Ashfield Play Care Scheme

Ashfield Play Care Scheme Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 253034 Inspection date 21/03/2011 Inspector Alison Putnar

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Setting address The Lammas Compound, Lammas Road, Sutton-in- Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, NG17 2AD Telephone number 01623 553007 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

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

Ashfield Play Care Scheme, an after school and holiday playscheme, registered in 1996. It operates from a purpose built single storey unit with a large secure outdoor play area comprising of grass and hard surface. It is located in Sutton-in- Ashfield and serves the town and surrounding communities. It may care for a maximum of 52 children under the age of eight years at any one time. Children over eight years also attend and are included in this number. The setting is registered on the Early Years Register and both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 130 children on roll, seven are in the early years age range. Children attend for various sessions.

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Description of the setting

The scheme is open throughout the year, offering after school care Monday to Friday 3pm to 6pm and during school holidays Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm. Overall, 16 staff are employed to work with the children and the vast majority hold the basic or higher level qualifications in either teaching, childcare or playwork. There are seven staff available to work with children at the afterschool session.

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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

The children's needs are well met in this inclusive environment. Activities are thoughtfully planned to reflect the children's interests and the experiences they have during the school day. Methods for monitoring and supporting children's progress are developing. Systems of communicating with parents and other settings the children attend are progressing well. Staff are appropriately trained to care for the children and follow a range of adequate policies and procedures to keep children safe and promote their health. There are secure systems in place to monitor the effectiveness of the provision and these are used well to highlight and address areas for improvement, showing good capacity for continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 update the safeguarding children policy to ensure procedures for reporting allegations about staff are more clearly detailed  build on the links with staff at other settings the children attend to provide the best support for individual children and further promote continuity in children's learning experiences  establish consistent methods of supporting children's progress through highlighting next steps for individual's to work towards and linking these to activities to help children build on the skills they already have. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of safeguarding issues and procedures to work with relevant professionals in the event of concerns for children's safety. Risk assessments are completed to ensure potential hazards are kept to a minimum. Children are supervised well to further reduce the likelihood of accidents and staff engage the group in discussions and activities to help them consider safety issues for themselves. School collection times are well organised to ensure children feel secure, as they know which staff will be picking them up. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures are in place to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Required policies and procedures are in place to support the smooth day-to-day running, although, the safeguarding policy lacks some clarity. The manager and staff team are well qualified and experienced. They share a positive attitude to providing a good quality service for children and their parents.

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the early years provision

Staff work well together to create a friendly and well-organised setting. There are a good range of resources and activities to keep children active and interested. Younger ones make progress in development through the activities they encounter. Staff are exploring different methods of assessing and monitoring the young children's progress in order to further support their development. The storage and accessibility of toys and equipment has been improved since the previous inspection when it was raised as a recommendation for future development. Labelled accessible storage units enable children to have free access to a good range of toys, resources and craft materials. This has had a beneficial effect as children now have greater equality of access to what is on offer. The staff plan a range of activities that complement the structure of the school day and also incorporate children's interests in the school holidays. Children are involved in

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the early years provision

making suggestions for future activities and topics. Diversity is acknowledged and promoted well, for example, through a range of festivals reflecting different cultures, enabling the children to explore backgrounds, traditions and beliefs other than their own. Boys and girls engage in activities alongside each other, such as, playing games of football, dressing-up and craft activities. Parents are kept well informed about the activities through newsletters and face-to-face discussions. Staff communicate with professionals at other settings the children attend to ensure that relevant information, such as details of accidents are passed on to parents and carers. Discussions focus less on aspects of children's development, somewhat missing opportunites for all to work together to help children reach their full potential.

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the early years provision

Through self-evaluation and team meetings staff share their views and ideas of ways to further improve the club, action plans are devised to address areas for improvement. An outcome of this is that the setting has made good progress since the last inspection, addressing issues of paperwork, access to toys and improving the nutritional quality of children's snacks. The setting have gone on to highlight further areas for development, such as, identifying further training courses to extend staff skills in supporting early years children's development and training on health and safety issues. The club have also improved the physical environment by upgrading the toilet areas and developing a sensory area for the children with This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 comfortable seating. The club also take advantage of the local advisory support offered to promote staff development. Staff value feedback from those using the

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the early years provision

setting, this has been sought through parent questionnaires and children are involved in evaluating activities and trips out. This demonstrates a positive attitude to continuous improvement.

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and outcomes for children

Children enjoy their time at the setting. An appropriate range of activities are provided that compliments the structure of the school day. Children access a range of play based activities that help them practise and consolidate skills learnt at school. Staff are beginning to consider how they can help the younger children build on their skills through some planned activities. Children busy themselves with craft activities, creating pictures and models from the resources available. They use a range of tools, such as crayons, scissors, glue sticks and sticky tape, developing hand control supporting writing skills and also their creativity. Staff engage in play alongside the children, supporting and encouraging their ideas. A group gather at the table to make octopus puppets out of wool, joining and platting strands to create the legs. Additional craft activities are provided to support those wanting to make cards for a variety of festivals or special events,

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and outcomes for children

helping children to begin to explore wider cultures and consider the needs of others. Children proudly talk about their models for a fundraising event. Young children develop their imagination as they choose to play with cars, dolls or the dressing-up. Books are available for those who wish to read quietly and comfortable seating areas are provided in the sensory and 'chill out zone', enabling children to relax and rest after a busy day at school. During the school holidays a range of interesting trips are planned to enable children to explore the wider world, whilst having fun.

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and outcomes for children

Relationships between staff and the children are secure. This ensures a friendly, welcoming environment for all. The children's self-confidence is boosted as they are consulted about activities and their views are listened to, they are confident to make requests and offer ideas. The children say they are happy in the club and enjoy the activities provided. Young children say they feel safe and know they have adults to talk to if they feel upset. Children behave well, they are encouraged to consider the 'code of conduct' helping them to take responsibility about behaviour to keep themselves and others safe. Good methods are used to help children learn to share and take turns fairly, such as developing a rota for popular activities, such as the computer games. During the session children operate safely and follow the reminders to not run indoors to prevent accidents. School collection times are used as an effective tool to help children learn about keeping safe. Staff

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and outcomes for children

are vigilant of children's safety during these times and encourage children to practise crossing roads safely and walking sensibly.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health is well promoted in the setting. The walk to and from school enables them to benefit from fresh air and exercise. Physical play is provided each day, children enjoy a variety of ball games and develop physical skills as they use This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 the slide, swings and balancing equipment. Children freely flow between indoor and outdoor spaces, promoting their enjoyment. During school holidays a sports coach attends, further developing children's physical skills and encouraging them to have a positive attitude to exercise. Staff gather relevant information to ensure children's dietary needs are catered for. During snack time children make choices from a variety of drinks and foods, which include healthy options. Staff develop methods to support children with less developed language skills or those at an early stage of speaking English to make choices as they use pictures and written

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and outcomes for children

words on menus. Children have some opportunities during meal times to develop their personal independence as they sometimes make their own sandwiches. Children follow good hygiene practices, they wash their hands before dinner and posters are displayed to remind younger children about good hygiene practices when visiting the toilet. 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 2 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 3 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 2 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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