MAGIK Out of School Club

MAGIK Out of School Club St George's C E (Aided) Primary School, Neasham Road, Middleton St. George, DARLINGTON, County Durham, DL2 1LD

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 09/04/2013 11/12/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 1 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 1 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The club provides a vast range of exciting resources and activities which enhance children's learning in great depth. Staff show, through their high quality teaching, that they have a thorough understanding of how children learn, which means that all children make very good progress.  Children are exceptionally safe at the club as the manager ensures that all staff are constantly aware of hazards and that they supervise children vigilantly at all times. Meticulous and detailed safeguarding policies and procedures are rigorously implemented and monitored so that children are fully protected.  Children show high levels of self-control and listen attentively. Behaviour is exemplary and they are provided with an exceptionally strong base for their developing independence and exploration.  The planning and organisation of the educational programmes is exceptional. Staff and parents are provided with a clear overview of each child's progress across the seven

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This provision is outstanding

areas of learning. This means that gaps in their learning are identified and addressed.  Partnerships with parents and carers and other professionals are exceptionally strong. Highly successful strategies engage all parents in their children's learning, both in the nursery and at home, so that children's learning is extended and supported extremely well.  The manager and senior staff work as an exceptionally strong team to evaluate and improve the provision highly effectively. Sharply focused training programmes considerably improve the provision for all children.

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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

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged 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 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  scheduled 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 two main playrooms and the outdoor learning environment, and carried out a joint observation with the manager of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held meetings with the manager, who is also the provider of the provision.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of practitioners working within the setting, the provider's self- evaluation form and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the views of parents, carers and children spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

MAGIK Out of School Club was registered in March 2007 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in designated rooms within St George's Church of England Academy in the Middle-St-George area of Darlington, and is part of the West Park Nursery group. The group serves the local area and is accessible to all children. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The group employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including one with Early Years Professional Status.

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Information about the setting

The group opens Monday to Friday all year round. Sessions are from 7.30am until 8.55am, and 3.20pm to 6pm, during term times and 8am to 6pm, during school holidays. The group also provide wrap-around care during term time from 8.55am to 3.20pm, for children aged three to four years. This is situated within the foundation stage unit of the school. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 31 children attending who are in the early years age group.

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

 enhance current systems to allow staff to undertake peer observations as highlighted in development plan.

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who attend

Staff have an excellent understanding of how to observe and assess children to monitor their progress. These assessments then shape the extremely thoughtful planning for each individual child, build on their interests and cover the seven areas of learning exceptionally well. For example, when staff notice a child playing with the ducks in the role play area, and talking about how they float, they immediately ensure that a range of resources which float and sink are made available. They ask the child if they would like to explore here. They also differentiate adult-led activities very well to ensure that all children can take part. For example, when children show an interest in super heroes, staff link a range of activities, such as, writing letter and making vehicles to expand their imagination, and ensure that all children are able to participate. Planning is also flexible and is changed to focus on recent events that children are interested in. For example, during the recent

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who attend

snowy weather, staff extend children's learning and curiosity extremely well. They explore the snow outdoors, bring some inside, discover what it looks like under magnifying glasses and learn that it melts when it gets warm. They make snow pictures and white glitter playdough, learn about the cold and how to keep warm, by wearing coats and boots and find out about which animals live in the snow. Therefore, children learn exceptionally well by being involved in active, learning experiences.

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who attend

Children are highly motivated to engage in play and learning opportunities and this prepares them well for the next steps in their learning and moving onto school. They concentrate extremely well while practising their cutting and writing skills. They competently form letters to write their own name correctly and draw and cut out complex shapes. Staff are highly enthusiastic and give children natural hugs as they celebrate their success, so that children are very proud of their achievements. Children practise new skills such as, this on a regular basis to consolidate their learning. Staff focus on any particular support a child may need, in all the areas of learning and note this in their planning.

