Thurgoland Out Of School Club

Thurgoland Out Of School Club Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY403573 Inspection date 07/05/2010 Inspector Cathleen Howarth

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Setting address Thurgoland Youth Centre, Roper Lane, Thurgoland, Sheffield, S35 7AL Telephone number 07748 177686 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 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

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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: 0300 123 1231 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

Thurgoland out-of-school club and holiday play scheme re-registered in 2009 after relocating from the Kids Centre. The club now operates from rooms within Thurgoland Youth Centre, which is on the outskirts of Sheffield. It is a registered charity run by a voluntary management committee.

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Description of the setting

The club is open weekdays during term time from 7.30am to 8.50am and from 3.30pm to 6pm. The holiday play scheme is open on selected weeks during the school holidays from 7.30am to 6pm. During term time all children attend from Thurgoland Infant and Junior School. The holiday play scheme provides day care for children from the wider community. There is provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for those who speak English as an additional language. At the side of the youth centre there is an enclosed outdoor play area, which the children use under supervision.

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Description of the setting

The club is registered to care for 26 children under eight years; of these, not more than 26 may be in the early years age group, and of these, none may be under three years at any one time. Currently there are nine children on roll on the Early Years Register. There are 135 children on roll on the compulsory and voluntary part of the Childcare Register. Children occupying these places share the same facilities as the children in the early years range.

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Description of the setting

There are three permanent members of staff and all hold relevant childcare qualifications, which include level 3 awards in Early Years and Childcare for Play Workers. In addition, there are three unqualified students on casual contracts.

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Description of the setting

The club has links with other Early Years Foundation Stage providers and it is affiliated to 4Children, formerly known as 'Kids Club Network'.

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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

The cohesive staff team set high standards, which reflect in high and appropriate aspirations for the children. They effectively support children to make good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas. Inclusive practice is firmly embedded in all aspects of the provision and, as a result, children’s individual needs are well met. Self-evaluation is an integral part of the provision and staff effectively demonstrate they have good capacity to make independent and continuous improvements.

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further?

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

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further?

 enhance children's development files by linking children's progress to the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 information in the practice guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage, and use these assessments to plan the next steps in children’s learning and development  develop staff induction and appraisal systems.

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the early years provision

Staff have good awareness of safeguarding issues. They fully understand their role in child protection, including the procedures to follow should a concern arise.

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the early years provision

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement is good. The core staff team is very committed and well qualified. Staff turnover is extremely low. Overall, this results in consistently good outcomes for children. The core team is supported by a group of unqualified students, who are working towards their degrees. They are included in adult to child ratios as they are on long-term placements. However, there are limited systems in place for their induction and appraisal. All adults enjoy their work at the club and highly effective team working is noted. For example, when the inspection was announced it was good to see how they rallied round the club’s manager, supporting her through the inspection process by helping to keep children focused on their activities, giving her time to collate children's records and other documentation.

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the early years provision

The club has sole use of the premises. As a result, the toys and equipment used by children at the breakfast club can now be left out. The physical layout of the setting and the deployment of resources meet the needs of children well and it significantly enhances their experience at the setting.

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the early years provision

Staff place the promotion of equal opportunities at the heart of all their work and they have secure knowledge of each child’s background and individual needs. All children are fully included and involved. They are learning about human differences in the wider community through a good range of well thought through activities that positively promote gender, disability, ethnicity and culture. Some examples include food tasting, arts and crafts, music and movement.

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the early years provision

There are various effective systems for self-evaluation. Aspects of the provision that the committee want to develop are clearly prioritised; for example, they have recently installed a new burglar alarm, purchased a new settee for the quiet area, fitted new blinds to the windows, and bought a new carpet. The club's council is in its infancy and staff intend to develop it further, so that children can continue to contribute to the self-evaluation process. Their vision for the future is to own their own club, which would be purpose built.

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the early years provision

There are meaningful levels of engagement at the setting. Relationships and working in partnership with parents is good. Parents are routinely involved in decision making on key matters affecting their children through well-established systems and procedures. This includes the ongoing opportunity to attend committee meetings. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Overall, the effectiveness of working in partnership with others is good and provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is included. There are systems in place to promote a seamless approach to delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. For example, staff work closely with staff at the school, particularly the foundation stage teacher, to effectively promote children’s continuing care and development.

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and outcomes for children

Staff have secure knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and overall they promote children’s learning and development well. Children’s individual progress is good in relation to their starting points and capabilities. The children's designated key worker routinely records observations of children at play, to determine their natural interests, capabilities and preferred learning styles. The staff maintain pictorial evidence of what children have achieved in individual development files. However, children’s progress is not linked to the indicators in the practice guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage, so it is difficult for parents to see how staff track children's progress towards the early learning goals. Staff plan a wide range of stimulating activities for the group, although it is not clear how they use the information in children’s development files to inform individual activity plans. However, the key workers evaluate activities

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and outcomes for children

with children, taking into account their age and stage of development in the six areas of learning. Staff have high and appropriate expectations of what children can achieve. The club is well resourced and staff support children effectively in all areas of learning. Teaching methods are consistently good and when it is appropriate staff can maintain children's attention for long periods. The club provides a stable, relaxed environment for children to play safely. They choose to take part in activities and crafts, and to socialise with friends. Within the distinctive character of the group children have clearly developed a positive attitude towards learning.

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and outcomes for children

All children show a strong sense of security and feel safe within the setting. They fully understand what standards of behaviour are expected and consistently apply these in order to keep themselves and others safe; for example, children know not to run inside the club, to avoid accidental injury. They routinely practise the emergency evacuation plan in order to learn how to act responsibly in times of uncertainty. Children know to wait for staff and the school crossing patrol officer to help them cross the road safely. Through effective links with the school, staff reinforce road safety in age-appropriate ways through storytelling, books and role play.

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and outcomes for children

The children’s understanding of the importance of following good personal hygiene routines is good. With regard to managing outbreaks of head lice staff liaise well with the school and there are effective control measures in place. Healthy eating is positively promoted and the club consistently promotes five daily portions of fruit and vegetables. There are good opportunities for children to engage in a wide range of physical activities, both indoors and outdoors. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 All children are highly valued and treated with equal concern. They work well on their own and with others. They engage in meaningful activities that help them value diversity; for example, children learn about different cultures, languages and religions, through the use of books, jigsaws, musical instruments and a host of other resources and activities to effectively reinforce their learning. Children’s

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and outcomes for children

understanding of environmental issues and sustainability is positively promoted when they recycle paper and reuse items for model making, in addition to obtaining vouchers for school. The Easter raffle was a fun way to raise money for new resources for the club.

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and outcomes for children

Overall, children’s development in communication, numeracy and literacy is good. The use of the play station is supervised consistently well and this enables all children to have a go. Children are inquisitive learners and they soon learn how to use programmable equipment. They confidently use resources in the small world area, like the microwave, iron and washing machine, and they inquisitively use the battery operated globe. Children and staff are extremely thankful to Barnsley Choices for the six new laptops, which are awaiting delivery. Age-appropriate software has already been obtained. Effective measures, like the above, provide firm foundations for children to develop knowledge, understanding and skills that are required for later life. 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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