Flamingo Club

Flamingo Club St. Roberts First School, Oldgate, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1QF

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 12 April 2016 17 April 2015

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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 manager has high expectations of herself, staff and children. This along with an accurate understanding of the strengths and areas for development within the pre- school, ensures that the quality of provision continues to improve.  Assessment information is used effectively to inform planning for individual children. As a result, all children, including those for whom English is an additional language, are challenged appropriately and so make good progress in their learning  Staff support children well to manage their own feelings and behaviours. Clear and consistent boundaries are set through individual weekly challenges. As a result children share, take turns and are beginning to form special friendships with others in the setting.  A significant strength of the preschool is how well all staff communicate with parents and other professionals involved in the children's lives. This ensures that if any children

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This provision is good

have additional needs, these are swiftly identified and addressed, helping them catch up quickly.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The pre-school has a relatively new system in place for undertaking formal observations of teaching. As a result, the quality of teaching is occasionally inconsistent and training is not always sufficiently focused on the individual needs of staff.  During free play time there are not always sufficient resources available across the play space to fully support children's attempts at independent writing.

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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

 embed systems for staff supervision to ensure that staff receive the individualised support and training they need to reflect on and improve the quality of their teaching practice further  further enhance the learning environment for children through the provision of additional resources that support their attempts at early independent writing during free play time.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the main playroom as well as the outside play space.  The inspector spoke to members of staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection and held a meeting with the manager, deputy manager and designated person for safeguarding.  The inspector carried out a joint observation with the nominated person.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day of the inspection.  The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation, evidence of the suitability of staff working in the provision and a range of other documentation, including policies, procedures, self-evaluation and improvement planning documents.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Managers and staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities to keep children safe. First aid and child protection training is regularly updated. This, alongside good local partnerships and the consistent implementation of safe working policies ensures safeguarding arrangements are effective. Systems to evaluate what is working well and what needs to improve are accurate and take into account the views of staff, parents and children. Arrangements for checking staff performance have been improved, ensuring stronger practice, particularly in relation to observation, assessment and planning. However, formal observations of teaching, whilst undertaken regularly, are not used effectively as part of the appraisal process. Consequently, the quality of teaching is occasionally inconsistent, and training plans are not yet sufficiently focused on the individual needs of staff.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff use their good knowledge of the interests and needs of individual children to plan a wide range of exciting learning opportunities which both engage and challenge all children. All children are supported to join in and play together, laying the foundation for the development of friendships. Children are encouraged to be active learners, concentrating and persevering in order to complete tasks. For example, after many attempts, one child succeeds in cutting wool for the first time. He thoroughly enjoys the praise he receives from staff for this achievement. Children benefit from a range of methods to encourage self-confidence and self-awareness. For example, children use mirrors to support making self-portraits. Staff skilfully ask questions to make them think not only about their own features, but how they are different from their friends. This good quality teaching supports the development of essential skills for future learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff are good role models and teach children to listen to one another and to be kind. Children are encouraged to become increasingly independent, putting on their own coats to go outside. Children's outdoor play experiences are enhanced through the provision of a range of resources to support their physical development. This alongside opportunities to go on planned excursions to the local park ensures children's enjoyment of play in the fresh air is well supported. The environment is well planned to meet the needs of the wide range of children who attend. However, there are times when children's early attempts at independent writing are hindered by a lack of available resources across different areas of the playroom, including the outdoor space.

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Outcomes for children are good

All children, including those who benefit from funded education, make good progress. Children who speak English as an additional language are particularly well supported. This is due to effective communication between key staff and other external professionals involved with children in their care. A clear focus on activities designed to improve the development of early communication skills, as well as confidence and self-esteem, ensures children are well prepared for their move on to school.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 301870 Local authority Northumberland Inspection number 1031729 Type of provision Full-time provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 11 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 100 Name of provider St Robert's Flamingo Club Limited Date of previous inspection 17 April 2015 Telephone number 01670 512031

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Setting details

Flamingo Club was registered in 1994. The setting employs eight members of childcare staff. Of these, seven hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. Pre-school sessions are Monday to Friday, from 9am until 3pm, during school term time. The setting also runs out-of-school care from 8am until 9am and from 3pm until 6pm, during school term time. The setting receives funding for the provision of early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The setting supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language.

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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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