Time Out Afterschool Club

Time Out After School Club/Homework Club Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY137161 Inspection date 14/09/2009 Inspector Rachel Wyatt

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Setting address Nechells Methodist Church, Nechells Park Road, Birmingham, West Midlands, B7 5PR Telephone number 0121 328 3399 Email Type of setting Childcare on non-domestic premises to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk 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 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.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Time Out After School/Homework Club opened in 2003. It is committee run and operates from two rooms within Nechells Methodist Church; the outdoor area is not used by the group. The club provides after school care during school term-time and play scheme facilities during school holidays according to demand. Sessions are each weekday from 3.00 pm until 6.00 pm during term-time, and during school holidays sessions are 8.45 am until 6.00 pm, with an option for a shorter session from 10.00 am until 3.00 pm.

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Description of the setting

The out of school club is registered on the Early Years Register. A maximum of 24 children may attend at any one time. There are currently two children on roll in the early years age group. Children over the age of five up to 11 years may also attend. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The out of school club currently supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Description of the setting

There are seven members of staff, of whom three hold Level 3 Play-work qualifications and four have appropriate Level 2 qualifications. The club collects children from four local schools.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children's individual needs are successfully promoted and they enjoy attending the after school club. Staff create a most welcoming atmosphere, effectively recognising the uniqueness of each child, and ensuring their individual needs and interests are met during well organised, fun sessions. All those involved in the setting demonstrate a good capacity to maintain continuous, sustainable improvement to benefit children's welfare, learning and development. In particular, they consistently ensure children are able to contribute to decision making about the toys and activities that are provided.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve staff’s knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage so that they use observations and assessment more effectively to identify children's learning priorities  create more opportunities for children to be physically active and to improve their skills in coordination, control and movement. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Children are fully safeguarded. The club has clear up-to-date policies, strategies and procedures to ensure children are protected from harm, including what action to take if an allegation is made against a member of staff. The manager and staff clearly understand their responsibilities to safeguard children and make sure parents are aware of the club’s procedures. Children’s welfare is also protected by the club’s effective recruitment, vetting, and staff development procedures which ensure all adults working with children are suitable and have appropriate qualifications and experience.

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the early years provision

Children are well supported by kind, dedicated and highly motivated staff, who make sure sessions run smoothly and routines are well managed. Adults have a generally sound understanding of their roles and responsibilities, and regularly attend staff development meetings and training sessions which are often open to parents and carers. The club is an important part of the local community and everyone working there contributes to the welcoming and vibrant atmosphere. The adults’ positive attitudes ensure children and families feel comfortable, their diverse backgrounds are acknowledged and their views are valued. The club’s policies are applied in practice to create a secure environment where discrimination and stereotyping are minimised and challenged, and staff are proactive about ensuring children value and respect each other.

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the early years provision

The outcomes for all children are consistently improved because the manager and staff share a clear vision for the ongoing development of the club and very much encourage parents’ and children’s views. For example, children’s suggestions are an integral part of the ongoing planning of activities and provision of new toys, equipment and resources. Consistency is assured because the adults working in the club tackle key priorities and check how well plans and procedures are implemented. For instance, the setting reviews and updates policies, monitors safety, and evaluates the impact of resources and activities on children’s enjoyment and learning. In the longer term, there are clear plans for the continued improvement of the facilities for children, including seeking funding to provide a safe, accessible outside play area.

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the early years provision

Children have continuity in their care and learning as the club exchanges relevant information with the schools they attend, works well with other agencies involved with them, and develops strong partnerships with parents. From the outset parents have good quality information about the club. They are encouraged to spend time at the setting, chatting to staff and exchanging information about their child, including their interests and needs. Parents’ views are sought about the quality of the provision and their children's care and education, which helps staff to understand children’s starting points, to settle them and to provide appropriate activities. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children's good health and well-being are promoted. Their individual health, dietary, cultural and any other care needs are clearly understood and met well by staff. Effective arrangements ensure children receive prompt appropriate treatment if they are ill, have an accident or need medication. The setting maintains relevant first aid qualifications and ensures record keeping is up-to-date so that parents are well informed about their child's condition. The risks of cross-infection are minimised as all areas, toys, furniture and equipment are clean, and children are encouraged to help with this such as wiping tables at snack time. Children have a good understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. For example, currently they are taking part in activities and discussions about foods that are good for them. They clearly know why good personal hygiene is important and enjoy being active, although, there are limited opportunities for regular, planned more

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and outcomes for children

challenging physical play. Children’s safety is successfully fostered. Since the last inspection improvements in safety procedures mean the club has robust school collection arrangements, and staff use clear risk assessments and checks to help them maintain a good standard of security and to minimise hazards. Children are effectively supervised, whilst being given the skills and knowledge to behave in ways that are safe for themselves and others. They regularly discuss road safety during walks from school, and a range of activities and experiences are used sensitively to help them to protect themselves from personal harm, and to manage in often challenging situations, such as different types of emergencies.

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and outcomes for children

Children make good progress and enjoy themselves because adults create an inviting environment and organise fun, rewarding activities and experiences. Children are ably supported by adults who know them well as a result of their informal observations and effective interactions with them. Staff positively recognise and support each child’s interests and their care and learning needs during sessions. However, assessment procedures are informal, and staff do not have a fully secure knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) areas of learning. As a result children’s individual learning priorities are not always clearly identified. In other respects, children develop good skills for the future. They become confident to make decisions, to express themselves verbally and in writing, and to work out problems. Well-thought out activities provide many opportunities for children to be imaginative, think critically and to

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and outcomes for children

explore and investigate. They relish being creative, confidently using interesting resources and materials as they paint, draw, and design and make collages, models and other artefacts. They explore and investigate how things change and react, for instance during rewarding cooking and salt dough making sessions. Children are purposeful and concentrate well because resources and activities are interesting and staff ensure their learning about letters, sounds, numbers and counting are fostered in meaningful practical ways, for instance during routines or whilst playing board games.

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and outcomes for children

Children thrive because they feel valued and develop a sense of belonging as their work, and ideas for play and resources are displayed. They have many opportunities to express their feelings and views about different aspects of the club This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and to discuss behaviour expectations. Children feel confident to make suggestions about the activities, toys and equipment they would like. These are discussed and followed up and during each session many activities are child-initiated. Children settle well and are helped to make friends and join in, because staff are friendly and enthusiastic. They also promote a nurturing atmosphere where children are encouraged to be kind towards each other. For instance, younger and new children soon get to know what happens at different times in the session such as snack and tidy up times as their peers help and involve them.

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and outcomes for children

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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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

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

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