Little Rascals Out of School Club

Little Rascals Out of School Club St. Albans School, Rothbury Avenue, GATESHEAD, Tyne and Wear, NE10 0QY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 18/04/2013 17/04/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 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 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 All children form good bonds and secure attachments with the responsive and welcoming staff which helps them settle easily and develop their confidence very well.  Children enjoy their time in the setting, are very well behaved, cooperate and help each other.  Children feel safe because staff are caring and responsive to their needs. The staff team work well together to provide children with a safe environment where children settle quickly and feel at ease.  Information about children's care is effectively shared between staff and parents enabling staff to provide the right amount of support to meet these needs.  Children enjoy activities and are developing appropriately well as the programme of activities is closely linked to the current themes of the schools they attend. Their personal, social and emotional development is well supported.

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It is not yet good because

 Assessment of each child's progress is not focussed or based on existing information from parents and school to plan effectively for the next steps in their learning and development.  The self-evaluation process does not clearly identify robust targets for improvement in order to help the setting improve further over a sustained period of time.

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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 for children throughout the session.  The inspector held discussions with staff, manager/owner, children and parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed a range of documentation in relation to children's care needs, assessments and checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children.

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Information about the setting

Little Rascals Out of School Club was registered in 2009 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register and is run by a private provider. It operates from the basement in St Albans School in the Pelaw area of Gateshead. It serves the local area and is accessible to all children. Children are also collected from Bill Quay School. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play. The out of school club is open Monday to Friday from 7.50am until 9am and from 3pm to 6pm during term time. During school holidays it is open from 8am to 6pm. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently 64 children from three to 12 years on roll. The out of school club employs four staff. All of whom hold an appropriate early years qualification.

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must:

 improve the use of information from schools, parents and staff observations to clearly assess children's starting points and progress so that this can be used to inform the planning of challenging activities for all children.

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

 develop further the use of self-evaluation to more clearly identify targets for improvement.

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who attend

Children are developing appropriately in the prime and specific areas of learning because staff provide a suitable range of activities and play linked to children's interests and the themes covered in school. For example, children were actively engaged in drawing and writing about different forms of transport. This held their interest, provoked some discussion and covered many of the areas of learning. This was planned by staff after they liaised with school about the themes and topics children were doing there. However, although information is sought from parents about children's likes and dislikes, information about what children can do is not always shared between the setting, school and parents. The staff carry out some observations of children but the use of these to make a clear assessment of children's progress or development is not always evident. This means that staff have less knowledge of individual children's abilities and, as a result, the planning is

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who attend

not always securely based on how to provide consistently good challenge for them. Children enjoy the activities and staff intuitively know when to intervene and how to support a child in an activitiy, rather than based on secure assessment of their ability.

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who attend

Children are confident to play and explore, are active learners and think creatively. For instance, during an activity about transport children made links about coming to school in cars and then extending this to other forms of transport, such as trains and planes, which they have experienced. Children make good relationships with other children. They make friends easily and share experiences with each other. They work comfortably in small and large groups as they concentrate and enjoy their play. Older, more able children help younger children which adds to the feeling of support and care children experience. They suitably develop their communication and language skills as they talk about their experiences, practise early writing and learn about different cultures. The staff provide suitable activities and support for children to develop their physical skills. Children confidently move about the setting, play ball games, skip and explore the outdoor area.

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who attend

Staff provided planting activities to help children learn about the seasons, growth and change, as well as growing food which is healthy for them.

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

Children have strong bonds with staff, including key workers, which helps them settle and be confident from the first day of their stay in the setting. Staff are very supportive and always on hand to help children and give them the care, affection and attention they need. For example, a child who had difficulty with change and new relationships was helped to settle quickly and form new friendships. Children are helpful to each other, very well behaved and learn about rules by contributing to the rules of the setting. They also take part in a children's council where they have a say about activities, play, outings and playthings.

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

Children learn to be independent and responsible as they set tables, serve food and drink to others and help clear up. They are confident to choose their own toys and activities and are developing good habits of self-care as they go the toilet, wash their hands and throw the paper towel in the bin. They learn about healthy eating and have a diet suited to their needs. For instance, staff ensure they record and review all children's dietary needs and snacks are prepared with the use of healthy foods such as tomatoes, cucumber and crackers.

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

Children love playing outside in the garden where they can play football, skip, jump, use the play house, their scooters and grow tomatoes and potatoes. This complements the indoor environment which is organised to allow children free access to the toys and activities. Transitions are suitably managed from the start of their placement as parents are asked to provide information about children's likes and dislikes and children are helped to settle quickly into their new surroundings.

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provision

The owner/manager has appropriate systems to monitor the effectiveness of the educational programmes. Staff are supported to attend training which enhances their understanding of their roles in order to provide an environment which the children enjoy and in which they feel secure. There is regular staff appraisal and supervision which enables the manager to support staff development in their practice to ensure children's needs are met.

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provision

Staff are well qualified as all have an early years qualification at level 3. They have a clear knowledge about the systems in place to plan activities based on children's interests and the attached school themes to promote their enjoyment, although the assessment of children's progress is not always rigorous. They are suitably involved in children's play and activities, offering support where appropriate.

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provision

Strong relationships with parents are evident and parents speak highly of the approachable friendly staff and they feel their children are progressing well. Parents like the daily activities for children, particularly craft and cooking activities. They are regularly updated about what their children have been doing and their care needs. However, the sharing of information with parents about children's progress is not consistently regular and there is only limited use of parents' knowledge about their child's abilities. This restricts staff ability to fully support children's individual progress. Parents understand the complaints procedure and are confident in their relationship with the staff to discuss all aspects of the care of their children.

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provision

Children are safe and protected as all staff carry out relevant checks to ensure they are suitable to work with children and safety matters are given a high priority with regular risk assessments carried out. Staff understand about safeguarding and child protection issues which means they are able to implement necessary procedures should they have any concerns in order to promote children's safety. There are usually more staff present than the minimum required so that children are well supervised. All records, policies and procedures required to safeguard children and promote their welfare are present.

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provision

The setting uses self-evaluation to help identify areas of strength and areas for improvement. However, this is not always specific enough to identify very clear targets for improvement. The owner/manager identifies a greater focus on the provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage as an area for improvement and is looking at further training for staff to address these issues. Changes are made in response to suggestions and feedback and she has made some changes in light of risk assessment to safeguard children. For example, some of the tidying up children do to help them learn about taking responsibility were considered to be unsuitable and this has been changed. The setting has been renovated after a flood. Improvements have been made since the last inspection, for example, parents and children contribute to self-evaluation in order to support their involvement in the decision making process and take their views into

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provision

account, although, this is still being developed further.

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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 EY400338 Local authority Gateshead Inspection number 913578

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 64 Name of provider Stacy Caroline Murray Furlong Date of previous inspection 17/04/2010 Telephone number 07779 946 543

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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

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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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