Acorns

Acorns Walton Oak School, Ambleside Avenue, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, KT12 3LN

p.1

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26 September 2016 13 July 2015

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

p.1

This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

p.1

This provision is outstanding

 The manager and staff have made excellent progress since the last inspection and demonstrate an outstanding capacity to make and sustain improvements to the setting.  Children flourish in the welcoming, challenging and extremely well-organised environment. They enthusiastically join in with activities, are incredibly confident and develop exceptional social skills as they form positive relationships with the staff and other children.  Children have fun as they engage in a broad range of interesting activities, indoors and outdoors, that successfully captures their interests.  The manager and staff support continuity for children. A strong and secure relationship with the school aids this process. Effective and highly efficient information sharing ensures that staff get to know children exceptionally well and understand how to best meet their needs.  Staff deployment is extremely good. Staff work together to ensure that children's safety

p.1

This provision is outstanding

is fully supported at all times.  Staff have excellent partnerships with parents who are vocal in their support and praise for the staff and the quality of care their children receive.

p.1

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

 continue to enhance the already very effective support for staff to develop their skills further.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the manager and other staff at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector engaged with the children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector observed children's indoor and outdoor play.  The inspector engaged in a joint observation with the manager.  The inspector sampled various documents, including risk assessments, the self- evaluation form, and a range of policies and procedures.

p.2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The manager expertly monitors and evaluates the club and constantly develops it. For example, the medication arrangements have been reviewed and strengthened. The manager takes into account the views of parents and children to reflect the needs of the families attending. The manager has rigorous recruitment procedures in place and provides excellent support and training opportunities for the staff. She intends to strengthen arrangements even further with new strategies, such as peer observations. Safeguarding is extremely effective. The leadership and management team of the provision places the well-being of children as its number one priority. Staff are extremely confident in their understanding of child protection matters. They are vigilant in supporting children's welfare. They listen to children and know them extremely well. Staff have very high expectations of the children.

p.3

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff's interactions with children are extraordinarily positive and of a high quality. Staff help children to develop new skills and support children's interests extremely well. For example, children are completely absorbed in pond dipping; they collect animals and insects from the pond and use a key to recognise what they are. Children have lots of opportunities to develop their own ideas and imagination. For example, they eagerly explore junk items outside and persevere for long periods of time to design and construct ambitious models. Children take part in a wide range of outdoor activities that really interest them, such as sessions in woodland areas where they use tools to make artefacts, climb trees and learn to take risks.

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

There are highly effective systems to support children settling into the club. For example, older children offer to act as a 'buddy' for younger children. They take their time showing new children around and introduce them to the routine and the activities provided. Children make lots of choices, solve problems and work really well together. For example, a group of children are chosen by the group to be 'Acorn Agents'. These children make sure rules are followed and check that everyone is happy. Children develop an excellent understanding of how to stay healthy. For example, they get plenty of exercise and opportunities to rest after a busy day at school. Children eat a healthy range of snacks and help prepare snacks for the group. They also have their own vegetable patch and learn how fruit and vegetables grow. Children are exceptionally well behaved, kind and considerate to each other. They develop good values and are involved with the local

p.3

Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

community. For example they take part in food banks and charity events to raise money.

p.3

Setting details

Unique reference number 122478 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 1054404 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 - 11 Total number of places 48 Number of children on roll 85 Name of registered person Acorns Committee

p.4

reference number

Date of previous inspection 13 July 2015 Telephone number 01932 259604

p.4

reference number

Acorns After School Club registered in 1999. It is located in Walton Oak School in Walton- on-Thames, Surrey. The out-of-school club is open each weekday from 7.45am to 8.45am and 3.10pm to 5.30pm, during term time only. The holiday play-scheme is open for two weeks at the end of the summer term and for a short time at Easter from 9am to 5pm. The club employs 14 members of staff. Of these, two hold qualifications at level 5, two hold qualifications at level 3 and one holds a qualification at level 2.

p.4

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.

p.4

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.

p.4

reference number

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 reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

reference number

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at www.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

p.5

reference number

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

p.5