Smartys School Club

Smartys School Club Pirehill First School, Tilling Drive, Walton, Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 0AA

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 30/07/2014 10/07/2009

p.1

early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 2 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

p.1

This provision is good

 Teaching is good and sometimes outstanding. Practitioners apply their thorough understanding of the learning and development requirements to all of their interactions with children. As a result, children make very good progress.  Children's behaviour is good because practitioners apply appropriate strategies to help children learn right from wrong. They consult children when making rules that enable everyone to play and learn together.  Leadership and management are good. Leaders demonstrate an unmistakeable drive to continuously improve the provision for all of the children in their care.  Safeguarding is good. Practitioners are alert to ensuring children's safety and well-being and know the procedures to follow if they have concerns. Managers' attention to detail is evident in their safe management of the club's minibuses.  The club has effective partnerships with parents. Parents are informed about their

p.1

This provision is good

child's progress and about what their children are learning.

p.1

It is not yet outstanding because

 The arrangements for monitoring the development of children over time do not include the analysis of the progress of specific groups or cohorts, to ensure that no group falls behind.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the playrooms and the outside environment.  The inspector met with the managers and provider.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector looked at assessment, planning and observation documents.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of all practitioners working with children.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

p.2

Information about the setting

Smartys School Club opened in 1998 and is privately owned. The club is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from Pirehill First School in Stone. The club serves the immediate locality and also the surrounding areas. It opens for before and after school care five days a week during term time, from 7.30am until 9am and from 3.30pm until 6pm. It also opens for pre-school care from 7.30am until 6pm five days a week during term time. During school holidays the club opens from 7.30am until 6pm. Children attend for a variety of sessions. Children attending the school club are cared for across four rooms, including the pre- school classroom and the school hall. Children attending the term-time pre-school are cared for in the pre-school classroom. The nursery receives funding for the provision of free early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. All children have access to

p.3

Information about the setting

an enclosed, outdoor play area and the school grounds. There are currently 50 children on roll who are in the early years age range. The club supports children who speak English as an additional language. There are currently 14 members of staff working directly with children, 12 of whom have an appropriate early years qualification. One member of staff holds Qualified Teacher Status. The club also employs two drivers. The club receives support from the local authority.

p.3

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

 develop further the arrangements for monitoring children's development over time, so that there is a sharper focus on the progress made by specific groups or cohorts.

p.3

who attend

Teaching is good and sometimes outstanding. Practitioners have a thorough knowledge of the learning and development requirements and apply this to their interactions with children. Children's active learning is skilfully enabled. For example, children use the compact-disc player in one corner of the room. They are completely absorbed in devising their own dance to a popular record. A practitioner notices and talks to them about what they are doing. Her intervention is timely and sensitive and, therefore, motivates but does not distract them from their purpose. The children continue to devise and practise their dance over an extended period of the morning, and the practitioner suggests that they can perform the dance for everyone later if they wish. During the afternoon, a stage, consisting of two big mats in the outdoor area, is found and an audience assembles. The children perform their dance with confidence and concentration. They sustain their

p.3

who attend

rehearsed movements around the stage until the very end of the record and respond with visible pride to the audience's applause. This is, therefore, an enabling environment where children can maintain a focus on something they are absorbed in over a period of time. They gain confidence in their own capacity to learn because practitioners praise and encourage them.

p.3

who attend

Planning ensures comprehensive coverage of the areas of learning. This is because the arrangement of the room is reflected in a continuous provision plan and practitioners recognise that all activities promote all areas of learning. Current themes and children's individual learning objectives are effectively recorded as enhancements to the continuous provision. Practitioners make observations and use these to inform both the next steps in children's learning and a termly summary of progress. The planned programme includes a daily focus on letters and sounds, using fun activities. Children learn about the initial sounds of familiar words and begin to match sounds to letter shapes. They learn to blend sounds to make real and invented words.

p.4

who attend

Partnerships with parents are good. Parents of new children complete an all-about-me document, which includes information about children's development, preferences and care needs. This information is used alongside early observations to inform the first summary assessment of the child's progress. Parents are well informed about their child's progress. They see the child's learning journal and have daily opportunities to talk to the practitioners and managers in the pre-school and club. As a result, children's emerging and ongoing needs are met. A termly newsletter includes information about the planned educational programme. As a result, parents become familiar with the areas of learning and get ideas for how to extend their child's learning at home. Children learning English as an additional language are supported well. Practitioners work in partnership with parents to ensure that the children's first or other language is acknowledged and used within the

p.4

who attend

provision. There is close partnership with the school where the club is located. Club and school practitioners work together to ensure that children's learning needs are met when they attend the out of school club.

p.4

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

Relationships between the practitioners and the children are good. This results in a calm and friendly environment where children's self-esteem is fostered. Practitioners use appropriate strategies to manage children's behaviour. They recognise the value of involving children in establishing rules and, subsequently, children's own ideas are included. For example, there is an interesting club rule about 'not being silly under the table'. Children learn about emotions. They learn to name and understand their own feelings, and they think about how their actions affect other people. The play and learning environment indoors and outdoors is arranged to support child-initiated play. Daily routines allow children to spend extended periods creating games and developing their own ideas. As a result, children become self-motivated learners who behave well because they are having fun and can pursue their own interests. Practitioners make adult-directed

p.4

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

group activities engaging and fun, and are careful not to extend them beyond the attention span of the children. As a result, children learn to pay attention and participate.

