Quackers After School Club at Little Ducklings Pre-School

Little Ducklings Pre-School Holbein Close, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 3EX

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 21 September 2016 28 November 2012

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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

 Staff plan and prepare a wide range of activities that capture children's interests. They listen to the views of the children and their parents when evaluating their provision.  The manager ensures that staff follow good daily procedures to keep children safe from harm, healthy and emotionally strong. Children transfer happily to the club, enjoy a nutritional snack, and quickly engage in activities of their choice.  Children have superb opportunities to take part in daily physical exercise in the fresh air, where they successfully practise assessing and managing appropriate levels of risk. For example, children enjoy exploring climbing equipment, throwing balls into high nets and creating woodland camps.  Staff know the children very well, and have good systems in place to exchange information and celebrate children's achievements with parents. Children settle extremely well and parents have great confidence in the skills of the staff team.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Staff do not make the most of opportunities to help children think about the choices they can make; for example, when planning how to do things and solving problems.  The manager does not always give sufficient consideration to the implications of agreeing that children who are learning English as an additional language will complete extra school work while at the club. Sometimes this limits these children's play choices.

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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

 help children further to solve problems as they design and create projects of increasing complexity  strengthen the arrangements for working in partnership with other settings children attend to agree a more balanced approach to the support for children's development of a second language.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed care routines and activities, and the impact of these on children's safety, welfare and enjoyment.  The inspector reviewed records and procedures relating to safeguarding, risk assessment, health and safety, and discussed a range of other procedures relating to children's welfare with the provider and her manager.  The inspector looked at children's records, the manager's planning and evaluation of activities, and how she exchanges information with parents.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and reviewed written communication from parents.  The inspector observed practice with the manager and the provider and discussed the impact of staff training and experience on children's well-being.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The after-school club, known as Quackers, has a well-qualified and experienced manager. She and her staff have a thorough understanding of child protection issues and what to do if they have any concerns about a child in their care. Safeguarding is effective. The new chairperson of the management committee also oversees the host pre-school, Little Ducklings, and encourages some good partnership working between both provisions. Strong links exist with the adjacent primary school. Useful information to help provide continuity of care for children is shared effectively between the settings children attend. The new chairperson brings different expertise to the team and, with the manager, has already identified ways to raise the quality of care at the club even further.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff listen carefully to children as they share concerns from the school day, discuss new projects they want to investigate or games that friends want to play. They quickly help children to follow through their ideas, such as making planets from balloons covered in papier-mch. On occasion, staff are so quick to support children that they do things that the children can do for themselves. For example, staff find information about the solar system that they could have helped children to discover for themselves. Staff create a very relaxed, welcoming atmosphere where children feel secure and comfortable to follow their own interests. They respect children's need for a different pace of activity after school and take account of this well overall. As the children of different ages play together they build on the skills that help to prepare them for their future learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff work closely with parents to support children's emotional well-being, and they help children learn how to manage their emotions. Children have a strong sense of belonging and are confident and self-assured. Staff encourage children's social skills, for instance, as they play team games together outdoors. They encourage children to think of the safety of others, such as when they play ball games or negotiate slopes and woodland terrane on bikes and scooters. Staff respect children's views and help them to understand differences of opinion. Children are well behaved and form strong friendships. Staff model how older children can take care and encourage younger children. Parents commend staff for this as they say that it helps children as they start new ventures at school and in their local community.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY434782 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 1059050 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 4 - 8 Total number of places 30 Number of children on roll 17 Name of registered person Little Ducklings Pre-School Basingstoke

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 28 November 2012 Telephone number 0125 641 3794

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reference number

Quackers After School Club registered in 2011. It operates from the premises of Little Ducklings Pre-School, which is situated on the site of Rucstall Primary School, Basingstoke. The after-school club operates independently from the pre-school and school, although it is managed by Little Ducklings Pre-School committee. The after-school club operates Monday to Friday from 3pm to 6pm, during term time. The club employs six members of staff, five of whom hold appropriate qualifications at level 2 to level 3. The sixth member of staff is an experienced teaching assistant for children who have special educational needs.

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reference number

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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reference number

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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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

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