The Cookie Club Ltd

The Cookie Club Ltd Purwell Community Room, Purwell Primary School, Fairfield Way, HITCHIN, Hertfordshire, SG4 0PU

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/05/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable 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 are provided with interesting and challenging opportunities, which help them to effectively learn and develop skills during activities and daily routines at the club.  The learning environment for children is well-resourced. Children are provided with great outdoor facilities and benefit from the freely chosen opportunities to access the outdoor area where learning is effectively extended.  Children enjoy their time at the club. They settle well and create strong bonds with staff and peers. Children play well together and are confident to explore the different activities and play areas available to them.  Staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Consequently, children are safeguarded and their well-being is a prime consideration of the club's practice.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 There is scope to enhance the existing links between the club and the schools children attend to ensure children's educational needs are more effectively shared, in order to maximise their learning during their time at the club.  The partnership with parents is not fully extended. There is capacity to further develop the existing partnership to ensure parents contribute more effectively to their children's learning and development 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 interacted with children and observed their play throughout the inspection. She also observed children during snack and teatime.  The inspector viewed all areas of the premises used for childcare.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including children's individual assessment folders and policies and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector had discussions with the manager and staff. She looked at the evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents present during the inspection and collected information recorded in written questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

The Cookie Club Ltd was registered in 2013 and is one of two after school clubs owned and managed by a limited company. It is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from the Purwell Community Room situated in the grounds of Purwell Primary School in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. The club serves schools in the local area and is accessible to all children. There are enclosed areas available for outdoor play. The club opens Monday to Friday, term time only. Breakfast club sessions run from 7.45am until 9am and the after school club from 3.15pm until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 60 children on roll. Of these, eight are in the early years age group. The club employs six members of staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications; four at level 3, one at level 2 and one member of staff is unqualified.

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

 enhance the links with the schools children attend, in order to share even more information on children's educational needs to ensure they fully benefit from continuous opportunities to complement their learning at the club

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

 extend the strategies in place so parents can contribute even more to their children's individual assessment and planning to ensure children fully benefit from the support given to them at home and at the club.

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who attend

Children are brought to the club by members of staff and immediately after arriving they engage in activities with their peers. They display great social skills; they greet each other and adults. Children explore the play areas to find out what activities they would like to participate in. Parents are requested to complete a profile sheet and this gives key staff knowledge of children's interests and abilities when they first join the club. Key staff maintain regular reviews of children's skills through routine observations to identify the next steps of their learning and development. They have high expectations of children and effectively encourage them to further develop their skills. For example, children participate in a potato printing activity and are encouraged by staff to write their names and create a title for their work. All children participate and have fun while describing their pictures and

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who attend

giving them titles. Children engage in activities because these are interesting and challenging. Staff plan activities based on the themes celebrated at other schools children attend to enable them to complement their learning during the time at the club. For example, children learn about the life cycle of plants at school. During their time at the club they enjoy searching for different plants and drawing while exploring the garden. However, there is scope to enhance the existing links between the club and the schools children attend to ensure there is more focus on sharing children's next steps of learning and development, so they are even further supported in developing their skills while at the club.

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who attend

Teaching is good because learning experiences are tailored to meet children's needs and interests. The learning environment provides children with experiences across all the seven areas of learning throughout the sessions they attend. Children learn important skills during play. For example, staff set up an activity for children to weigh different grains using scales. Children enjoy adding and taking away the quantities of grains to balance the trays on the scale. They learn to problem solve while having fun. Children decide to place equal amounts of dry beans, chickpeas and pasta on a plate. They engage well in their thinking and together achieve the planned objective by equally dividing the grains with care. Children are effectively supported in developing early literacy and mathematical skills. They independently sign their names in the register when they arrive at the club and add their names to lists for taking turns during key activities, such as

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who attend

computer and video games. Staff and children sing and read during their time together at the club. The busy book area is comfortable and the variety of fiction and non-fiction books attracts children's interest. The club provides children with great opportunities to extend their learning outdoors. Children benefit from different outdoor play areas. For example, children play ball games and develop their coordination while kicking the ball with peers and staff. After the ball game, they all sit together and enjoy resting and relaxing comfortably on the grass area.

