Early Birds, Night Owls and Apple Tree Pre-school

Early Birds And Night Owls Out of School Care Windhill Primary School, Windhill, BISHOP'S STORTFORD, Hertfordshire, CM23 2NE

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10/03/2014 20/11/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Teaching is good as staff plan a varied and imaginative programme of activities in tune with children's interests and enthusiasms.  Staff encourage children to become independent and manage their own needs well. For example, at meal times, children volunteer to be table monitors, serving food, pouring drinks and clearing their own plates.  Partnerships with parents are strong. They are regularly encouraged to share and contribute to their child's learning record.  Attention to reflective practice enables the manager and staff, in partnership with parents and their children, to develop the out of school service they provide. Pertinently changing or adapting this service in order to meet the changing needs of service users.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Outdoor areas are not always used to the optimum as children are not consistently able to access an extended range of resources that enable them to develop their play further.  There is scope to strengthen the established partnerships with all other early years settings, that children attend, in order that all information relating to learning and development is shared even more effectively.

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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 after school club and talked with the staff.  The inspector viewed the premises and outside area used by the club.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff members, and a range of other documentation, including the safeguarding procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents, during discussion with parents as they arrived to collect children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector reviewed the providers hardcopy self-evaluation form as provided at inspection.

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Information about the setting

Early Birds and Night Owls Out of School club was registered in 2006 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated in Windhill Primary School in Bishops Stortford and is privately owned and managed. The out of school club serves the local area and is accessible to all children. It operates from one classroom within the school and the club also have use of the school hall and the playground and field for outdoor play. The out of school club opens Monday to Friday, during term time only. The breakfast club is open from 7.30 am until 8.30am and the afterschool club from 3pm until 6.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 70 children attending, of whom eight are in the early years age group. The out of school club employs six members of childcare staff, including the manager. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and 3.

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

 extend the access to resources in the outdoor area so that children are able to make further independent choices and extend their play

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

 strengthen relationships with all schools and nurseries that the children attend to ensure there is an even clearer communication route for the afterschool club staff and class teachers to use to convey information concerning the children's learning and development.

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who attend

Children are making good progress as a result of the support and encouragement offered by staff. The staff are well aware of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the regular programme of activities offered covers the seven areas of learning. All children in the early years have a key person who takes account of their interests. This is reflected in the activities on offer to ensure that there is a balance of enjoyable and challenging play experiences. For example, children are able to independently select from a wide range of materials and tools in order to create their models. There is a strong emphasis on the interests of the children, who all help to decide what activities are provided. For example, they use the 'idea tree' and post box to contribute their ideas as well as vocalising these to staff.

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who attend

Staff use effective teaching strategies and consistently ask children questions that encourage them to think for themselves and to solve problems. Children are given support when practising their reading and writing, as they are able to sound out words and form letters correctly. For example, children engage in writing singular letters and then constructing a simple sentence when writing letters and envelopes. Staff encourage them to read back what they have written and extend these early literacy skills, offering further activities, such as self-registration and word searches. Children remain focused throughout the sessions because the staff rotate the play materials to maintain their interest. For example, staff are quick to reorganise the room, so that there is more space and resources for craft activities, reflecting the current interests of children attending the club.

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who attend

Adult-led activities are planned in detail and take account of the individual needs of children. For example, children enjoy making their own skittles and labelling them with numbers. Young children show their skill in counting to ten and recognise numbers putting them in numerical order as well as using positional language. This means they are developing the skills they need for future learning. Children attending the club are confident communicators. This is being fostered well by members of staff who adopt positive teaching methods, such as the use of pertinent open questions. This approach helps the children to develop and extend their vocabulary and communication skills, as they join in social conversations, learning about how these work. For instance, taking time to think, listen and respond and showing the other person the same courtesy, such as when they come together as a group to talk about their news. Staff support children in

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who attend

taking turns as they are encouraged to write a list and mark their name off when they take their turn on the games console.

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who attend

Attention to good manners and positive behaviour is a strength of the club. The children enjoy role play and the role-play area is regularly changed to promote children's imagination and creativity. For example, children have had a beach, with sand tray and a bakery, where they could use real bread and buns and then the children made salt dough produce for the bakers shop. Although the club is well-resourced, the outside area is used predominantly for developing children's physical skills and therefore other learning opportunities in the outdoor environment are not maximised.

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who attend

Staff make clear and relevant observations of the children as they play and learn. These are used well to assess where they are in relation to their age and stage of development. Parents are involved in planning the next steps for children, as they view the key person's observations from their settling-in sessions. In addition, information is shared by some children's class teachers with the afterschool staff. This provides them with important information about how they can support continuity of learning and development for each child while they are in their care. The information shared enables staff to support and help the children towards minimising, or where possible closing, any identified gaps in their learning. Children are clearly building on their existing knowledge and skills which continues to support their learning and development within school. Parents are encouraged to share information about the children's achievements at home, adding

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who attend

relevant comments and photographs to their children's learning journals, which are readily available to parents at the club.

