Dallas Road Kids Club

Dallas Road Kids' Club Lancaster Boys Club, Dallas Road, LANCASTER, LA1 1TP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/06/2014 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 fully engaged in purposeful play. Staff support children in the acquisition of personal, social and emotional development, communication and language skills and in their physical development. Consequently, children continue to make good progress in their learning.  The key-person system helps children form secure attachments and promotes their emotional well-being. As a result, their emotional well-being is fostered.  Children enjoy attending the out of school club. They behave well and develop good attitudes to learning because the staff constantly ask the children what they would like to do so their voices are listened to.  Partnership with parents is good. Parents are kept well informed and are very positive about the care their children receive after school.  Children are effectively safeguarded because there are clear policies and procedures which are understood by all staff and implemented consistently.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff do not always make the most of opportunities, such as during practical routines, to complement children's learning and interests from school.  Opportunities for children to be more independent at mealtimes are not fully promoted.

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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 playing in the early years out of school club room, cafe area and main hall.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager, the staff and the children throughout the session.  The inspector held a meeting with the nominated person and manager.  The inspector discussed the activities provided for children during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents who were spoken to on the day of the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at the planning documentation, and discussed the systems for the monitoring of children's progress.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, the policies and procedures for the setting, and the documented self- evaluation systems that support the service.

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Information about the setting

Dallas Road Kids' Club opened in 2010 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is privately owned and operates from within a single-storey building close to a school in Lancaster city centre. The setting serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. Children are cared for in the main hall, ICT suite, quiet room, craft room, games room, snack area and playroom. There are two outdoor play areas available. The club opens five days a week from 3.15pm to 6pm, during term times. They also provide a holiday play scheme during school holidays which operates from Monday to Friday, 8am until 6pm. The club operates a pick-up service from the local schools. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 80 children on roll, of whom 15 are in the early years age group. There are currently six staff employed at the setting, of whom five hold appropriate early years

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Information about the setting

qualifications from level 4 to level 6. The club is a member of 4Children and receives support from the local authority.

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

 seize upon children's current learning in school and interests, such as in mathematics, by making better use of opportunities, such as snack time

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

 extend children's independence and self-help skills further during snack time, for example, by enabling them to prepare their snack, help set the table, pour their drinks and butter their toast.

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who attend

As children arrive at the club they are welcomed by friendly and approachable staff team. Staff interact well with all the children and show a genuine interest in the what they have been doing at school. Staff enthusiastically invite children to join in activities and engage them in friendly conversations and group discussions. This helps children to develop a sense of belonging and consolidate their communication and language skills. Staff provide a relaxed, play-based learning environment, which helps support children to learn through their play and promotes all areas of their development. Children have ample opportunities during the session to freely choose what they want to do and play with. The range of equipment available covers all the areas of learning, and children's next steps are used to plan further activities to extend their learning. Children show good perseverance at their chosen tasks so staff skilfully extend their interest by introducing more challenging

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who attend

activities. For example, the children enjoy using threading beads to make jewellery, so the staff plan another activity to challenge children more by using smaller beads to help develop their hand-eye coordination and small motor development. Therefore, staff introduce smaller beads and templates. Children engage well and concentrate on making their designs using the special beads which they arrange on a shaped peg board. They make colourful designs which when ironed fuse together to create a flat pattern, shape or object, which they take home when they are completed. Staff know the children well through observing them as they play. They monitor their learning to ensure that they continue to make good progress in their development while attending the club. Children are cooperative and thoughtful towards each another. The older children help the younger ones get settled on arrival at the club. New starters are introduced to the group and they

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who attend

are warmly welcomed by all the children. Children enjoy physical play and develop skills of working as a group. For example, they enjoy team games, such as hockey and dodge ball, and parachute games, which they play in the main hall.

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who attend

The quality of teaching is good. Staff are skilled at extending children's critical thinking skills through the use of open questions. As a result, they become confident and independent learners. For example, staff create opportunities for group discussions and use open-ended questioning techniques to promote conversations on topics such as healthy eating. They ask the children for their views and thoughts about what contributes to a healthy lifestyle, which prompts discussions about eating and exercise. Children who wish to complete homework or read to staff have a quiet space they can do so. The unique set up of the club allows a favourable staff-to-child ratio, which ensures that the staff are always available to support the children. Staff find out things that children are interested in by talking to them directly, and plan and provide additional resources to meet these interests. For example, the staff respond to children's interest in the football

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who attend

World Cup, so they have placed football books and comics in the book corner for children to help themselves to. Future planning links to this theme, with staff providing opportunities to extend children's awareness of difference and diversity while following the participating football teams.

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who attend

Partnerships with parents are good. Staff take the time to meet and greet parents at collection times. As a result, parents have a chance to chat to staff to find out what the children are doing at the club and to share information about what the children do at home. Parents are also actively involved in suggesting ideas and contributing their thoughts about the running of the club through specialised questionnaires. These contribute to the review process. Parents spoken to during the inspection are very complementary about the running of the club and the staff's professionalism. They say that their children are happy attending the settings and they take part in interesting and stimulating activities and events.

