Cool Stars

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

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26 September 2016 4 June 2015

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Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for children Not applicable

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

 Since the last inspection, the provider has taken some appropriate steps to improve, particularly in the quality of children's play provision. However, monitoring is still not robust. This results in requirements associated with documentation not being consistently met. Not enough has been achieved to secure the quality of the provision at a good level.  Some staff observation opportunities and general training have been put in place. However, staff are not given the targeted support they need to continue to strengthen their individual knowledge and skills to help them maintain consistently good practice.  Staff do not always promote high standards of behaviour. They do not always use consistent strategies to support children to understand expectations and to help them develop the attitudes they need to continue to be consistently good learners in school.

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It has the following strengths

 Children and parents form positive relationships with some long-serving staff who know the children and their families well. They share useful information to support children's health and development. Parents are asked for their ideas to help the setting improve.  Close working relationships with teachers in the host school are used effectively to identify children who need support the most, as well as ways to further promote all children's progress.  Staff provide children with interesting activities which help to build on some of their learning in school. Activities respond to children's interests. They enjoy coming.  Children settle quickly and build strong friendships as they collaborate to enhance their play.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage the provider must:

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Due Date

 ensure that information relating to the name and address of every parent and/or carer, including parental responsibility for each child, along with which parent and/or carer the child normally lives with, is recorded for every child. 30/10/2016

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Due Date

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

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Due Date

 add rigour to the way operational procedures are monitored and consistently maintain records of the updated staff checks that are completed  improve staff supervision further and provide precise feedback and support to help them make continued improvements  have higher expectations of children's behaviour and ensure that all staff provide children with clear, consistent guidance to help them understand what is expected of them.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's enjoyment and development.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector held meetings with the manager, provider representative and a local authority representative. She looked at relevant documentation, such as the self- evaluation, training records and evidence of the suitability of staff.  The inspector spoke to children and parents during the inspection. She also took account of their views using the setting's own records.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have a suitable understanding of local child protection procedures. They know what to do should they have any concerns about the welfare of a child in their care. Suitable numbers of staff have attended mandatory training, such as in paediatric first aid and safeguarding. Staff are suitably deployed across the two buildings. Recruitment procedures are well organised to include appropriate initial vetting, induction and supervision when necessary. Required checks are all in place. However, some records of the provider's more rigorous procedures that are used to assure them of staff's ongoing suitability, are not consistently maintained. Systems to support and develop staff are emerging. The manager has been successful in identifying times when staff's practice can be further improved. However, she is not always effective in helping staff find precise ways to make some of these improvements.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management requires improvement

Checks on the quality of the provision are not yet secure enough to help the manager independently identify where there are gaps in required documentation or where improvements can be made. For example, for obtaining all the legally required information about each child.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The key-person system is effective. Staff collect information about children's care, learning and development from parents. Additionally, they link very closely with teachers in the on- site school and nursery to share information. This helps them to identify which children need any additional support. It also helps them plan specifically so they can further support children's general development. Staff plan and provide interesting play opportunities which build on children's learning in school. For example, on the day of the inspection they used the imaginative play area to create a post office where children practised writing their names and learned their address. Staff instinctively reinforce aspects of children's learning as they play. For example, as children explore conkers, staff encourage them to think hard about which one is biggest or smallest. They know all children well, providing good support and offering further challenge to the most able.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

During creative activities staff make suggestions and model how to design in even better ways. Children show great pride in what they achieve.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

Since the last inspection, changes have been made to the areas of the school used. Children benefit from smaller, quieter spaces. They are well supported in smaller, age- related groups. The youngest children, who are new to the school environment, benefit greatly. They soon begin to feel safe. They make friends quickly and learn from the advanced play of older children they are based with. Staff mostly support children's personal and social development well. However, they do not always expect the same standards of behaviour that children adopt during the school day. For example, the use of good manners and respect, listening to others and sitting at group times are not consistently reinforced. Children's good health is supported. Staff make good use of the outside areas to enable all children to play in the fresh air and to challenge their physical skills. Children are encouraged to eat healthy breakfasts and snacks.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY415937 Local authority Wigan Inspection number 1058442 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 3 - 11 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 54 Name of registered person Cool Stars

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 4 June 2015 Telephone number 01942776109

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reference number

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 time. During school holidays the setting opens Monday to Friday, from 7.45am to 6pm.

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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

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

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