Helping Hands

Helping Hands @ St Margarets St Margarets C of E Primary School, Birmingham Road, Great Barr, Birmingham, B43 7AP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28/11/2014 07/04/2014

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early years provision

This inspection: 2 Previous inspection: 3 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 2 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 2

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This provision is good

 Staff identify children's interests and use good teaching strategies to support children's learning and development. As a result, children make good progress and develop the skills needed to support their ongoing learning at school.  Staff communicate well with parents, carers and the school to make sure that children's needs are met. The self-evaluation processes include all stakeholders which ensures a thorough strategy for strengthening continuous improvement.  Staff use praise and encouragement with the children throughout the session which fosters their positive behaviour. There are warm relationships between the children and their key person which helps children to develop close emotional attachments over time.  Management support the staff through coaching and monitor their practice which has a positive impact on their performance. Children are safeguarded because the staff make sure all policies and procedures of the club are fully implemented.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 The staff do not always maximise all opportunities to support children's independent choice because not all resources are made accessible throughout the session.  The staff do not always maximise children's already good communication and language skills through the use of good questioning techniques.

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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 looked at a range of documents, including attendance registers, risk assessments, self-evaluation records, the provider's improvement plan and evidence of suitability and qualifications.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the indoor and outdoor play areas and checked other areas used by the children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager, held meetings with the manager and the registered persons and held discussions with members of staff at various times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of children and parents spoken to on the day and acknowledged a range of recorded statements.

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Information about the setting

Helping Hands @ St Margarets was established in 2011 and re-registered in November 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It is privately owned and is one of four settings owned by the same partnership. The club operates from a dinner hall situated within St Margaret's C of E Primary School in Great Barr, Birmingham. The club is open to pupils of the school. There is an enclosed area for outdoor play. The club opens Monday to Friday during the school term only. Sessions are from 7.30am to 8.55am and 3.25pm to 5.45pm and children attend for a variety of sessions. There are currently 40 children on roll, five of whom are within the early years age range. The club employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3, one holds an appropriate early year qualification at level 2 and one is unqualified.

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

 develop the already good opportunities for children to explore during their self- initiated play times, for example, by providing a pictorial catalogue of the resources they cannot see as well as those they can, so that their independence is further enhanced

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

 enhance opportunities for children to further extend their already good communication and language skills, for example, by extending the use of open- questions, particularly during their adult-guided play times.

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who attend

The management team and staff have good awareness of the Early Years Foundation Stage learning and development requirements. They hold discussions with the reception teachers in the host school so that activities provided reflect current topics and themes. This helps to make sure the learning that is promoted in school continues to develop in the club. The staff support children to take part in activities that interest them. For example, they use brushes and explore paints, helping themselves to paper and resources around them. The staff use a range of teaching strategies to support children's interests. They talk to the children about their art work during adult-guided play times and praise them for their efforts. However, some staff occasionally use too many closed questions which sometimes limits opportunities for children to give further answers that draw on a wider range of vocabulary. Consequently, children's already good skills in communication

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who attend

and language are not always further extended by all staff throughout the session. Children enjoy playing with their friends in the role play area. Here, they imaginatively change their environment from a spaceship to a hairdressers salon or the circus as their interests change over time. This supports children's imagination and fosters their personal, social and emotional development.

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who attend

Children's interest in information communication technology is supported as they take turns with, or play in teams, on the computer console. They explore a range of programmes that support their mathematical skills as they match, compare and follow instructions. Children's physical development is also supported through their use of the computer consoles. For example, they enjoy using programmes that encourage them to sing along and dance about with their friends. Children's physical skills are further supported as they play outdoors when they wish. Here, they ride round on their scooters, play ball games and chase one another round having fun. The staff make sure that children can access crayons and pencils so they can colour in and draw pictures expressing their thoughts and feelings. Other children like to sit quietly and read their favourite books with their friends. As a result, children's interest in literacy is fostered well

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who attend

and their continued readiness for school is promoted. Following the last inspection, the club was asked to make sure that a broad range of resources were made available to the children to ignite their interests. The management talked with children about what else they would like in the club to play with. Children made their interests known and the management purchased a range of toys and equipment to reflect this. Children now access a broad range of board games, physical equipment and have built a fairy garden outdoors. The management also sited another shed in which to store the extra resources and equipment. However, these are stored in such a way that children are not fully able to make informed choices as they cannot see everything that is on offer, and tend to play with the resources put out for them by the staff. Consequently, children's independent choice is not always fully enhanced during their child-initiated play times.

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who attend

There is good two-way communications with the parents. This is because there is a good key-person system in place. As a result, children's needs and interests are promoted and parents are supported to develop their child's learning in the home environment. The parents speak highly about the range of activities and the good sharing of information between them and the club. This helps to make sure that children's needs are identified and met.

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

The staff and management are warm and approachable. This helps to build positive relationships with children and their parents. Consequently, children enjoy their time at the club, develop close emotional attachments with their key person and develop friendships with others. As a result, children show good levels of confidence. They ask questions and show they are self-assured. Children are praised by the staff as they play which helps to foster their positive behaviour and resilience. Settling in systems make sure that children are able to settle quickly into the club. Parents are encouraged to stay for some sessions with their child so they know how the club works and how staff meet the needs and interests of the children. Children are learning about the importance of being physically active because they are able to access the outdoor play areas when they choose. They take risks in their play as they use a range of equipment that supports their climbing and balance skills, and

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

enhances their physical development over time. The staff make good use of the school hall to make sure children are able to exercise and be active if the weather is poor. All areas are cleaned before the children arrive at the club to ensure good levels of hygiene. Children are encouraged to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet and do so independently. They have the choice of a healthy hot or cold snack which includes a range of fruits and vegetables. Snack time is a social time where the children talk with their friends and the staff about their home life. They also talk about which foods are healthy or not so healthy for them. Topics and discussions about road safety and evacuation practises makes sure that children learn about the importance of their own personal safety.

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provision

Management and staff work well together as a team. They have a secure awareness of the Early Years Foundation Stage safeguarding and welfare requirements. As a result, children are kept safe. For instance, before the children arrive at the club, the staff check all indoor and outdoor areas to make sure any hazards are identified and removed. All staff have attended safeguarding training and are fully aware of the possible signs of abuse, and what to do and who to contact should they have any concerns. The policies and procedures of the club are known and implemented by all of the staff. The management makes sure the recruitment procedures are robust and check the ongoing suitability of all staff who work with children so that children are kept safe.

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provision

The management make sure that the staff receive coaching and attend suitable training so that their practice develops and improves over time. They make sure that the parents and their children are also included in the self-evaluation processes of the club. As a result, there is a thorough strategy for strengthening continuous improvement. The key person makes sure that parents are informed about any concerns highlighted by the reception teacher during the child's day. This good two-way exchange of information makes sure that parents are kept up-to-date and are able to continue with their child's learning in the home environment. Consequently, children's care and learning needs are met.

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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 EY471408 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 972214 Type of provision Sessional provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 25 Number of children on roll 40 Name of provider Samantha Kolar and Michelle Kirwan Partnership Date of previous inspection 07/04/2014 Telephone number 07904942281

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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

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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