Willows Out Of School Club

The Willows Out Of School Club

Inspection report for early years provision

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The Willows Out Of School Club

Unique Reference Number 259660 Inspection date 02 March 2006 Inspector Lorraine Hunt

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The Willows Out Of School Club

Setting Address Burwell Village Primary School, The Causeway, Burwell, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB5 0DX Telephone number 01353 624821 E-mail david@THEWILLOWDAYCARENURSERY.COM Registered person The Willows Out Of School Club Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Out of School care

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The Willows Out Of School 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?

The Willows Out of School Club in Burwell is one of three out of school clubs which is privately owned and run by David Seal. It opened in 1998 and operates primarily from the Phoenix Room and Community Room on the site of Burwell Village College (Primary). At the time of the inspection the group was using the Key Stage 1 Learning Zone because the Phoenix room was being refurbished. The group has access to the school playing field and tennis courts. A maximum of 36 children may attend the out of school club at any one time. The club is open from 07:45 until 09:00 and from 15:15 until 18:00 each weekday during term time.

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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 There are currently 53 children aged from 4 to 11 on roll. All children attend the Burwell Village College. There are no children currently attending who have special educational needs or speak English as a second language. Five members of staff work with the children, two of whom, including the manager, have appropriate early years qualifications. The manager is currently undertaking the level 3 Playwork training.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are learning the importance of good personal hygiene through routines such as washing their hands after using the toilet and before eating their snack or taking part in weekly cooking activities. Staff follow good hygiene practices and have all undergone training in first aid to promote children's health and to ensure children receive appropriate medical attention if they become ill or have an accident. Appropriate procedures and record keeping systems ensure that children's individual dietary and medical needs are recognised and met. Children enjoy satisfactory opportunities for physical play on the school field and tennis courts, although this tends to be predominantly during the summer months. They also take part in indoor activities such as using the dance mat, team games and parachute play which promote physical exercise. Children benefit from the staff's

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Helping children to be healthy

knowledge and understanding of nutrition. They enjoy fresh fruit, vegetable sticks and biscuits at snack time and those who stay for tea are provided with a range of foods such as toast, crumpets and cheese and biscuits, that appeal to the children. Children are able to independently access water to drink during the session which encourages them to adopt good drinking practices.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children learn about keeping safe as staff explain the dangers to them; for example children know that only staff may use the iron to set the hamma bead pictures because of the dangers of a hot iron. This helps children to develop their understanding of hazards and to take responsibility for themselves. Children's safety is enhanced by good security procedures to restrict access to the setting, regular fire drills and staff's vigilance in their supervision of children. A system of detailed risk assessments is currently being developed which will further enhance children's safety. Sound recording systems ensure that parents are informed of accidents, incidents or injuries their child sustains whilst at the setting. Children use a satisfactory range of good quality, developmentally appropriate resources which are cleaned and checked regularly to ensure that they are safe,

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

clean and in good condition. Staff prepare the rooms with appropriate resources in readiness for children's arrival each session. This makes children feel welcome.

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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 Children are protected and kept safe from harm as the staff have a satisfactory knowledge of Child Protection procedures, which are in line with those set up by the local Area Child Protection Committee.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are confident, settled and secure at the group because they enjoy their time there and are cared for by the same staff at each session. They are able to relax or be active in accordance with their own needs and interests. They take part in a satisfactory range of planned fun activities which include popular weekly cooking sessions, art and craft, and messy play such as gloop. Children purposefully engage in the activities provided and can self-access additional resources when they require them. Children enjoy warm and positive relationships with staff who praise and encourage their efforts and achievements. This promotes children's confidence and self-esteem. Children are able to initiate and follow through their own ideas for activities because staff are flexible in their approach, show enthusiasm for their ideas and work with the children to offer any required support. For example, the writing and performing by

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

children of their own play which involved negotiating roles and making tickets for the audience, which included parents. Children also enjoy working together on challenging projects such as making the Simpson family from lego bricks. As a result children feel included and valued.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children behave well; they are aware of the agreed expectations and take responsibility for their own behaviour, sharing, taking turns and negotiating in their play with others. They respond well to strategies such as using a 'waiting list' for popular resources such as the play station. All children are valued; staff respect their individuality and have a good working knowledge of their individual needs and personalities. Children are encouraged to contribute ideas for activities in the 'wish box' which is accessible each day; for example one child has recently requested woodwork which staff plan to introduce shortly. This gives them a sense of ownership of the club. Children develop their knowledge and understanding of different cultures through celebrating festivals such as Chinese New Year, Easter and Divali. The effective partnership with parents contributes to children's well-being. Children benefit from

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Helping children make a positive contribution

information being shared on a daily basis between the staff and parents, ensuring their individual needs are met. Parents are well informed about the setting through termly newsletters and are given a clear prospectus when children start at the club. They are able to contact the leader by telephone at any time of the day if they need to pass on any information or if they have any concerns.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

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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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children's care is enhanced by the good quality of organisation; for example children are divided into two groups based on their age and stage of development for the majority of the session and are cared for by the same staff each day. This means that children feel secure in the continuity of staff and activities and resources are planned to meet the interests and developmental needs of the children in each group. All staff work well together as a team and demonstrate enthusiasm to create a learning environment that promotes positive outcomes for children. Overall, the setting meets the needs of the children who attend. Documentation is well-organised and held securely, ensuring confidentiality for children and parents. Procedures are in place and followed to maintain children's safety and welfare although some policies need further review. The required criteria of 50% of staff trained to level 2 is currently not being met but the provider is seeking

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Organisation

to address this issue. The manager is undertaking an additional level 3 course in Playwork and as a result new ideas have been introduced which have been of benefit to children's care and well-being. Ofsted were not informed of the change of rooms being used by the group during the refurbishment of the Phoenix room. This is a breach of a National Standards regulation. However, children continue to be cared for in a safe and secure environment and staff have ensured that children have minimal disruption to their routines and activities during this time.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider agreed to seek written parental permission to seek emergency medical advice or treatment, keep a record of any medicines administered to children, develop a medication policy and ensure that accidents were recorded confidentially. These are all now in place to safeguard children's health and safety. The provider also agreed to include a reference to informing Ofsted of any incidents in the child protection policy. However, the policy does not indicate clearly that it is the role of Social Services to actually investigate concerns. The provider has agreed to amend this. Following the last inspection the provider developed and implemented an action plan to ensure that at least 50% of staff had appropriate level 2 qualifications. Unfortunately, one of the staff who achieved this has now left the group which means that only 2 of the 5 staff now have the required qualifications. The group are aware of

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Improvements since the last inspection

this shortfall and new staff have indicated a willingness to take up training. This remains a recommendation from this inspection.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection.

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Complaints since the last inspection

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 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): • ensure that Ofsted are informed of all significant events or changes • continue to develop staff's knowledge and practice through training opportunities in order to ensure that at least half of all staff hold an appropriate level 2 qualification

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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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