Halsall Kidz Club

Halsall St Cuthberts Kidz Club St. Cuthberts C of E School, New Street, Halsall, ORMSKIRK, Lancashire, L39 8RR

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 30/06/2014 13/11/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 There are frequently insufficient staff on duty to meet the ratio requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and Childcare Register and there is no named deputy. As a result, appropriately qualified staff are not effectively deployed to ensure children's well-being is assured.  Children's progress is not assessed on entry or on an ongoing basis. Very few adult-led planned activities are offered and there are no next steps in place for children. Therefore, teaching has no focus and does not complement or consolidate what children are learning at school. Parents are not supported in extending children's learning at home.  Staff are not coached to improve their knowledge to effectively support children's learning. Weak induction has resulted in staff being unclear about safeguarding procedures.  The management team are not effective in leading the club. Prompt action to improve practice has not been taken and the setting is disorganised, with poor record keeping.

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This provision is inadequate

This negatively impacts on children's care and learning.

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It has the following strengths

 Relationships between children, staff and parents are relaxed and friendly. Children enjoy spending time in the club and say they especially like playing outside.

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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 and children engaged in activities.  The inspector looked at children's learning records and enrolment forms.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the manager, staff, children and parents at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at relevant documentation, including planning, observations and assessment records. She also looked at a range of policies, attendance registers, as well as information used to assess the suitability and qualifications of staff.

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Information about the setting

Halsall St Cuthberts Kidz Club was registered in 2009 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is situated with the school building of Halsall St. Cuthberts Primary School and is managed by a voluntary committee. The club serves the host school and is accessible to all children. It operates from a room within the school and there is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. Children also access the computer and library areas within the school, along with the use of the parish centre. The club employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and level 4. The club opens Monday to Friday term time only, from 3.30pm until 5.30pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 30 children attending, who are in the early years age group. The club also offers care for older children.

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must:

 improve children's learning, development and overall progress, through planning purposeful play reflecting individual children's specific learning needs and a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities

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must:

 ensure that the adult to child ratio requirements are met at all times

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must:

 ensure that there is a named deputy with an appropriate level 3 qualification and staff are deployed effectively to meet legal requirements

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must:

 ensure that the name, address and telephone number for each child on roll and each person working in the club is documented and accessible at all times

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must:

 ensure that recruitment records are easily accessible and available for inspection, to prove that staff have the required knowledge, skills and aptitude

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must:

 ensure that staff complete a thorough induction process that includes checking they fully understand the safeguarding policy and procedures

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must:

 establish effective methods of supervising and coaching to ensure staff appropriately meet the needs of all children, with specific regard to the quality of teaching and knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage

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must:

 improve the assessment of children's learning by gathering information from parents, in order to identify each child's starting points, monitoring the progress children make and offering suggestions on how parents might extend children's learning at home to promote swifter progress.

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

 review the roles and responsibilities of the management team to allow those in charge to adapt routines and direct staff in a timely manner, so that improvements can be made more swiftly.

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who attend

Assessment of children's learning and development rarely takes place. Children are not always observed by their key person and so there are no next steps in place to help them continue to develop. No planned activities are in place as children choose what they want to do, which in good weather is predominantly to play ball games outdoors. This weakness was raised at the last inspection and the balance of planned purposeful play with child- initiated play has not yet been addressed. This does not support children's learning at school as no activities provided complement or consolidate their learning. Consequently, children do not make the best possible progress in all areas of learning.

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who attend

Teaching is weak as some staff have a limited knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and see their role as supervisory, rather than to extend children's learning. Nevertheless, staff do engage with children, they help to extend their conversational skills by chatting to them in a relaxed and friendly way. Outdoors, staff play group games with children, teaching them the rules of the game and encouraging cooperation and turn taking. Children's physical skills are effectively promoted, as they try to throw and catch the ball during a game or kick and pass the ball during a football game. When asked, children say their favourite thing to do is play outside.

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who attend

The information gathered from parents when children enrol includes their basic care needs. Additional information that would help staff to get to know children quickly is not asked for. For example, parents are not asked to share what their children can already do when they enrol. Consequently, staff cannot plan for children's learning as promptly as possible, as they take time to get to know each child well. Staff are well-known to parents as they also work in the school. They ensure important messages from teachers are passed on and there is an exchange of school and family news. However, little information about how children are progressing is shared, to enable parents to extend their children's learning at home.

