Paintbox After School

Paintbox After School Carlton House, The Mount, Heswall, Wirral, CH60 4RG

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 28 April 2015 20 April 2009

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

The setting meets legal requirements for early years settings

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This provision is good

 Children are happy and settled, and enjoy their time at the after school club. They benefit from warm and supportive relationships with the staff, which gives children the confidence to engage in a variety of play activities.  Staff have a good knowledge of children's individual needs and interests. They plan a varied programme of activities, which complements children's learning in school and helps them to make good progress.  Children are kept safe from harm. Staff complete regular risk assessments of the premises and for outings, and ensure that their safeguarding training is kept up to date. Staff have a secure knowledge of safeguarding practice and understand the procedures to follow should they be concerned about a child's welfare.  Arrangements for working in partnership with parents and the primary school are well established. As a result, information is effectively shared and there is continuity in

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This provision is good

children's care and learning.  The manager demonstrates a strong commitment to continually improving her practice and enthusiastically embraces new ideas. The views of staff, parents and children are included in self-evaluation and improvement plans.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not always make the best use of children's time at the after school club because children all eat snack together, which means that they wait a long time to be served, have few opportunities to serve themselves and have less time to engage in play activities.  Opportunities for staff to learn from each other and to share best practice have not been fully explored by the manager.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 review the arrangements for children eating their snack, for example, by encouraging them to serve themselves at a time of their choosing, so that they have more opportunities to engage in the full range of activities and develop their self-help skills  provide more opportunities for staff to learn from each other and to share best practice by, for example, embedding peer observations in monitoring and supervision procedures to improve learning opportunities for all children.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed all parts of the club used by children, including the outdoor environment.  The inspector accompanied the manager and staff on the walk to school to collect children.  The inspector observed children's activities and staff interaction with children on the school run, indoors, outdoors and at snack time.  The inspector offered to conduct a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector spoke to members of staff, parents and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children, and a range of other documentation, including policies and procedures, and the provider's self-evaluation.  The inspector held a meeting with the manager and nominated person.

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who attend. This is good

Staff are qualified and have a good understanding of how children learn. They provide a good range of activities that build on children's interests and keep them motivated to play and learn. For example, children enjoy making models from recycled materials and creating homes for their toys. Older children demonstrate good concentration skills while completing table games and computer programs. Staff engage in conversations with children and support them well by asking suitable questions to help them to develop their critical thinking skills. Children are developing the good speaking and listening skills they require to learn effectively at school. The quality of teaching is good across the club. Staff exchange information daily with parents and the school, which helps to ensure continuity of care and complementary learning.

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good

Children are happy and know their key person well. Settling-in procedures are used effectively when children first join the club. Children have a strong sense of belonging and the personal confidence to lead activities. For example, older children organise a story reading session in the role-play area with the younger children. Care practices are consistently good across the club. Children are provided with healthy snacks and drinks. They are reminded about the importance of washing their hands to build their understanding of healthy practices. However, all children sit down together to eat snack when they arrive from school. This means they do not have opportunities to serve themselves, pour their own drinks and have less time for activities, as they wait for everybody to be served. Children enjoy playing outside in the fresh air. They play well together, and are polite and courteous. Staff use praise and rewards consistently to

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provision is good

The management team have a secure understanding of their roles and responsibilities to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Effective recruitment and vetting procedures are used by the manager to ensure staff suitability. The manager monitors staff's performance through observing their practice and termly review meetings. A comprehensive, effective, professional development training programme is in place for all staff. However, staff do not always have opportunities to learn from each other and share best practice to further support children's learning, for example, through peer observations. Parents praise the club for the variety of activities, the happy and safe environment and the quality of the communication systems.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY236119 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 870027 Type of provision Out of school provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 49 Number of children on roll 74 Name of provider Paintbox Activities Limited Date of previous inspection 20 April 2009 Telephone number 0151 342 9659

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Setting details

Paintbox After School was registered in 2003. The after school club employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold an appropriate early years qualification at level 3 and two hold relevant qualifications at level 2. The after school club is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 9am and from 3.30pm to 6pm during term time and from 8am to 6pm during school holidays.

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Setting details

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

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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Setting details

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Setting details

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

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