The Lighthouse Club at St. John's

The Lighthouse Club at St. John's 64 Larcom Street, London, SE17 1NQ

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/06/2013 24/11/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The key person system is not fully embedded despite previous Ofsted actions. Therefore every child's care is not tailored to meet their individual needs.  Documents regarding staff qualifications are not available for inspection to demonstrate the qualification requirements are met.  The safeguarding procedure does not include a policy for the use of mobile phones and cameras in the club.  Regular staff appraisals are not carried out for all staff to identify ongoing training needs to support their professional development.  Self-evaluation is not rigorous in identifying key weaknesses for improvement and previous actions raised have not been addressed. This demonstrates a poor capacity to make ongoing improvements to the provision for all children.

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It has the following strengths

 Staff make strong links and share information effectively with parents and schools that children attend. This helps them plan some activities that complement their learning and development.  Children make positive relationships. Older children are caring and considerate towards the needs of younger children, which help children to feel settled and secure.

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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 met with the manager and spoke with staff and children at appropriate times.  The inspector observed one child in the early years age range.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of staff and children's records, policies and organisational documentation.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

The Lighthouse Club at St. John's provides out of school care and has been registered since November 2000. It operates from a multi-use building in the Walworth area of Southwark. The out of school club serves children from the local primary schools. Children have access to two rooms on the top floor, accessed by stairs. The out of school club opens during term times, Monday to Friday, from 3pm to 6pm and during various school holidays from 8.30am to 6pm. The out of school club is registered on the Early Years Register and compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register and it provides care for children under eight years old at any one time. There are currently 50 children on roll and of these five children are in the early years age range. There are four members of staff working with the children, two of whom hold Level 3 childcare qualifications and two are training.

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must:

 ensure that children are assigned a key person when they first start at the provision, so that children have their individual needs met

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must:

 ensure that all records are easily accessible and available for inspection by Ofsted, with particular regard to staff qualifications

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must:

 ensure the safeguarding policy includes a procedures for the use of mobile phones and cameras in the club, and that this is clearly explained to parents, carers and others

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must:

 put in place appropriate arrangements for the supervision of all staff to ensure all practitioners have appropriate qualifications, training, skills and knowledge and a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

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must:

 foster a culture of continuous improvement by using self-evaluation to identify key areas of weakness and put in place clear action plans for making ongoing developments to improve the provision for all children.

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

 provide an accessible, well-resourced reading area to enable children to independently select, share and develop their reading skills.

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who attend

Staff do not have an adequate knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how to support the learning and development of young children. Discussions with parents at the start of the placement enable some staff to establish children's starting points and plan for their individual needs and interests. However, despite a previous Ofsted action, the key person system is not in place. This means there is no familiar adult who knows the children well and is able to tailor activities and experiences to their individual needs.

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who attend

Children engage happily in conversation with their peers and adults during active play. Adults support children appropriately in their development of communication and language by asking children questions about their families, school and interests. For example, a young child explained the sequence of the school day and evaluated the positive and negative aspects, 'I like doing backflips at playtime, I do not like wet playtimes". Children enjoy drawing and writing with a range of tools and equipment. Children confidently form letters to match the word when labelling and writing their names on their artwork. The environment is set out with a basic range of resources, although some areas are not attractive and appealing. For example, there are very few books displayed or accessible for children to browse or share with their peers or members of staff. Despite this, children choose available toys freely, and join in with some staff led activities.

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who attend

Children have the opportunity to develop their understanding of mathematics through board games, jigsaws and four-in-a-row challenges. They use construction kits as props in their fantasy games and count bricks and tiles as they play. Children re-enact real life experiences such as being hairdressers and producing price lists. The role play area and home corner is popular with children who act out familiar and imaginary routines. For example, children play adult roles in pretend cooking activities and dress up as princesses in fantasy games. Children have opportunities to creatively express their own thoughts and ideas with a range of collage materials. For example, children ask staff for additional resources in art and craft activities, which are willingly provided.

