Safe Hands Out of School Club

Safe Hands Out of School Club Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY400795 Inspection date 05/05/2010 Inspector Ferroza Saiyed

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Setting address Mount Pleasant County School, Earl Street, Clayton le Moors, ACCRINGTON, Lancashire, BB5 5NH Telephone number 07523205650 and 07872482838 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 .

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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: 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

Safe Hands Out of School Club has been registered since 2009 and is privately owned by a partnership. It operates from Mount Pleasant primary school, providing care for the children from the school, in the Clayton Le Moors area of Accrington. Children are accommodated in two rooms with access to an enclosed outdoor area. The building has access for those with limited mobility.

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Description of the setting

The club is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is registered to care for no more than 28 children under eight years, at any one time. The club operates from 7.30am to 9am and 3.15pm to 5.45pm Monday to Friday, term times only. There are currently 28 children on roll, of which two are in the early years age range.

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Description of the setting

There are three members of staff that work with the children, all of whom hold an appropriate childcare qualification. The club receives support from the local authority.

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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 thoroughly enjoy their time at the club. They are relaxed and happy as they play and learn. The club is fully inclusive of all children, and activities are varied and exciting. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are encouraged to make decisions about the activities they wish to participate in. The environment is welcoming to all children, and resources are available to meet the needs of children of all ages. Small children are helped to feel safe and settled by caring staff. Self-evaluation has yet to be developed to maintain continuous improvement and development. Partnerships with parents are positive and the club ensures parents are fully informed about the organisational structure.

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further?

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

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further?

 develop a system for self-evaluation to assess what the setting offers against the general and specific requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, to build on the setting's strengths and identify areas for development.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from the strong leadership and management of the club, which is dedicated to offering children meaningful experiences. The management team shows considerable commitment towards promoting good outcomes for children, through updating policies and procedures and monitoring the planning, assessment This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and evaluation processes, to ensure that children's progress is consistently improving. Almost all record keeping documents, policies and procedures are well maintained. Robust recruitment, induction and ongoing appraisal procedures ensure children are cared for by suitable adults. Staff are experienced and attend courses to develop existing knowledge. Detailed risk assessments and health and safety practices ensure children are safe, both indoors and outdoors. Staff ensure that children are collected by persons known to have parental responsibility.

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the early years provision

Children are protected and safeguarded, owing to staff's knowledge and understanding of child protection procedures, health and safety procedures and the steps taken to promote children's good health and well-being. There are very effective systems in place to manage and eliminate any risks to children. Planned risk assessments, regular checks on furniture and equipment, effective security systems and the policies and procedures for fire, emergencies and staffing, all safeguard children.

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the early years provision

Information about the children’s essential needs are shared with parents. There are good links with the host school; a particular strength is the two-way flow of sharing information, which contributes extremely well to the children's learning and development. The management has a vision for further development and improvement; however, they have not yet implemented a robust procedure to monitor and evaluate their practice.

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the early years provision

The premises allows children to access a good range of activities to meet their individual needs. Children's work is displayed and resources are accessible to aid independence, choice and decision making. Positive images, resources and activities support children's understanding of difference and diversity in our wider world. The interesting range of resources meets the needs of every child and accommodates their interests and abilities. Inclusive practice is well applied, ensuring that all children feel welcomed, valued and have their individual needs met effectively by informed staff. Staff deploy themselves effectively to support the children, this enables children to play outside regularly and to give extra support to smaller or new children.

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and outcomes for children

Staff show genuine care and warmth towards the children. Children are provided with an extensive range of opportunities to help them make good progress across all areas of learning and development. The planning is flexible, responding to the children's interests and ideas; for example, staff routinely asks children's opinions about which resources and activities whey wish to participate in, and their ideas are highly valued. Staff observe children as they play, using their observations to ensure that each child's needs are being met and to identify the next steps in their learning. The well-organised environment enables children to become independent learners, which develops their confidence effectively. They make many choices, initiate their own activities and play imaginatively with the resources available; they play in the role-play area as tourist information, providing information and advice to staff and their peers. Children are interested, motivated and involved in

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and outcomes for children

activities; for example, they enjoy decorating biscuits and making post cards to sell This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 in the information centre. They use their developing language skills confidently and enjoy talking to each other and expressing their ideas. There are good opportunities for the children to develop their speaking and listening skills at snack time and when discussing things with the inspector and staff. Children are able to self-express in a comfortable arena; they talk about their families and holidays.

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and outcomes for children

Staff effectively extend games by questioning and encouraging the children to think of different things they can do. As a result, their imaginations and creativity are well supported and promoted; for example, they use their initiative to make ice lollies from play dough to sell. Children are confident as they freely access a good supply of writing materials and resources which enables them to practise their early writing skills. Children confidently use scissors, glue sticks, textured materials and a variety of pens and crayons to mark-make. This effectively develops their pencil control and hand-eye coordination skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy physical exercise outdoors in the fresh air, weather permitting. They are able to move freely indoors and outdoors and this contributes to their good health and physical development. Children move with pleasure; they are able to run, jump and thoroughly enjoy outdoor games, such as football and tennis. Children negotiate appropriate pathways and show respect for other children's personal space.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy attending the club and readily speak about their positive experiences. They enjoy opportunities to giggle, laugh and smile as they communicate with their friends and staff during their time at the setting. This means children's social needs and skills are catered for in a positive and encouraging environment.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn to keep themselves safe through gentle reminders from staff about being careful when outdoors. They also learn about fire safety through the regular emergency evacuation procedures undertaken. They are learning about the importance of sound hygiene practices, as they wash their hands before eating their snack. Children are learning to respect and value differences and the importance of inclusion, as they use dolls, look at books and photographs of different family lifestyles and participate in discussions about feelings. Consequently, the children are eager to participate in activities. They are well- behaved, polite and considerate, following the staff’s good example when interacting with each other. This approach is helping to develop the children’s early citizenship and future enthusiasm for learning. 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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