Slaithwaite After School Club

Slaithwaite After School Club Community Centre, Bankgate, Slaithwaite, HUDDERSFIELD, West Yorkshire, HD7 5DL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/03/2014 16/02/2009

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 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 2

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This provision is good

 Children have warm relationships with the staff who care for them. Children are therefore happy in their learning and confidently move between activities within the club.  Children are very well safeguarded. This is because staff have a thorough knowledge and understanding of how to protect children and ensure the premises are safe.  The strong partnership with parents is a particular strength of the out of school club. Parents are very positive about the care their children receive after school.  Staff manage children's behaviour well, which means children behave very well towards them and others.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is room to develop further the good links with local primary schools so that children's learning at school is even more closely complemented by activities during their time at the club.

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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 staff engaging in a range of indoor play and learning activities and daily care routines with the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to children and staff, and also held discussions with the manager during the inspection.  The inspector undertook a joint observation with the manager of the club.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records and at their learning journals, reviewed planning documentation, evidence of suitability of staff working in the setting, the provider's self-evaluation systems and a range of other supporting documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector also took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection and feedback from parents obtained from the manager of the club.

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Information about the setting

Slaithwaite Out Of School Club has been registered since 1992 and is run by a voluntary management committee. The club operates from rooms within Slaithwaite Community Centre. The club is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The Out of School Club is accessible to all children. Children have access to a soft play area and a former school yard. There are currently 168 children attending either the after school club and/or the holiday club, of whom seven are in the early age group. The club is open weekdays during term time from 3pm until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions and are picked up from local schools. The holiday play scheme is open weekdays from 8am until 6pm. The club is closed for bank holidays and usually for the week between Christmas and New Year. During term time children attending come from four local schools. The holiday play

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Information about the setting

scheme takes children from a wider catchment area within Kirklees. The committee employs six staff to work with children. The manager and one other member of staff holds appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, one member of staff at level 2 and a further two members of staff are working towards level 3 qualifications.

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

 improve further the good links with local primary schools, so that children's learning at school is even more closely complemented by activities during their time at the club.

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who attend

Staff have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and know how to support children effectively at the end of a busy school day. Children are happy and engaged in activities because staff take time to ensure that they get to know children really well when they first start at the club. Staff gather information from parents using an 'all about me' form and quickly gain an understanding of children's individual starting points. They are able therefore to build on children's interests and abilities in partnership with parents. Staff complete observations, which help them to plan future activities to meet the learning needs of the children. For example, when children show an interest in reading a book about life in the medieval times, staff plan a series of interesting activities involving dragons and building their own castles. Children are supported to work out the best way to design walls, moats and a

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who attend

drawbridge from cardboard, learning new words and developing their mathematical abilities and design skills in the process. Older children support younger ones to cut and stick and, together, they glow with pride at their creations. Children can make choices about what they want to do and the club provides a good balance of interesting play, resources and activities. Some children enjoy the opportunity for chill-out time while reading a book or watching a children's film. Other children prefer to make use of the electronic games or construction toys. Staff interact with the children well throughout their chosen activities and show a genuine interest in their occupations.

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who attend

Staff ensure that different activities capture children's interest because they explain very clearly at the beginning what the activity involves. For example, all children at the club happily join in with parachute games and understand that they need to work together as a team to keep the ball up in the air. Children make lots of gleeful noise as they vigorously waft the large parachute. They get lots of physical exercise as they stretch their arms and legs to their full extent, pulling the parachute taught. Children's confidence is boosted because staff encourage them to choose a different parachute game, and use their speaking skills to explain clearly the rules to the other children. Children enjoy having the opportunity to be the one hidden from view under the soft billowing material and do their best to avoid detection. In this way, children's self-esteem and social-interaction skills are developed and they have fun and enjoy their time at the club.

