and hot chocolate and biscuits. The snack menu is displayed in the registration area so that all of the children know what is available each day. The organisation of the snack time is not always fully effective. Snack is provided for the children as soon as they arrive and as a result they often rush their food in eagerness to play outside or join in activities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children’s welfare is safeguarded as staff are knowledgeable about the procedures to follow should a concern about a child arise. A written safeguarding policy is made available to parents to ensure that they are familiar with the staff’s duty to report concerns. This policy is up to date and inline with current legislation.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are cared for in a safe environment. Risk assessments are regularly conducted on the premises and the activities available, helping to minimise any hazards. Children are learning about how to keep themselves and others safe as staff remind them to be careful during play, explaining why the behaviour is inappropriate. For example, as children play table football they are reminded not to spin the ball into the air, as it may hit other children who are playing close by. Children learn about how to protect themselves in the event of a fire as they regularly practise the setting’s fire evacuation procedure with staff. All fire practises are evaluated to ensure that the procedures continue to be effective. The setting’s fire evacuation procedure is displayed at the children’s level. It contains a mixture of words and pictures to ensure that children of all ages understand the procedure.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff work hard to create a welcoming environment for the children. Children’s art work is displayed attractively and staff have decorated the toilet areas brightly with the addition of decorated toilet seats. For example, the boys have dolphin toilet seats whilst the girls have fish toilet seats. Staff have made good use of the space to create two separate play areas for the children. One area is used as a quiet room where the children can draw and play table top games whilst the other room is used for more energetic games such as table football, painting and role play. Toys and resources are in good condition and they have been effectively organised in both rooms to allow children to make independent choices about how they spend their time.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children attending the club are lively and confident, chatting regularly to staff, visitors and each other. This demonstrates that they are relaxed and comfortable in the setting. Children evidently enjoy their time and are keen to talk about what they like. They say ‘we like coming here because its fun and you get to play in any room and outdoors, and we have snacks so that’s really good’. Children are very independent at the club. Each day they make choices about the area that they play in and the resources which they use. The quiet room provides an area where children can rest and play comfortably after their busy day at school. Children say that they like this area because ‘sometimes the games room is too noisy’.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All children spend their time purposefully and they are fully engaged in the activities on offer. The activities they enjoy include building dens under the snooker table, dressing up in the role play area, using musical instruments and playing on the computer. Children have regular opportunities to take part in creative activities. For example, once a week the staff provide a cooking activity. Recently the children have made chocolate croissants, fruit kebabs and they decorated wafers with chocolate and marshmallows. Children also enjoy drawing, printing and painting activities which are available on a daily basis. Children are able to feel a sense of belonging at the club as they are included in decision making about new resources, the activities on offer and the snacks provided.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are involved in a wide variety of activities which help them to gain a greater understanding of themselves and the world in which they live. For example, each year the club have a stall at the village carnival. At this year's carnival they dressed up in brightly coloured clothes to celebrate the year 1977. In addition, children use resources which represent other cultures. For example, in the role play area children proudly demonstrate how to put on a Sari. Staff have a suitable understanding of caring for children who may have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. As a result, there are effective procedures in place to support children who have additional needs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the positive partnership which staff have developed with their parents. Information about the setting is shared through the information displayed on the parents' notice board, the setting's prospectus and the written polices and procedures. As parents arrive they are warmly greeted by staff who make time to talk to them about their child. This communication supports children’s care and welfare.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are considerate and happily take turns when playing together. For example, when using the computer they write their names on a list and set the timer for 10 minutes so that everyone gets an equal turn. Children confidently talk about the rules of the setting; they say that they ‘must not fight, be silly or bully other children’. In addition, children say that if someone is doing something wrong if they tell a member of staff they will help them to sort the problem out. This understanding helps children to feel safe and secure at the setting. Staff use posters and displays about friendship and the rules to promote the children's understanding of the need to be considerate to others.

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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 good. Children’s enjoyment at the setting is enhanced through the good organisation of resources and the deployment of staff, who work well as a team. Staff are well informed about their roles and responsibilities and they spend much of their time talking to the children and supporting them in their activities. As a result, the children have developed close relationships with the staff and they are keen to talk to them about their day at school. Children’s safety and welfare is protected as there is an effective system in place for the recruitment of staff. All staff are appropriately vetted which ensures that they are suitable to be caring for children.

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Organisation

All documentation and records relating to the care of the children are maintained and shared with parents appropriately. For example, as children arrive each day they sign themselves in, accurately recording their time of arrival. There is a range of policies and procedures which are effectively implemented by staff to support children’s care, safety and welfare. All records are stored securely to ensure that they remain confidential. Overall, children’s needs are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the registered person agreed to extend the setting’s policy on uncollected children and to develop the child protection procedure ensuring that it is up to date with current legislation and that staff are fully aware of the procedure.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Children’s safety and welfare is supported appropriately. Both policies have been updated to ensure that they contain sufficient detail to ensure that staff act in children’s best interests if a child is uncollected or if they were concerned about a child’s safety.

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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 parents countersign medication records to acknowledge that medication has been administered

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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 • improve the organisation of snack time to ensure that children are able to eat at their own pace, in accordance with their individual needs.

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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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