St Andrews Kids Club

St Andrews Kids Club Inspection report for early years provision

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EY270764 Unique Reference Number 11 March 2008 Inspection date Joanne Baranek Inspector

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St Andrews CE Methodist Primary School, Pentland Road, Dronfield Woodhouse, Dronfield, Derbyshire, S18 8ZQ

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E-mail

St Andrews Kids 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 outstanding. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

St Andrews Kids Club opened in 2003. It operates from the main hall and veranda room in St Andrews Primary School which is situated in the centre of Dronfield Woodhouse. There is a secure enclosed outdoor play area for relevant activities.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The out of school club serves the local area and surrounding villages.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The club is open each weekday from 07:45 to 08:50 and 15:15 to 18:00 during the term time and 08.00 till 18.00 during the school holidays. There are currently 73 children from three to 11 years on roll.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The out of school club employs seven part-time staff who work with the children. Over half of the staff hold appropriate early years qualifications. One staff is currently working towards a recognised early years qualification.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The setting receives support from Derbyshire local authority. The out of school club is managed by a parental committee, who delegate day to day responsibility to the staff.

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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. This provision promotes good health exceptionally through their consistent and thorough hygiene procedures. The children are taking ownership over their good health by cleaning their hands with anti-bacterial gel before eating and nominating one child to distribute the gel to everyone to ensure all hands are clean. They consistently remember to wash their hands after using the toilet and when returning from playing outside. As the club uses liquid soap and paper towels these exceptional procedures help limit cross-contamination and stop them becoming ill. The comprehensive sick child policy the setting shares with all parents ensures they are fully aware that any child who is ill will not be accepted into their care thus stopping any infection spreading and as this includes periods for exclusion for all common ailments the parents are fully informed from the day they register. Written permission is obtained before

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Helping children to be healthy

any medication is administered ensuring all children receive the correct dosage at all times and as medication is stored safely out of the reach of the children this ensures their utmost safety and health at all times. The staff work together with the parents to produce individual care plans for children who require on-going medication or care and as this is monitored and amended as necessary the children are able to receive the appropriate support in order to stay healthy and safe. There is a fully stocked first aid box which is checked regularly to ensure the contents are appropriate and as all the staff are trained in first aid they are able to care consistently for all children in the case of a minor injury. All accidents are recorded regardless of visible injuries or not and as these are signed by the parents when they collect their child they able to continue their care needs at home. The setting provides an advice leaflet for children who have received

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Helping children to be healthy

minor head injuries during an accident and this enables the parents to be fully aware of the signs of concussion and what to do if this occurs supporting the care of the children even further.

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Helping children to be healthy

The setting provides high quality healthy food and the children have been fully involved in choosing these healthy options over the snacks they used to have as they have voted exchanged cakes and crisps for more fruit and vegetable options such as apples and carrot sticks. This originates from the excellent understanding the children have of the need to eat healthily through the discussions and activities the staff have used. All children remain well nourished throughout the sessions as they all sit down socially for an afternoon tea and are able to access further snack during the session if they wish to. They remain fully hydrated as they are also able to access fresh drinking water throughout the session and the staff ensure there is a supply of water and cups available at all times. Allergies and religious requirements are requested on admission. This information is stored in their individual files, the medical box and in the area

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Helping children to be healthy

where food is prepared enabling all staff to be fully aware of the children's individual needs and requirements. As the staff have food hygiene certificates they are able to store and prepare food safely and hygienically and all wear aprons and ensure their hands are washed before preparing or serving food. They exhibit exceptional practice by using different coloured cloths to clean the various areas within the club, for example, one colour is used for wiping the tables used for eating and another is used for the tables where creative activities are conducted ensuring cross-contamination is limited.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children are able to continually develop and reinforce their excellent physical skills through the large variety of activities the staff and the children plan together. The children are able to play outside on a daily basis in the large secure school playground where they play group and individual games, for example parachute games, hide and seek or hopscotch. Activities such as

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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 role play and creative play are supported in the outdoor environment to ensure children who do not want to be active are still able to receive fresh outdoor air. Within the school hall the children are able to access the school equipment freely, for example, climbing areas, mats and balance beams where they can practice skills such as jumping, climbing and balancing. Further group activities are also planned for the children within this area, for example, dancing games including musical statues. Their small muscles and accuracy skills are further developed through a variety of free choice and planned activities in the main room such as creative play with scissors, paint, glue and colouring pens, jigsaws and board games. The children are actively learning about healthy lifestyles through becoming involved in their choices for packed lunches

