Scaliwagz

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

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/11/2014 14/07/2014

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 4 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 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 The provider has made sufficient improvements to the management of the provision. Safeguarding is sound. Children's safety is suitably managed and almost all legal requirements are now securely met.  Children enjoy their time at the setting. The small, familiar staff team effectively promote their personal, social and emotional development. Consequently, children build positive relationships with the staff and their peers, and they develop confidence and personal independence.  Children have fun and learn through play, activities and experiences which are well planned to support their interests and individual needs. Staff spontaneously use everyday opportunities to help children to make progress and achieve new skills.

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It is not yet good because

 Opportunities for staff to enhance their training and skills are not routinely planned in order for them to continually improve the quality of practice and provision for children.  The organisation of the environment does not always support children to get the most from their play and activities, which means occasionally, some children's play is disrupted.  Staff do not consistently make the most of the opportunity to link with, and obtain information from, parents before the start of the placement in order to plan for children's needs and help them settle right from the start.

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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 hall and the outside learning environment.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the manager and made joint observations of the environment, activities and resources.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held spoke with some staff and children and took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's individual records and activity planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, the provider's self-evaluation form and improvement plan.

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Information about the setting

Scaliwagz 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. Children are also collected from the infant school and from one other local school. All children share access to an 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. During some school holidays, the playscheme operates from 7.30am to 6pm. The provision employs six members of childcare staff, including the owner and the manager. Of these, two are qualified at level 3 and one holds a qualification at level 2. The club also employs a member of staff for sports coaching. There are currently 97 children on roll, three of whom are in the early years age range. The club supports children with special

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Information about the setting

educational needs and/or disabilities. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The provision receives support from the local authority.

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must:

 ensure all staff are encouraged and supported to attend training more often, to enhance their skills and facilitate the continual improvement of quality practice in the club to at least a good level.

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

 review and improve the organisation of the space and equipment available to support children's play, learning and development so that children can engage in both noisy and quieter activities without hindering each other

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

 build on the pre-admission procedure to establish relationships, to find out about and to better use what parents know about their own children's care and learning needs to plan how to support children right from the start.

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who attend

Staff know most of the children well because many of them work with the children in their roles within the host school. Relationships are informal and staff use their links well with teachers of the host school to share information, which helps them plan for, and effectively meet the needs of, most children. Staff have introduced basic information gathering tools at the start of each child's placement, which help them understand about children's play interests, their family and any special educational needs and/or disabilities. This basic information obtained from parents at the start helps them plan for children's individual needs sufficiently well. However, occasionally children take time to settle and for staff to understand their individual needs. This is because the pre-admission process is not always secure. Staff do not always seek detail or make enough use of what parents know about their children in order to take account of this in planning how to meet children's

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who attend

individual needs right from the start. Staff observe what children can do. They spontaneously use what they know to help support children to make progress in their learning and development as they play and engage in activities with them. For example, when they notice a child struggling to learn how to skip, they follow this up with further provision, such as, skipping games, during which they offer them the guidance and support they need to achieve a new skill.

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who attend

Lead staff have a suitable understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage, and as a result, they effectively enhance children's developmental progress and complement the learning that takes place in school. Staff suitably support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consistent staff and expectations for children who need support to manage their behaviour helps them to improve and begin to develop relationships with others. All the staff understand how children of all ages effectively learn through active involvement in fun activities. Consequently, children are acquiring the skills, attitudes and dispositions they need to enhance their learning in school. Staff understand children's levels of development and encourage their independence. As a result, children informally contribute their own ideas to activity planning. They lead their own play ideas and organise their own games, such as musical statues, using the music system. The recent

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who attend

recruitment of a staff member with sports qualifications also enhances children's time outdoors and their engagement in team games.

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who attend

Children benefit from the provision of a suitable range of interesting experiences. Staff display children's art work attractively and engage them well by providing craft activities, which appeal to their current interests. For example, they use themes that link to children's favourite animated movies and fairytale characters. Staff have provided height charts on which children have measured and charted how tall they are. This enhances their learning in mathematics. They have created a 'did you know' board, which encourages children to share interesting information about themselves and enhances their personal development. The club makes generally good use of the designated space, which is spread out over three adjoining base rooms. Children access different types of play and activities in each room and they are confident to freely access equipment of their choice. As a result, they enjoy their play and their time at the club. However, the organisation of

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who attend

the resources and equipment is not always effective in supporting children to use them to the best effect. For example, children cannot make best use of the book area for reading and for quieter activities because the room is dominated by the noise associated with the enthusiasm of children engaging in table sports games. Additionally, staff prompt children who are imaginatively engaged in pretend play to play more quietly to prevent them hindering a group game, which is being held in the same room.

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

Good relationships with a small and familiar staff team help children form secure attachments. Staff are sensitive to children's individual needs. They liaise informally with parents and other school staff, which helps to ensure that basic care needs are met, although occasionally children take time to settle, because staff do not always make good use of pre-admission arrangements to ease their move to the club. The friendly and relaxed environment helps children develop confidence. This provides a sound foundation for children's well-being and helps to support them emotionally as they move between school and the after school club. The provision supports children in developing social skills and the confidence to forge relationships with others. Their increased self-assurance also helps children develop the confidence to follow through their own ideas for play and to organise group games, role play and television console games for themselves. These

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

levels of cooperation and collaboration enhance the fun and enjoyment children have at the club. Children's personal, social and emotional development is well fostered, which promotes their levels of independence and helps them acquire the attitudes and dispositions they need to be ready for the next stage in their learning as they progress through school.

