Four Dwellings and Quinton Before and After School Club

Four Dwellings and Quinton Before and After School Club Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY437133 Inspection date 22/02/2012 Inspector Edgar Hastings

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Setting address Four Dwellings High School, Dwellings Lane, Quinton, BIRMINGHAM, B32 1RJ Telephone number 01217131661 Email ian@sportwise.org 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.

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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

Four Dwellings and Quinton Before and After School was re-registered in 2012 and is run by Sportwise. It operates from three rooms and has the use of a large hall in the grounds of Four Dwellings High School in Quinton, Birmingham. The club serves the children who attend the school and children in the local community. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Description of the setting

The club is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. A maximum of 48 children may attend the club at any one time, of whom no more than 20 may be in the early years age range. The club also offers care to children over eight years. Currently there are 27 children on roll, of whom three are in the early years age group. The club is open each weekday from 7.15am until 9am and from 3pm until 6.15pm during term time and from 7.30am until 6pm during school holidays. Children are able to attend for a variety of sessions. The club is able to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and cares for those children who speak English as an additional language.

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Description of the setting

The club employs five members of staff. Of these four staff hold National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) at levels 2 and 3. The club receives support from the host school and the local authority, and works closely with two local primary schools.

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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

Four Dwellings Before and After School Club provides well for the needs of the children in its care. The needs of the children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are met well, and they make good progress. This is due to the well planned, enjoyable activities and experiences provided for them, the opportunities to engage with children of different ages, and the strong relationships that have been established. The club has good safeguarding procedures that ensure a secure and safe environment for all children. Parents are very supportive and speak highly of the provision, and the new management team demonstrate a good capacity to maintain further improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 review the effectiveness of the behaviour management policy  support the new key person to improve their training in the Early Years Foundation Stage. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

Club leaders have ensured the safety of the children through a comprehensive range of safeguarding policies and procedures. These good procedures are regularly reviewed and all staff are fully aware of their responsibilities. Thorough vetting of prospective new appointees and rigorous checking of their backgrounds ensures that only suitable people are employed by the club. Children are carefully registered upon arrival and secure arrangements are in place for their collection at the end of sessions. Transport is provided via the club's minibus which collects children from two local primary schools with whom the club has strong links. All requirements for the safe use of the minibus are met. Risk assessments are carried out regularly and daily checks made on equipment and resources, as well as the club room which is hired out by the school for regular community use. Welfare requirements are met to protect children from infection through careful

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the early years provision

procedures. Staff have also received training in first aid and food hygiene.

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the early years provision

Since the change in the management of the club leaders have worked hard to sustain a good level of provision, and to ensure the needs of all children are met. Staff work together enthusiastically as a team, and monitor the quality of provision and children's progress. Staff appraisals are carried out annually and training opportunities identified appropriately. At the time of the inspection the manager of the club had recently been promoted to manage another setting within the group. Temporary arrangements are in place to manage the club with existing staff taking on new roles and responsibilities, and being overseen by one of the organisation's experienced partners. Staff have a range of skills which are deployed effectively including one person who is a trained sports coach. However, none of the remaining staff have received recent training in the Early Years Foundation Stage, although they have had some experience in working with this age group.

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the early years provision

Resources are planned and used effectively and set out each day to cover the areas of learning, and support children's learning and development well. The use of self-evaluation is currently satisfactory as it is in the early stages of development and is a work in progress due to the recent changes to the management of the club. However, staff are highly dedicated to their roles and well placed to implement future improvements. The good links with the host school enable children to access good quality outdoor facilities, including the basketball court, the astro turf pitch and the sports hall. These are made good use of regularly and enhance the opportunities for children to be active. Good links also with the two feeder schools enable the club to plan topics that link in with the schools' own curriculums.

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the early years provision

Children attending the club come from a variety of different cultures and are known well by the staff. The club takes a very positive stance about diversity and ensures children have good opportunities to develop a wider understanding through an emphasis on the celebration of some of the major cultural festivals including Diwali, Halloween, Eid, and Christmas. Currently, the club does not have any children with special educational needs, but does work hard to extend the language skills of those children who speak English as an additional language. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Relationships with parents are good. Parents speak very highly of the club and say how much their children enjoy the activities there. A number of parents said that when it was time to go home their children often wanted to stay longer. Parents also appreciate the good level of care the children receive from the staff, and are

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the early years provision

confident that they are being kept safe. Termly newsletters keep parents aware of developments and questionnaires enable parents to contribute their ideas and comments. Staff are always on hand to talk about their children, about what they have been doing, and the progress they are making.

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and outcomes for children

The well established routines mean that the children arrive confidently and immediately make their own choice of activity. There is a clear buzz around the room as children engage in the provided activities with a friend or a group of friends. One of the most noticeable features is the good way children of different age groups join together to participate harmoniously. There is a good balance of both adult-led and child-chosen activities and strong relationships between staff and the children, who enjoy playing and sharing with their friends. Creative activities are very popular and children demonstrate some good manipulative skills as they produce interesting and attractive designs using a range of different media. Children sit and share activities and resources while chatting to one another in a very sociable way. The displays of children's completed work demonstrates the variety of experiences they have encountered, including hand painted designs,

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and outcomes for children

collage patterns, and undersea pictures which incorporate different paper textures. Emerging writing skills are evident as the youngest children label and name their work. Topics about food encourage children to think about what constitutes a healthy diet, and explain the benefits of protein and carbohydrates in an easy to understand way through posters and visual aids. This enables them to make well informed choices about what they eat and drink. At snack time staff use the opportunity effectively to ensure this is a good time for sitting together and developing social skills.

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and outcomes for children

The club provides well resourced activities which enable children to make good progress over time. The use of the outdoor areas provides regular opportunities for them to be active and to learn to play together using a variety of equipment, and to develop new skills with the sports coach. Tabletop games encourage children to be cooperative, to share and to take turns. Planning for the six areas of learning is well done, ensuring a good balance of activities to support their learning and development in an interesting way through games and play activities. The key person is responsible for the effective assessment procedures that are used to monitor progress and to enable staff to identify the next steps in children's learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children say they feel safe in the club because the staff look after them well. The club rules, drawn up by staff and children, ensure that safe behaviour is understood, reinforced regularly, and is practised by children in their play. Issues This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 about road safety are taught and support the development of children's own personal safety. The club is popular with children because they are made to feel important participants, and have developed a strong sense of belonging. Overall, children's behaviour is satisfactory because of the impact of the poor behaviour of a small group of children on the well behaved majority. When talking about their enjoyment of being in the club one concern expressed by a group of children was that of the poor behaviour of a group of older boys. However, with this exception children are being prepared well for the future. For the majority, the progress they

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and outcomes for children

make in the development of their interpersonal skills and social development is preparing them well 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 3 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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