The Lighthouse Club at St. John's

The Lighthouse Club at St. John's Inspection report for early years provision

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159954 Unique Reference Number 25 February 2008 Inspection date Josephine Geoghegan Inspector

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64 Larcom Street, London, SE17 1NQ Setting Address

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E-mail

Lighthouse Supplementary School 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 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?

The Lighthouse Club at St John's provides out of school care and has been registered since November 2000. It operates from a multi-use building in the Walworth area of Southwark. The club serves the children from the local primary schools. Children have access to two group rooms on the top floor. The club opens weekdays, during term times, Monday to Friday, from 15.00 to 18.00 and during various school holidays from 08.30 to 18.00.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 30 children on roll, of these ten children are aged under eight years. The setting does not presently care for any children who have identified learning difficulties and/or learning difficulties or any children who use English as an additional language. There are five members of staff working with the children, four of whom hold relevant childcare qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Healthy eating habits are promoted as children are offered a variety of sandwiches, savoury snacks, fresh fruit and drinks each day after school; they are able to make choices of foods that

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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 they like to eat, developing their personal independence. Good systems are in place to ensure children's individual dietary needs are known by staff.

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Helping children to be healthy

Systems are in place to support children in the event of an accident or illness, for example, staff hold current first aid qualifications, policies and procedures are in place and appropriate records are kept of any accidents. However, the first aid box does not contain all required contents, posing a risk to a lack of prompt action being taken in the event of an emergency. Children are able to develop their physical skills during indoor sports and dance activities, enabling them to gain exercise on a regular basis.

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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 bright and welcoming environment, created by murals and displays of posters and photos. Children have access to a range of toys and books that are suitable for their age and stage of development. They are able to select resources and work independently as toys are stored at low level and are easily accessible. They are provided with appropriate sized furniture, supporting their physical care needs, however, one arm chair and some of the books are not in good condition.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Adequate steps are taken to promote children's safety within the setting. For example, there are gaps in some areas of flooring which the provider has covered with tables as an interim safety measure as the repairs have not yet been completed by the premises owner. In addition one of the toilet doors is not well maintained and does not have a suitable lock, posing a risk to children's safety. Children learn about safety through regular routines, such as emergency evacuation drills. All required fire safety equipment is in place and a range of safety policies and procedures are displayed, supporting the management of the service.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Good systems are in place to ensure staff know what to do if they are worried a child is being abused. For example, appropriate procedures and relevant information are displayed and staff have attended training, helping to safeguard children's welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children have good opportunities to participate in a wide range of activities throughout the week that promote learning, for example, the weekly activity plan includes time for free-play, art and craft activities, sports and dance, cooking activities and support with homework, enabling children to participate in free-play and group activities.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy being creative, for example, they learn to sew and knit while being supported well by staff and use a range of collage and drawing materials independently, developing their free creative expression. They enjoy singing and dancing, developing their physical skills and awareness of music. Children develop their maths skills as they use construction sets, board games and card games. They use books purposefully, developing their reading skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children actively participate in group activities, enabling them to develop their social skills, for example, they enjoy circle time where they take turns to discuss any events and play a guessing game, showing confidence as they speak in a familiar group.

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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

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are developing good relationships with each other and staff, for example, they play cooperatively, laugh and take turns during play and freely express their needs to staff; they are well behaved and respond well to the daily routine. Good systems are in place to ensure children's individual needs are known; policies and procedures are in place to ensure any care offered to children who have identified learning difficulties and/or disabilities promotes inclusion. Children participate in a range of activities which help them learn about cultures and beliefs, such as activities which relate to a variety of festivals and regular cooking activities which include a variety of traditional cultural dishes. In addition, children use books and resources that reflect people in the community.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Good systems are in place to promote partnership with parents, for example, parents are offered an information booklet and a range of information is displayed including activity play plans, menus, policies and procedures, providing parents with relevant information about the setting. All required documentation is shared appropriately with parents, such as records of any accidents. Staff make time to discuss any events with parents when they collect their children, promoting good communication.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Systems are in place to ensure all required documentation is used appropriately, helping to safeguard children's welfare, for example, hours of attendance for children, their individual details and records of any accidents. A wide range of policies and procedures are in place to support the management of the service. Appropriate recruitment and vetting procedures are in place to ensure staff are suitable to work with children; most staff hold childcare qualifications and attend relevant training courses, showing a commitment to the development of the quality of the service.

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Organisation

Children are able to play in a bright and welcoming environment, however, not all risks have been minimised regarding children's safety, for example, repairs have not been completed within the premises and the first aid box is incomplete. Children are able to make choices as resources are well organised and easily accessible, although some of the books and one chair are not in good condition. The time children spend at the setting is well organised, enabling them to participate in a good range of activities that promote learning and relate to their interests. Overall, the setting 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 develop the use of documentation and resources. They met the recommendations by devising a complaints procedures and a record form to ensure the use of any medication is documented appropriately, safeguarding children's welfare. They also developed the use of documentation by ensuring all policies and procedures are displayed so that they are easily accessible to staff and parents and ensuring that appropriate records are kept of emergency evacuation drills, promoting safety. In addition, the setting has

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Improvements since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 extended the range of toys and equipment, providing more opportunities for children to use a wider range of resources that help them enjoy and achieve during play.

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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 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): • ensure the contents of the first aid box is frequently checked and replaced as necessary. • ensure furniture and toys are well maintained. • ensure the premises is made safe, in this case, the flooring in the main room and the toilet door, including a lock that can be easily opened from outside.

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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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