Olivers Lodge - Colchester

Olivers Lodge - Colchester Brinkley Grove Primary School, Rawlings Crescent, Highwoods, COLCHESTER, CO4 9GF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/07/2013 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

 Children are happy and settled because the programme of activities meets the needs of all children attending, and takes account of their individual interests and capabilities.  The staff have secure links with the host school. They provide experiences that complement learning in the classrooms, where children spend more time. This means that children make good progress in their learning and development.  Children's safety and welfare is promoted by the efficient maintenance of the necessary records and the effective implementation of a wide range of policies and procedures.  The management demonstrate a strong commitment to providing quality childcare provision. Practice is regularly reviewed to ensure that any improvements are well- chosen and carefully planned.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is room to improve the opportunities for children to view, discuss and appreciate displays containing pictures, photographs and artefacts relating to recent learning experiences, to give them a greater sense of pride in their work.  There is scope to make better use of parents' views as part of the self-evaluation process, to improve the club further.

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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 indoor and outdoor learning environments.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the staff, children and the head teacher of the host school.  The inspector viewed a sample of the children's 'learning journey' records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector saw evidence of suitability and qualifications of the staff, risk assessment, policies and procedures and other documentation in relation to health and safety checks.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Olivers Lodge - Colchester was registered in 2013 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is one of six settings run by Olivers Lodge Limited. The out of school club operates from two halls within Brinkley Grove Primary School in Colchester, Essex. There is an enclosed playground and playing field available for outdoor play. The before and after school club serves children who attend Brinkley Grove Primary School and the holiday club is accessible to all children in the local area.

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Information about the setting

The club employs four members of staff. Of these, all hold appropriate qualifications at level 3.

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Information about the setting

The club opens Monday to Friday for 49 weeks of the year. During school term times sessions are from 7.30am until 9am, and from 3pm until 6pm. During the school holidays the club operates from 8am until 6pm. There are currently 60 children on roll, of these, seven children are within the early years age group. The club supports a number of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

 set up more displays that remind children of what they have experienced, using artefacts, photographs and artwork to give them a feeling of belonging and pride in their achievements

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

 extend self-evaluation to involve parents more in the process of identifying strengths and the priorities for development, to widen the scope for improvements.

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who attend

The staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how children learn. They provide children with spacious and comfortable play areas and ensure that children have access to stimulating resources and interesting experiences. The club is well organised to allow children to determine the direction of their play and learning for themselves, after a busy day at school. This enables children to have time to relax, play and have fun with their friends. The staff are enthusiastic in their approach, which inspires children to be active learners and to remain involved and interested in the activities provided. Children use language well and interaction is lively. The staff act on children's ideas and value their contribution to discussions. This is further developed through skilful questions and challenges set by the staff. As a result, children are confident and make good progress in their learning and development.

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who attend

Staff plan as a team to meet the needs of the children and evaluate this to ensure children are gaining the most from the activities. This helps children develop the skills they need for the future as they move up through the school community. They have many varied opportunities to use their mathematical skills as they engage in board games, create mosaics or count everyday objects. For example, they work out how many plates, knives and forks are needed on the table at meal times. A range of books are accessible so that children can read for pleasure or gain information. Adult-led activities, such as using a recipe to bake bread, encourages children to use their investigation skills. During the school holidays, children are taken on a variety of outings which extends their understanding of the world.

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who attend

Staff support children well as they play. For example, they have fun feeling and describing the texture of the sand and enjoy experimenting with it. They immerse themselves in the exploration of using various materials and textures in the completion of their art and craft activities. For example, children use a variety of fabrics to make a collage of a volcano. Although there are interesting displays and notices in the play environment, these are largely related to activities undertaken by the host school. The out of school club is not currently displaying children's creations or photographs of their activities. Consequently, this hinders the opportunities for children to recall and discuss their efforts and show pride in their achievements.

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who attend

The staff efficiently use their assessments to plan suitably challenging experiences. The staff have created 'learning journey' books, containing examples of children's progress and their developing interests linked to the areas of learning. Photographs and samples of the children's artwork are used to illustrate children's achievements and key persons identify the next steps in learning. In addition, children can comment themselves and describe what they have been doing. The staff also work with the school and can access the children's target tracker to ensure that activities are planned to build on what children already know and can do. When children have special educational needs and/or disabilities the staff know to contact the school special educational needs coordinator or relevant outside agencies to ensure that any additional support they may need is obtained. Staff involve the parents, as they share their children's 'learning journey' book. This enables

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who attend

them to support the continuity and consistency in their children's experiences and learning at home. Parents can also enter the hall to collect their children and use this time to observe them in their play.

