Furley Park After School Club

Furley Park After School Club Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY349879 Inspection date 12/11/2010 Inspector Gillian Walley

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Setting address Furley Park Primary School, Reed Crescent, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent, TN23 3PA Telephone number 07948 443 720 Email sdunstall@furleypark.kent.sch.uk 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 assesses 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.

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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

Furley Park After School Club has been registered since June 2007. It is one of several out of school clubs managed by Kent Play Clubs. The head of the school is part of the management committee whilst giving the day-to-day management responsibility to Kent Play Clubs. The after school club operates from Furley Park School in the Park Farm area of Ashford. The club is based in the main hall with access to a classroom, library and toilet facilities. There is access to secure enclosed outdoor play areas. A maximum of 32 children may attend at any one time. There are 45 children currently on roll between the ages of four and 11 years, five of whom are in the early years age range. The club is open Monday to Friday from 3.15pm to 5.45pm during term times. The club currently serves children attending the school and can support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

There are four staff who work with the children. Of these, two hold appropriate early years childcare qualifications and two are working towards a qualification. The club works in close partnership with the adjoining primary school. It is on the Early Years register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Registers.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Furley Park After School Club is a satisfactory setting. The children make progress in their learning and development because the club is inclusive and because the adults care about the children's well-being. The manager and her team evaluate the provision regularly to identify some of the areas where they can make improvements. They attend training courses to develop their expertise. Consequently the club has a satisfactory capacity to improve

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the induction process for new staff so that they completely understand their responsibilities  develop the skills of all staff to engage fully with the children well in order to encourage the children to develop their skills and use their time productively  help the children to deepen their wider knowledge and understanding of the world, especially by learning about their environment and the natural world. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The club has sound procedures to keep children safe. The premises are secure and can only be entered through the school. The staff have been vetted and visitors sign in on arrival. All staff are aware of the children's allergies and health conditions and they are sensitive to each child's needs. If a child has an accident or needs medicine the information is always shared with parents. Policies have been reviewed regularly and can be seen by parents. The staff carry out risk assessments on the activities to reduce the risk of accidents and they check the premises before each session. The staff, including senior staff, understand how to safeguard children because they attend training regularly and systems ensure that children are suitably cared for. However, the induction of very new staff is not as detailed and precise. As a result, they do not fully understand how the provision operates and their role within it. The children understand what to do in an

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the early years provision

emergency because they practise fire drills regularly. A password system is used if parents need to ask another adult, whom the staff do not know, to collect their child. The staff are trained in first aid and know how to handle food hygienically.

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the early years provision

The club works well with parents who can talk to staff when they collect their children. Parents complete surveys giving their views about the way the club is run and what activities it provides so that they are involved in evaluating it. They particularly like the way older and younger children play together so that the younger children gain confidence. They also feel that their children are safe and can choose from a wide range of activities. Parents can refer to useful information such as the children's menus, on their notice board. The staff establish particularly close links with parents of children who find learning more difficult so that they can provide consistent support for them and help them to make progress.

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the early years provision

The club has good links with the adjoining primary school. The manager talks to the children's teachers when they arrive each day. This means she knows what sort of day each child has had and how they are feeling. She can pass information from teachers to parents. This is reassuring for parents and means that the staff know the children well and can support them. The teachers share their planning with the manager so that she can build on what the children have been learning in their classrooms.

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the early years provision

Leaders demonstrate satisfactory self-evaluation and ensure a suitable focus on promoting diversity and quality. The club has improved since the last inspection as a result of leaders' secure drive and commitment. For example, the staff now keep records of the children's progress using notes and photographs which help them identify the next steps each child needs to take in order to make further progress. Parents can look at these records so that they have a better understanding of how their children learn when they attend the club. The children can also look at them and take pride in what they have achieved. The manager and her team meet to evaluate the provision and procedures and to plan improvements they can make to give the children more opportunities. Leaders ensure that resources are suitably deployed. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The children enjoy their time in the after school club. Children of different ages play together well and this helps them in their social development. The children feel safe and know the adults will help them if they need them to. The staff know the children well and generally use positive language to encourage them to develop new skills. The staff support children with additional needs and adapt activities well for them so that they make as much progress as their friends. The children concentrate on activities and like to use their imagination, for example by building dens. The children enjoy role play and dressing up. They use the hall and an outdoor area which provides space for team games and developing ball skills, climbing and riding vehicles. The children develop their creative skills through drawing pictures, designing and sewing and they can display their pictures for their parents to see. They make felt fish and frogs and are very proud of these. The

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and outcomes for children

children enjoy reading a range of books and listening to stories. They develop their writing skills by making their own books. The children choose what they would like to do and ask for the equipment they would like to use. There is a good range of toys and games for them to choose from.

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and outcomes for children

There are resources, such as photographs and dolls, which help the children to understand different cultures. Children learn about different faiths and cultures, for example at Halloween they made felt puppets and decorated cakes. The staff provide some exciting tasks for the children, such as cooking noodles and pizzas, which give them opportunities for speaking and listening, weighing and measuring. Visitors, such a sports coach and the school chef, talk to the children about exercise and healthy eating. The children eat a varied range of healthy meals. The children have limited opportunities to develop their understanding of their environment and the natural world because they do not learn about plants or animals' habitats.

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and outcomes for children

The children have agreed their own rules so that they make the right choices in their behaviour. They discuss the rules regularly. The children are polite; they respect adults and have good table manners. The children understand how to avoid the risk of infection, for example, by knowing when and why they need to wash their hands. They develop their sense of responsibility for others well by raising money for charity. When the children start coming to the club the staff ask parents for information which will help them to know what activities their children enjoy most. This helps the staff to plan activities which will move the children on in their learning. However, the staff do not always engage well with the children so that they are encouraged to make the most of all the opportunities which are available. This limits the children's ability to develop new skills and to build on the progress they have made.

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and outcomes for children

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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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 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 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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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