CAPE IrbyOfsted inspection, 16 Aug 2011

Little Tinkers Kids Club Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY245377 Inspection date 16/08/2011 Inspector Jean Thomas

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Setting address Irby Primary School, 40a Coombe Road, Wirral, Merseyside, CH61 4UR Telephone number 07930284445 Email littletinkerskidsclub@yahoo.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

Little Tinkers Kids Club was registered in 2003. The provision is one of three run by an individual provider and is based in Irby Primary School, Irby, Wirral. Children use the school hall, dining room, craft room and outdoor areas. During term time the provision is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 8.45am and from 3.30pm to 5.45pm, and serves children attending the school. During the holidays it is open to the wider community from 7.30am to 5.45pm each weekday.

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Description of the setting

The provision is registered to care for 32 children under eight years, all of whom may be in the early years age range and of these, none may be under three years. There are seven children on roll in this age group. They also offer care to children aged over five years to 11 years. The provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

The provision employs five staff to work with the children. Of these, three hold appropriate qualifications in playwork or childcare and one has a level 6 certificate of achievement in the Playwork Leadership and Management Programme. Staff receive support from Wirral Borough Council Sure Start services.

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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 out of school provision provides a welcoming and inclusive environment for all children. Good leadership and team working ensure children's welfare, learning and development are well promoted. Staff know the children well and are therefore able to meet their individual needs successfully, which contributes towards helping children make good progress towards the early learning goals. Positive partnerships with parents are established, and effective links with teaching staff within the school complements the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Self-evaluation systems are in place, however, these do not effectively reflect on practice to identify gaps in meeting legal requirements.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure a daily record is maintained of the children's key workers (Documentation) 30/08/2011

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further?

 ensure written parental permission is requested to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 30/08/2011 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 review the planning of children's next steps in learning and development to ensure balanced consideration is given to the six areas of learning, and involve parents in the assessment and planning process  improve the self-evaluation process to include the views of staff to reflect on practice and to prioritise targets for improvement.

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the early years provision

Children's welfare is positively promoted because staff have a clear understanding of the indicators of abuse and the procedures for reporting concerns. Staff have completed safeguarding training, and policies and procedures are in place to ensure that children are well protected. Appropriate recruitment and vetting procedures ensure the suitability of staff. Comprehensive risk assessments for the setting and outings promote children's safety by keeping potential hazards to the minimum. Generally, the regulatory documentation is maintained to meet the legal requirements. However, parental consent to seek emergency medical advice and treatment was not in place for one child, and the daily record of key persons' attendance was not maintained on the day of inspection and previous records of this information were not available.

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the early years provision

The owner/manager is committed to the continuous improvement of the provision. There are good arrangements to obtain parents' views, and responses from parents show they are very pleased with what is provided for their children. The views of children are also sought on a continual basis, both formally and informally. This information feeds effectively into modifying the provision. However, the self- evaluation process does not involve staff to reflect on practice and prioritise the targets for future improvement. The recommendations from the previous inspection have been met. As recommended, staff have developed their knowledge of equal opportunities through attending training to inform their practice and improve outcomes for children. Forms have been devised to record children arriving with existing injuries and Ofsted's contact number is displayed and included in the parents prospectus.

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the early years provision

Staff and volunteers work well together as a team, and as a result sessions run smoothly, which helps the children feel at ease. In this relaxed and friendly atmosphere, children confidently make their decisions in play from a good range of resources available. Resources, including staff and the accommodation, are deployed well to help maximise children's development and happiness. All children have equal access to the activities and range of resources. Effective procedures are in place to promote equality and celebrate diversity. Sustainability is promoted through the staff's understanding of the need to be resourceful and not waste materials. This awareness is shared with the children, who are encouraged to be respectful of the equipment, recycle where possible and use recycled items in their activities. All children have equal access to the activities and resources available to them on a daily basis.

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the early years provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The positive relationships established with parents significantly contribute to the staff's ability to meet children's individual needs. Parents are clearly comfortable about chatting to staff when bringing and collecting their children. Parents are given information to keep them well informed about the organisation of the provision and activities the children are involved in. The children's learning journals are accessible to parents at any time, however, parents are not invited to contribute to the observation and assessing process to further enhance the partnership in their child's learning and development. Staff and the reception teacher share information regarding observations of children's development and achievements. This promotes positive links and ensures a consistent approach to the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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and outcomes for children

Children happily enter the setting; they are warmly welcomed by staff and their friends and enthusiastically get involved in the activities of their choice. Staff have a clear understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how the activities and opportunities they offer the children complement their learning and development. Staff positively interact with children to support and extend their learning and enjoyment. Information is gathered from parents when children start about what they can do and this is used by staff to plan appropriately for their individual needs. The children's learning journal is a record of their progress containing observations, assessments, information from the school, photographs and samples of their work. Systems are in place to observe and assess the children. However, it is less clear that consideration is given to the six areas of learning when planning the next steps in their learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

Children have good opportunities to explore and participate in a wide range of activities which are fun and educational. A group of children make bead designs which require a heat process to fuse the beads together. The children articulately demonstrate their understanding of safety as they explain why the staff complete this part of the procedure. Children construct and use their problem solving skills to create their own designs. The children are confident communicators and share their ideas with friends and staff. The writing station provides resources for children to use in different ways. For example, a mixed age group of children glue smaller pieces of paper together to make one large sheet for their artwork. Children's understanding of the wider world is promoted through planned activities, including outings. Children have regular visits to local woodland and parks. These outings are used by staff to help children learn to look after themselves, for

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and outcomes for children

example, before the trip they consider possible dangers and discuss what they have to do to keep themselves safe.

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and outcomes for children

The provision places a good emphasis on healthy lifestyles. Children practise good procedures for their own personal hygiene and learn to make healthy choices in what they eat through discussion, planned activities and the provision of a nutritionally balanced breakfast and snacks. Children bring their own lunches during the school holidays. Staff have attended food safety training to inform their food preparation practices and help prevent the risk of food contamination. Good This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 use is made of the large outdoor play areas to help children learn to keep themselves healthy as they enjoy and benefit from active outdoor play in the fresh air.

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and outcomes for children

Children's behaviour is good. The positive relationships with staff make a major contribution to children's happiness and enjoyment. The staff are quick to respond to any children who are concerned or upset, dealing with them sympathetically and effectively. Relationships between children are good and they play together cheerfully, sharing ideas and equipment sensibly. The positive contribution of older children also helps those in the Early Years Foundation Stage to make progress. The older children often help younger ones, join in their games, and are very caring towards them. Children make a positive contribution to the setting by formulating their own rules of acceptable behavior and taking responsibility to plan activities. This successfully impacts on engaging children in activities. These opportunities and access to resources and activities support the development of the children's skills for the future.

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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 2 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 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 3 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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