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Helping children to be healthy

within the holiday club sessions. The staff introduce a 'top trumps' game where the children use their lunches to score points and as the healthier options score higher it encourages them to bring healthier food and feed this back to the parents. The staff support this by sending out messages in their regular newsletter supporting parents to provide healthy options for their children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. The provision takes the safety of the children within their care extremely seriously. They are exceptionally proactive when it comes to keeping the children safe and the staff think about the hazards that may be occur and put precautions in place immediately, for example, putting a procedure in place in the case of an intruder accessing the building which includes relocating the children to another area of the school. The staff automatically assess where the local phone boxes are to ensure that if their mobile phone ceases to work whilst they are out they are able to access the closest contact point. The premises are secure as there is only one entrance whilst the provision is operational and this is accessed by a door bell which is consistently answered by a member of staff ensuring only persons known to the club are allowed entry. The children have areas in which they can relax, with cushions and mats, and be active, where they are able

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

to use the school hall and the fully enclosed playground.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The furniture and resources the club has in place are of top quality and staff ensure these are clean and safe for the children to use before they access them. All toys and equipment are cleaned on a regular basis with sterilising fluid and the surfaces are cleaned down during the sessions with anti-bacterial spray to ensure germs are reduced. Broken or unsafe resources are removed and either repaired or disposed of preventing children from hurting themselves. The children are able to identify any breakages and report them to the supervisor showing they are learning to manage their own safety. All toys are age appropriate and as the club caters for children from three to eleven years old they have a large variety of toys and books suitable for all.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The club ensures the safety of the children whilst out and about by staying close to the provision and ensuring they take the mobile phone, first aid kit, water, whistle and all children's details with them. The risk assessments the staff conduct in the area they are using reflect all areas of concern and how they will rectify these to enable the children and adults to be safe, these include chemicals in use by the staff. Accident records are used to assess whether any particular area or resource is causing numerous injuries and this is then rectified with new equipment or procedures put in place. The children are kept safe from the danger of fire through the vigorous checks and safety equipment the club and school have in place. There are fire detectors and fire points in all areas, a fire blanket in the club's kitchen area, several fire extinguishers and a

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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 clear evacuation procedure to be followed in the case of a fire, which the children practice every half term so they are familiar with the process.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded in this provision because of the staff's excellent understanding of child protection and the referral process they would follow in the case of any suspicions. The written policy backs up the procedure followed containing the phone number they will call in the case of any suspicions and includes the procedure to be followed in the case of a staff allegation. All staff update their training every two years and the manager and deputy renew their training every year without fail to ensure they have up to date information regarding an important area of care for the children. This helps them to continue to provide an exceptional environment in which the children are safe and feel comfortable to talk if they have any concerns. The policy includes a section on what to look for in the case of abuse or neglect supporting the staff and parents to be aware of the signs to look for.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are learning how to be safe through topics and discussions. They have created a health and safety scrapbook where once they have completed a topic on a specific area of safety they add cuttings and drawings into the book for other children to read and refer to. The staff and children have chosen to look at firework safety, road and traffic sense, water safety, what to do in the case of a fire and how to talk to someone if they are being hurt in anyway. All areas are approached with sensitivity and aims to support the children to be independent but safe and secure.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. The children are learning new skills and knowledge and want to attend this out of school club as the staff encourage them to be involved in the planning of exciting and inclusive activities. The children are able to develop their emotional, social, physical, intellectual and creative sides equally within the setting as the plans show an all-rounded curriculum. The staff support the children to be included by asking them what they want to play with, what activities they want to do or what topics they want to learn about enabling them to take ownership over the club. There is a children's committee meeting organised on a regular basis where they can sit down and discuss what they enjoy, what they wish to change or add and how they intend to do this. The committee is completely run by the children and this includes the minute writing and jotting down of ideas which are then taken by the staff and included into their plans or staff meetings

