Scaliwagz

Scaliwagz c/o Hodge Clough Junior School, Conduit Street, Oldham, Lancashire, OL1 4JX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 14/07/2014 26/02/2009

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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

 Not all staff have a secure knowledge of how to manage any concerns they may have about children's welfare, in order to safeguard this.  The provision does not operate with the correct number of suitably qualified staff, which reduces the effectiveness of support for children's welfare and play.  The provision does not make consistent use of observations and assessments on individual children's progress and play to inform planning for future activities, in order to complement their learning.  There is no exchange of information regarding individual children's interests and progress with other settings they attend, such as school, in order for this to be used for future planning.  The way in which the staff's performance is managed is not sufficiently robust to ensure that they maintain up-to-date knowledge in order to support all aspects of providing for children's welfare and play.

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It has the following strengths

 Parents praise the staff fully for their friendliness and warmth with the children. Children are happy and confident with the staff and show consideration to others.

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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 community rooms and outdoors, and viewed toys, resources and equipment.

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Inspection activities

 The suitability of staff and the owner was checked, along with evidence of their qualifications.

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Inspection activities

 Meetings were held with the owner of the provision, and the inspector also spoke to members of staff when appropriate.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector and the owner discussed the opportunities provided for children's learning and play and also the ways in which they evaluate the setting.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and children spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

Scaliwagz Ltd is owned by a private organisation and opened in 2002. It is on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The provision operates from the community rooms in Hodge Clough Junior School in Moorside, near Oldham. All children share access to a fully enclosed outdoor play area. The out of school club is open each weekday, during term time, from 7.30am to 9am and from 3.15pm to 6pm. In the school holidays, the play scheme operates from 7.30am to 6pm. Children are collected from two other local schools. The provision employs six members of childcare staff, including the owner and the manager. Of these, two are qualified to level 3 and one holds a qualification at level 2. The provision also employs a member of staff for administration and reception duties. There are currently 97 children on roll, nine of whom are in the early years age range. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The provision

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Information about the setting

receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 ensure that staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of up-to-date safeguarding policies and procedures, in order to protect children's welfare

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must:

 ensure that the provision is staffed with a manager who has a full and relevant level 3, with at least half of the rest of the staff being qualified to at least level 2 in childcare, in order to effectively support children's play and well-being

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must:

 implement ways to exchange information with other settings attended by children regarding their progress and interests, in order to complement their learning in these

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must:

 make consistent use of observations on individual children's play in order to implement more precise plans for activities that support their progress

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must:

 implement a robust system to check staff knowledge and manage their performance so that they are able to effectively support children's welfare and play.

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who attend

Key persons do not have an adequate knowledge of individual children's learning needs and how these can be best supported through interaction and planned activities. This is because the provision does not seek or share planning and assessment information with other settings children may attend, in order to complement their individual learning. There are observations made on children's learning, such as what they say during an activity; however, there is no clear link between these and the planning of further activities. This means that although the provision offers activities that broadly support children's progress and complement their learning in other settings, this is not with individual needs being taken into account. This reduces the effectiveness of the planning to support the complementary learning of individual children.

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who attend

The provision responds to children's expressed interests and requests for activities, which shows that their views are valued. For example, a large number of children enjoy making bracelets and models by weaving plastic hoops together, as resources are provided for this creative activity after requests from children. Staff sit with them to provide any physical help needed, as children extend their manipulative skills using this activity. Staff also encourage children to make patterns in their creations, which contributes to learning in mathematics. Staff provide paints and paper plates for children to create pictures with, to offer further opportunities for creativity. Children play with games consoles, gaining experience of information and communication technology, while taking turns with others. This supports their cooperative skills as part of their social and emotional development. Home role-play equipment, such as a toy kitchen and dolls with pushchairs, enables

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who attend

children to engage in imaginative play together. This also supports children's progress in communication, language and literacy, as children talk to each other to extend the story they are acting out. The activity enables them to practise developing a spoken storyline, which is support for when they produce extended writing in other settings, such as school. Children have access to a variety of construction resources, in order for them to enjoy creating models, while extending their manipulative skills.

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who attend

The provision uses a variety of local outings and some further afield to supplement activities provided on the premises. During holiday sessions, staff make use of local parks and playgrounds for children to use the fixed equipment, supporting their development of strength and coordination. They take children to science museums and to interactive technology exhibitions so that children can gain first-hand experiences of these, which complements learning in other settings. Staff also sometimes make use of the outdoor areas on the premises to offer activities such as role play, construction toys and dressing up. This is so that children have opportunities to think about how to use resources differently in their play.

