Seabridge Care Club

Seabridge Care Club Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 218358 Inspection date 01/03/2012 Inspector Karen Cooper

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Setting address Seabridge Primary School, Roe Lane, Newcastle, Staffordshire, ST5 3PJ Telephone number 07880 723138 Email seabridgecareclub@hotmail.co.uk 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

Seabridge Care Club is managed by a voluntary management committee, made up of parents of children at the club and members of the host school's governing body. It was registered in 1997 and operates from the main school hall, the nursery classroom and the IT room within Seabridge Primary School, Newcastle- Under-Lyme, Staffordshire. The club provides places for children attending the school and serves the local and surrounding areas.

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Description of the setting

A maximum of 72 children may attend the club at any one time. The club is open each weekday from 7.30am until 9am and from 3.15pm until 5.45pm, during term time. During school holidays sessions are from 7.30am until 5.45pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. All children share access to several secure, enclosed, outdoor play areas. There are currently 210 children on roll. The club is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. The club supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Description of the setting

There are 13 members of staff who work with the children. Of these, six hold National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) at level 3, three members of staff hold NVQs at level 2, one of which is working towards a NVQ at level 3, and four members of staff are unqualified.

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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

Children are cared for in a welcoming, stimulating and safe environment. Toys and equipment are plentiful, ensuring that children make good progress in their learning and development. Positive relationships have been established with parents and other early years professionals to ensure children's individual needs are well-met. Documentation is well-organised and policies and procedures are mostly effective. Staff demonstrate a strong capacity towards continuous improvement and improving outcomes for children.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure that the daily register record accurately reflects the hours of attendance of all children cared for; this specifically refers to arrival times. (Documentation) 16/03/2012

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further?

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

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further?

 develop further procedures to ensure parents providing packed lunches are This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 informed about what can be stored safely.

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the early years provision

Staff are aware of their role and responsibility in safeguarding the children in their care. They have an up-to-date knowledge of the possible signs and symptoms of abuse and the procedure to follow should they have any concerns. Children are further safeguarded by robust vetting and recruitment procedures, including effective induction procedures for new staff working at the club. Staff are appropriately deployed; ensuring children are always well-supervised. They group children effectively with key workers in small groups. This promotes consistency and enables children to build effective relationships. The staff are committed to inclusion and the presence of a trained Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) ensures children's individual needs are well-met. Staff assess potential risks to children and have implemented effective procedures and practices to minimise these at all times. Children play in a well-organised, spacious and

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the early years provision

stimulating environment, with clearly defined play areas. They use a good range of toys and equipment which are of a good quality and safe to use.

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the early years provision

The staff team work well together, complementing each other with their varying characters. They are dedicated to improvement and professional development and are encouraged to attend further training; this helps them to support children more effectively. The self-evaluation process is a shared experience that involves staff, parents and children. For example, the staff have implemented a suggestion box for both parents and children to state how they would like to improve the club. Any suggestions are taken seriously and acted on if necessary. Staff demonstrate a strong capacity to maintain continuous improvement; as a consequence recommendations made at the previous inspection are fully addressed.

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the early years provision

Parents and carers speak favourably of the welcoming environment which helps them to feel confident in the care offered to their children. They are encouraged to share what they know about their child when they first start to attend and the effective two-way flow of information ensures that they are fully informed of their child's daily activities. The children's individual learning journeys are used as a joint process between the club and home to ensure that parents are fully informed of their child's progress and development. Other information is shared informally through ongoing dialogue, regular newsletters and details posted on the notice board. A full range of the club's policy and procedural documentation is readily available for parents. Documentation is largely well organised and regularly reviewed to comply with requirements. However, children's hours of attendance are not recorded on arrival to the club to ensure their safety is fully protected,

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the early years provision

which is a requirement. Staff have established good relationships with the school and value their contributions as partners in the children's care and 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 happy and settled in the club. Staff ensure children feel a sense of belonging and are sensitively supported. They are aware of children's differing needs and abilities, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and work closely with the school to ensure their individual needs are effectively met. Therefore, children are fully involved, settle well and become more confident. Children have access to a range of resources, play opportunities and activities which reflect diversity and positively acknowledge differences. For example, dolls, role play, posters, books and planned topics include multicultural festivals, which ensure children develop their knowledge and understanding about other cultures and the wider world. Children have formed good relationships with staff. They are valued and the staff help them to feel good about themselves by frequently providing positive support, praise and encouragement, while managing

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and outcomes for children

their behaviour well. This helps build children's self-esteem. The staff understand that the children have spent most of the day in school and are mindful of providing activities and opportunities that the children find enjoyable and encourage them to learn through play; with the emphasis on having fun. The staff's active involvement in children's play helps them to note preferences and these are used for planning activities. They clearly demonstrate that they know the children well and go to great lengths to find out what interests each child, how much they know and can do. They observe the children as they play and record their findings. The information gained from observations is effectively used to help plan the next steps in children learning.

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and outcomes for children

All children have opportunities for daily outside play, where they can explore and access a wide range of experiences. They confidently and skilfully use climbing equipment, wheeled toys and great fun is had including staff in their group games such as 'What's The Time, Mr Wolf?'. Older children are provided with a variety of activities both inside and outdoors and have access to the school fields where there is a sensory walk and also a woodland garden. Children's creativity is well promoted because paints, crayons and work sheets are freely available. Children enjoy colouring pictures of dragons and competently turn them into flags for St David's day. Children's artwork is attractively displayed within the club, which helps to provide children with a sense of belonging. Children enjoy using their imagination in role play; they happily join in with the theme for world book day and dress up in familiar characters. Children enjoy building car tracks to race each

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and outcomes for children

other's cars and respond with confidence when counting the exact amount of pieces needed to build the track. Children are provided with plenty of opportunities to develop their early writing and reading skills and books, labels, posters and displays around the club encourage them to see letters in print. Children have good opportunities to develop their understanding of technology through the use of electronic resources. Older children love using the games consoles and are confident at operating them. These opportunities help children to develop good skills for the future. During school holidays children also benefit from a range of activities outside the club. For example, they visit the park, farm and cinema. The staff plan these activities well to help children's learning. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children learn about keeping themselves safe through the discussions and

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and outcomes for children

activities provided. They regularly join in fire evacuation practises to ensure that they know what to do in an emergency. Children are encouraged to follow good hygiene routines and know when to wash their hands. There are good arrangements in place to care for children who are ill and all staff are trained in administering first aid. Children develop a good understanding of healthy eating; are provided with a variety of nutritious snacks and are able to access fresh drinks throughout the session. However, the storage of food within some of the children's snack boxes; particularly during warmer months, needs to be reconsidered. Snack times are relaxed, social occasions when children sit together around the table to enjoy their food and each other's company. Staff are fully aware of each child's individual dietary needs and ensure these are met. 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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