Woolton Out of Hours Kids' Club

Woolton Out of Hours Kids Club

Inspection report for early years provision

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Woolton Out of Hours Kids Club

Unique Reference Number 322449 Inspection date 13 February 2006 Inspector Michele Anne Villiers

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Woolton Out of Hours Kids Club

Setting Address Woolton County Infant School, Out Lane, Liverpool, Merseyside, L25 5NN Telephone number 494 1200 0794 E-mail outofhours@kidsclub.com Registered person Out of Hours Kids Club Ltd Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Out of School care

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Woolton Out of Hours Kids Club

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 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 satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Woolton Out of Hours Kids' Club is one of 11 clubs run by Out of Hours Kids' Club Ltd. It opened in 2000 and operates from a mobile unit within Woolton County Infant School. Children also have access to the school hall and outdoor play area. A maximum of 56 children may attend the club at any one time. The club opens five days a week, during school term time, from 08.00 to 09.00 and 15.15 to 17.45. There are currently 100 children aged from 4 years to 11 years on roll. All children on roll attend Woolton School.

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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 The club employs seven staff; five of the staff, including the manager, hold appropriate early years qualifications.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children's physical skills are developed well through regular access to a large outdoor area. They enjoy a variety of team games, such as football, running and skipping. In bad weather they access the school hall for energetic play. Children show an awareness of simple hygiene procedures and are reminded to wash their hands at appropriate times of the day. The staff follow clear medication policies and appropriate procedures for the recording of accidents. There is a fully stocked first aid box and some staff have completed training in dealing with anaphylactic shock and with sports injuries. The environment where children play is satisfactory, but some areas are not well maintained or clean. The carpet is generally dirty and not always vacuumed prior to children arriving. The rubbish bin in the play room, which sometimes contains food, does not have a lid, posing a risk of cross- infection. Children have a substantial meal

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Helping children to be healthy

at snack time, contributing to their health and development. Food is suitably nutritious and varied, with fruit offered each day. They learn about healthy eating through discussion and activities, such as drawing and displaying pictures of healthy foods. Staff provide jugs of drinking water or juice for children to freely access, to quench their thirst.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children have sufficient space to move around and the premises are welcoming with displays of artwork and colourful posters. There are designated areas for play in the mobile unit and children freely move between indoor and outdoor play with adequate staff supervision to keep them safe. Children have sufficient furniture and toys that are suitably safe. However, some resources are old and of poor quality, therefore not fully creating an interesting environment. Children learn about safety and are reminded to be careful when running and to walk through school when entering the hall. Workshops and activity topics on 'people who help us' and fire safety, further extend the children's understanding about how to keep themselves safe, along with practicing the emergency evacuation procedure. Staff have some awareness of health and safety and receive training, but they sometimes fail to fully minimise hazards. At the end of a play session staff vacuum

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

the premises before all children have vacated, putting children at risk of accidental injury. Wall heaters sometimes become very hot and although they have fire guards, these too become very hot to touch, further posing a risk to children. A risk assessment is conducted on the premises and resources, but this is not always

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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 reviewed. All staff receive in-house child protection training and know what to do in the event of a concern, helping to safeguard the children's welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are happy and generally enjoy their play. They settle quickly upon arrival and relate well to the staff, who support children in small groups. Children confidently explore their environment and ask for different activities. Play is very child directed and several toys, resources and play opportunities are made available. However, there is not a balance between planned activities and free-play to fully promote the children's interest and for activities to be purposeful. Some areas of play lack organisation, with some resources being unsuitable for the purpose, such as the role-play area. Children enthusiastically participate in art activities and enjoy painting their portrait, using different coloured paint appropriate for their skin and hair colour. They have many opportunities to express their own thoughts and ideas through art and craft and use a range of textured resources and junk materials to make models and collage.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children happily play with the computer and electronic games. They play well alongside each other and enjoy games of matching and sequencing. Outdoor play is encouraged and children develop good coordination skills as they play with bats and balls. Staff join in with the children's activities and respond to their interests, promoting the children's confidence.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are valued and respected as individuals, which helps to promote their self-esteem. They make a positive contribution to the setting and their work is celebrated and displayed on the walls. Children learn about differences through positive images of disability and culture and some multi-cultural resources. All children have access to all activities and play is not gender-specific. Children's behaviour is satisfactory and staff use praise and encouragement to reinforce good behaviour. Children are encouraged to think about consequences and to list the 'things we should not do', such as bullying and 'nice things we do', such as welcoming new children, being kind and sharing. Children are lively but generally behave appropriately. Children benefit from a satisfactory partnership with parents. Parents are informed of policies and procedures and information is shared verbally at

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Helping children make a positive contribution

the beginning or end of sessions, helping to ensure that children's needs are met. Parents views are occasionally sought through questionnaires and parents speak positively about the provision.

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Organisation

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 club is generally suitably organised for play opportunities, with sufficient qualified staff. A clear recruitment procedure ensures that all staff are appropriately vetted to safeguard children. Regular staff meetings and appraisals identify any staff training needs to further their knowledge and understanding in order to benefit the children. Mandatory staff training, such as child protection, food hygiene and first aid is met. All relevant documentation is in place, for the effective management of the provision. Well written company policies and procedures cover all aspects of the National Standards and help to promote the children's welfare, care and learning. Overall the provision meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection it was recommended that staff review and update old equipment, make comfortable an area for children to relax and rest and provide drinking water at all times. Some new equipment has been purchased. There is an area with soft, safety mats for children to sit in comfort. A jug of water is made available each day for children to easily access.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection. 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 satisfactory. 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): • improve the standard of hygiene to help prevent the spread of infection • ensure appropriate measures are taken to minimize hazards on the premises, and regularly review the risk assessment to identify concerns, and record the action taken

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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 • improve the quality and suitability of some toys and resources • extend the range of planned activities and adult-directed play opportunities so there is a balance with free-play.

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The quality and standards of the care

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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