Super Camps at Thorpe House School

Super Camps at Thorpe House School THORPE HOUSE SCHOOL LTD, 29 Oval Way, Gerrards Cross, SL9 8QA

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/08/2014 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Parents are happy with the care their children receive and the clear communication they have with the camp.  Staff are welcoming and develop positive relationships with the children, which supports their confidence and sense of belonging.  Children have many opportunities to enjoy a large range of physical activities, which keeps them fit and healthy such as swimming, sports and team games.  Children of all ages behave well and form new friendships in this relaxed and fun environment.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff provide children with lengthy instructions at the start of a session, which are difficult for a young child to follow.  There are fewer toys available for children during free play and these do not reflect diversity or multicultural representations.

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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 part of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children at play, indoors and outdoors, and staff interactions with them.  The inspector sampled documents including policies and registers.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the management team, staff and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector and the regional manager conducted a joint observation.

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Information about the setting

Super Camps at Thorpe House School registered in 2014 and is a limited company that offers a sports and activity camps primarily during the school holidays. The camp operates from the pre-prep classrooms of Thorpe House School, in Gerrards Cross. Children have access to a main hall, a number of classrooms and an outdoor area that encompasses a playing field, courts and a swimming pool. Kitchen facilities, offices and bathroom facilities are also based in the main building. The activity camp is registered on the Early Years Register and the voluntary part of the Childcare Register. The camp is open during school holidays for extended care from 8am to 6pm, with core activity sessions operating from 9am to 5pm. A number of staff are suitably qualified in childcare and sports work with the children.

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

 enhance children's learning experiences by using every opportunity to encourage them to speak and express themselves, and reduce the lengthy verbal instructions by adults, which children struggle to follow due to their age

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

 further develop children's awareness of similarities and differences between themselves and others through the use of resources and toys that support diversity and multicultural representations.

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who attend

Children enjoy a wide range of activities at the camp including sports, crafts, free play, cooking, swimming and team games. The week follows a well-devised timetable and parents choose specific days in line with activities that interest their child. Each day has some free play opportunities to allow younger children to explore at their own pace and resources include dressing up, blocks, cars, dolls, drawing and craft. The camp also has access to some school resources such as books in a book corner, and the outdoor water trays and sand trays. However, the resources for free play are not extensive and do not reflect diverse backgrounds, home cultures or languages to help promote children's understanding of similarities and differences.

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who attend

Children have plenty of opportunities for exercise and fresh air and delight in playing team games, which involve balancing beanbags on their heads, kicking footballs, running and jumping. Children thoroughly enjoy using the excellent facilities in the school grounds such as the field and the swimming pool, all of which contribute to developing healthy lifestyles. Children have many opportunities to play outside and to participate in games that keep them fit and improve their coordination. Children enjoy learning to work as a team, and encouraging their friends as they run and play.

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who attend

Children participate excitedly in craft activities, which allow them to express themselves artistically. For example, children enjoy designing and drawing aliens, which they decorate with small pieces of paper and glue. They also have access to a large variety of pencils and marker pens, which help them to develop drawing and writing skills. Children can colour, draw and paint many times during the day. Children also have opportunities to make things from clay and they delight in creating rabbits and flowers before painting them to take home.

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who attend

Staff model good communication with children, looking at them as they speak and encouraging them to talk one at a time so everyone can be heard. At the start of the session, adults frequently give lengthy instructions, during which the children are expected sit quietly. Due to their ages, the children struggle to sit quietly for so long and would benefit from shorter, more concise instructions to suit their age of development.

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who attend

Children develop a positive attitude towards the needs of others. For example, they support a charity by bringing in a weekly donation, which allows children to throw a wet sponge at their nominated member of staff. This fun activity encourages children to think of others and develop an understanding of the wider world.