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who attend

Children's awareness of others is developed through the exploration of various festivals. For example, staff and the teachers discuss events such as Diwali, Eid and Chinese New Year so the club can support and reinforce learning that has occurred at school. These experiences help to give children some understanding of the wider world.

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

Children enter the setting confidently and are happy and relaxed. Some staff have formed appropriate bonds with children enabling them to feel secure and confident. The manager and staff share some information with parents and the school on activities that children have participated in at the club. However, the key person system is not fully established to ensure consistent care for all children. They do not have a familiar adult who knows them and their families well in order to tailor care and learning experiences to children's individual needs. This means there is insufficient continuity and consistency in their learning to support them in their transitions between home, school and the club.

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

Younger children play in both small and large groups and enjoy the company of older children, particularly at snack times. Children initiate their play and invite peers to join in. The resources and play opportunities provided are appropriate and support children well to boost their confidence and self-esteem. Children behave well throughout the session and children of all ages play well together, leading to a happy atmosphere. Children know what is expected of them and staff calmly intervene to help resolve minor disputes or to encourage children to respect and listen to each other. Children are often kind and helpful. For example, children support each other by sharing materials during art and craft activities. Staff take time to praise children when they show kindness to others, for example, when they include others by sharing and taking turns.

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

Children show they feel safe and explain evacuation procedures in case of fire. Staff are deployed appropriately to ensure that children are supervised and daily checks are in place to ensure that any hazards are identified and dealt with to support children's safety. Circle time sessions are used well by staff to help to support children's understanding of safety issues, such as road and fire safety.

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

Children display healthy practices as they use anti-bacterial cleanser to clean their hands before snack and are reminded to wash their hands after using the toilet. Foods offered to children support a healthy diet, such as sandwiches, salad, pasta and fruit. There are sufficient opportunities for children to become active. For example, they regularly go to the local park and use the large indoor space for team games and dance sessions.

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provision

The manager and staff have a limited understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and are not meeting a number of legal requirements. The manager and her staff have a sufficient understanding of what to do should they have concerns regarding a child's welfare. However, the supporting policy does not contain all the required information to ensure that children are fully safeguarded. For example, there is no procedure in place for the use of mobile phones and cameras in the club and therefore, this is not shared with parents or other visitors to the club. In addition, although recruitment and vetting procedures are in place, these are not robust enough to ensure that all those working with children are suitably qualified. For example, certificates are not accessible to verify staff qualifications and demonstrate the club meets the qualification requirements. The key person system had been introduced following the last

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provision

inspection. However, every child has not been assigned a key person to ensure that staff fully develop an understanding of children's backgrounds and gain information to enable them to further meet their individual needs. All other required policies and procedures are in place and accessible to parents. Risk assessments are carried out to ensure that all areas children access are safe and suitable.

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provision

Positive relationships have been established between parents and carers of children who attend the club. Staff gain some information children's learning and skills before they begin attending the club to help them provide some activities that suit children's individual interests. Parents speak positively about the club and the good relationships that staff have formed with their child and that they feel confident and happy for them to attend. Staff have established appropriate partnerships with the three schools that the children attend ensuring information is shared on children's current learning. For example, teachers inform staff of current topic work on the "Environment and Ourselves", which is continued through planned activities at the club.

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provision

Self-evaluation is ineffective as key weaknesses have not been identified and acted upon. Previous actions set by Ofsted have not been addressed. Despite actions being raised at the last inspection regarding making staff qualifications available for inspection and implementing a key person system, the club has not made any improvements. This demonstrates a poor capacity to make ongoing improvements to practice. Managers have involved parents and children in the evaluation process through discussion and questionnaires. Weekly meetings enable staff to discuss and evaluate action plans against identified priority areas. Staff appraisals are established for experienced staff. However, unqualified staff do not have regular opportunities to discuss their performance and continual professional development. This means training needs are not identified and acted upon to ensure continuous improvements to the provision for all children.

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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 159954 Local authority Southwark Inspection number 814234 Type of provision Out of school provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 3 - 8 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 50 Name of provider Lighthouse Supplementary School Committee Date of previous inspection 24/11/2011 Telephone number 020 7708 0870

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Setting details

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

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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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