St Stephen's Children's Centre

St Stephen's Children's Centre 1 Meadow Place, Lambeth, London, SW8 1XY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23 March 2017 27 January 2015

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding 1

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This inspection: Outstanding 1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding 1

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This provision is outstanding

 The management team are united in their pursuit of excellence. They use well- established and highly-effective procedures for monitoring and evaluating the overall effectiveness of the provision. Priorities for improvement, such as for extending the premises and introducing a staff mentoring programme, are exciting and astute.  Managers are highly experienced in providing play-based, out-of-school care provision. High levels of consideration and support help three- and four-year-olds settle in well and adjust to an extended day. Staff ensure these children receive a good balance of play activities and opportunities to rest.  Children are excited by staff and the activities. They develop high levels of physical and social confidence, alongside new skills and interests. Children form strong emotional attachments with staff and each other. Older children are wonderfully supportive of younger children.

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This provision is outstanding

 Children are allocated a designated member of staff who establishes extremely effective partnerships with parents, children's nursery and school teachers, and any health professionals involved in supporting their individual needs.  Children engage in highly challenging, physically active outdoor play. They receive high levels of support and guidance from staff to develop the ability to keep themselves safe, for instance when using climbing apparatus.

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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

 fully embed the plans for developing the mentoring and coaching programme for new staff to support them in gaining the level of expertise demonstrated by the experienced, long-standing staff more quickly.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children engaged in activities, indoors and outdoors.  The inspector sought and took account of the views of children, parents and staff.  The inspector looked at a range of documents, including safeguarding and welfare policies and procedures, staff suitability and performance management records.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The manager is exceptionally thorough in her use of self-evaluation. For example, in addressing the previous recommendation for supporting children's independence, staff considered how well children are encouraged to 'have a go' before adults step in to help. Safeguarding is effective. Managers have extensive knowledge and experience of child protection matters and protocols. Risk assessments are extremely rigorous. For example, there is a well-rehearsed procedure for responding to a missing-child situation. Staff assess clearly whether they need to provide general observation, close or constant supervision for each activity to ensure children's safety. Staff recruitment procedures are rigorous. Staff performance and professional development is closely monitored and, in the main, exceptionally well-supported. For example, the manager organised for a community art group to model exciting ways for staff to introduce children to the work of different

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

artists. Plans for staff to fully share their expertise are still in the early stages.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff are highly skilled and immensely good fun. They use specialist strategies to support the inclusion of children with speech and language difficulties. They help children learn new skills, such as for negotiating the foot-holes of a climbing structure, and using their hands to steady themselves when using rope tyres. Despite not having access to all the club's high-quality play resources due to imminent building work, children continue to have a wonderfully exciting time. For example, they use different materials to make hideouts, artistic sculptures, and a giant jack-in-the-box. Children are excited and motivated by staff. Shrieks of laughter are a constant feature, for instance, and after listening to staff's animated story-telling, children run outside to search for sharks using binoculars.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Children thoroughly enjoy attending. Behaviour is exemplary. Staff are kind and model good manners, which children mimic. Children have wonderful opportunities to share their cultural traditions, such as for celebrating Chinese New Year, and to join in national charity events to help people less fortunate than themselves. Children have a strong sense of belonging and very much enjoy being involved in the planning of the new environment. Children are immensely sociable and independent. They manage their self-care, make their play choices and confidently approach older children who are exceptionally friendly and supportive. For example, younger children are taught how to use stilts by eight-year- olds and make dens with them. Children enjoy healthy snacks as soon as they arrive in from nursery and school. A new top favourite activity is making 'beetroot muffins', which children described as very 'yummy and healthy'.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY367864 Local authority Lambeth Inspection number 1085882 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 - 8 Total number of places 16 Number of children on roll 6 Name of registered person St Stephen's CE School Governing Body

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 27 January 2015 Telephone number 0207 7351023

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reference number

St Stephen's Children's Centre is an out-of-school club and operates from St. Stephen's primary school and Children's Centre. It is situated in Stockwell, within the London Borough of Lambeth. The out-of-school club operates Monday to Friday from 3.30pm to 5.45pm during school term time. Five members of staff are employed. Two have childcare qualifications at level 3 and one has level 2.

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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

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

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