Playtime

Playtime Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number EY280529 Inspection date 14/11/2011 Inspector Linda Witts

p.1

Setting address Mayfield School, Warwick Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB4 3HN Telephone number 01223 712127 Email Type of setting Childcare - Non-Domestic 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. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as

p.1

you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.3

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).

p.3

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.

p.3

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.

p.3

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

p.3

Description of the setting

Playtime registered under the current provider in 2004. It operates from Mayfield Primary School in Cambridge. The club primarily uses the Community hall, which has its own toilet and kitchen facilities. The club has use of an outdoor playground and the school playing fields.

p.4

Description of the setting

The club is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is registered to care for 60 children from four years to under eight years old. There are currently 26 children on roll and of these, three are in the early years age range. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The club is open from 3.15pm to 6pm, every weekday during term time and from 8.30am to 6pm during some school holidays.

p.4

Description of the setting

The staff team comprises of the owner and three regular staff members, of these, three hold relevant qualifications. There are also relief staff, one of whom is a qualified lifeguard who attends when children use the school swimming pool.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The club owner is passionate in his role and has a strong commitment to ongoing improvement. He fosters team spirit and is fully aware of their responsibilities to promote the welfare, safety and learning of the children. Most documentation required for the safe and efficient management of the provision is well maintained, although, the record of risk assessment does not contain all required detail. Engagement with parents is good, as is the partnership developed with the host school. The children are happy here and activities are planned with their learning needs in mind. However, staff do not always offer sufficient support to ensure that children are actively engaged in activities that build on their interests.

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 ensure the record of risk assessment clearly states when it was carried out, by whom, date of review and any action taken following a review or incident (Documentation). 30/11/2011

p.4

further?

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

p.4

further?

 improve implementation of planning and the support children are given, so that they receive an enjoyable and challenging, learning and development experience that is tailored to meet their individual needs. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.4

the early years provision

Positive steps are taken to safeguard the welfare of the children. They are collected from their classrooms and escorted to the community hall. Security measures are in place to make sure children do not leave unsupervised and the identity of all visitors is checked. All staff are suitably vetted and induction helps them to understand their roles and responsibilities. Suitable safeguarding procedures are in place and staff are suitably trained in child protection. Daily safety checks are carried out to ensure that any safety issues are identified and minimised before the children arrive. A record of risk assessment is made, but it does not clearly show what all the identified safety risks are, the dates of a review and any action taken following the review. This is a breach of welfare requirements.

p.5

the early years provision

The owner works in close partnership with the school reception teacher and receives weekly emails showing teaching plans for the following week. This information is used to plan activities that follow the theme of school plans. For example, currently children are learning about hibernation, so club plans incorporate den making and art activities relating to animals and hibernation. However, in practice staff do not follow through the plans. The children are not always told about what activities are on offer and not all staff respond to the children's needs. Older children attending the club know they can help themselves to the plentiful variety of resources stored in the cupboards, but younger are not encouraged to do this. At times, the presence of the large number of older school age children impacts upon the younger children. This is because staff are focused on responding to the needs and wishes of the older children leaving the younger

p.5

the early years provision

children unoccupied. When interaction between the staff and the children takes place during an activity it is good. The staff listen with interest to what children have to say and promote their language and thinking using open-ended questions, encouraging children to share what they have done in school or with their families.

p.5

the early years provision

Engagement with parents is good and parents praise the club and staff highly. Plenty of verbal two-way communication takes place. In this way, parents are kept fully informed about what is happening in the club and how their children have been. Note books of staff observations and children's achievements give parents a brief insight of children's progress at the club. There are also notice boards displaying useful information

p.5

the early years provision

The owner has an accurate awareness of the strengths and weaknesses in his provision and works hard to achieve continuous improvement. He is working to ensure that staff take on his ideas to improve outcomes for children. Feedback from parents and children is used to inform his self-evaluation and their ideas are incorporated into action plans.

p.5

the early years provision

Equality and diversity is promoted. All children are made to feel welcome by the friendly staff who greet them warmly as they arrive. The children's cultural This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 diversity is valued and as part of a school that supports children with hearing impairments, they further learn to value the diversity of others.

p.5

and outcomes for children

The children attend after school enthusiastically. They show that they have good relationships with one another and the key staff who are familiar to them. They stay together or link up with siblings. When they arrive, they wash their hands and eat the fruit snack offered, whilst watching the activity of the older children. The children talk together about what they have done in school, for example, one child is keen to tell their friends and staff about taking responsibility for one of the class toy hedgehogs. They spend a long time not engaged in activity except for a brief discussion with a member of staff before the adult goes to join older children outside. One child joins their sibling at the drawing table and the others follow. Here they spend their time drawing and colouring happily. The owner suggests that they make a home for the hedgehog discussing what type of home a hedgehog has with the children. They talk about using leaves, recalling clearing

p.6

and outcomes for children

leaves from the playground recently. Another member of staff is directed to work with the children to support this activity. The children benefit from the owner's skills of instinctively knowing how to support children in their play and learning, but the skills of other staff are still developing. As a result, there are times when children are not fully supported in their development. Key staff are aware of children's interests and abilities, but this is not used as a basis for deciding what activities to offer children.

p.6

and outcomes for children

There are opportunities for children to be creative, trying different arts and crafts and cooking activities are popular. Construction resources are readily available for children to build on small and large scale using their own design ideas. There are also plenty of resources for children to use in exploration, for example, torches to use in dens and outdoors. Children can choose to play outdoors, as they wish, enjoying fresh air and exercise. During school holidays, the group takes trips to places of entertainment and interest to enhance children's play experiences.

p.6

and outcomes for children

Children are independent in their personal hygiene and know the routine of hand washing to minimise the risk of cross-infection. They follow the club rules to keep themselves and others safe. They put on high visibility vests and caps when they play outdoors, so that staff can see where they are. Children's behaviour is generally managed well and incidents of poor behaviour of older children are handled calmly to ensure the safety of all individuals. Overall, children's experiences here are positive and they gain skills for the future, particularly in personal, social, and emotional development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.6

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.7

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

p.7

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.7

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

p.7

Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

p.7

Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

p.7

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

p.7

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.8

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

p.8