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

Children's safety and well-being are effectively promoted during their play and through practical daily routines. For example, children are reminded not to climb on the furniture and they learn how to use specialist play equipment safely. Children are encouraged to consider hazards during their play and the consequences of their actions. They also learn the importance of keeping themselves safe from harm. For example, children follow the instructions of staff regarding crossing the roads while walking to the club from the local school. Staff are good role models and they demonstrate clear expectations for children's behaviour. They use positive strategies to promote good behaviour and encourage good relationships between all the children by helping them to cooperate with each other. As a result, children receive clear and consistent messages and work well together.

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

The club provides a relaxed environment where children enjoy spending time with their friends after their school day. The early years children mix with the older children at the beginning of the session then they split into their designated key group. Children show that they are happy and confident. They move around the club rooms saying hello to all the staff. Children demonstrate a secure attachment with the early years staff member who has been specifically employed to work with them. Staff effectively promote children's emotional well-being and also develop strong relationships with their peers. Children are very supportive of each other. They welcome new children into the club, showing them where things are kept, and help them to follow the routine. This means that new starters form a relationship quickly with the other children and staff because they settle easily through these helpful strategies. Everyday practices, such as hanging their coats up and

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

eating together at snack time, mirror those they experience in school. Secure relationships with parents and the club ensure that detailed information about children's care needs is shared so that continuity is maintained. Staff speak to the teachers when they collect the early years children from the primary school. They read newsletters to gain information about what children are learning in class, so that this can be extended and supported in the club. The staff at the club are invited to contribute to the induction day for new starters at school. Therefore, they share information about the club and the holiday play scheme with the children and parents as part of the transition arrangements with the school.

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

Children access outdoor activities that promote their physical development. They practise their football and ball skills on the club's field and try new challenges in the public adventure playground. Staff are enthusiastic and actively participate in children's play. As a result, children settle quickly after arriving from school and are eager to join in the activities available to them. Children are provided with healthy snacks. Staff ask the children what they would like to eat and this helps them to make informed choices and decisions. However, staff do not always enable children to be as independent as they could be. For example, although staff provide the children with knives to spread jam on their toast, the children do not take responsibility for making their snack, butter their toast or serve it to others. Children are offered a drink of water or milk, but again they do not pour it for themselves. This does not fully support their growing independence and enable

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

continuity in self-help skills. Staff do not always make the most of opportunities, such as snack time, to extend children's current learning in school or interests, such as counting, comparing and calculating. Children know the routine of the session. They are fully aware that they need to wash their hands before eating and line up to be taken to the toilets to wash their hands. Therefore, they are encouraged to develop good hygiene routines, and this contributes to them developing a good understanding of how to stay healthy.

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provision

The management and staff teams have robust systems in place to protect all the children in their care. All staff have an up-to-date knowledge of the safeguarding and local child protection procedures. They know who to contact should they have any concerns and understand the importance of notifying Ofsted and the local authority social workers. All staff are suitably vetted and checked to ensure their suitability to work with children and young people. Recruitment procedures have led to the employment of a range of staff who offer a variety of expertise. Staff are given a clear induction, which results in them having a good understanding of how to work within the setting safely. The nominated person and manager have an ongoing commitment for checking the continued suitability of all staff through regular meetings. For example, supervision and appraisals are conducted regularly throughout the year. Written policies and procedures are effective.

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provision

The good organisation of the setting means that the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are understood and met by all staff. All staff have a good knowledge and understanding, therefore, they implement these procedures consistently. For example, staff have a uniform approach to managing behaviour within the setting and, as a result, children's behaviour is good. Medical needs and accidents are managed well through clear record keeping and staff training. The environment is safe and secure and promotes children's good health through written daily risk assessments, which also cover any outings of site. Staff help children to learn to keep safe during the session, faulty equipment is removed and disposed of and all areas meet health and safety standards. The attendance of children, staff and visitors is recorded, and children are only released to authorised adults. Children feel safe and secure because staff

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provision

are appropriately deployed within the setting.

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provision

The highly trained staff have a good understanding of the learning and development requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff monitor the planning for the educational programmes to ensure that children continue to make good progress and that the range of experiences provided continue meet children's needs and interests. Staff know the children well and work closely with parents to ensure the next steps in children's learning are supported through the activities provided. As a result, partnerships with parents are good. Transitional information and the sharing of children's progress during the session contributes to the continuity in children's learning.

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provision

Staff are committed to raising standards through self-evaluation and the review of the service they provide. They ask for the views of children through discussions and conversations in group activities. Parents' views are obtained through the completion of questionnaires. This enables staff to discuss and identify areas for continual improvement in staff meetings. Performance management is led by the nominated person and manager through regular supervision, appraisal and staff meetings. This identifies staff's strengths and areas for development. The club is able to access a variety of training opportunities, which has a positive impact on the care offered to children. For example, staff have an up- to-date knowledge of safeguarding and first aid. Staff understand the importance of working closely with external agencies to secure early intervention for those children who require additional help and support, and therefore children's needs are effectively met and

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provision

they continue to progress to their full potential.

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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 EY410308 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 891733

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 80 Name of provider Dallas Road Kids Club Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01524 849106

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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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