Star of the Sea O.S.C. Limited

Star of the Sea Out of School Club Arcot Avenue, WHITLEY BAY, Tyne and Wear, NE25 9DY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12/08/2014 19/03/2009

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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

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This provision is good

 Staff use their good understanding of how to promote the learning and development of young children by involving them in planning activities. As a result, children are interested and actively engaged as they learn through play.  Children are developing a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe because staff involve them in the risk assessments, and follow clear boundaries that promote positive behaviour.  The manager and staff fully understand their responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, children are safeguarded and their welfare is protected.  Effective partnerships with the school and nursery ensure that the club staff know the children well and provide experiences, which are consistent and complementary. As a result, children's needs are well met and they continue to develop their knowledge and skills.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff have not fully considered how the structured routines around snack time occasionally interrupt children's flow of play, and slightly reduce the opportunities to promote their decision-making skills to the fullest potential.  Staff have not fully explored further ways to encourage all parents to share even more information about what their child is learning at home.

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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 throughout the club in both indoor and outdoor spaces.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records, observation and assessment files, planning documentation and a selection of policies.  The inspector spoke to the manager, staff and children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents through their completed questionnaires.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of the staff working with the children, and the provider's self-evaluation.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.

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Information about the setting

Star of the Sea Out of School Club was registered in 2002 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The club is privately owned. It operates from one room in a prefabricated building in the grounds of Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Primary School, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear. There is an enclosed area available for outdoor play. The club is open five days a week, from 7.30am to 8.50am and from 3pm to 6pm, during term time only. During school holidays, the club is open from 8am until 5.30pm. There are currently 125 children on roll; of these, 25 are in the early years age group. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The club employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these; five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and above, and two are unqualified.

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

 enhance the arrangements for snack time to allow an even more flexible approach so that children's flow of play is not interrupted, and that every opportunity for children to make their own decisions is maximised to the fullest potential

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

 strengthen the already good partnerships with parents in order to promote even more effective sharing of information about what children are learning at home.

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who attend

Children demonstrate a positive approach to learning, supported by the cheerful interactions of the staff caring for them. Staff have a good understanding of how to engage children and capture their interests. They appreciate that the children have spent most of the day in school and are mindful of providing activities and opportunities that the children find enjoyable and encourage them to learn through play, with the emphasis on having fun. Early planning begins with identifying children's interests and capabilities, using the information collected from parents and other practitioners. Staff use a broad range of evidence to assess the progress of each child, for example, written observations and photographic evidence, as well as the children's artwork. Observations are detailed and have the next steps in learning clearly outlined for them to successfully progress the children further with their development. Staff value the information they gather from

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who attend

parents and school staff to find out about the children's likes, interests and skills. This means that staff have a clear understanding of children's starting points, which enables them to build and complement the skills and knowledge that they have already acquired. Staff have generally successful arrangements in place to enable parents to share information about what children are learning at home. However, they acknowledge that even more can be done to reach the very small minority of parents that are not yet fully engaged, so that planning for individual learning experiences is even more precise.

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who attend

Children clearly enjoy themselves and have fun at the club. They arrive happily and quickly settle into the daily routine. Staff place a strong emphasis on the importance of extending children's personal, social and emotional development and their communication, language and physical skills. This supports them very well as they move forward in their learning at school. Staff instigate lots of discussion and ask open-ended questions to encourage children to think and share their thoughts and suggestions. As a result, children communicate well and express their needs and ideas clearly through play. For example, when playing outdoors in the climbing castle, children negotiate with each other who will play the different characters in their imaginary game. They take turns to lead the play and express their views clearly. Therefore, they are prepared for being part of a larger mixed age group when in their school setting. Children have good opportunities to develop their

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who attend

skills for future learning as they access reading books and writing materials, and use everyday technology in their play.

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who attend

The routine of the day is generally well organised. However, children are required to stop and tidy away toys in order for them to sit down to have their snack. This unnecessarily interrupts their flow of play and reduces the opportunities children have to make their own decisions and choices. Children's creative skills are developed successfully as they are encouraged to expand their own ideas through imaginative designs. During a planned creative activity they ask questions and demonstrate their broad vocabulary skills as they talk to each other about their ideas and describe what they are doing. For example, a group of children work together using the recyclable containers to design and create a submarine. The club walls display a large array of children's creative work. This helps to promote their sense of ownership of the club and fosters their self-esteem. Children are keen to take part in themed activities, and to carry out their own research on popular or

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who attend

cultural festivals. For instance, they colour posters for Chinese New Year and use the computer to explore Holi, the festival of light. Children learn about the natural environment through planting and growing. They carry out experiments, such as how dye can be used to change the colour of flowers. Children's physical development is particularly well promoted. This is because staff place a strong emphasis on regular physical activity. They organise outdoor games for the children, and interact with them in friendly and supportive manner to make sure that all children enjoy and can participate fully in all the activities. For example, children enjoy climbing, ball games and playing 'tag'. This enables them to explore, test and develop their physical skills.

