Yeovil Centre

Time Out After School Club Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 123638 Inspection date 26/01/2012 Inspector Geof Timms

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Setting address Manland Primary School, Sauncey Avenue, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4QW Telephone number 07807 921246 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

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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

Time Out After School Club opened in 1996 and takes place at Manland School, Sauncey Avenue, Harpenden. The club is open Monday to Friday from 7.50am to 8.50am and 3.15pm to 6.15pm, term time only, and is managed by a voluntary committee of parents.

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Description of the setting

The areas available for use by the After School Club include a classroom, the school hall, girl and boy toilets close by and the school playground. The club has sole use of the classroom while in operation and the hall and school library are available at agreed times. The outside area includes the use of the school playing fields and playground. It is fully secure and not used by the public.

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Description of the setting

The club admits children attending Manland Primary School, between the ages of four to 11 years, and is registered for a maximum of 24 children under 8 years. There are currently 86 children on roll. The club is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the setting

There are three staff, two of whom hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 while the other is a qualified nursery nurse.

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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 thoroughly enjoy their time at this well established and well run out of school club. It meets the needs of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage well. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development and engage in a wide range of play-based and often pupil-initiated activities, which cover most areas of learning well. The club has built friendly and effective relationships with parents and carers and partnerships with other early years professionals are good. Systems to monitor the effectiveness of the club are being developed, however they are able to demonstrate good capacity for continuous improvement in this fully inclusive club.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve the written policy for equal opportunities so it contains all recommended information  develop further the process of self-evaluation in order to clearly identify the club's strengths and areas for development. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Good attention is given to safeguarding all children. The club is safe and all activities are appropriately risk assessed on a regular basis, ensuring any hazards are reduced. The club has robust procedures in place for the employment and vetting of staff to ensure only suitable adults work with the children. The staff are very experienced and knowledgeable practitioners who know the children and their families well. Staff also work within the school which helps them to establish regular and meaningful communication. They keep their training updated, especially regarding child protection, safeguarding and first aid. The accommodation is very secure and all staff, parents, carers and children follow the clear routines for access, by signing in and out. Staff follow a clear site security policy to ensure children can play safely and enjoy their time at the club. Staff supervise children closely, while allowing them to learn about and deal with risks

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the early years provision

The accommodation is good with a dedicated classroom and very good access to school resources, such as the playing field, playground and outdoor apparatus. Resources are good and offer children a variety of opportunities to develop their skills. A good range of books, creative and construction materials, and toys and games, encourage children's learning. One parent talked about how their child had become very interested in chess as a result of having access to the game in the club. Evaluation procedures are child-focused and effective in identifying future plans and priorities. The recommendations from the previous inspection have been successfully addressed, improving outcomes for children and demonstrating a commitment to ongoing improvement. However, the formal system of self- evaluation is still in development.

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the early years provision

Effective deployment of staff ensures the smooth running of the club. Inclusion is well-considered as staff know children well and clearly enjoy their company. Staff respect children's individuality and accommodate special requests accordingly. Equality and diversity is actively promoted and staff ensure all children have equal access to all opportunities and resources. However, the current written policy does not contain all of the recommended information in line with the best practice.

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the early years provision

Links with parents are good, and staff ensure to build strong relationships from the start. For example, children who are new to the club are very well provided for, with a lot of dedicated adult time, conversation and joint activities. This helps them settle very quickly and feel at home and happy as a member of the club. Staff assess children's learning through observations and some records are kept. Photographs are often taken to record the different activities and to inform individual children's learning. The relationship with the host school is good. Regular information about children's progress and achievements is effectively shared with parents and the school, which ensures continuity of learning. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are helped to experience a good range of activities. Because of this they make good progress in their learning and development. Planning is based on overall themes and children's interests. They have good opportunities to develop their personal, emotional and social skills. Children of different ages play together well and the older ones support the younger ones. One parent commented on how this began in the club but also extended to their time in school as she had seen older and younger children speaking to each other more frequently. The relationships with adults help children settle quickly and develop the confidence to freely access resources and ask for activities that they like. Children are developing speaking and listening skills well as they respond routinely to staff in a polite and respectful manner. The good relationships also create an ethos in which children, and their parents and carers, are confident that they are kept safe.

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and outcomes for children

Children's physical development has a high profile. They have good opportunities to use the school's physical education resources, both indoors and outside. Good use is made of the adventure playground, hard and grassed play areas for a variety of sporting activities. The club has a good range of resources for sports and outdoor play and children make good use of these to develop their ball skills, throwing, catching, balancing and other ways of improving control of their bodies. This helps children's good understanding of how exercise can help them stay healthy. They understand what constitutes a healthy snack and the club's teatime meal and snacks offer a range of healthy choices. Indoors, children also develop their finer physical skills through manipulating, for example, construction toys and creative materials. A group of boys enjoy spending extended periods of time improving a model they had made during the breakfast club and which they

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and outcomes for children

Children take part in special events which are held to help them learn more about how others live and to improve their understanding of different faiths and cultures. For example, Chinese New Year, Christmas and Easter are celebrated through a range of meaningful creative activities. Last year children participated in a well organised and fun Easter egg hunt that required them to take part in a range of problem solving activities. In Autumn children plant bulbs in part of the school garden for which they are responsible. Staff try to link projects to those at the school, such as a recent Pirate themed day that involved dressing up and creative activities. Children also have opportunities for making a positive contribution to their own and the wider community, through a range of charity work and sponsoring an orang-utan at a local wildlife centre. The activities and opportunities offered; alongside staff's interaction and commitment, clearly support the good

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and outcomes for children

development of children's skills for the future. 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 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 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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