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

Snack times are valued as a learning opportunity and help children develop their self-care skills. For example, children attending after school access their own drinks and snack from the serving hatch whenever they are hungry or thirsty. Breakfast club is suitably organised to ensure children are physically ready for learning in school. For example, children eat breakfast cereals and/or fruit so they are well nourished. Staff make sure no child goes to school hungry, by providing cereal bars for latecomers. Staff notice children who need support to put on coats and high visibility vests ready for the walk to the host school, and they encourage their dressing and undressing skills. The recruitment of a staff member with sports qualifications is beginning to enhance children's physical activities. Children routinely enjoy outside activities in the playground and on outings during school holidays. They enjoy playing football and team games, which encourage cooperation and healthy

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

Children are learning how to keep themselves safe because staff provide meaningful opportunities to raise children's awareness, for example, about road safety on the walk between schools. Routines are consistent and children know what is expected of them. As a result, they manage themselves well. Children wear reflective vests and walk sensibly in single file between the adults, who supervise them closely. The methods that staff use to manage children's behaviour are individually planned to respond to children's unique motivations and needs. As a result, children who sometimes find it difficult to engage with others, make progress and are supported to play in small group activities. The provision of smaller rooms and comfortable seating areas means children who want to, can spend some time away from others and relax. Staff effectively risk assess and take account of individual children's attitudes and abilities. For example, a staff member appropriately

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

stands at the door of the club or in the corridor to supervise children walking up to the toilets, because they are not accessed directly from the club rooms. This makes sure children get safely to the toilets and back while providing them with the independence of going on their own. Staff have a relaxed and nurturing manner, which sets a caring example to children. They deploy themselves well to ensure that children are supervised across all rooms at all times.

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provision

The leadership and management team suitably understand their responsibility to meet the safeguarding and welfare and the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage where applicable. Since the last inspection by Ofsted, when the club were given a number of actions to improve, the provider has worked with and followed the guidance of the local authority adviser. As a result, she is more secure in her understanding of the requirements and she knows how to demonstrate that the club meets them. The provider and manager, as the leadership team, have suitably addressed the actions raised at the last inspection while taking account of the subsequent change of legal requirements. For example, staffing ratios and staff qualifications have been suitably considered to ensure children are safely supervised and cared for. There are now suitable arrangements for safeguarding children in the club. The premises are kept secure at all

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provision

times and access to the building is carefully monitored by staff in the reception office. Suitable recruitment and vetting, followed by a basic induction and supervision of new staff, ensures all adults are suitable to work with children. Recently reviewed policies and procedures are shared and implemented by staff, which protects the children well. Following the last inspection, the provider helped staff to improve their awareness of safeguarding procedures by reviewing the policy, displaying the procedures and by carrying out quizzes to help staff reflect upon and improve their understanding. As a result, staff now have an adequate understanding of the procedure to follow should they have any concerns about a child or a colleague. The manager and provider are trained at a higher level to support them. Consequently, children are helped to be safe.

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provision

Children benefit from the caring staff team who help them to enjoy their time at the club. Children have a voice because staff listen to them and take account of what they enjoy. As a result, toys and activities are monitored and adapted to meet the current interests of all children. For example, Friday film nights take account of children's choices and suggestions. Additionally, the role-play area has recently been adapted to include a work and tool bench to engage other children, particularly boys, in this area of play. Parents' views are actively sought verbally and increasingly through questionnaires. Parents spoken with during the course of this inspection indicated that they are satisfied with the service and they say that children are happy to attend. The provider has begun to reflect upon and consider the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. She effectively identifies the club's strengths and some relevant areas to develop further. Consequently, she is fully

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provision

aware that there is more work to do in order to make the provision the best it can be, and she has suitable plans to begin to make further improvements. She has started to conduct regular group supervision sessions with all staff members, which enables them to reflect on provision and consider future planning and development together. Individual meetings are held as appropriate, which encourages the confidential discussion of more sensitive issues and self-evaluation. Since the last inspection, a staff member with sports qualifications has broadened the skills of the team. However, existing staff have not accessed training recently and opportunities for staff to enhance their individual professional development are limited. This hinders their awareness of developments and good practice. Required training is carried out. For example, several staff hold current paediatric first-aid certificates, and some additional online training has been sought to

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provision

reinforce safeguarding procedures further. However, there are no clear plans to develop staff skills in other areas in order to shape and better secure the continual development of practice and provision within the club.

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provision

Parents access a wealth of information about the club in the large reception area. Policies and procedures, including a suitable written procedure for dealing with concerns and complaints, are shared. Staff work increasingly well with the host school to provide a complementary service to support children's learning and their well-being. They share information, such as details on any accidents children may have had at school, and have started to use 'home-school-club' communication books. The friendly and informal relationships support communication at all levels.

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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 EY253671 Local authority Oldham Inspection number 984397

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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 14/07/2014 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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