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

Children are very settled, relaxed and happy. This is because there are good procedures in place to help them to settle within the club. New children and their parents are given opportunities to visit the club and stay for short periods to help build familiarity and confidence. Staff use this time to get to know the children and their parents well. This helps all parties to feel safe and secure, and effectively promotes children's emotional well-being. Parents are encouraged to share information about their child from the outset to ensure staff have a good understanding of each child's needs and parents' preferences. This forms the basis of meeting children's individual needs. In addition, key persons liaise successfully with the class teacher so they are able to work together to promote children's learning and development. A broad range of activities and resources are available and effectively stored. This enables children to make their own choices and decisions about

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

their play and learning, and successfully promotes their self-help skills.

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

Children's behaviour is good. This is achieved in part because staff actively involve the children in agreeing the rules of the club, which are firmly based around 'is it safe?', 'is it fun?'. The club's caring ethos is reflected in children's positive behaviour, their courtesy and the good collaborative skills they display. Children receive a great deal of praise and encouragement, and behaviour management techniques are consistently applied by staff. Therefore, children are learning the difference between right and wrong and how to keep themselves and others safe. Staff provide children with good opportunities to talk about how they feel, for example, during their team discussions, or by using the 'happy and sad box'. This helps children to understand that they can confide in a trusted adult, and ensures that their emotional well-being is given high priority. New children at the club are also paired up with a buddy to help them settle and feel secure in their new surroundings.

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

Staff promote children's good health by offering healthy snacks and ensuring children can access drinks. Good hygiene procedures are followed and children understand the need for regular hand washing before eating and after engaging in messy activities. Children have access to a secure outdoor area which provides them with daily opportunities so they can enjoy the fresh air, and take part in activities that help them to expend their energy. Children demonstrate good levels of understanding about how to keep themselves safe; listening carefully to adult instructions and following well-established safety rules. Furthermore, they are supported by staff to carry out their own risk assessments, which further increases their awareness of potential hazards, and what they can do to make them safe. Written fire procedures are in place, and regular fire drills ensure that children are proficient in emergency evacuation procedures.

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provision

Children are effectively safeguarded because staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of child protection. Staff have completed safeguarding training and know the procedure to follow should they have a concern about a child in their care. They are well supported by the owner and the manager of the club, who know their role and responsibility to ensure children's safety through robust recruitment and suitability checks. Comprehensive risk assessments and daily safety checks inside and outside minimise hazards in order to reduce the risk of accidents to children. Children are well supervised as they are brought to the club after school and when playing outdoors. Staff are vigilant in ensuring that no person may approach, or have access to, children in their care at any time. Comprehensive staff induction, followed by ongoing supervision, ensures that all staff continue to provide high quality care and learning for all children. Regular appraisals

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provision

are carried out to ensure staff's training needs are accurately identified and addressed, to help staff continually improve their knowledge, understanding and practice. As a result, the quality of children's care and learning is enhanced.

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provision

The manager fully understands her role in meeting the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This includes ensuring that there is a good range of experiences for children to participate in, which complement those accessed in other settings, for instance, in school. The manager has good systems in place to monitor children's progress by sampling learning journals to oversee the quality of assessment and planning for their individual learning needs. Effective partnerships with parents are in place. Feedback from parents' questionnaires is very positive. They comment on how much their children enjoy attending the club and praise the staff for their professionalism and approachability. Staff provide parents with a wealth of information about the club. For instance, they receive a detailed welcome pack at the start of the placement, which contains a summary of the club policies and procedures.

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provision

Attractive displays and notices also alert parents to the different events and topics that are planned. Staff work in partnership with other professionals involved in promoting children's care and learning needs. For example, they liaise closely with the teachers at the host school as well as staff from the neighbouring nursery. This enables children to benefit from more effective continuity and consistency in their learning due to the effective support they receive, which positively promotes a smooth move between school, nursery and the club.

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provision

Good self-evaluation systems ensure that improvements have a positive impact on the experiences of the children. The manager and staff value the views of parents and children and take these into consideration when identifying priorities for resources and activities. For example, staff provide consultation periods for the children to enable them to plan future activities. Children also have systems in place to evaluate the activities with the use of smiley faces or written comments. This helps children to make a significant contribution to the development of their future learning skills. Good progress has been made in addressing the recommendations from the previous inspection. Staff are committed and enthusiastic; they work closely together to develop ideas for continual improvement. For example, the manager values the support and guidance that is offered by the local authority development worker. They also take part in the local authority

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provision

Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement annual conversation, which helps to review the overall performance and effectiveness of the club.

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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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY276646 Local authority North Tyneside Inspection number 856174

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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 125 Name of provider Star of the Sea O.S.C. Limited Date of previous inspection 19/03/2009 Telephone number 07984 745620

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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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