Hoots After School Club

Hoots After School Club Toftwood Junior School, Westfield Road, DEREHAM, Norfolk, NR19 1JB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 27/11/2012 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 There is a family feel to this after school club and firm friendships develop between children.  Children take part in a wide variety of activities which are fun and allow them to continue to develop their skills and learning.  Children help to prepare and enjoy a good selection of healthy and nutritious snacks and light teas.  Children have a real voice in the setting and are able to express their thoughts and feelings to staff who value their contributions.  Robust risk assessments are regularly reviewed to ensure the children are kept safe, specifically on the school run.  Staff are very clear about their role in protecting children from abuse.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The youngest children are not always able to engage in team games when confined to the indoor environment.  Checking systems in place to ensure the bathrooms are maintained to an acceptable standard whilst the club is in session are not effective.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are scheduled:  at least once in every inspection cycle. The current cycle ends on 31 July 2016  more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged as inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage; or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised for inspection where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the main hall.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the staff and children during the inspection and carried out observations.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journeys, records, a selection of policies and required documentation.  The inspector spoke to parents of children in the early years age range.

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Information about the setting

Hoots After School Club registered in 2012. The club is owned by the proprietors of Little Owls Day Nursery and Hoots After School Club at the infant school. This club meets in Toftwood Junior School in Dereham, Norfolk. The setting uses the school hall and associated facilities and has use of the school playground.

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Information about the setting

Hoots After School Club operates each day during school term-time between the hours of 3pm and 6pm. It is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 74 children on roll, of whom 11 are within the early years age range.

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Information about the setting

The after school club is privately owned and five members of staff are employed to work with the children. The manager holds a Foundation Degree and three other members of staff are qualified to Level 3.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 improve opportunities for the youngest children to engage in active team games and energetic play, specifically when confined to indoor play

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 devise and implement a robust checking process to ensure the bathrooms remain clean and hygienic whilst the club is in session.

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who attend

Staff have a very good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and are very skilled at offering children a wide range of activities which are interesting and great fun, whilst enabling children to refine and learn new skills. Activities are planned around children's interests and because the key person works closely with parents and the children when they join the setting, staff know the children well and plan accordingly. Observations are recorded and next steps are planned for each child which ensures they continue to make progress. There are regular discussions between the children and staff about planning activities for the future. For example, children have been asked to contribute activity ideas for Christmas.

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who attend

Parents speak highly of the setting. They comment that they feel well informed about what their children have been doing during the session because staff meet and greet them and offer feedback. Additionally, children are eager to share their pictures, models and craft items with their parents. Information from the schools attended by the children is shared through the 'talking books' and as a result staff are able to develop and extend ideas, offering the children some continuity between settings.

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who attend

Children chat animatedly to their friends about what they did during the day, or what they are doing presently. They work with staff, carefully following instructions, to help prepare tea. There are lots of opportunities for children to paint, draw and write, for example, in the role play classroom or office. Children label their own artwork and are becoming more fluent in their writing skills. Making a bracelet from lettered beads provides children with fun and enjoyment and helps learn the letters and spelling of their names. They enjoy snuggling up with a book under the quilt to 'chill-out' and games, such as hangman help with their knowledge of phonics to decode and read new words. Children are involved in number games and use their knowledge of number, shape, space and measure in the routine of the after school club. For example, they count the pieces of carrot to make sure there is enough for everyone or play board games, where number and position is key.

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who attend

Children enjoy celebrating different festivals and link this to their understanding of the local community. For example, whilst making firework pictures from glitter, children talk about the firework display they watched in the village. Visitors to the setting, such as a police officer, help children learn about things people do and provide good opportunities to remind children about their personal safety. Children make good use of the laptops for games and are highly proficient in their use. Children are offered a wide selection of materials to be creative with. They paint freely, model and create patterns and designs with materials such as beads. Older children are planning a Christmas production and younger children enjoy dressing up and playing with small world toys imaginatively.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are welcomed into the club by friendly and attentive staff who listen carefully to what children say to them. Children are, on the whole, confident and get involved in activities eagerly. There is a real extended family feel to this after school club and many of the children have come up through the nursery and stay with Hoots when they join high school. As a result firm friendships have formed and older children are observed caring for the younger ones. Children's behaviour is excellent. They are well-mannered, polite and co-operative and staff use positive strategies to deal with any unwanted behaviour. They teach children values as they play, for example about being honest and not cheating and as a result children play harmoniously together.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children are offered healthy snacks after school and help themselves to a selection of fresh fruit and water to drink. Children are fully involved in the preparation of snack and tea and this provides opportunities to talk about healthy eating. They prepare fresh vegetables, grate cheese and mix tuna for wraps, help lay the table and then enjoy the social occasion of all sitting together to eat and chat. Children generally display good hygiene habits, they use antibacterial hand gel without reminder before helping themselves to snack. However, after using the bathroom, children forget to flush the toilet and as a result the facilities are left in a poor state of hygiene. Although staff carry out health and safety checks before children arrive, the process in place to monitor the on- going cleanliness of facilities throughout the session is not effective.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children enjoy playing energetically outside, where they balance on the beams or the wobbly bridge, play team games and relish letting off steam in the school grounds. When the weather is poor, staff organise 'wet play' activities, such as dodge ball, so that children can be active indoors. However, the youngest children find it difficult to be included in these types of activities. They sit at the side watching on and when they do join in, older, more boisterous and energetic children monopolise the game. As a result younger children are observed removing themselves from the game and missing out on opportunities to be energetic when confined indoors.

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provision

Children benefit from a strong staff team who are committed and dedicated to their roles. Staff speak of a supportive management team, who value their work and ensure they are included in decision making. There are effective systems in place to supervise and appraise staff and their training needs and professional development are monitored closely. As a result, well qualified, motivated and experienced staff are working with the children.

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provision

All staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements and demonstrate vigilance and care when dealing with children's safety. The school collection is handled safely and risk assessments are in place to minimise hazards throughout the setting. Generally, well-written policies and procedures are in place along with required documentation to maintain children's health, safety and welfare. Staff are really clear about the procedures for dealing with suspected child abuse and there are rigorous recruitment and induction procedures to ensure all staff appointed are safe and suitable for their roles.

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provision

Monitoring and self-evaluation takes into account the children's and parents' views through questionnaires and regular discussion. Changes have been implemented in the club, following ideas raised by parents, ensuring their voices are valued too. Children have asked for a variety of 'clubs' to be organised within the after school club, such as the 'DJ Club' and staff have facilitated this. The self-evaluation is thorough and detailed and plans for improvement have been implemented. A rolling programme of improvement plans ensure that practice is constantly reviewed, providing children and their families with very good quality after school care.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY448458 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 800576

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 4 - 14 Total number of places 56 Number of children on roll 74 Name of provider Little Owls Day Nursery Date of previous inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01362699700

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises that are usually their own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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