F.I.S.H Ladysmith Infant School

F.I.S.H Ladysmith Infant School Ladysmith First School, Ladysmith Road, EXETER, EX1 2PS

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13/02/2014 16/03/2010

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 1 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 Children are settled and happy. Staff establish positive relationships which support children to be active and independent learners.  Practitioners have a sound understanding of how to promote learning and development of young children. They provide a good range of resources and experiences that support learning in all areas.  Parents' and children's views are used effectively to inform the self-evaluation process.  Children behave well and have a good awareness of behavioural expectations.

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It is not yet good because

 The register does not consistently reflect the exact times of children's attendances which is a breach of legal requirements  The setting did not inform Ofsted of a change of manager which is a breach of legal requirements.  Observation and assessment systems are not always used effectively to inform planning and ensure that children's next steps for learning are clearly planned for.  Although partnership with parents is sound, there are some aspects of communication that are not fully developed.

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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 talked to the owner and manager with a specific focus on the safeguarding of children and the collection process.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a selection of documentation which included evidence of suitability and qualifications of practitioners working with children, the complaints records and safeguarding policy.  The inspector observed activities in the playroom and spoke to children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled children's assessment records and discussed planning with staff.  The inspector spoke to parents as they collected their children.

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Information about the setting

FISH registered to commence out-of-school care in September 2009. It is one of four facilities operating in Devon by the same private owners. It operates from a large building (early years room) to the rear of Ladysmith Infant School, Exeter in Devon. The building includes toilet facilities and a kitchen which is used to prepare snacks for the children. Children have access to a fully enclosed area for outdoor play and the environmental area. They also have access to the Junior School playing fields and sports hall. The group is registered on the Early Years Register and both parts of the Childcare Register for a maximum of 24 children under eight years old. The breakfast club accommodates children from the Infant and Junior Schools, whereas the after-school club is for Infant School children only. The group operates from 7.30 am to 8.50 am and from 3.30 pm to 6.00 pm term time only. They currently have 44 children on roll of whom 10 are in the early years

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Information about the setting

age range. The two owners have completed their level 3 training in playwork. They employ three staff, two of whom hold level 3 qualifications or above in playwork or early years and a third who has a level 2 qualification and is in the process of completing a level 3 qualification in early years. They receive support from the local authority and the Infant and Junior Schools.

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must:

 improve knowledge and understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, with particular regard to informing Ofsted of changes to management

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must:

 improve the daily registration system to ensure that an accurate record of children's times of departure are recorded

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

 improve opportunities for further sharing of information with parents to provide a consistent approach to involve them in their children's learning and development

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

 strengthen the existing practices for observation and assessment of children in order to plan effectively for the next steps of learning.

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who attend

Staff organise a welcoming, relaxed, friendly and safe environment for children to play in. They plan a balance of experiences based on themes and interests to promote children's learning. Children enter the setting happily and show familiarity with routines as they gather together on the sofa and take part in the sharing of information as the register is taken. Group time is used effectively to provide opportunities for children to talk about their day and different experiences. Children demonstrate appropriate behaviour as they listen and wait their turn to speak. Staff demonstrate knowledge of individual children for example as they encourage them to talk about birthday celebrations. Children are enthusiastic as they choose from a range of resources and activities. There is a suitable balance of adult-led and child-chosen activities and children make independent choices about what, where and with whom they play. Currently, as a result of building works,

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who attend

outdoor play is restricted to a small enclosed area, but when this is finished children also have access to the school outside playing areas. When asked what they liked about the setting, children responded 'everything' and that the resources were 'awesome'. Children also talk enthusiastically about the cooking sessions that have been recently introduced. There are also opportunities for children to develop skills in technology as they play with hand held games and use the computer. Staff are friendly and happy to join in with children's play, encouraging them to acquire skills for future learning. Consequently, children have fun and look forward to their time at the club.

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who attend

Staff have a reasonable knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and use this when planning. Staff meet half termly to plan a range of activities with a particular focus on the prime areas of learning. Medium and short term planning sheets are on display and identify a range of activities to meet different areas of learning. These do not clearly identify the different development needs of the range of children who attend and, as a result, although children enjoy their time there may be missed opportunities to further promote children's learning.