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who attend

At small group, adult-led creative activities, children eagerly get involved in planting seeds and are keen to care for these and watch how they will grow. This activity stems from the children's current interest in the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. They have lively discussions as children are able to re-tell, act out the story and write their own version to go into a book. Staff extend children's interest in frogs and tadpoles and talk with interest about the frog spawn which one of the children is going to bring into the group. They talk about how this will grow and develop and look at books about the life cycle of the frog. Activities such as, these provide children with excellent opportunities to gain an exceptional understanding of the world and living things.

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who attend

Children take part in extremely well-organised small group singing and story sessions. They listen attentively as staff read a story and children are fully engaged, by the skilful story telling of the staff member. When a page of the book is missing the children are able to predict what would happen and talk about the whole story. This story then extends to a music session where children skilfully copy tapping rhythms on a drum and counting how many. They also predict what might come next and confidently ask for things they want to see. This shows that they are making excellent progress in their personal, social and communication and language development. The excellent teaching maintains children's interest extremely well.

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who attend

Staff have daily discussions with parents and they are regularly asked to look at and contribute to their children's individual learning records. Comments include; 'We are delighted with our child's progress, thank you to all the staff for their skill and dedication.' They also use these records to encourage parents to write about the things their children do at home and staff share these with the children. Children are also encouraged to contribute to these records and comments include 'I enjoyed doing that game' and 'I can now count to 10'. This helps staff to find out what children are interested in and then build it into their planning. Newsletters go out at least every term, which always includes nursery topics, to give parents ideas about what they can try at home and what they can bring in. For example, when they have themed charity days, children dress up in a particular colour and bring in corresponding items for the 'colour' table. Early Years

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who attend

Foundation Stage information is prominently displayed in the cloak room and a detailed information book regarding the Early Years Foundation Stage is available for parents to take home and read.

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

Children play with an excellent range of equipment and resources. Staff are extremely well deployed around the rooms to ensure that all children receive plenty of support and supervision. The children are also well aware of the routines to keep themselves safe. For example, they know to walk carefully to the door for outside play and they understand they need to wear protective helmets, knee and elbow pads when on the scooters to prevent injuries. Low-level shelving means that children self-select equipment easily and their independence is encouraged very well. They find their own coat peg, put on coats, hats and gloves before outdoor play and take off aprons and hang them up by themselves. After their snack, children know that they tidy away the cups and then get ready for outdoor play. Staff regularly review how the areas in the room are being used by the children and note if particular areas are not being used fully. For example, activities

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

and areas are refreshed in line with their planning and new resources added. This stimulates children's interest in a wealth of activities and learning opportunities.

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

Children have excellent opportunities to develop their physical skills. They have regular opportunities to be outdoors in the fresh air and there is always a staff member outside to support and supervise the children when they choose to go out. Planned outdoor physical activities with small groups of children also enable them to develop excellent climbing, balancing and controlled movement skills. For example, children are able to manoeuvre scooters and bicycles with ease and help other children master these skills. Children engage staff in a game of football as they show their skills in kicking the ball and running. Balancing beams are raised or lowered for differentiation and staff offer gentle reminders about how to use equipment safely. Staff support all children extremely well to develop coordination and control. They sensitively help them to use the scooters correctly and offer lots of positive, meaningful praise, such as, 'That's great riding.' This means that

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

children have a go, manage to balance and ride and they succeed very well. Children also talk about being healthy as staff ask them if they think running is good for you. They respond and chat about things that are good for them and indoors they point out the healthy food/unhealthy food display. They talk about healthy options at snack and meals times and state 'It's good for you.' This means that through extremely well-planned activities and excellent quality of teaching, children clearly understand about the components of a healthy lifestyle.

