Spring Meadows Holiday Club

Spring Meadows Holiday Club The Barclay School, Walkern Road, STEVENAGE, Hertfordshire, SG1 3RB

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11 April 2016 8 April 2014

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 The managers and staff have made considerable improvements since the last inspection. Children develop warm relationships with their key person. The enthusiastic staff are deployed well to support all children's development and enjoyment.  Children have a wealth of opportunities to be creative. They spend considerable amounts of time making pictures with pens, paint and collage materials. They thoroughly enjoy baking and continue using their creative skills as they decorate their biscuits.  The manager and staff team work effectively together. There is a wide range of procedures and policies to support children's safety and well-being which are implemented well.  Children benefit from a wide range of activities. They enjoy trips to local shops and to the cinema. Staff help them develop effective life skills. For example, they arrange for first-aid trainers to attend to teach children first-aid skills.

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This provision is good

 Parents are complimentary about the care their children receive and the friendly atmosphere. They are well informed of the range of daily activities. They feel their children are safe at the club.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Supervision arrangements do not always fully support all staff to develop their practice to the highest possible level.  The views of parents are not always reflected in the evaluation of the club's practice.

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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

 enhance the arrangements for the supervision of staff, in order to more precisely identify areas for professional development  strengthen the evaluation of the practice, making more effective use of information gathered from the views of parents.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children's play, both indoors and in the outside area.  The inspector looked at a selection of children's records, policies and procedures and a range of other documentation, including the safeguarding policy.  The inspector held a meeting with the managers and spoke to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector conducted observations of the activities and evaluated the teaching methods with the staff.  The inspector checked evidence of the suitability and qualifications of staff working with children.  The inspector took into account the views of parents and the club's self-evaluation.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are knowledgeable about how to protect children and the course of action to take if they have concerns about a child's welfare. The management and staff team monitor and evaluate the quality of the provision. They provide questionnaires for parents to share their opinions and views. However, they do not always reflect on these to inform their ongoing action plans. The management team implements robust vetting procedures to ensure that children are cared for by suitable adults. Staff have regular supervision meetings and annual appraisals. These are used to discuss the needs of individual children and to give updates on safeguarding. However, they are not used to precisely identify staff's ongoing professional needs to help them to continually improve their practice.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Children benefit from having uninterrupted time to engage in play. They particularly enjoy imaginative play. Children make dens from tents and large sheets of fabric. They add other resources and equipment as they build on their ideas. They use writing skills to make signs and write instructions. Children's interest in these activities is strong. They revisit the play throughout the session, continually adding more elements and involving other children and adults. Staff gain relevant information on the younger children's learning from parents. They plan activities to help children develop their skills in line with their next steps in learning at school. For example, they provide a wide range of creative activities and tools to help children develop their skills in using their hands. Staff observe children's enjoyment and learning throughout the day. They record this information using an online system. Parents have access to these observations and they are encouraged to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

contribute information on what children are doing at home. Staff encourage parents to share these observations with the children's teachers. This contributes to children's ongoing progression towards the early learning goals.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children are highly motivated and become engrossed in their chosen activities. Staff establish strong relationships with children, they are deployed well to support them in all areas. When children ask for help the staff ask, 'What can I help you with?' Children are then able to precisely identify where they need support. Staff collect detailed information from parents when children start to attend. This helps them to have a thorough understanding of individual children's needs. Children's dietary needs are clearly displayed for all staff to see. Snack and meals times are relaxed and unrushed. Children sit with their friends and staff members, they hold social conversations and staff support children to understand their feelings. Children are highly independent and resourceful. They all engage in tidying away toys before moving on to the next activity. They find and manage their own belongings. Children enjoy being outside and they organise their own team

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

games, such as football. They ask members of staff to join them and they have immense fun as they benefit from physical challenges in the fresh air.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY387719 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 1041446 Type of provision Out of school provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 4 - 10 Total number of places 32 Number of children on roll 66 Name of provider Louise Anne Prior Date of previous inspection 8 April 2014 Telephone number 07522960627

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Setting details

Spring Meadows Holiday Club was registered in 2009. The club employs nine members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 and above. The club opens from Monday to Friday during school holidays from 7.45am until 6.15pm.

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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

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Setting details

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