Cool Stars

Cool Stars Lowton St. Marys C of E School, Newton Road, Lowton, WARRINGTON, WA3 1EW

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 4 June 2015 21 November 2011

p.1

3

Previous inspection: Good 2 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend Requires improvement The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children Requires improvement The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision Requires improvement The setting does not meet legal requirements for early years settings

p.1

This provision requires improvement. It is not yet good because:

 Staff are not consistently encouraged to improve their knowledge and skills because managers do not provide supervision that includes coaching and identifying training needs.  Staff do not consistently extend children's learning by talking to them about what they are doing and using a range of questions. As a result, children are not always motivated to take part in activities.  Strategies used by staff to engage parents are not always effective. As a result, not all parents openly share their views about the setting.  Staff do not always make good use of the available space or resources. There are limited activities provided indoors and noise levels are not effectively managed.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 Staff are warm and friendly, therefore, children develop secure attachments at the setting. As a result, children are confident and enjoy spending time with their friends.  Staff follow clear procedures to keep children safe. For example, they have secure systems to ensure children only leave with identified adults.  Staff have good relationships with teachers within the school and frequently share information about children's progress.  Children behave well because staff give clear messages about what they expect.

p.1

What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage the provider must:

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 establish effective supervision of staff that includes coaching and training, so that staff can continuously improve how they work with children.

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

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

p.2

What the setting needs to do to improve further

 improve teaching by making the most of opportunities to extend children's learning further, for example, by asking questions, extending sentences or encouraging problem solving  enhance partnerships with parents so that all parents contribute their views about the setting and there is a two-way flow of information  improve the indoor environment so that children have a wider range of play opportunities and noise is kept to a minimum.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed areas of the premises that children have access to and observed activities both indoors and in the outdoor play area.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector reviewed the setting's own self-evaluation form and a range of documentation, including safeguarding procedures.  The inspector viewed children's records and evidence of staff's suitability.  The inspector spoke to children and staff at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector took into account the views of parents spoken to at the inspection and within the setting's own parental survey.

p.2

who attend. This requires improvement

Staff have a reasonable understanding of how children learn and use this knowledge to plan a varied range of activities. Children are regularly observed and staff assess children's progress to share with school teachers. Staff plan a range of activities both indoors and in the outdoor play area. For example, they provide craft activities and organise games that children enjoy playing. Staff play alongside children and talk generally about what they are doing. However, they do not always make the most of opportunities to extend children's learning further by asking questions, extending sentences or encouraging problem solving. For example, children delight as they explore mini-beasts. However, staff do not use the children's interest to motivate them to find out more.

p.3

requires improvement

Children are confident within the setting because staff know them well and meet their care needs effectively. Staff help children to play together and give clear reminders about how to resolve minor disagreements. As a result, children know what is expected of them and behave well. Children know how to keep themselves safe because staff encourage them to apply sun cream before going outdoors to play. Staff provide a varied menu of healthy food for children and there are opportunities for children to develop their physical skills as they use the large play equipment in the school playground. However, there is a limited range of activities provided indoors. For example, there are fewer opportunities for children to use their imagination through role play. Furthermore, the television increases the noise levels, which means children find it difficult to communicate with adults and each other.

p.3

provision requires improvement

Staff have a secure understanding of the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about the welfare of a child in their care. There are good systems in place to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Staff attend safeguarding and first-aid training. However, there are fewer opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills in other areas because the systems to evaluate staff performance are not effective. This means their training needs are not consistently identified. Managers aspire to improve and their self-evaluation provides a general overview of the setting's strengths and weaknesses. Parents are regularly asked for their views on a range of issues. However, strategies to engage parents are not always successful, and as a result, not all parents are able to give their opinions. There are firm partnerships in place to share information about children with the school and this ensures children benefit from a consistent approach.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number EY415937 Local authority Wigan Inspection number 851673 Type of provision Out of school provision Registration category Childcare - Non-Domestic Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 54 Name of provider Cool Stars Date of previous inspection 21 November 2011 Telephone number 01942776109

p.4

Setting details

Cool Stars was registered in 2010. The setting employs four members of childcare staff. Of these, two hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 and the manager holds a qualification at level 4. The setting opens from 7.30am to 9am and 3pm to 6pm, Monday to Friday during term times. During school holidays, the setting opens Monday to Friday from 7.45am to 6pm.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

Setting details

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’.

p.5

Setting details

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

p.5