Abacus After School Club

Abacus After School Club Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY341426 Inspection date 09/05/2011 Inspector Gill Walley

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Setting address Engayne Primary School, Severn Drive, UPMINSTER, Essex, RM14 1SW Telephone number 07903 708764 Email sharon.annewilliams@ntlworld.com 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

Abacus After School Club is one of seven out of school care provisions run by the private partnership, Abacus. It opened in November 2006 and operates from the hall within Engayne Primary School, Upminster. A maximum of 26 children under eight years may attend the club at any one time. There are currently 57 children on roll, of whom eight are within the early years age range. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The setting welcomes children with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language. The after school club is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

The club is open each weekday from 3.10pm until 6pm during school term times. All children share access to a secure, enclosed outdoor play area. The club is provided for the children attending the primary school. There are six members of staff. These include the joint owners and a manager all of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications. One additional member of staff holds National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) at Level 3, one is unqualified and one is working towards NVQ Level 2 qualifications. The club works in very close partnership with the adjoining primary school, the other clubs within the company and the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is outstanding.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Abacus After School Club provides outstanding care. Adults give the highest priority to keeping the children safe so that they feel extremely secure. Very good provision supports the children's learning through a wide range of interesting activities which enable children to progress extremely well. The club works in exceptionally close partnership with its host school, with parents and with the local authority to ensure that the needs of all children are met. The owners and manager review the provision rigorously, they identify what can be improved and drive ambition extremely well with the result that the club has an outstanding capacity to improve further.

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further?

To further improve the high quality early years provision the registered person should consider:

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further?

 making better use of outside area to extend children understanding of healthy lifestyles. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Policies and procedures for safeguarding the children are exemplary. Procedures for vetting all adults in the club are rigorous. All policies are reviewed frequently and understood well by all members of staff. Regular training for staff ensures that there is a high level of awareness of any potential risks to the children. Accidents are monitored closely, all risks are thoroughly assessed and aspects of the provision are reviewed if trends are identified. For example the way children use the outdoor play equipment has been changed recently. Consequently, children show an excellent awareness of how to keep themselves safe in many situations.

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the early years provision

Children of all backgrounds play extremely well together and staff ensure that every child gets the opportunity to be involved in all the activities and no one is excluded because the club is very committed to valuing equality and diversity. The club helps children who speak English as an additional language to be completely included. This ensures that all children are happy and able to make outstanding progress whatever their background or needs.

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the early years provision

The club works exceptionally well with the school to ensure that it is able to meet the needs of all children effectively. For example the owners meet frequently with the school staff to discover what progress the children are making in school and how the club can contribute to this, for example by listening to the children read each day. They find out what the children are learning about and plan activities which link well, for example during International Week. The club shares resources with the school. There is an extremely good exchange of information about children whose circumstances make them particularly vulnerable. The club has very strong links with the local authority which provides advice and uses the club as an exemplar of outstanding practice in the area. Staff attend training provided by the local authority on a variety of topics and this helps them to provide even better opportunities for the children.

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the early years provision

The club works very effectively with parents and carers who feel that their children are safe and happy and make extremely good progress especially in their social skills and confidence. The club sends out regular newsletters and seeks parents' views through frequent surveys. Parents receive a wealth of information about every aspect of the club when children start attending. Where possible the owners adapt the provision in response to parents' views, for example reviewing the menus. Parents value being able to talk to the staff each day at collection time. Parents often come in to the club to talk to the children about their work or interests.

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the early years provision

The club runs extremely smoothly and staff work as an extremely strong team. They share information about the children and look for innovative ways to improve their provision. The hall is very spacious with room for energetic play when children cannot play outdoors. Resources are plentiful, of good quality and appropriate for all ages of children. The staff have very good systems for recording the children's progress well and using this information to plan their next steps. 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 are very happy and settled. They feel extremely safe within the club. Routines are well established and the staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Consequently, the club is a very calm and harmonious place where children of all ages get on well together. The youngest children are very confident in the surroundings and behave well. They form positive and trusting relationships with adults, who are good role models for them. Children of all ages form firm friendships which promotes their well being and social skills.

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and outcomes for children

Children have a very good understanding of what constitutes an unsafe situation and how to keep themselves and others safe. They practise fire drills frequently and police officers visit to talk about road safety. The children eat healthy meals and have a good understanding of healthy lifestyles but the outdoor environment is not yet fully exploited to promote children's understanding of healthy lifestyles. The children use the playground and school field well and enjoy climbing on a range of apparatus as well as ball games and riding vehicles. Children adopt good habits related to their personal hygiene, for example they wash their hands before snacks and meal times.

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and outcomes for children

Adults have a very good understanding of the learning requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and provide an extensive range of activities to promote them. These vary from day to day so that children get a broad range of experiences across the areas of learning and they can choose to do what most appeals to them. These include reading stories and using construction toys. They develop their imagination through role play and dressing up. They develop their understanding of number through playing board games. The staff look for every opportunity to improve children's basic skills. The staff use individual books to show the progress of each child and to plan for the next steps in their learning. These show parents how their children are developing and how they can work with them at home.

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and outcomes for children

Children are very confident in the club. They play well on their own and cooperate very well together. They choose activities for themselves and make a positive contribution to the club. They enjoy devising some rules to help them make the best choices and helping to tidy toys away. They serve one another at tea time. They develop very good speaking and listening skills, for example through talent shows, and group activities such as making fruit salad and smoothies. They develop very good creative skills through art and craft activities such as making cards, leaf printing and junk modelling. The children develop a very good understanding of other cultures and beliefs because they talk about special festivals and have visitors who explain their customs. For example at Chinese New Year they tasted noodles, learnt to use chopsticks and practised Chinese calligraphy. Many activities relate to themes which enthuse the children greatly, for

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and outcomes for children

example producing their own newspaper and learning about life under the sea. 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 1 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 1

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 1 The extent to which children feel safe 1 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 1

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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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