BLAST

BLAST Blackshaw Lane Primary School, Blackshaw Lane, Royton, Oldham, OL2 6NT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/12/2012 20/05/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 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

 Children enjoy attending the out of school club and play happily with their peers. They feel secure and develop strong attachments with staff who know them and their families well.  Staff place a high priority on children's well-being and happiness and work well as a staff team to support children's individual needs.  Children have access to a spacious, organised and well-resourced environment, which stimulates and engages children in learning.  Partnerships with the school, parents and outside agencies make a strong contribution to providing consistency of care for all children throughout times of transition.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Systems to evaluate the impact of staff's practice are not sharply focused to further enhance professional development.

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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 play room.  The inspector spoke with children, staff and parents throughout the inspection.  The inspector looked at all relevant documentation provided.

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Information about the setting

BLAST Out of School Club was registered in 2005 and is part of the Royton After School Care Association. It operates from Blackshaw Lane Primary School in Royton. The areas of the school used include the hall, library, family learning room, kitchen facilities, outdoor areas and school toilets. The club currently takes children from three years of age and also offers care for children aged eight to 11 years. The club is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 9am and from 3pm until 6pm, during term time only. Priority for places is given to pupils who attend the school.

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Information about the setting

There are currently 43 children on roll of whom 17 are under eight years and of these, five are within the early years age range. The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It supports a number of children who speak English as an additional language and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are three members of staff, who work directly with the children. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and one holds an early years qualification at level 2.

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

 extend systems for performance management further in order to evaluate the impact of staff's practice, for example, by developing procedures to undertake peer observations.

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who attend

Children thoroughly enjoy attending the out of school club where they happily engage with their peers in a spacious and stimulating environment. Resources are well organised and are in labelled boxes which means that children can self-select and undertake child- initiated play. Activities are well planned and represent ideas and suggestions from children. A group council allows children to contribute to planning, which means that planned activities are developed through children's interests to support their development. Interactions between staff and children are very positive. Adults support children in learning through play and respond to children's requests. For example, while playing with a board game children ask a staff member to explain the rules of the game. As the children are of different ages, the adult explains the rules in a differentiated manner which ensures that all children are able to understand and participate.

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who attend

Staff conduct regular observations and assessments of children which allows the next steps in each child's learning to be effectively identified. Staff work well with staff from the on-site school to plan activities that support their learning in school. For example, the group offers activities on the same topics to extend children's learning opportunities. Staff ensure parents and children are kept informed about the planned learning experiences through having the planning available to see and by making requests for objects to be brought in from home. Parents are invited and encouraged to add their own ideas and contributions for activities.

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who attend

Children are active learners because staff have a good understanding how to engage children and capture their interest. Staff are actively involved in children's play and exploration, encouraging children to keep trying and to achieve what they set out to do. For example, children take part in creative activities to celebrate Christmas and are encouraged to use scissors and glue to create individually designed cards and Christmas decorations. Children also write letters to Father Christmas and make 'wish lists' which helps to develop their creative writing skills.

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who attend

Staff support children's language and communication development by asking open ended questions and role modelling good examples of language. For example, when children write 'Christmas wish lists' staff ask children to talk about their favourite toy and why they think it is special. This extends children's thinking and supports their knowledge and understanding of the world as children consider how different toys are made. Children's understanding of technology is supported through daily computer use and playing on a games console. Mathematical skills are also developed through board games and singing number songs. Children access the outdoors regularly, have weekly sessions of football by a designated football coach and take part in music and movement sessions. Consequently, children's physical skills are promoted and well supported.

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

Staff are highly committed to ensuring the welfare and safety of children. Adults place a high priority on children's personal, social and emotional development and consequently children are secure and play co-operatively with their peers. For example, children using the games console use a sand timer to identify how much time each child has left on that activity. This works well as children negotiate and define their own play. An effective key person system is in place which supports children as they develop their confidence and self-help skills. Transitions are well supported as staff share information with other providers which allows information about each child to be discussed.

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

Children's behaviour is good and they enjoy being part of the setting. This is because children's ideas are valued as they are involved in planning activities and make suggestions for resources and snacks. Staff support children to build their self-esteem through consistent praise. For example, while playing with the sand children extend their play by introducing different resources, such as people and houses, to build a 'desert town'. Staff praise their imaginative thinking and help children to make traffic lights and different structures.

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

Children are encouraged to develop their self-care skills and have an enhanced understanding of healthy practices through routines, such as hand washing and knowing where to hang coats and bags. There are good opportunities for children to learn about healthy eating, for example, children take part in baking activities including making bread and homemade pizza. Children enjoy active play and their physical development is well supported as the club has access to the school hall and outside play areas.

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provision

The group has a very low staff turnover and as a result, staff work well as a team. The staff are fully committed to providing high quality childcare and education for all children attending the club. Recommendations from the previous inspection have been addressed demonstrating a commitment to continued improvement. The staff team hold regular staff meetings to share ideas and practice which means that practice is consistently evolving and developing. There are effective performance management systems in place. However, they have not yet explored the use of other methods to evaluate staff practice, including peer observations, in order to benefit from each other's knowledge and experiences, and further enhance professional development. Staff undertake self-evaluative practice which takes into account the views of children, staff and parents. Parent's views are sought through daily verbal feedback and parent questionnaires.

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provision

Staff are motivated to extend their knowledge and understanding of early years and are provided with regular opportunities to attend training. For example, staff have recently attended training for enhancing outdoor play for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. All staff have attended safeguarding training and know the procedures to follow and the agencies to contact should they have a safeguarding concern. The premises and outside environment are securely maintained and the arrival of any visitors is carefully checked. Procedures are in place to keep children safe and secure. For example, regular fire drills are conducted and exit doors are kept locked at all times.

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provision

Parents are warmly welcomed as all staff are fully committed to working in partnership with parents. Before children start at the group an 'all about me' book is completed which allows staff to gain a clear knowledge of a child's likes and dislikes prior to starting at the club. This supports children in settling quickly as children's individual needs have been identified and effectively addressed. Parents are kept informed about their child's progress and welfare through daily verbal feedback and access to children's developmental files. Parents are very complimentary about the group. For example, one parent states 'My child loves coming and never wants to go home. The staff are lovely'. Children who have left the group are also complimentary. For example, a thank you card documents 'You have been great fun, thank you for looking after me, I will miss you'.

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provision

Secure partnerships with other professionals are in place. For example, staff work closely with on-site school staff, local authority advisors and local pre-school staff which supports children at times of transition. In addition, professionals have been invited in to the group to raise children's awareness on different issues. For example, community police officers have spoken about road safety and stranger awareness. The group offers a stimulating learning environment, with experienced staff, where children engage with a range of fun activities to support their individual learning and development needs.

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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 EY314648 Local authority Oldham Inspection number 820442

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 3 - 17 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 43 Name of provider Royton After School Care Association Date of previous inspection 20/05/2009 Telephone number 07979 547 480

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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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