p.4

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

Resources are of good quality and support children's learning across the areas of development. Children have opportunities to use a range of technology, such as the compact-disc player and tablet computers. Practitioners make exciting resources that support children's learning. For example, 'Ozzy the owl', who lives in a special suitcase, comes out to tell the children to put their thinking caps on. Children's safety is a high priority for all practitioners and managers. Use of the minibuses is subject to highly detailed and effective risk assessment, so that school runs and club outings are conducted safely at all times. Daily checks of the premises are made and documented by managers. Children learn to stay safe because practitioners teach them why safety routines are in place. For example, children without sun cream know that they can only spend short periods outside in the sun because they will get sunburnt. Children learn why they must

p.4

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

wash their hands before touching food at snack time. Children are offered healthy meals and snacks. They prepare some food themselves. This promotes children's independence and physical development as they spread butter and cut bread. There are very good opportunities for children to exercise and be in the fresh air in all weathers. For example, practitioners lead dance sessions and show children how to wave streamers in time to different music. They take children into the big space on the field to run fast and far. Children 'follow the leader' as they venture through the willow walk.

p.5

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

The pre-school classroom is adjacent to the school's early years classroom. As a result, pre-school children become familiar with the school building and with school staff. This ensures that they are emotionally very well prepared when they move to school. Children who attend the out of school club are safeguarded because of good communication between school and the club. For example, school sends a duplicate message, by text, to the club when they notify parents of incidents, such as a bump to a child's head. This enables club practitioners to be alert to children's well-being at all times.

p.5

provision

Leadership and management are good. There is a clear drive from all managers and the proprietor to continuously improve all aspects of the provision for the children who attend. Children are safe because managers and practitioners know the actions they must take if they are concerned about a child in their care. Practitioners demonstrate that they would act on any concerns they have about the behaviour of a colleague towards a child. Managers use well-developed systems to effectively identify and address risks to children's safety. For example, a review of accident forms led managers to conclude that too many accidents were happening when pre-school children played on the school's wooden balance-and-climb trail. A further risk assessment was carried out. As a result, the trail was put out of bounds for the pre-school children and the reasons for this were explained to them. Recruitment practice is robust. Newly appointed trainees and practitioners do not

p.5

provision

start work at the club until all vetting is complete. The proprietor seeks to recruit ambitious practitioners who add new knowledge and skills to the team, and who want to make progress in their career within early years. Parents comment on the low turnover of staff and that they know the practitioners well.

p.5

provision

Learning and development is effectively led by managers with the guidance of the education coordinator, who holds Early Years Teacher Status. Recent changes to the planning of the educational programmes are becoming embedded. Planning is highly effective in ensuring that all areas of learning are addressed. Children's interests and the next steps in their learning are planned for and evaluated. Children's learning is summarised at the end of each term. The summary shows whether children are developing to the level typical for their age, or are exceeding or not meeting expected levels of development. As a result, timely action is taken to close any gaps that emerge. The early years teacher monitors each child's progress. However, the progress of specific groups or cohorts is not always closely monitored, to help ensure that no group is at a disadvantage. Serious attention is given to the continuous professional development of all

p.5

provision

practitioners and managers. This is a learning organisation within which everyone sees themselves as learning and improving. Managers model good practice. Their approach to the supervision of practitioners is supportive and characterised by coaching and professional conversation during the working day. Managers make effective use of training courses to enhance practice. For example, they attended training about the characteristics of effective learning, and aim to ensure that practitioners understand and apply them in their work with children. To cascade the information, they provided practitioners with small cards on waist-belt key rings for easy reference. They draw practitioners' attention to examples of the characteristics of effective learning as they watch children play in the pre-school and club. They have modified the format used for recording extended observations, so that practitioners now highlight where children demonstrate the

p.6

provision

characteristics of engagement, motivation and thinking in their play. More recently, skilful teaching using 'Ozzy the owl' has ensured that children recognise themselves as thinkers. This in turn deepens the understanding of practitioners about how to teach children about thinking.

p.6

provision

The club and pre-school are well established within the school building. This partnership is, therefore, of long standing and effectively supports the transitions that children make when they move from pre-school to school and when they come from school to the out of school club. Partnerships with parents are effective in promoting children's learning at home. Parents are provided with useful information about the early years foundation stage and know what children are learning. The special educational needs coordinator works in partnership with the area special educational needs coordinator, to ensure that concerns about children's development are identified and addressed.

p.6

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

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

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.

p.8

Setting details

Unique reference number 218364 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 865747

p.8

Type of provision

Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 202 Name of provider Janet Skelton Date of previous inspection 10/07/2009 Telephone number 01785 817 974

p.8

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.

p.8

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

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,

p.9

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’.

p.10

Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10