Battling Brook After School Club

Battling Brook After School Care Service

p.1

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique Reference Number 226362 Inspection date 10/09/2007 Inspector Alison Edwards

p.1

Setting address Battling Brook CP School, Frederick Avenue, Hinckley, Leicestershire, LE10 0EX

p.1

E-mail

Registered person Janis Stoker Type of inspection Care Type of care Out of School care

p.1

E-mail

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be freely reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided the source and date of publication are stated.

p.1

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.

p.2

ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

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.

p.2

ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

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.

p.2

ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The provider must give a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must give a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Day Care and Childminding (inspection) (England) Regulations 2005 No 2300 Regulations 5 and 6).

p.2

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

p.2

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Battling Brook After School Service opened 1991. It is a privately-run provision which operates on the premises of Battling Brook Primary School in Hinckley and serves the local area. It opens from Monday to Friday during school terms between 15:15 and 17:30. The setting is registered to provide care for 32 school-aged children under the age of eight years at any single time. Older children of primary-school age also attend. There are currently 40 children on roll. Children are based in the music hall for play, with use of a single lavatory adjacent to the playroom and further cloakrooms in the Year 6 area of the school. Children use the school playground and field for outdoor play. Excluding the proprietor, there are two regular childcare staff, both of whom hold recognised qualifications at Level 3.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children are cared for in clean, warm and suitably ventilated premises, so helping to maintain their health. Children usually remember they need to ensure their hands are clean after using the toilet. However, current arrangements do not fully promote their consistent and independent practice of good hygiene routines. This is because children using the toilet adjacent to the playroom have no access to hand-washing facilities and smaller children are unable to reach the sanitising hand gel, which is kept in the playroom, without staff help. Children's records are methodically organised. They include clear details of relevant contact details, medical needs, and parental consent to seek emergency medical treatment, so helping to ensure children's health needs are met. A staff member with relevant first aid training is always present and information regarding any accidents is recorded and shared with parents. Consequently, appropriate arrangements are in place to ensure any minor

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

accidents are dealt with in children's best interests.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy frequent opportunities to enjoy supervised vigorous play in the fresh air. For example, they organise themselves to play football on an artificial playing surface, or climb and swing on fixed equipment in the school playground. Indoors, they use their coordination and dexterity as they play games such as pool, as they build with plastic construction bricks, or as they design and draw with a selection of creative materials.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children are offered a biscuit on arrival and also buy sweets from a 'tuck' shop during the session. This helps to ensure that they are not hungry whilst at the setting. Children are offered a drink, such as dilute squash, on arrival. Fresh drinking water is also available throughout the session, and children are offered additional drinks after vigorous play, so helping to ensure they take sufficient fluids.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are confident in using the bright and well-maintained school hall, where they are able to play and relax comfortably. A varied selection of play materials are in clean and sound condition, and are set out on low tables or in designated floor areas, so enabling children to access them safely and independently. For example, children enjoy using a range of dressing-up clothes stored in stacker boxes next to a small play house, whilst other children safely use a small pool table sited near a corner of the room, safely away from main movement areas. Access to one lavatory immediately off the playroom, with additional use of further cloakroom facilities in another area of the building, provides sufficient toileting facilities for the numbers of children attending.

p.4

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff implement a number of practical procedures to maintain children's safety. For example, suitable adult: child ratios are maintained when smaller groups of children choose to play outdoors. Staff supervising children outside carry a mobile phone to enable them to easily contact staff in the main playroom in the event of any emergency. Staff are generally sufficiently familiar with procedures to be followed in the event of emergencies such as a child being lost or uncollected, helping to ensure they are able to manage any such incident in children's best interests. A series of risk assessments are in place to monitor and minimise any potential dangers to children. However, staff induction and training are not yet fully effective in ensuring that all staff are fully familiar with the health and safety issues specific to the setting. For example, staff sometimes lack awareness of effective systems to check whether the

p.4

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

premises are secure and to ensure that children are unable to leave unaccompanied when playing outside.

