Benton Dene Out of School Club

Benton Dene Out of School Club Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY408023 Inspection date 06/12/2010 Inspector Janet Fairhurst

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Setting address Benton Dene Primary School, Hailsham Avenue, Benton, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE12 8FD Telephone number 0191 643 2743 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 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

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

Benton Dene Out of School Club was established in 1991 and re-registered in June 2010 due to relocation. The group operates from two purpose built rooms within Benton Dene Primary School and provides a breakfast club, wrap-around care, out- of-school care and a holiday play scheme. The breakfast club operates daily from 7.30am to 9am, wrap-around provides care between 9am and 12.30pm and out- of-school is open from 3.15pm to 6pm for children who attend Benton Dene school and St. Bartholomew school. The holiday play scheme operates from 8am to 6pm and is open to all children. Children have access to enclosed outdoor play areas. The provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 75 children aged from three to eight years may attend the club at any one time. There are currently 110 children on roll of whom 36 are in the early years age

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Description of the setting

group. The club currently supports a number of children with special educational needs and disabilities. There are 10 members of staff, of whom eight hold appropriate early years qualifications to at least National Vocational Qualification level 2.

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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's welfare and learning are successfully promoted because staff have a well developed knowledge of their individual needs. They are cared for in an extremely safe and secure environment and are very happy. Staff work closely with parents, staff from the host school and other agencies to ensure children receive continuous and consistent support. Children enjoy an exciting range of activities which encourage them to make good progress given their individual starting points. Good self-evaluation by the manager and staff is a strength and ensures that areas for development are accurately identified and swiftly acted upon. This has a positive impact on the setting's capacity to improve and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 further explore the ways in which parents are able to make their own observational comments and contributions to their child's developmental records.

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the early years provision

Robust procedures are in place to ensure the suitability of all adults working in the setting. A clear child protection policy is in place; staff are up-to-date with training This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 and are familiar with local Safeguarding Children Board procedures. This ensures children's welfare is fully promoted should they ever have a concern about them. Effective procedures for the recruitment and vetting of all staff ensures that children are well cared for. In addition, induction programmes ensure staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Accidents and administrations of medicines are accurately recorded and always shared with parents to support children's continuity of care. Staff provide a highly inclusive and welcoming environment by organising the learning environment to ensure activities are made totally accessible to all children. Regular meetings between the special needs co-

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the early years provision

ordinator, teacher, relevant key person and manager ensure good quality information is shared to enable children with identified learning difficulties and/or disabilities to receive consistent, purposeful support. The transition into school is seamless as a result of the excellent arrangements and the strong close liaison between the setting and the host school. Good relationships are established and maintained with parents. They are kept up-to-date with news about the setting through termly newsletters, an informative notice board and through the warm welcome by staff, who make time both before and after sessions to chat to them about their child. Parents are encouraged to share what they know about their child which helps staff to form a view of their starting points. However, the arrangement for parents to make their own home observational contributions to their children's learning journals is not yet fully in place. Policies and procedures

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the early years provision

are well presented and always available for parents which contributes to ensuring that equality of opportunity is promoted. The completed questionnaires from parents help to demonstrate how positive they feel about all aspects of the setting. They really appreciate the approachability of all staff and how they feel listened to. For example, in their questionnaire feedback parents thought that children would benefit from a hot meal. In response to this staff are now looking at ways they can address this with a view to starting in the new year. The manager and staff regularly monitor their provision and consider carefully how they can further improve the already good care they provide. A thorough self-evaluation has been conducted, taking the views of staff, parents and children into account to ensure their needs are fully considered. Alongside children and staff's monthly meetings, they also evaluate the activities each day and the outcomes are used to inform

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the early years provision

planning for the rest of the week, thereby ensuring children's needs and interests are truly taken into account when planning. Staff are very committed to continuous improvement and equality for all children across all areas of their provision. This is effectively underpinned by the clear vision and embedding of high standards from staff and management.

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and outcomes for children

Children are highly valued and the exciting range of resources, play materials and activities allow them to thrive in their environment. Excellent opportunities are provided for younger and older children to experiment and make choices. Planned activities are well suited to all children's individual needs because staff know them well; regularly observing them, assessing their progress and taking note of their individual interests. Learning journeys are established as soon as children start and are continually updated by their key person. This ensures their progress is This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 evaluated and matched to the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework in order to identify next steps and any gaps in their learning. As a result, children are effectively supported to make good progress and gain valuable skills for the future. The environment in which the children play, including the

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and outcomes for children

exciting and spacious outside areas are vibrant and a contributory factor in enhancing children's learning and ability to initiate their own play. There is also an extensive indoor range of activities to support children's development in the six areas of learning both through adult-led and free choice activities. For example, children enjoy arts and crafts, modelling with construction kits, reading, exploring the very well resourced outdoor spaces and using the wealth of information technology equipment available to them. Children are skilled in their use of numbers, mostly utilising daily routines to reinforce their learning. For example, they self-register using their own individual number. Staff have a very positive relationship with the children, giving children extreme confidence with a passion for learning. Children are very happy, settled and are well behaved. They show a growing respect, listen and co-operate with each other and adults. Their self-

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and outcomes for children

esteem is continuously being developed through support and praise, having a positive impact on their overall well-being. Staff involve themselves fully in children's play, making good use of practical activities to challenge and extend their learning. For example, as children build a house with large bricks, they are encouraged to count how many bricks they use and think about the language to describe the size and shape. Staff constantly chat to the children about what they are doing, thereby encouraging their language and thinking skills. For example, they are challenged to think about what type of animal would live in a cold or warm country, and what type of food they would eat. They talk about how animals blend into their environment and use words such as camouflage, demonstrating their growing knowledge and use of words. The theme of cold climates is extended into the outdoors as children work together to build an igloo and snow man.

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and outcomes for children

Children gain a good understanding of our diverse society, celebrating festivals, such as the Diwali, and accessing a range of resources which depict cultural differences. The children develop very good listening skills that enable them to take turns in discussion and express their opinions clearly. Such skills ensure they are extremely well prepared for their future success. Children enjoy activities that capture their interest to learn enthusiastically about healthy living. For example, they grow vegetables in their allotment and use the produce to prepare food for their snacks. All this contributes to children's understanding of a healthy lifestyle. Children learn the importance of good hygiene as they are reminded to wash their hands regularly. They gain an understanding of the benefits of regular exercise, enjoying moving and stretching as they listen to the instructions followed from the tape recorder. Children talk about how hot they feel after their exercise and how

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and outcomes for children

they must rest to recoup their energy. The children respond very well to the encouragement given to help themselves, help each other and to take responsibility for tasks such as getting equipment out and putting it away. In these ways, they are building up their understanding of working together and make good progress in learning. Children learn about keeping themselves safe through their discussions, good role-modelling from staff and through the activities provided. Tidy up time is a prime example which resulted in a successful team effort from the children spurred on by the sound of the familiar and popular puppet theme music. 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 1 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 1 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 1 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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