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

As a result of a number of breaches in the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Childcare Register, the safety and well-being of children cannot be assured at all times. Insufficient staff are present to maintain adequate supervision, especially during good weather when most children choose to play on the school field, which is some distance from the playroom. The physical environment is safe. Staff check the area visually before each session. However, though children may feel safe while attending the club, the processes and procedures in place are too weak to ensure their safety. For example, the enrolment forms for some children, containing required information to meet their care needs, are not available.

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

Staff are warm and friendly. They are responsive to children, who appear happy and engaged in play, seeking staff out when they need help or support. Staff working in the club also work in the school and so they know children well. As a result, the transitions between school, club and home are smooth and the key-person system is generally effective. Resources are adequate. Children choose what they want to play with from designated cupboards in the main playroom, which is also used by other groups of children outside of club hours. Additional resources are available in a large storage container in the playground and children have access to a challenging play area in the school grounds. This offers plentiful opportunities for children to take sensible risks in their play, learn how to play safely and develop a 'have a go' attitude.

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

Staff gently remind children to play safely and praise kind behaviour. They model good manners, saying 'please' and 'thank you' to children. As a result, children are well- behaved. Younger children are learning to become independent. They join in games where they learn to take turns and can cooperate in their play. Consequently, they are continuing to develop the skills which help them to participate in school life. Children are supported to develop the habits which contribute to a healthy lifestyle when they snack on fresh fruit and choose from water or juice to drink. Regular play outdoors allows children to be energetic and get plenty of fresh air. Group games of football and catch also allow them to develop friendships within different year groups. Consequently, children make a wide circle of friends within the club, which supports their emotional well-being at school.

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provision

There are several breaches of the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. There are frequent occasions when there is insufficient staff on duty to meet the required adult to child ratio. This is also a breach of the Childcare Register. In addition, children are put at risk because appropriately qualified staff are not deployed effectively to meet their learning and development needs. The recruitment process is adequate. Staff suitability is checked through the Disclosure and Barring Service. However, other records which prove staff have the knowledge and skills required, such as references, are not accessible and so cannot be checked. The induction process and performance management arrangements are not robust enough to ensure all staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures, or are being supported to become effective teachers. Staff are able to identify the potential signs of abuse and while some are unsure of the referral process, they can

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provision

find the information they need in the written safeguarding policy. Some records are not maintained appropriately and as a result, required staff details are not recorded for every member of staff present. Other aspects of keeping children safe are appropriate. The environment is checked daily to ensure there are no physical hazards present, accidents and the administration of medication are recorded appropriately and the identity of visitors is suitably checked.

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provision

Systems to monitor the effectiveness of children's learning and development are not effective. While a form to track children's development is available for some children, it is not appropriately completed. The manager does not monitor the quality of the learning environment and has not begun to address the weaknesses in observation and planning found at the last inspection. This is due in some part to her being counted in ratios and having no additional time to complete managerial tasks. Consequently, she has prioritised being with children as their key person over developing an action plan for improvement. In addition, the manager does not have the overall responsibility to recruit staff, induct them or manage their performance. As a result, she does not have access to all the relevant documentation to assist her in her role. The performance of staff is not monitored and so they are not encouraged to develop their knowledge and skills through coaching or

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provision

training. Consequently, teaching is inconsistent and knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage is variable. The manager is aware of the weaknesses in the club; consequently, there is capacity to make improvements. However, her responsibilities are such that she has too little time to address the areas of weakness and some are outside of her role. As the manager also works in the school reception class, she has accessed specific training from health professionals to meet the needs of individual children. She has a clear understanding of working with relevant agencies to support children when required. Parents speak highly of the club. They are pleased their children make friends across year groups and say their children enjoy it very much.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 ensure that for every eight children for whom childcare is being provided, at least one person cares for them (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the name, home address and date of birth of each child on the premises is recorded and accessible; ensure that the name, home address and telephone number for each person working on the premises and each child's parent or carer, is recorded and accessible (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the name, home address and date of birth of each child on the premises is recorded and accessible; ensure that the name, home address and telephone number for each person working on the premises and each child's parent or carer, is recorded and accessible (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)

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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 EY395420 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 962867

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Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 24 Number of children on roll 88 Name of provider Halsall St Cuthberts Kidz Club Committee Date of previous inspection 13/11/2013 Telephone number 01704 840253

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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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