Kid-Zone 2

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated. Kid-Zone 2 Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY368807 Inspection date 28/01/2009 Inspector Frank William Kelly

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Setting address St. John Bosco RC Primary School, Green Lane, Maghull, LIVERPOOL, L31 8BW Telephone number 01512 873 944 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration whichever is the later, which require Ofsted or the provider to take action in Annex C.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Kid-Zone 2 opened in 2008 and is one of three after school settings operated by an individual. It is based within the St John Bosco RC Primary School which is situated in the Maghull area of Liverpool. The setting is open from 15.00 to 18.00 each weekday during term times. The care is based within the family room and main hall of the premises. There is an enclosed outdoor play area and all areas of the setting are easily accessible as they are at ground level.

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Description of the setting

The setting is registered to care for a maximum of 40 children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than 40 may be in the early years age range. There are currently 54 children on roll; of these, 12 children are within the early years age range. The setting offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. Children who attend the club come from various local schools.

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Description of the setting

The setting employs four members of staff all of whom are qualified. One member of staff is completing a higher qualification. The setting receives support from the Early Years development teams.

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The children's welfare is effectively promoted as the setting has efficient arrangements in place which ensure their safety and good health. Staff do well in the short periods of time that the children attend to provide a fun, play based environment that support the children's learning and development in a relaxed and friendly manner. The good systems for sharing information with parents enable staff to gain a secure knowledge of each child’s background and needs. In particular, the arrangements for supporting children with learning difficulties and disabilities are very well coordinated. However, some other wider partnerships are less successful. Those with some of the schools that the children attend have not yet been formally established. Self-evaluation is accurate and areas for improvement have been well chosen. The experienced staff team confidently implement the detailed policies and procedures well, which promotes the overall

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Overall effectiveness of the early years provision

safe and consistent care for the children.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 update the risk assessments to fully reflect the good practice that takes place, in this instance, the procedures for using the minibus  further extend the planning of activities to allow children more opportunities for cross curricular learning and help them understand the society that they live in  further develop the systems for sharing information where children receive This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the main part of their education and care at another setting so that the activities and experiences provided meet the children’s needs whilst at the setting and complement those from the other settings

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provision

The robust staff recruitment, vetting and ongoing appraisal systems implemented by the organisation's management promote the effective safeguarding and welfare of the children. All the staff are qualified and a programme of induction, core training, such as that for child protection and regular additional vocational training opportunities, further enhances their knowledge and skills. Thus, staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and have successfully implemented good practice that reflects the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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provision

Children's consistent care is promoted through the well thought-out and clear policies and procedures which form the basis of the safe and efficient management of the premises and care. For example, the security of the premises is seen as a priority and staff politely decline the collection of children by unfamiliar adults until they have followed the procedures in place. This includes contacting the parents to establish arrangements and requesting confidential passwords. Risk assessments identify the steps to be taken to ensure that hazards to children are kept to a minimum. Most are written, including those for the daily checks of the premises prior to the children arriving. However, there are some omissions. For example, the extremely well thought-out procedures, confidently explained by the staff regarding the use of the minibus, have not been formally recorded and included with this documentation. Self-evaluation is well established within this

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provision

organisation. The manager has, with the support of the owner and the early years support team, drawn up action plans which have identified well chosen areas for improvement. These include planning and assessment and developing the children's access to technology.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are seen as a priority by the setting and promoted through the regular formal and verbal exchanges of information. Information about the setting provides parents with a framework about how and why the setting implements practice. Warm greetings by the staff, noticeboards and regular newsletters further contribute to the development of close working relationships. The owner coordinates the support of those children with learning difficulties or disabilities to ensure that they are fully included in all aspects of the provision and that the care and learning provided is consistent with that of the child's school and home life. However, staff are aware of the need to develop more secure links with all the schools that provide the children with the main part of their care and education. This will then enable staff to plan more securely, a range of activities that meet the individual child's needs whilst at the setting, and complement the

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provision

children's experiences from school. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The setting is well organised and promotes the five outcomes for the children very well. Daily routines help children consolidate their understanding of personal hygiene, independence and safety. For instance, washing their hands before snack, not standing up whilst eating or pouring themselves a drink of water whilst outside. An emphasis on developing children's social skills is successfully undertaken, with children from different schools enjoying opportunities to form wider friendships during their time at the club. Children's early citizenship is further encouraged through the respectful and polite staff role modelling and thoughtful ways staff support children when they start. For example, the children have created a 'talking photo album' which new children are encouraged to look at. It contains pictures of the staff and some of the activities that take place. Consequently, children of all ages are secure in the setting, play harmoniously and

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

The setting places an emphasis on providing the children with a relaxed and fun place to be. Staff have established warm and humorous relationships with the children. This is because they engage with the children and enjoy talking and playing with them. Children respond with enthusiasm and eagerness to share the events of their day when they arrive. Following a snack, the children make lots of personal choices about where and what they play with. This means the children have a good time at the setting and freely express their personal preferences and wishes. For example, some children choose to draw with pens, whilst others want to play outside. Younger children confidently locate favourite dolls and buggies to take with them. Staff organise themselves, overcoming the organisational challenges well, to allow children to play indoors and out as they wish. Children confidently request when they wish to move from one area to the other.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

Activities which are regularly rotated are set out and located within the main hall and planned to ensure that children enjoy experiences that span all the six areas of learning. To complement this staff also plan activities linked to seasonal events, such as Bonfire Night and Valentines Day. In addition, they learn about differing cultures both past and present through projects about the ancient Egyptians and celebrations, such as Chinese New Year or Christmas. Children learn as they participate in fun activities, such as making calendars, and listening to the stories behind the celebrations. However, staff are not extending this further to help children gain a greater awareness of similarities and differences within today’s society.

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

That said, the staff are successfully beginning to implement a system of observing children and using their evaluations to help plan activities that are formed from the children's own preferences and interests. These activities are clearly planned with the children's next steps in mind. For example, children who enjoyed playing a football skills game had more challenging games planned for the following week, which built on their control of the ball and their foot-to-eye coordination. These activities encourage both the children's physical development and their social interactions, such as game rules and turn-taking. However, staff have not considered ways to extend these activities to extend other areas of learning of life This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 skills, such as mark making and counting skills. By doing this, the activities provided for the children whilst at the setting would build on and complement their

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The quality and standards of the early years provision

previous learning experiences in a fun way. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

How well does the provision promote inclusive practice? 2 The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement.

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Foundation Stage led and managed?

How effective is the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement? How well does the setting work in partnership with parents and others? How well are children safeguarded? 2

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

How well are children helped to stay safe? 2 How well are children helped to be healthy? 2 How well are children helped to enjoy and achieve? 2 How well are children helped to make a positive contribution? How well are children helped develop skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being?

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Years Foundation Stage promoted?

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex C: complaint/s made to Ofsted

This section of the report includes details of any complaint/s made to Ofsted when:  we took action for the provider to meet the requirements of the Early Years Register; or  we asked the provider to take action in order to meet the requirements of the Early Years Register; or  the provider had already taken any necessary action to meet the requirements of the Early Years Register.

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Annex C: complaint/s made to Ofsted

We will not report on any complaint where the provider met the requirements of the Early Years Register or did not require any action by Ofsted or the registered provider.

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Detail of the complaint/s

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection that required any action by Ofsted or the provider.

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Detail of the complaint/s

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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