Barracudas (Hemel Hempstead)

Barracudas (Hemel Hempstead) Abbotts Hill School, Bunkers Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP3 8RP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 10 August 2017 14 April 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

 Partnerships with parents are highly effective. There is an extensive range of information that is given to parents to keep them extremely well informed about the club. Parents state they are very happy with the care and wide range of learning opportunities provided. Some parents comment they feel staff are like family as their children attend the club for many years.  Children behave exceptionally well. They work very cooperatively together. Children are very supportive of each other and eagerly make the most of opportunities to help one another during activities.  The management team frequently evaluates their practice. They quickly identify areas that can be even further developed. The important views of parents and children are fully incorporated into planned changes and adaptations to the excellent practice provided.  Children settle very quickly in the club. Key staff fully support their needs and skilfully

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This provision is outstanding

promote their confidence with consistent praise and encouragement. Children are very eager to share their views and ideas, which are fully included and contribute to the planning of activities.  The management team has a very robust supervision process for all staff. They receive frequent observations from senior staff and are provided with high-quality feedback that enables them to strengthen and improve their practice.

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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

 continue to maintain the high-quality staff interactions with children that support and extend their play experiences.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the activities indoors and outdoors and the interactions between staff and children.  The inspector talked to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector held a meeting with the early years manager, area manager and the club manager.  The inspector spoke to a number of parents during the inspection and took account of their views.  The inspector carried out a discussion with the early years manager about an activity.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The club places children's safety and welfare at the heart of all they do. Staff have an excellent knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse. They know the club's procedures to follow and who to contact in their local authority. All staff attend safeguarding training before they start working for the summer or Easter period with the club. This training is enhanced even further when staff start on site at the beginning of each season. Staff have a very robust and extensive registration process which ensures that they know at all times who is at the club at any given time. Only authorised adults with the correct password for that day and collection fob are able to collect the children from camp, which further promotes the high priority for children's safety. Staff have an extensive range of training opportunities for their professional development that they readily undertake to enhance and strengthen their

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

skills and practice. The management team recognises the importance of continuing to maintain staff's excellent practice that extend children's play experiences. Parents comment that staff are highly approachable and friendly.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Children receive excellent support from dedicated staff. They provide detailed guidance for children to fully promote their independence during all activities. This helps children to fully engage, stay focused and try things for themselves. Staff skilfully challenge children and asks questions to support them working out for themselves what a clue means while they look for 'Billy the Fish' around the extensive grounds of the club. Children are given a very wide range of resources and time to create and explore their own ideas. They delight in sharing their achievements of the masks they have created with their friends and staff. Children are given a wealth of opportunities to extend their writing and literacy skills, for example, through writing their own name and finding the letters of their name from cereal, placing them in the correct order to spell it out. Children delight in discussing a wide variety of trees. They excitedly recall where each tree grows in the world and what

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

grows on the tree, including conkers and apples.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff spend time talking with the children about their day. This is highly effective in supporting children to feel an important part of the club. It provides children with many opportunities to share any worries, concerns and achievements with staff. Staff promote children's understanding about living a healthy lifestyle extremely effectively. They have detailed discussions with them during mealtimes where children's knowledge is sought about what food is good for them. They talk about different food that children eat from many different cultures. Staff are excellent positive role models for the children. Children eagerly tidy away activities at the end of each session to the tidy-up-time song. They fully understand the importance of having excellent hygiene practices and talk about how they wash the germs away with soap before eating. Children are provided with extensive opportunities to develop their physical skills. They enjoy riding motorised cars, taking part

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

in dance activities and trying to shoot a goal during ball games.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY257626 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 1091670 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 - 8 Total number of places 230 Number of children on roll 145 Name of registered person Young World Leisure Group Limited

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 14 April 2015 Telephone number 0845 123 5299

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reference number

Barracudas (Hemel Hempstead) registered in 2003. The club employs 24 members of childcare staff. Of these, six hold qualified teacher status. The club opens from Monday to Friday during the Easter holidays and for four weeks of the summer holidays. Sessions are from 8.30am until 5.30pm with an extended day from 8am until 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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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