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

Children are happy and have fun as they play. They settle well as there is an effective key person system that supports engagement with parents. Plenty of information is obtained from parents right from the start to ensure that the key persons are fully aware of any individual needs. In addition, children complete 'all about me' forms so the staff can plan interesting experiences in tune with their interests and capabilities. Warm relationships exist and children confidently make their needs known, secure in the knowledge that the staff will listen and respond.

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

The staff have extremely well-established links with the host school, which enables an easy transition for the children between the two settings. Staff know the children well, as they all work with them as teaching assistants during the school day. They share information on children who are within the early years age group, with the teaching staff in the reception class. This provides a consistent approach as children progress through the early learning goals.

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

Children initiate their own activities because resources and toys are easily accessible. This promotes their ability to make choices and to develop independence. Children take care of their own personal hygiene routines and are aware of the need to wash their hands before handling food, because they may spread germs. They are eager to help staff prepare for their light evening meals by grating cheese or laying the table. Menus are varied, contain healthy options and also cater for any special dietary requirements. Food is prepared in a kitchen that has been awarded five stars for food hygiene. Children's understanding of a healthy lifestyle is fully promoted and they enjoy the fresh air in the super outside areas. They get plenty of exercise taking part in challenges, such as throwing a ball through a hoop during basketball games or hitting a ball with a tennis racquet. The staff are mindful of the effects of hot temperatures as they ensure children wear appropriate sun protection

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

or they play in the shade. Drinks are freely available so children do not become thirsty or dehydrated.

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

Children are friendly and well behaved. They socialise and interact well together; this is most apparent during sporting team games when children play together, laughing, joking and agreeing their roles in the activity. The older children support the younger children, for example, by working together to construct intricate models or by serving their meals. The staff support children in making friendships, by playing with children, encouraging turn taking, sharing resources and role modelling. This supports children in developing their personal, social and emotional development.

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

The staff effectively support children's understanding of how to keep safe. Children are fully aware of the layout of the school and can confidently explain what to do in an emergency, as they regularly practise the evacuation procedures. The safety measures applied by the club ensure that parents and visitors can only access the premises through use of the controlled entry system. Children show they are aware that all visitors are asked to wear identification. This further supports children's awareness of their personal safety.

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provision

Staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities with regard to protecting the children in their care and promoting their welfare. There is a well-presented range of policy and guidance documents, which supports safeguarding and child protection practice. Consequently, staff have a good knowledge of child protection issues and the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child's well-being. In addition, staff hold paediatric first aid certificates so that they can deal with minor accidents and have completed food hygiene training so they can safely prepare food. Robust recruitment procedures are in place to determine the suitability of applicants to work with children. The deployment of staff ensures they are involved in children's activities and maintain effective supervision, both indoors and outside. The staff show vigilance and a strong awareness of potential hazards. Written risk assessments identify

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provision

potential risks and acknowledge the action taken to minimise them. Consequently, children's safety is rigorously maintained.

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provision

Staff have opportunities to attend training courses to learn new skills, and regularly meet with staff from the sister settings to share ideas about best practice. They also benefit from support and guidance gained through visits from the local authority advisors. Access to such advice has a positive effect on staff and enables them to continually develop their knowledge. The strengths of the club, as well as areas for development, are accurately identified by staff as part of the self-evaluation process. The staff's performance and the activity planning is frequently monitored to ensure that all areas of learning are covered. This also means that staff continually improve their practice to ensure children achieve as much as they can. The staff also consult children about many aspects of the provision to ensure that experiences are tailored to their interests and needs. However, the staff are yet to fully use the views of parents, for example, through surveys or questionnaires, to

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provision

strengthen improvement and to ensure the self-evaluation reflects what they say.

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provision

Staff have established a friendly working relationship with the parents, carers and their families. Parents are given initial information, which includes the policies and procedures of the setting. Further information is shared on a regular basis about activities, trips and future events through newsletters, emails and a designated website. Parents spoken to are positive in their comments and really value the service the club offers. They say they are very pleased that their children are happy and are impressed by the range of fun activities the staff provide. The close links with the school teaching staff are a strength of the club and enable staff to support children's after school learning and complement the education they receive in the classroom.

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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 EY459520 Local authority Essex Inspection number 903669 Type of provision Out of school provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 3 - 17 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 60 Name of provider Olivers Lodge Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01799540709

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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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