The Village Care Club

The Village Care Club Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY436800 Inspection date 14/05/2012 Inspector Sue Birkenhead

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Setting address St. Bedes Catholic Junior School, Appleton Village, WIDNES, Cheshire, WA8 6EL Telephone number 07905252950 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

The Village Care Club was registered in 2011. It is privately owned and operates from three classrooms, the ICT suite and the main hall within St. Bedes Catholic Junior School. The club opens from Monday to Friday during term time only. Sessions are 7.45am to 9am and 3pm to 5.30pm. The club serves children from St. Bedes Catholic Infant and Junior schools.

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Description of the setting

The club is registered to care for a maximum of 36 children aged from four to eight years, of whom no more than 12 may be in the early years age range. There are currently six children on roll in the early years age group. The club is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Description of the setting

The club is run by the owner, who is also the manager. An additional five members of staff work at the setting, four of whom hold relevant early years qualifications to level 3. The club receives support from the local early years team.

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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 Village Care Club provides care in a familiar, inclusive environment where children are confident, secure and have fun. The qualified staff team have a positive understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and overall, aspects of children's welfare and learning are successfully met. Children's learning experiences are enjoyable and support the positive progress they make. Appropriate partnerships are established with parents to support a consistent approach to children's care. Effective relationships develop with the teaching staff in school to complement children's care and learning. Positive systems for self- evaluation are developing well and effectively support the club's capacity for continuous improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 improve procedures for exchanging information with parents to obtain information regarding children's developmental starting points on entry to the setting, and enable them to contribute to their child's developmental file regularly  improve procedures to further encourage the development of children's self- help skills at snack time  extend resources to provide positive images that challenge children's thinking and help them to embrace differences in gender, ethnicity, culture and disabilities This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  extend current practice to ensure observations are linked to the associated area of learning.

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the early years provision

Children are effectively safeguarded because staff attend relevant training and demonstrate a clear understanding of the indicators of abuse and the procedures for reporting concerns. Written policies for safeguarding children and dealing with allegations made against staff reflect the procedures followed. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures and details documented ensure the suitability of adults employed. Required records and documentation are organised well and are effective in supporting children's safety, welfare and the efficient management of the club. Written risk assessments for the setting reflect associated hazards to ensure risks to children are effectively minimised. The manager and staff team are motivated in their approach to continuous development, and aspects for the future development of the setting are documented in the action plan. Staff are committed to attending additional training to support developing practice and better outcomes

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the early years provision

for children. The manager actively leads the staff team in evaluating their practices, and positive systems for self-evaluation are ongoing and include the use of the Ofsted self-evaluation form. Comments from parents and children are clearly valued and the introduction of questionnaires are planned as an area for future development.

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the early years provision

Appropriate partnerships develop with parents, who are welcomed into the setting and engage in discussion regarding their child's day and well-being. The initial 'welcome pack' for parents provides them with a detailed account of the setting's practices and procedures and more general information. In addition, children's developmental files are shared with their parents, who provide initial details of their child's likes, dislikes and interests. However, opportunities for them to contribute to children's developmental files and provide information regarding their starting points on entry to the setting are not in place. Parents say they are happy with the setting's approach to care and learning, and are particularly complimentary about the healthy range of snacks provided. The key person for children in the early years age group effectively establishes links with the reception class. As a result, they work together for the benefit of the children so there can

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and outcomes for children

Children develop supportive relationships which enable them to feel secure within the familiar environment. Staff are effectively deployed and positively interact with children during activities to support their fun and to challenge and extend their learning effectively. Children's individual developmental files include observations which are linked to photographic evidence and their artwork. However, entries are not always linked to the areas of learning, although they provide an account of the positive progress they make towards the early learning goals. Children's next steps This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 identified are used to inform the future planning of activities, which is also linked to the times of the year and some themes they follow. In addition, they have time to play freely and make decisions about their play to support them in becoming

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and outcomes for children

active learners. Consequently, children receive a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated opportunities. Various areas within the school are accessible to children, and resources are effectively deployed according to the areas they use. Information displayed for parents includes the certificate of registration, the Ofsted parent poster and public liability insurance. Through the use of computerised systems, photographs are on display of previous activities children have been involved in.

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and outcomes for children

The many worthwhile activities and opportunities positively support the development of children's future skills. They regularly access outdoor play and embark on many activities to effectively support the development of their physical skills and well-being. Children positively develop their understanding of technology through the provision of computerised games and the school computers they access. They extend their understanding of different cultures by celebrating festivals, such as Easter and Chinese New Year, which incorporate discussions, creative activities and food tasting. However, resources to promote positive images of diversity are mainly limited to books. Children access a wide range of media to effectively support the development of their creativity, which include the use of recycled materials and dressing up clothes to act out the roles of superheroes. Their mathematical skills are challenged as they move between the number

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and outcomes for children

squares outdoors during games and learn how to count, add and subtract during activities. Children have effective opportunities to write, make marks and use books which support the development of their literacy skills. They are attentive during small group story time, positively interact, and anticipate aspects of the story through the pictures with confidence. Children are competent at writing their own names on the pictures they produce. Visitors to the setting include a company which allows children opportunities to explore and handle reptiles.

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and outcomes for children

Children learn about personal hygiene through the effective daily routines, which they recognise contribute to the promotion of their good health, and they explain that they use hand gel to clean their hands before snack. Children have access to a range of varied, healthy and nutritious snacks, and they clearly acknowledge foods that are good for them when asked. However, opportunities to support the development of their self-help skills are not promoted during snack time because staff pour their drinks and serve their snack. Children learn to stay safe because they practise evacuation drills and can recall the procedures they follow when the bell rings. Their behaviour is effectively managed, and as a result children play cooperatively and behave well. 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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