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

Each child within the early years age range has a key person and their individual care and welfare needs are established and responded to. Information is gathered from parents about children's personal needs and preferences before they start at the club and parents are offered the opportunity of introductory sessions to aid the settling-in process. The manager has developed a 'buddy' system so that each new child has the support of an older child when they join the club. The staff group is a stable one and the club is part of a community where people know each other well. The environment is bright and welcoming, with lots of information about the activities in the club on display, together with photographs and examples of children's artwork. All these factors support children to feel at home and establishes a sense of belonging to the club.

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

Children are developing a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, both inside and outside of the club. For example, staff regularly practice fire evacuation from the building together with children, going out of different exits so that children are prepared for different eventualities in the event of an emergency. Staff teach children scrupulously the rules for walking to the club from school. Children learn how to safely cross roads. Younger children wear high-visibility vests and stay very close to a member of staff. When children arrive at the club, charts with smiley faces and praise from staff at registration time serve as further reinforcement for good behaviour while walking to the club. Children are very well behaved at the club because staff act as good role models. For example, staff treat children with respect and gently, but firmly encourage children to take turns. Children respond by being kind to each other and help with tidying away toys and

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

resources, demonstrating a sense of responsibility. This supports them to develop practical and social skills, which will benefit them as they move onto the next stage in their development. Children develop very good relationships with staff who chat to them happily about their day. Staff are sensitive and responsive to children's needs. For example, they notice quickly when children are off colour and reorganise activities to accommodate this. They suggest to other children that a noisy game is moved to another room, to enable unwell children to sit quietly and relax on the comfortable settee, frequently and gently checking to make sure that they have everything that they want until their parent arrives. Children's individual food preferences are respected, as they are able to choose from a range of sandwich fillings at snack time. Healthy choices are promoted, as children help themselves to fruit and water is freely available at all times. The manager of the club ensures that the

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

healthy living messages children receive at school are complemented by those at the club, as the club promote healthy eating week alongside the local primary schools.

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provision

All staff have undertaken basic safeguarding training and have refreshed their knowledge appropriately. Therefore, staff have a detailed understanding of their responsibilities to safeguard children and know the procedures to follow if they have any safeguarding concerns. This contributes to protecting children from harm and means any concerns can be shared with appropriate agencies. The club maintains a wide range of the necessary documentation, policies and procedures. They review and update these on a regular basis to ensure that requirements are met. These contribute to keeping children safe. For example, staff check all areas to be used by children before they arrive, and risk assessments and safety checks are carried out to help to identify and minimise any hazards that may pose a risk. Four staff hold current certificates in paediatric first aid; when dealing with minor accidents or incidents, staff keep a record of what has occurred

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provision

and ensure that parents are made fully aware. Procedures for the vetting and recruitment of staff are good. All the appropriate suitability checks are undertaken. This includes an induction for all new practitioners so that they are completely aware of their responsibilities.

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provision

Self-evaluation and monitoring of the effectiveness of the club are used well to identify strengths and weaknesses, and have resulted in strong relationships being formed with one of the local primary schools. The school has supported the manager of the club in evaluating the quality of teaching and learning provided by staff. Very effective links with the early years staff in the school have facilitated the sharing of information about individual children and help ensure that the club provides activities that complement the teaching within the school. However, the club does not yet have as robust links in respect of all the primary schools that children attend. The manager takes on board the advice from the local authority support worker and attends the local learning network to share best practice. Training of staff is seen as a priority and they are given every opportunity to undertake further qualifications to improve their practice and understanding of how

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provision

children learn. This means there is a focus on continuous development to improve the club for the children.

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provision

Relationships with parents are a strength. Staff ensure that all children's care and welfare needs are known and are well planned for. They take time to talk with parents each day as they collect their children, and formally gather their views through questionnaires. Parents report that their children often want to stay longer at the club and that it can tricky persuading them to leave and come home.

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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 311421 Local authority Kirklees Inspection number 818903

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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 168 Name of provider Slaithwaite After School Club Committee Date of previous inspection 16/02/2009 Telephone number 01484842854

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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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