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to develop further. All children are asked at the end of each half term what they would like to do in the following sessions and any ideas used by the staff are credited to the child. All ideas and suggestions made by the children are taken on board and put into practice where possible, or explanations are given to the child if they are not feasible, ensuring they feel valued and respected.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This club is extremely child-orientated, inviting and stimulating as the children and staff display creative work and photographs of fun activities together. The staff provide resources the children need in order to put their ideas into action, for example, specialised pens so they can write and draw on the windows thus making the room even more colourful. This all gives the children a strong ownership over their environment and encourages them to want to attend. All children socialise extremely well with each other and the older 11-year- old children play happily together with the three-year- old children in all areas, for example, they play hide and seek together while outside and sit together and read books when inside. They are able to access a large variety of resources and games on a daily basis from child-friendly storage including jigsaws, puzzles, creative activities, construction and role play. The children are

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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 encouraged to play imaginatively through a large amount of resources for all ages, for example, a home corner with dressing-up outfits, play food, tills and money where they children can play shop together. They are able to create their own exciting imaginative play through resources the staff source such as making a 'Doctor Who Tardis' out of recycled school play scenery. The children paint the cardboard to look like the outer parts of the police box and then make a 'Dalek' out of similar materials, finally dressing up as 'Cyber Men' to act out improvised play around the television show. The children take photographs of these exciting activities and display for all parents and peers to see.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children enter an external poetry competition each year where they write poems around a specific area and the staff send all entries in for judging. The children have had winning entries on occasions and their poems have been successfully published in the book which the club has available in the book area for all to read and as the children all have a copy of their own this gives them an excellent sense of pride. The holiday club runs a variety of exceptionally fun sessions including dressing up days, picnics, local walks and water fight days. The staff plan for morning and afternoon sessions enabling children to come for either or both sessions as they wish. As with the out of school club the staff encourage the children to become included in the planning and activity suggestions. The staff are extremely enthusiastic and actively involve themselves in the children's play by understanding what interests them and why. This

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

includes playing 'card trumps' and creating quizzes around their interests and hobbies and this supports the children to respect and enjoy the staff's company. Overall the children are included in all areas of the day to day running of their club from the planning of the activities to the decision making over what resources they should buy and this is one of the reasons they relish their time at this out of school club.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. All children and their families are included into this out of school club because of their exceptional inclusive practice. This supported by their policies which include excellent statements that are used in their sessions, for example, all children have a right to equal opportunities and all should be valued. The children are learning to follow this ethos within the setting as they are actively including their peers within their games and activities and are supportive of children who need aide to be able to do this. The staff plan activities around different religions, cultures and beliefs and help the children to understand the wider world we live in as they access the internet in order to find out more details. For example, for Chinese New Year the children made willow patterns and learnt about the different histories of China. The staff keep all planning and resources around the different cultures and add to them by regularly with various special

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Helping children make a positive contribution

days such as St. David's and St. Patrick's day. The children are able to see and access multi-cultural images and resources within the setting, for example, posters that reflect different languages, images and religions and ethnic dolls and puzzles showing different people from around the world. The setting has a variety of role play equipment that reflects different cultures within the world such as play food and dressing up clothes and as these are available for the children to play with at all times it reflects the inclusive practice the club operates with.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are able to be supported within the club because of the staff's outstanding experience and knowledge of how to care and support children through play and education. The deputy is able to use Makaton and the supervisor has experience of working as a school special needs co-ordinator and has supported several children within their education. The staff are confident in the process relating to referring

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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 children with developmental needs and are adept at recognising the need for additional support for the children they care for. The staff are incredibly proactive in their approach to caring for children with specific needs and have identified the ways in which they are able to support children and their families when they attend the club. Due to the close connections with the school and pre-school they are involved within any support meetings about the children and are able to understand the needs of each child before they attend the provision. The staff believe very strongly in the need for parental involvement in all areas of the child's development and this is actively promoted within the carefully written special needs policy and their inclusive practice.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children are exceptionally adept at managing their own behaviour through the consistent and fair methods the staff use to discourage unacceptable behaviour and promote achievements and good behaviour. The club actively promotes achievements and have a 'good book' where the children are encouraged to write in any areas they feel they have done well in and this is celebrated by the staff and their peers. When the page is full the staff ask the parents to pick out one child randomly who will receive a prize and a position on the achievement board encouraging pride within the children. If a child exhibits unacceptable behaviour the staff will deal with this in a consistent manner that is suitable for each individual child concerned because they have an exceptional understanding of what will work to encourage a good outcome. The children are fully included in supporting their peers to behave appropriately by deciding on a