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who attend

The partnership with parents is good. They are often invited for meetings with their child's key person and routinely encouraged to look at their children's planning folder. Information about activities and themes is displayed for parents to ensure they can further extend their children's learning at home. However, there is capacity to further develop the existing partnerships to ensure staff gather even more information from parents, in order to maximise children's opportunities at home and at the club. Children benefit from a good balance of direct teaching and child-initiated activities. Overall, children are making good progress in their development and are gaining many important skills to help them in the next stages of their learning at school.

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

The after school club provides children and parents with a welcoming environment. All children who currently attend the club also attend local schools. They settle well and create strong bonds and attachments with the attentive and caring staff. For example, children write caring messages to staff about how great they are and staff display the artwork, creating a great sense of pride for children. Staff work alongside parents to provide for children's individual needs. Parents share information about their children's care and routines with their child's key person and this information is used to promote children's well-being. For example, parents share information about their children's dietary requirements and the club ensures the menus provided for children meet their individual needs. Staff and parents maintain regular discussions about children's experiences at the club and about the care provided for them.

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

Children are very confident and staff support them to be independent throughout daily routines. For example, children arrive at the club and leave their school bags and other personal belongings in the cloak area. They wash their hands, approach the snack table and choose their snacks independently. When they finish their snacks children return to their play or engage in the activities available to them. The club promotes healthy living and provides children with a variety of healthy meals and snacks. Children benefit from the great opportunities to exercise and enjoy the fresh air. They are provided with fresh water to drink throughout their time at the club and are very independent in regards to their personal hygiene care.

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

Children behave well and are comfortable with the boundaries set for them at the club. For example, children drop a bowl of dry pasta, beans and chickpeas on the floor during an activity. Staff ask children why they think it is important to collect the grains and pasta from the floor. Children reply 'to avoid someone falling over and getting hurt', as they clear the floor with the help of staff. Children learn about risks and personal safety. Staff support children in reflecting about their own safety and the safety of others during their time at the club. For example, children ride scooters in the garden and staff encourage them to mind their peers who are playing ball games. The equipment and resources available to children are suitable for their age and are accessible for children to initiate and extend their play. Children are happy at the club and play together with peers in harmony.

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provision

Staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The club promotes a well-documented practice and effectively shares the set of policies and procedures with parents and members of staff. There are good procedures in place to ensure the environment is safe for children to explore and use the facilities available to them, both indoors and outdoors. The recruitment procedures ensure all staff working directly with children are suitable and capable to provide children with good care and education. The management team provides good support to staff and through supervisions and appraisals they ensure staff are comfortable in their roles. Staff understand their responsibilities in monitoring children; they effectively record children's care routines and these are shared with parents. Staff have a good understanding of the safeguarding procedures to follow should concerns

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provision

about a child or another member of staff arise. Children's welfare is effectively promoted at the club.

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provision

The manager and staff have a good knowledge of how children of different ages learn and develop. The management team monitors the quality of children's experiences at the club to ensure they positively impact on children's learning. The manager holds regular meetings with key staff to review children's individual planning folders, in order to track children's development. Children develop well and the assessment of individual children comprehensively records their next steps. The club effectively provides for children's individual needs and interests. The learning environment and educational programmes focus on providing children with opportunities to be independent and to communicate their ideas. For example, children exercise outdoors. They effectively support each other to do cartwheels and to experiment with different ways to play on the outdoor play equipment.

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provision

The manager completes the Ofsted self-evaluation form to reflect on positive aspects of the practice and to identify priorities for improvement. Parents are consulted through questionnaires and routine discussions to ensure the setting continuously meets the needs of their children and their expectations. Children's and parents' suggestions are implemented in practice. For example, parents suggested minimising children's access to video games. Following this, the club took into consideration the interests of children and organises specific days during the week when children can play video games. All staff have a good understanding of the policies and procedures and effectively implement them in practice.

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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 EY471905 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 942491 Type of provision Out of school provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 25 Number of children on roll 60 Name of provider The Cookie Club Limited Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 07719519578

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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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