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

Children enjoy attending the out of school club, where they make friends with children of all ages and develop close relationships with staff that make them feel safe and secure. Children have plenty of opportunities to choose their activities from a wide range of interesting resources that are easily accessible to them. Key persons know the children well and establish effective relationships with parents that support children's well-being. There are good settling-in procedures to ensure that children feel a sense of belonging. To help the transition from home to the setting, parents give plenty of information right from the start to allow the key persons to offer personalised care routines that help children feel safe and secure. For example, an older child who was due to start at the school and the club was given another opportunity to look around her classroom before she started so that she was familiar with both her classroom and the club's room. The staff also share

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

and pass on messages to and from school teaching staff in relation to children's individual care needs. As a result, the atmosphere at the club is very friendly and relaxed.

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

Staff are well deployed throughout the setting and implement effective safety procedures such as establishing a fenced off area to protect children from being too close to the iron. Children show a strong awareness of keeping safe as they take responsibility for being a 'safety ranger'. They complete their own risk assessments of the premises and the equipment and record their findings using pictures on a tick sheet. Children behave very well because the staff provide good role models. They promote positive attitudes through listening to children and respecting their views and offering consistent messages. Children are involved in making up the club rules. They think about what will make the club a happy and safe place for all and these are reinforced as they regularly discuss them.

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

Children help themselves to a snack when they come into the afterschool club. Children and staff sit and eat together at tea time, making this a sociable time where they happily chat with one another around the table. Children's independence is well promoted as children volunteer to be table monitors, signing their name up and wiping the tables and serving the food at tea time. The menu offered is well balanced and helps children to make healthy choices and understand why a healthy diet is important, for example, children discuss why a tomato is really a fruit and not a vegetable. Children follow good hygiene routines, needing few reminders to wash their hands before eating or when coming in from playing outdoors. Children have opportunities to be active outdoors, using the sports equipment, climbing wall and large apparatus on the school field. When the weather is poor, children are encouraged to be active, using the school hall to play

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

dodgeball, the parachute and the games console to practise their dance movements.

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provision

The management and staff have a secure understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. There are very good procedures in place to ensure the children's safety, as staff undertake thorough risk assessments, each day. Security of the site is well maintained and the checks of equipment, the buildings and outside areas ensure that they are always safe for the children to use. There are robust recruitment and vetting procedures to ensure that all adults are suitable to work with children. Children are further protected because staff are fully aware of safeguarding procedures and know what to do if they have concerns about the children's welfare. This is underpinned by clear safeguarding children policies and procedures. A wide range of detailed policies and procedures have been designed and personalised to reflect the club and aide the smooth daily management of the service provided.

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provision

The manager and staff work extremely well together, appearing very keen and motivated in working with the children. Regular staff supervision and team meetings are held and staff eagerly attend training courses to update their knowledge and skills. All staff hold first aid, safeguarding and food hygiene certificates so they can deal with any eventualities regarding children's health and safety. The impact of training and enhancing existing qualifications builds on staff confidence which has a very positive effect on their interaction with the children and their families. In addition, the quality of teaching and learning experiences for children are good because the staff understand how they learn through play and the importance of providing high quality enabling environments. The manager monitors the planning and assessment to ensure that any gaps in children's individual learning or more generally in a particular aspect of learning are identified and

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provision

tackled. For example, staff noticed that there was limited observation on how children were progressing in mathematics and therefore planned some activities to promote this. Strengths and weaknesses are effectively identified through careful monitoring and analysis. For example, staff continually rearrange the resources in the room to accommodate the changing interests of the children, such as providing more materials for craft activities. The drive for improvement is based on the club's reflective practice and the proactive approach of the manager in seeking the views of all others involved with the club and acting on this.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are positive. Parents report that they are very happy with both the breakfast and after-school club. They comment that their children talk about what they do at the club and how much they love being there. They find all the staff very approachable and supportive and willing to share information about what their children enjoy doing and how they have spent their time. A wealth of information is displayed on the notice board and the website and well-presented literature provides valuable details about how the club operates. The manager explains that there are purposeful working relationships in place with the primary school head teacher and staff. However, these links are not as strong with other early years settings that the early years children attend and therefore the continuity of learning is not fully maximised. The management and staff work closely with the children's centre, borrowing resources and have actively sought the

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provision

advice of other professionals, such as the out of school coordinator in changing the organisation of tea time to further encourage children's independence and therefore improving the provision overall.

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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 EY337657 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 849233

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 70 Name of provider Hayley Marie Lynskey Date of previous inspection 20/11/2009 Telephone number 07745262676

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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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