ChipsOfsted inspection, 12 Aug 2013

Chips Richard Whittington Primary School, Thornbera Gardens, BISHOP'S STORTFORD, Hertfordshire, CM23 3NP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/08/2013 03/08/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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

 Staff show a good understanding of how to effectively support children's development through play and exploration.  The leadership and management of the setting is very effective and the high quality of their organisation ensures children are safe and well cared for.  Children are safeguarded because all staff have undertaken the necessary training and know what to do if they should have a child protection concern.  Children develop strong bonds with all staff working in the playscheme. This is clearly shown through children's firm sense of belonging and security in an environment which is welcoming to all.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to improve opportunities for children to use a greater range of resources indoors and outdoors to enable them to freely explore, build and take part in role play to maximise learning experiences.

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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 children's activities both indoors and in the outdoor learning environment, held discussions with members of staff and interacted with children attending.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment and planning records, evidence of the suitability of staff working with children and a wide range of other documentation.  The inspector held a wide range of discussions with both of the play leaders.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

CHIPS Holiday Playscheme opened in 1996 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in a school setting in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire and is managed by trustees and play leaders/managers. This is an inclusive playscheme for children with a wide range of special educational needs and/or disabilities and their siblings. The playscheme serves the local area and wider area and is accessible to all children. It operates from the main hall and two classrooms in Richard Whittington Primary School. There is a fully enclosed area available for outdoor play.

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Information about the setting

The playscheme employs 15 members of child care staff. Of these, eight hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, including one with Early Years Qualified Teacher Status.

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Information about the setting

The playscheme opens for three Saturdays a month from 10am to 12.30pm. The playscheme also opens for 13 days over a three week period during the summer holidays sessions are from 10am until 3.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 11 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:

 develop a greater range of resources in the indoor and outdoor environments so that children can continually explore, build and role play.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of effectively promoting children's development through play and exploration. They use a wide range of teaching techniques, which successfully support children's progress in learning. Accurate assessments and information about children's interests are used to plan a wide range of stimulating play activities. This effectively helps to promote children's participation in learning. As a result, children are building firm foundations, developing skills to support future learning. Parents are regularly informed about their child's achievements, which enables them to further support development at home. Children are happy and content as they explore their environment and make independent choices about what they want to do next. They are encouraged to move in a variety of ways, supporting control and coordination skills. For example, children learn about balance as they use the bouncy castle and practice handling small items of equipment when

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who attend

painting. Staff promote good opportunities for children to develop and extend their communication skills. For example, they sing to encourage children's participation. Children respond well to this stimuli, successfully mimicking some of the sounds they hear. Children's social skills are promoted well by staff who teach them about taking turns and sharing. Children's confidence and self-esteem are consistently fostered by all staff. This is because they provide lots of positive praise and encouragement, which the children thoroughly enjoy. The provision of creative play promotes children enjoyment as they learn how to make marks, exploring and creating using media, such as paint.

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who attend

Children's understanding of the world is fostered well, for example, they enjoy taking part in small world role play. Using sounds, they mimic a fire engines siren as they push their vehicle along at great speed to reach an imaginary building. This is supported effectively by staff who ask lots of pertinent questions, such as 'what do we need to spray on fires to put them out'. Staff show a genuine interest in what children have to say, using intonation in their voice to demonstrate this. Children respond well and using critical thinking they reply 'we use water'. However, there is scope to enhance the range of role play resources children access both indoors and outdoors, to maximise opportunities for them to freely explore and build role play.

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

Both play leaders have a good understanding with regard to the importance of risk assessment. This ensures that any risks in areas accessible to children are successfully identified and minimised. Key persons and children's one-to-one carers work hard to develop very effective relationships with parents. This ensures that important personal information about each child's care needs is known and understood. Parents are involved in determining how their child's settling in visits are organised. This ensures that each child is appropriately supported during their introduction to staff and the new environment.

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

Children develop strong bonds with both key persons and other staff working in the playscheme. This is clearly shown through children's firm sense of belonging and security in an environment which is welcoming to all. Staff are good role models, providing children with consistent and appropriate guidance about what is acceptable behaviour. As a result, children behave well, for example, they enjoy playing games alongside adults and other children. This reflects their growing understanding about respecting and tolerating each other's differences. Children take part in activities which teach them how to take appropriate risks, for example, they enjoy learning how to balance when using the bouncy castle. The good organisation of indoor and outdoor learning environments supports children's participation well. This helps them to play an active part in their own learning and development. For example, there are a wide range of interesting and stimulating play

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

opportunities, such as, the sensory room. The high level of staff working with children are very well deployed, ensuring that children's needs are always effectively met. There is no bias in staff practice, which makes certain that all children are treated with equal concern in relation to gender, race or disability.

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

Staff actively support children to develop their understanding about how to maintain good health. For example, they encourage children to wash their hands before eating food. As a result, some children understand that when you wash hands 'you get rid of germs'. All children are encouraged to be active, for example, children are provided with outdoor physical play opportunities.

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provision

The leadership and management of the setting are very effective. There are good safeguarding policies and procedures in place, which are clearly known and understood by all staff. All staff are required to undertake appropriate child protection training, which ensures that they know how to make a child protection referral should they have any concerns. Relationships with other professionals are actively supported. This successfully fosters a multi-agency approach to supporting all children and their families. Risk assessments of both the indoor and outdoor environment ensure that any potential risks to children are identified and minimised.

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provision

There are effective recruitment and induction procedures in place, which ensures that all staff are suitable to work with children. The professional development of staff is effectively supported by the play leaders, who regularly monitor their practice. As a result, training opportunities are targeted to effectively enhance the care and learning of children attending. Many of the staff have a current paediatric first aid certificate and those preparing snacks hold a food hygiene qualification. This ensures that suitable care is provided should a child have an accident and that food is stored and prepared safely. There are a wide range of relevant policies and procedures, which are accessible to parents.

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provision

Children's progress is monitored by play leaders and as a result, planning effectively supports each child to reach their potential. Partnerships with other providers of care and education are supported well through parents and carers. This ensures that important information about children's care and development is shared with key persons. In addition, the play leaders ensure when needed additional support for children and their families is actively sought from outside agencies. Partnerships with parents are very good. They speak very highly about staff, who they feel are excellent, very approachable. Parents also report that they are provided with lots of useful information, such as, children's achievements and regular newsletters. Parents expressed their trust in staff and stated 'I could not live without them, they are wonderful'.

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provision

The play leaders ensure that reflective practice is active and ongoing. As a result, it effectively identifies strengths and areas for future improvement. For example, increased monitoring of practice and training has further enhanced the service provided for children. Self-evaluation effectively takes into account the views and opinions of a wide range of sources, including staff, children, parents and carers. This ensures that an extensive range of ideas and opinions contribute towards steering the further development of the provision. This effectively demonstrates both the play leaders and trustees, commitment to improving the service provided for children and their families.

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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 127801 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 874789

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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 79 Name of provider Children's Integrated Playschemes Committee Date of previous inspection 03/08/2009 Telephone number 01992 534664 or 0797 523019

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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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