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who attend

Children in the early years age range have a passport, which is completed by their key person on the activities they have done in the day including what they enjoyed the most. Staff record next steps for children and write comments such as 'stop the football by putting my foot on the top.' This assessment of children's achievements and participation is shared with parents who also contribute to the passports and make comments and suggestions about their children's days. This ensures children's needs are met by maintaining clear and positive communication with home.

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

Children are met warmly at the door by enthusiastic and friendly members of staff who make the children feel welcome. Due to this personal greeting, children feel excited entering the camp and are enthusiastic to join the activities. This contributes to their positive sense of well-being.

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

Children behave very well at all times due to the constant positive reinforcement by the staff and the key person allocated to work with them. Staff praise children for good listening and for trying hard. Staff ensure older children who need more space are able to sit and watch until they are ready to join in. Staff closely monitor children and are on hand to support them with any issues, quickly ensuring children are confident in the role of the adults. Children are motivated to behave well and try their best through the use of a colour points system. Staff provide fun games and achievements that accumulate points though out the week until the winning team is announced. Children are enthusiastic about winning colour points and run faster and trying harder when points are promised.

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

Safety is a high priority in the camp and all staff constantly reinforces the importance of staying safe throughout the day. Children respond well to this and demonstrate a good understanding of the expectations on their behaviour. At the start of the day, the camp manager talks through the rules for the day and asks, 'Do we share food?' and the children respond, 'No, because you might have an allergy.' This emphasis on safety is supported throughout the day by staff by reminding children not to run inside, and to wait for adults to accompany them around the premises.

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

The camp has well-developed lines of communication with parents, who are happy with the experiences their children have at camp. Staff act upon parents' feedback quickly, which ensures children have a fun and exciting day. Parents report that their children have a 'fabulous time' and one parent wrote, 'My daughter hasn't stopped smiling since she went to camp.' Parents feel the environment is pleasant and they express confidence in the staff that look after their children.

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

Children have a good appreciation of staying healthy. Water is readily available and staff remind children to have a drink, particularly after they have been doing sports. Children bring their own lunch and snacks from home. Staff encourage them to bring healthy lunches through winning colour points for making healthy food choices and for eating well. The dining area provides a relaxed environment where all children socialise together and older children provide a positive role model for younger children, as they sit and chat happily with their friends.

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provision

The company and the staff of the camp demonstrate a good knowledge of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. They create an environment in which children are effectively safeguarded.

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provision

The camp has a varied range of documentation, policies and procedures in place, which supports them in providing a safe environment for children to play. Staff accurately record children's attendance, the treatment of accidents and injuries and the administration of medicines. Management use relevant documentation to confirm the suitability checks of all staff, first-aid qualifications and relevant staff qualifications. They ensure staff are qualified and suitable to care for children. All staff have received safeguarding training and thorough the use of risk assessments, ensure safety and safeguarding are a priority. Staff confidently describe what they needed to do if they had a concern about a child and they are very clear on their roles and responsibilities to protect children.

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provision

There are clear policies in place to ensure children are never left alone with anyone unvetted and all visitors are required to sign into a visitor's book. Security around the camp is strong, with external gates locked and staff constantly approach visitors such to validate their identification.

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provision

The camp staff have robust systems, which support them to improve their practice. The staff are well supported in their roles and work well as a team. This demonstrates a committed approach to improving opportunities for the children. Staff have regular appraisals and supervision meetings and new staff have a thorough induction, which allows them to develop an understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Staff have regular training in areas of need identified by the management team. The management team reflect on comments made by parents in questionnaires and implement changes in line with this feedback. For example, the passport for younger children reflects parents' wishes for more specific communication about their child's day.

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provision

The camp works closely with other agencies such as the local authority. This includes specialist staff within the company who advise the camp on issues such as supporting children with additional needs and managing behaviour. This helps to ensure children's needs are met.

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The Childcare Register

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 EY476687 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 966389 Type of provision Out of school provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 4 - 8 Total number of places 50 Number of children on roll 120 Name of provider Super Camps Ltd Date of previous inspection not applicable Telephone number 01235 467300

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Setting details

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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