Holly Mount Owls

Hollymount After School 'Owls' Inspection report for early years provision

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501976 Unique Reference Number 12 March 2008 Inspection date Annette Stanger Inspector

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Hollymount Lane, Greenmount, Bury, Lancashire, BL8 4HS Setting Address

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E-mail

Hollymount After School 'Owls' 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?

Hollymount Owls out of school club is run by a committee and opened in 2001. It operates from Hollymount Primary School, which is situated in a rural area of Greenmount, a suburb of Bury, Lancashire. Children have access to the hall, classrooms, computer room and an outdoor play area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

A maximum of 62 children may attend the out of school care at any one time. The before and after school club operates five days a week during term time only. Sessions are from 08.00 until 08.50 and from 15.30 until 17.30. A holiday play scheme also operates for three weeks during the summer holidays from 08.30 until 17.30.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently 79 children aged from three to under eight years on roll. Children attend for a variety of sessions.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The out of school provision employs 10 members of staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years or play work 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 satisfactory. Staff encourage children's awareness of the importance of personal hygiene. They are encouraged to follow established routines, such as washing their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Facilities for hand washing help to minimise the spread of germs and include disposable hand towels. Staff act in the children’s best interests when they are ill and clear procedures protect others from illness and infection. Most documentation is in place for health, although written permission to seek emergency medical attention is not in place for some of the children in attendance. A high number of staff are first aid trained and this knowledge is kept current through keeping their certificates maintained. All accidents are recorded in the accident book and the information shared with parents, although, some entries lack clear detail about the exact location of injuries.

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Helping children to be healthy

Staff seek information regarding children’s health and dietary needs and any cultural preferences. These are respected and followed in practice to keep children healthy. Children are well nourished through a balanced range of healthy snacks. They are able to request drinks throughout the session and are given a drink of juice or water with their snack. Children are offered choice and sandwiches are made with white and wholemeal bread. Where possible children are encouraged to choose the healthy option. Children have an increasing awareness of the importance of the five fruit and vegetables a day healthy eating guidance. Staff planned a week of activities around this to promote and support children's understanding of healthy living. Activities helped children to understand why some foods are healthy and others are not and the importance of balance in their diet.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy physical activity, which supports their physical development and promotes a positive approach to exercise. Good use is made of both the indoor and outdoor space to offer children a choice of activities that encourage them to be healthy and active. Children particularly enjoy racquet and ball games, and group games of chase and football in the playground.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a safe, secure and welcoming environment and the space is organised effectively to allow them the freedom to make safe choices and independently access opportunities. The furniture, equipment and age appropriate resources conform to safety standards and are well maintained. There are good arrangements in place to allow children to rest and relax in comfort at the end of the school day and talk with their friends. All safety equipment is in place and daily risk assessments are successful in identifying and minimising all potential hazards to children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are good security systems and safe collection procedures in place to protect children. Staff effectively monitor access to and from the provision to ensure that children are collected by those authorised to do so. These ensure children cannot leave the premises unsupervised and there can be no unauthorised access to children. There are also clear procedures in place to follow in the event of a child not being collected or lost. Staff are vigilant and supervise children well. A good ratio of staff to children teamed with effective deployment ensures that children are kept safe. Staff constantly raise children's awareness of how to keep themselves safe through gentle reminders and explanation. For example, children are reminded to sit on

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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 their chairs properly and staff explain the importance of keeping all four chair legs on the floor in case the chair tips over and they hurt themselves.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

All fire safety precautions are in place. Children know the procedure for evacuation in an emergency and this is practised regularly with staff. This ensures they know how to vacate the premises quickly and safely in an emergency.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff have a good awareness of possible signs and symptoms of abuse and of their responsibility to report such concerns in line with local authority procedures to protect children. There are clear systems in place to record any existing injuries and this ensures that the safety of the children remains a priority.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are well settled, relaxed and confident in the setting. They enjoy a good variety of practical activities in a welcoming and well organised environment. They enter the setting enthusiastically and make independent choices about their play. They choose whether to take part in group activities or select from the range of free-play options by themselves and with their peers, developing their decision making skills and skills of cooperation. At the inspection children enjoyed a range of art and craft activities. They made Easter chicks using wool to make pom-poms for the head and body and enjoyed colouring and cutting out pictures from magazines to make their own collages.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children also enjoy activities that involve friendly competition and enthusiastically take part in large group games, such as football and games of chase. For Easter, children have also had the option to enter a colouring competition and have taken great pride in their entries. Staff acknowledge all the children's efforts and give them regular praise and encouragement, which effectively builds on the children's self-esteem and confidence.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Staff are very skilled at knowing when to intervene to enhance and extend children's play as well as allowing them to develop their own ideas and express their free creativity. Staff regularly consult with the children to ensure they provide interesting and stimulating activities that appeal to their interests. Activities are discussed and designed with the children to ensure the experiences provided are meaningful and enjoyable. Planning remains flexible and is adapted to suit the children's needs at the daily sessions.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Good relationships are clearly evident and staff are skilled at taking the time to listen and acknowledge children, as well as allowing them the time to enjoy socialising with their friends in their own way. Children show a sense of pride in their club and it is evident that they enjoy coming as they share their opinions of the club with the inspector, on why they enjoy coming and what they enjoy doing.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children behave very well and are polite and well mannered. They have a good understanding of right and wrong and are kind and respectful to one another and their play environment. They look after the provision and resources well and help to design their own set of rules for certain activities, such as football. They cooperate well and are thoughtful and considered to others around them. Relationships between staff and children are mutually respectful and staff

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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 act as good role models for the children. All staff are consistent in their approach to behaviour management and give children regular praise and encouragement, which builds on their self-esteem.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are treated with equal concern and their individual needs are well catered for. They benefit from activities and resources that help them to consider and value diversity, learning more about each other and the world around them. Activities have included children exploring their own self-image using mirrors to assist them in completing self-portraits. Staff understand policies on equal opportunities and are fully committed to inclusion and ensure that all children are included in the provision. Child registration forms ensure personal information is obtained from parents to enable staff to provide continuity of care and ensure children’s individual needs are well catered for.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents are welcomed into the club by friendly, approachable staff who give them regular verbal feedback about their child’s time at the club. Parents are provided with clear information about the setting and its policies and procedures. Useful parent information is displayed for them to refer to, including the procedure to follow if they have a complaint.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The space is organised effectively to allow the children to initiate their own play and learning and access a good range of opportunities. This encourages their independence and allows them to self-select experiences that both interest and challenge them. In response, children are very well settled, happy and confident within the setting.

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Organisation

Children benefit from being cared for by staff who have a good grasp of the play work principles. They work well together as a team and are clear about their individual roles and responsibilities, which means that children are well cared for. There is a low turnover of staff and the setting operates a key worker system, which allows children to experience a sense of familiarity and security.

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Organisation

All of the legally required documentation is in place and includes a good level of detail, although the documentation is not organised effectively to ensure that the policies and procedures are in one place for staff to easily refer to. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the setting was asked to make improvements to safety and the way children's attendance is recorded. All hazards have been effectively minimised to keep children safe. Plug sockets are now in place and the set of ladders is now chained and secured and no longer poses a risk to children's safety. The documentation used for recording children's attendance now clearly shows between what times children are present and their completion is monitored effectively by management.

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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

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 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): • review procedures for recording accidents to ensure that all entries include clear detail regarding the exact position of injuries • ensure written parental permission to seek emergency medical attention is in place for all children • review the way the documentation is organised to ensure that the policies and procedures are in one place for staff to easily refer to.

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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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