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

The provision implements a key-person system in order to support children's emotional well-being. Key persons show some knowledge of children's needs, as a result of information sought from parents when they join the provision. For example, any information about food allergies is recorded along with other health needs. Children attend gradually longer settling-in sessions, initially with parents if needed, prior to starting at the provision, to further support their emotional security. Information is passed on to key persons from other settings on a daily basis when needed, in order to support children's well-being, such as details on any accidents they may have had at school. This also means that key persons can share this information with parents at collection times to keep them informed. Children are happy and confident in the club, demonstrating this by initiating talk with staff about the activities they are engaged in. However, the provision does not

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

operate with the correct numbers of qualified staff, and some staff do not have a secure knowledge of safeguarding procedures. As a result, the contribution made by the provision to supporting children's well-being is adversely affected by this. This is because the correct number of qualified staff are not present to support children's well-being and not all of the staff are able to manage any concerns about children's welfare effectively through their professional knowledge. Children's behaviour is supported by staff implementing and displaying simple rules, such as about using good manners and treating others they would like to be treated. As a result, children show consideration to others.

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

Children have opportunities to serve themselves snacks during the after school session, and help themselves to drinks at all times. This means that children can learn to manage their own needs for these. Snacks provided are nutritious with an emphasis on fresh fruit, so that children can learn about the foods that contribute to a healthy diet. Children are encouraged to play outdoors, so that they can participate in exercise as part of learning about enjoying a healthy lifestyle. Staff lead games outdoors, such as football, so that children experience being part of a team, which contributes to their learning about cooperation. Children are encouraged to bring equipment, such as bicycles and scooters, from home during holiday sessions, so that there are some opportunities for learning about taking reasonable risk in play while they develop whole-body coordination. There is space allocated for children to relax and watch television if they are tired. The premises,

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

including the kitchen and toilet areas, are clean and well maintained, so that the risk from accidents or cross-contamination is minimised. The provision has suitable arrangements for supporting children's safety when they are escorted between other settings and the premises. For example, there is a risk-assessed designated route for the walk, and all staff and children wear high-visibility jackets so that they are easily seen by other road users.

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provision

The leadership and management of the provision are inadequate due to a number of breaches of the requirements for the Early Years Register. Some staff do not demonstrate a secure understanding of safeguarding procedures. This means that they do not have sufficient knowledge to manage any concerns of this type in order to effectively safeguard children's welfare. There is a safeguarding policy that meets requirements and is reviewed; however, this is not effective as some of the staff are not familiar with current procedures for safeguarding. In addition, the provision does not operate, at all times, with the correct staff qualifications, reducing the effectiveness of support for children's play and care. This is because less than half of the staff, excluding the manager, have a relevant qualification at level 2 or higher. This is a breach of the Early Years Register and also the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. Staff are checked for their suitability to work

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provision

with children and there is a basic induction process so that new staff can support children's well-being and activities safely. Documentation, including the daily record of attendance and records of any accidents, is kept accurately in order to support the running of the provision. All required policies are in place, although staff knowledge is not always secure enough to know how to implement all of these effectively. There are three staff with valid first-aid qualifications who are adequately deployed to handle any emergencies of this type correctly. The provision carries out a daily risk check to support children's safety, and the risk assessment is reviewed yearly or as needed to ensure it continues to be suitable for purpose.

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provision

The provision offers a range of resources and activities, some of which are based on children's views or observed interests, in order to help children play and relax. There are some observations made on children's progress and play, but these are not sufficiently detailed to consistently support effective planning for individual needs. There is also no system in place to exchange information about children's progress with the other settings they attend, which limits the information available for planning for individual children's play. Consequently, this area of practice is not well monitored to ensure that individual children's needs are met. The provision has a basic system in place for staff appraisal, although meetings for most staff, apart from the manager, are not consistently carried out. As a result, the way in which staff knowledge and understanding are checked is not regular or robust enough to ensure that this is good. For example, some staff do not have

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provision

a secure knowledge of safeguarding procedures, and key persons do not know the learning needs of individual children.

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provision

Evaluation of the provision has not been sufficiently rigorous to ensure that statutory requirements are met. The owner makes some plans for improvement and seeks views from outside the provision to support these. For example, she makes plans to add more detail to the planning for children's play, in order to better support their development. Most of the recommendations of the last inspection have been put in place. However, the recommendation to implement an effective self-evaluation system that leads to continuous improvement has not been sufficiently addressed, as the provision does not meet statutory requirements and this has not been identified through this. There is a weekly meeting for all the staff when they can offer any views for improvement. The manager seeks parents' views through informal discussions when they collect children; however, there is no regular organised system for this to provide opportunities for all parents to

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provision

contribute views to this. Parents praise the provision for its warm and friendly atmosphere and the activities offered to children. Children's views are sought regarding various matters, such as foods and activities, so that they see these are valued and implemented to meet their needs and interests.

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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 Met

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

 ensure that at least half the persons caring for children have successfully completed a qualification at a minimum of level 2 in a relevant area of work and that the manager has a qualification at a minimum of level 3 in a relevant area of work (compulsory 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 EY253671 Local authority Oldham Inspection number 877518

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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 97 Name of provider Scaliwagz Ltd Date of previous inspection 26/02/2009 Telephone number 0161 628 6500 (s) 0161 284 9702 (h)

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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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