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who attend

Systems are in place to record observations of children but their implementation is inconsistent. Children have their own individual scrapbook that contains examples of their work and also termly feedback sheets from the local school. These identify what the child has achieved and how the setting could support the next steps, promoting continuity of experience between the setting and the school. These are freely accessible to children and parents. Staff use this to provide appropriate activities although this is informal and not reflected in the planning documentation; consequently there may be missed opportunities to further promote children's learning.

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who attend

During the visit staff had planned a range of activities to encourage and support children to develop their existing skills further. For example turn taking was encouraged during group discussion and physical play, and children demonstrated creativity whilst designing individual Valentine's Day cards or exploring shaving foam. Children freely access a range of resources that support all areas of development and sustained engagement in the activities is evidence of their enjoyment. Most parents feel welcome in the setting and all were very positive about the convenience of the on-line booking system and the proximity to the school. There is a large noticeboard which provides parents with a range of information including key person names. A separate table displays the setting's range of documents including policy documents and complaints procedure. Session plans are also on display but not all parents

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who attend

were aware of this. As a result the club has not fully established opportunities for parents to build upon the education and care that children receive at the setting. However, there are opportunities to discuss this when collecting children at the end of the session.

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

Children are clearly very happy at the setting and warm relationships with staff are evident. As a result they are confident to talk to staff and make independent choices from the good range of activities and resources that are available.

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

Behaviour is good. Children are encouraged to take ownership of their club and they were involved in writing the setting's 'FISH Rules,' which are on display. Observed behaviour reflected this as children took turns, listened to each other and were encouraged to take part in group discussions. As a result, children are aware of expectations and their behaviour is good.

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

There are good opportunities for children learn about risk and keeping themselves safe. Regular fire drills mean that children become familiar with how to look after themselves during emergencies, and they also demonstrate an awareness of safe use of resources. For example, they wait their turn to take part in the soft ball play area and one child held up five fingers when asked how many could play in there at any one time. Staff are aware of individual allergies and there is a separate sign in the kitchen that is used to remind staff of children's individual dietary requirements.

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provision

Staff demonstrate a sound understanding of their responsibilities to safeguard children's welfare and implement the safeguarding policy, which includes a procedure for the use of mobile phones. The booking system ensures staff are aware of which children to collect, and parents have to make the online booking the Sunday before the collection is required. However, the provider failed to inform Ofsted of a change of manager. It is a requirement to do so. Well-documented records show the suitability of all staff, including relevant safety checks undertaken and appropriate qualifications. The new manager has completed the required checks and is suitable for the position. Therefore, there is no risk to children's safety and Ofsted do not intend to take further action on this occasion. Inspection of daily registers identified that pick-up times were not being consistently recorded and this is a breach of statutory requirements. As there was a register in place which was used when

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provision

collecting children, and children were unable to leave the premises until parents collected them, this breach was seen as not having a significant impact on children's well-being.

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provision

Each child is designated a key person but not all parents were able to name their child's key worker, although they were happy to talk to individual staff. The setting's newsletter recently highlighted the key worker approach, and there is also a poster on display that identifies key persons and their key children. Due to the current building works, and the temporary relocation of the parent entrance to the opposite end of the room, this information is not as easily accessible. Consequently, some parents may miss seeing some of this information.

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provision

Effective performance management, including supervision and appraisals, supports staff to improve their skills and identify training needs. The chain is proactive in supporting ongoing training and therefore all staff are supported in their continuous professional development. Basic planning identifies a range of activities to support learning and development in each of the areas of learning. However, insufficient detail means that there could be missed opportunities for planning for, or taking advantage of, opportunities that arise for supporting all aspects of children's learning.

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provision

Regular checks are conducted to ensure premises and equipment are safe and suitable for children to use. Currently there is limited access to outside area because of major building words taking place on the school site. There is a good partnership between the setting and the school which means that children are provided with continuity and support for their emotional well being.

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provision

The setting is proactive in wanting to improve and develop the provision. Self-evaluation is supported through regular surveys which involve both parents and children. For example, children are encouraged to identify a 'wish list' of resources and also suggest where they would prefer to visit during group outings. As a result the children's views are taken into account effectively and promote independent choice and well-being.

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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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY397990 Local authority Devon Inspection number 954570 Type of provision Out of school provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 4 - 8 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 44 Name of provider Fun in School Holidays (FISH) Partnership Date of previous inspection 16/03/2010 Telephone number 08445618847

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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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