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

The key person system is established early on when a child starts in the setting so that extremely strong relationships are formed with parents. However, they constantly review this as children settle-in and are flexible to meet each child's needs. For example, if a child forms bonds with a different adult then that adult is able to become that child's key person and staff consult parents about any proposed changes. 'All about me' information is gathered to ensure that staff gain a good understanding of children's routines, preferences and starting points. All children are supported extremely well with transitions. Settling-in periods are flexible to meet children's and parent's individual needs. This means that staff use effective ways to help young children cope with the transition from home to setting. Some key staff work between both rooms; therefore, when children are ready to move up, they are already familiar with the staff who offer them close support during the

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

All children are highly engaged and engrossed in activities; therefore, they are extremely well behaved. Staff promote positive behaviour at all times by enthusiastically acknowledging children's particular achievements, which raises their self-esteem very well. Staff have high expectations of all children and always explain why rules exist. Children are very confident in social situations as they speak happily to the inspector. Children receive lots of natural cuddles and verbal reassurance and all children have close relationships with their key person and other staff. Children are extremely well supported by the caring, gentle staff, who clearly have the children's individual needs at the forefront of what they do, so that children are helped to form secure emotional attachments.

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provision

The club is a well-established business and over the years the management team have strived to provide a high quality service. They act on changes quickly and effectively to ensure they are able to implement them in a smooth and timely way. Therefore, they use the revised Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage fully in practice, to maintain the current high level of childcare provision. All staff within the setting and the academy are vetted and most have been in post for a number of years. Therefore, the nursery rarely has to advertise for new staff. Monitoring new staff is sharply focused on induction and regular supervision. Main issues are discussed, such as, key responsibilities and the learning environment, as well as personal development and training needs. Managers support students extremely well and they act as very good role models. There are plans in place to implement a programme of peer observations as part of the

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provision

supervision process supported by clear guidance and protocols. However. These have not yet been implemented. All staff have a clear, focussed plan of professional development and training is targeted to individual requirements or interests. This means that children's care, learning and development is exceptionally well-supported by a competent well- qualified staff team.

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provision

Self-evaluation and reflective practice is robust. The manager regularly up-dates the Ofsted self-evaluation form, based on the views of staff, parents and children and information from the staff and management meetings. This clearly shows what they do well and targets priorities to drive improvement. Although the staff already provide high quality childcare, they are not complacent. They regularly monitor and review the effectiveness of the observation, assessment and planning systems to ensure that all children maintain the highest levels of achievement. This ensures that ongoing assessment provides a highly effective learning environment to meet every child's individual needs.

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provision

The manager and deputy are the designated child protection officers and they are confident that the staff understand the safeguarding procedures. Safeguarding policies and procedures are very clear and relevant contact telephone numbers are easily accessible for all staff. Highly secure procedures are also followed to keep children safe. A staff member opens and closes the main gate and a staff member monitors the internal door when children are dropped off and collected, to ensure that no child can leave unattended. Staff can clearly explain safety practices, such as, how visual risk assessments are regularly carried out, what cleaning procedures are in place and when equipment is checked. This means that the environment and resources are safe and hygienic for the children.

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provision

Highly effective partnerships with parents are in place. Staff are made aware of the opinions of parents/carers by their daily conversations when they bring and collect their children. All parents know that if they have any concerns they can have a more formal and private discussion with the manager any time. They have very good opportunities to leave written comments or request an interview after reading their child's individual learning records. The staff act on any ideas about changes or improvements they can feasibly make to ensure that parents are active partners. The individual needs of children are identified quickly through close partnership working. For example, one parent commented that she 'could not thank the staff enough as they always make an effort to get the help her children need and are so supportive.' The majority of parents also send younger siblings to the club as they are very pleased with the care and know that their children,

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provision

'make great progress in their learning.'

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provision

Excellent relationships with other professionals are in place. The nursery's special educational needs coordinator can easily call on the support of a range of professionals as required as well as accessing support through the host school. Staff have established exceptional relationships with the Foundation Stage staff within the school. They ensure that they meet regularly to discuss children's to share and monitor progress, share files and implement shared targets. This secures highly effective continuity and consistency in children's learning.

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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 action. 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 EY343704 Local authority Darlington Inspection number 820776

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 31 Name of provider West Park Day Nursery Limited Date of previous inspection 11/12/2009 Telephone number 07946621848

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Type of provision

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: 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, which are usually the childminder’s 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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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