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Helping children make a positive contribution

selection of rules and boundaries for all children to follow. These are updated on a regular basis when the children are asked as a group to review them over a snack time and discuss if they are still suitable and if they need to add any more to improve the club's atmosphere. The staff encourage them to base rules around how they want to be treated and respected and as the children have decided these boundaries they are more likely to be follow them than if they are enforced and decided by the staff.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The relationship between the provision and the parents is outstanding. The parents have a very high regard for the activities the staff do with the children and how they involve them within all the decision making. Annual questionnaires are given to the parents and children to assess how well they feel they have enjoyed the activities, what topics they liked the most and any ideas of how they can improve and as they are age appropriate all are able to participate. All ideas are included in the club's action plan and talked over at staff, committee and children's meetings ensuring the inclusion of all parties. The staff ensure the parents have an excellent understanding of the ethos of the setting and the policies and procedures they follow in order to provide exceptional care and security for their children. This is done by providing them with a welcome pack containing specific policies and information about the club and how it is

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Helping children make a positive contribution

operated. Confidentiality is maintained as all documentation is personal to each child and locked away securely and parents are able to talk to the staff in a quiet location if required for further privacy. The parents are fully aware of how to complain if they need to with the provision of a detailed complaints policy that is given to all parents on registration and this includes the contact details for Ofsted if they need to inform an outside regulatory body of their concerns.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. The provision is extremely organised and the staff have the experience and qualifications they need in order to provide excellent childcare and education. The supervisor has a National Vocational Qualification level three qualification in play work and has received training in a variety of key areas such as first aid, child protection, behaviour management and food hygiene.

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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 She has vast experience in running an out of school club and also works as a teaching assistant within the school. This gives her the experience and knowledge she needs in order to support all her staff in providing the children with a settled, caring and educational environment in which they can thrive. The club ensures the children's safety by making sure that all staff have current police checks conducted upon them and suitable references returned before allowing them to have unsupervised contact with the children. All adults who have not been deemed suitable yet are not left alone with the children in any situation thus safeguarding the children whilst within the setting.

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Organisation

The children remain safe whilst within the club's care as they adhere to the numbers on their registration certificate and the space and equipment is organised effectively to provide them with an outstanding environment in which they can learn and play. As the staff's professional development is managed on a continuous basis they are able to identify any needs for further development or training. This is supported by three 'good practice' meetings a year where the staff are able to self appraise their practice and skills and the management are able to feed back on their strengths and needs for further support or training. The setting supports the staff to continually learn and improve their practice both through internal and external training and this enables the settings exceptional practice to remain so. Regular staff meetings provide them with an opportunity to discuss their activities and practice and to move forwards with

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Organisation

their sessions in order to provide appropriate activities for the children. The staff are encouraged to have a full understanding of the five outcomes for children and how this relates to their practice and the supportive documentation they use within the club. For example, the staff were requested to take one outcome area each and fully research what they have in place to provide outstanding practice and support for the individual child and then feed back to all staff enabling discussions about improvements to be made and where they feel they fully support the children.

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Organisation

The setting stores their documentation safely and securely and each child has their own admission and information file, that parents are able to access on request, that are kept confidential but are close at hand when the staff need to refer to them. The exceptional policies the setting uses within their practice are available for parents to be able to access them at any time, together with the setting's certificates and insurance details. The required documentation such as the register is kept up to date to ensure the child's safety and any registration forms and written permissions are filled out before the children start, enabling the staff to have sufficient information about the children within their care. The staff and committee work extremely well together and have an excellent understanding of what events or changes they need to notify Ofsted and other relevant bodies about enabling the children to remain safe

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Organisation

and cared for at all times. Overall the children's individual needs are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider agreed to ensure children are able to sit comfortably and appropriately when they are having drinks and snacks. The club now has tables and chairs set out enabling the children to sit and eat their snack appropriately with each other. They are also able to access this area at a later time if they wish to eat more snack during the session. They also agreed to ensure Ofsted contact details are included in the complaints policy for parents.

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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 The policy is now comprehensive with the details of Ofsted's phone number and address in the case a parent needs to complain externally.

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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 to 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 outstanding. 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

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of care are outstanding.

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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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