p.4

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Staff recognise what child abuse and neglect mean and are aware of their responsibilities to follow up any concerns about a child, so helping them to safeguard children's welfare. However, identified procedures to be followed in the event of any child protection allegations against staff are not fully in line with current nationally- agreed procedures. This potentially limits the setting's ability to deal with any such incident in children's best interests.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children across the age range are very settled and relaxed in this friendly and welcoming environment. They are confident in their dealings with peers and adults and enjoy making choices between a selection of activities helping to support their overall development. For example, they use their imaginations when dressing up with a selection of different costumes and accessories, and use their hand-eye coordination and design skills when building with a good variety of construction pieces. They use their thinking skills as they play simple strategy games and enjoy using their movement skills in the fresh air as they play games such as football. They develop growing skills in cooperation and negotiation as they form sides for team games, or as they play pool with each other. Staff spend time talking and playing with children, so helping them to feel recognised and valued as individuals.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are confident and relaxed in their dealings with adults and peers, for example, freely talking about their day's experiences or making suggestions for particular play activities. Children treat each other and their surroundings with consideration, for example, as they play pool taking account of other children's movements near the table. Children show an awareness of expectations for their behaviour, for example, telling staff if they need to go out of the playroom area to access additional cloakroom facilities, or staying within agreed areas of the school grounds when playing outside. They are helped to show care for others, for example, when older children are encouraged to 'mentor' younger children to help them settle in. Staff provide good role models for children by speaking to them politely and calmly and by using positive attention and encouragement to help sustain children's interest in activities.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's individuality is recognised and respected because staff take account of information about individual health and care needs. They sometimes use resources such as saris, or take part in activities such as hand-painting, to introduce them to aspects of different cultures. However, there are still relatively few resources or activities to actively promote children's awareness of equal opportunities and diversity. Staff recognise the importance of liaison with parents and other relevant professionals to support the inclusion of children with disabilities or additional needs, and have some previous relevant experience of such support.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

Prospective parents are able to visit the setting to gain an awareness of arrangements for their children's care. They have access to a well-organised folder of information and policies helping them understand the procedures underpinning their children's well-being. Systems are in place to ensure that staff receive any updated information necessary for children's care, such as, written parental instruction for any medication. Opportunities for informal discussion between parents and staff on collection enable them to share any relevant information on children's experiences and activities.

p.5

Organisation

Children speak positively about their time at this welcoming setting which is organised effectively to meet their needs. Systematic recruitment and clearance procedures for new staff help ensure that all those working with children are suitable to do so. Staffing arrangements are effective in ensuring that good adult: child ratios are maintained at all times, for example, in the event of an unexpected staff absence. This helps to ensure children are supervised well. Both regular staff hold relevant qualifications at Level 3, helping to ensure they have a good awareness of effective childcare practice. Staff are generally familiar with how to implement agreed policies and procedures to manage children's care effectively. Required documents, such as accident records and children's personal and contact details, are methodically maintained. Consequently, they underpin children's safety and welfare effectively. Overall children's needs are met.

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the provider was asked to improve the organisation of childcare by ensuring the manager held a Level 3 qualification. The manager and a second staff member now hold recognised qualifications at Level 3, so helping to ensure their awareness of current good practice in childcare and playwork. The provider was also asked to ensure that staff promoted equal opportunities and anti- discriminatory practice. Relevant policies are in place to underpin children's care and staff ensure they are familiar with any specific care or health needs, so helping to ensure they recognise and respect children's individuality. Children sometimes use resources reflecting diversity, such as saris, in pretend play, or take part in activities linked to different cultures and festivals, such as hand-painting. However, activities and resources are not yet used to full effect to promote anti-discriminatory practice

p.6

Improvements since the last inspection

and equal opportunities and a further recommendation has been raised.

p.6

Complaints about the childcare provision

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action to meet the National Standards.

p.6

Complaints about the childcare provision

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.

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.6

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

p.6

WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s):  ensure the child protection policy fully reflects current nationally agreed procedures and ensure that staff induction and training ensures their understanding of health and safety issues, with particular regard to children's security when playing outside  improve current hygiene practices to prevent the spread of infection with particular regard to arrangements for children to ensure their hands are clean after using the toilet or before eating  further improve the range of resources and activities to promote awareness of equal opportunities and diversity.

p.6

WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

procedures set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted’s role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2473) which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.7