Conkers After School Club

Conkers After School Club Church Road, Saughall, Chester, CH1 6EP

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13 December 2017 15 October 2014

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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 skilfully promote children's personal and social skills. For example, staff involve children in identifying the importance of establishing and following boundaries, showing respect and tolerance for others.  Staff have strong relationships with parents. They successfully identify with parents, children's likes, interests and capabilities on entry to help provide experiences that reflect these. Staff keep parents fully informed of all their children's achievements at the club. They adhere to requests from parents to support children with their homework.  The arrangements to support new children to settle in are effective. Those children who have recently started at the club are confident in the environment and have strong relationships with their key person.  Staff have high expectations of children's independence and promote it effectively. When children arrive at the club from school they hang up their own bag and coat on

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This provision is good

their peg. At snack time, they take themselves to the bathroom to wash their hands and then serve their own food and drink.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 The monitoring and evaluation by the leaders is not yet highly successful to help drive improvement to an outstanding level and raise the quality of staff practice further.  The organisation of the daily routine and environment means that during the winter months children are not consistently able to choose to play outdoors. Also, at times the noise level indoors makes it difficult for children to communicate.

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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

 strengthen the evaluation of the club and more rigorously monitor staff, to prioritise areas for improvement, drive achievement, and raise the quality of practice to an outstanding level  give those children who prefer to play outdoors the opportunity to do so throughout the year and reduce the noise level indoors to enable children to communicate with ease.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the activities indoors and the interactions between staff and children.  The inspector talked to staff and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector completed a joint observation with the club leader.  The inspector held a meeting with the club leader, the group manager and provider. He looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the club.  The inspector spoke to parents during the inspection and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The management team has a strong dedication to improving staff qualifications and their knowledge of how to safeguard children. They strive to maintain a highly skilled workforce. Safeguarding is effective. Staff keep children safe in the club. For example, they use clear rules and close supervision to help ensure children do not injure themselves while they play on the indoor soft-play area. All staff are knowledgeable about child protection procedures, including how to report any concerns about the welfare of children. The provider implements robust recruitment procedures. He vets new staff who receive a comprehensive induction programme to train them on all aspects of their role and responsibilities.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Since the last inspection, staff have strived to build on their partnership with staff at the local school. They work as closely as possible with teachers to exchange information about children's development and use this to inform their planning of activities. Staff extend children's understanding of the celebration of Christmas from school by providing Christmas related activities. For example, children make reindeer food to leave out for them to eat on Christmas eve. In partnership with teachers at the school, staff provide additional support for individual children to help them to grasp new skills quickly. For instance, staff use the same books that children have at school to help them to practise their reading skills in the club. The quality of staff interaction with children is good. They use open-ended questions to encourage children to respond and to take part in conversations. Children enjoy being creative and using their imagination at the club. Staff

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

provide activities to help individual children to build on their skills from school, including their early writing skills. For example, children enjoy mixing paints together and observing how they change colour. They use a variety of different equipment, some of which they choose themselves to make marks and prints on paper using the paint. Children develop their mathematical skills, including recognising that when they dip the wheels of toy cars in paint and roll them across paper it makes a 'bumpy' pattern.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff give children plenty of praise as they play. This helps to promote their already high levels of self-esteem. Children's behaviour is good. Staff have discussed with children how they should manage their behaviour in the club. For example, they have used children's suggested method of clapping to gain their attention. Staff promote children's healthy lifestyles well. They use the feedback form parents and children to provide a range of nutritious snacks. When children ask staff if they can eat sweets in the club, staff explain to them that these are not healthy and therefore they cannot have them at the club.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY457713 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 1105491 Type of provision Full-time 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 66 Number of children on roll 54 Name of registered person Chestnut House Day Nursery Ltd

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 15 October 2014 Telephone number 01244880371

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reference number

Conkers After School Club registered in 2012. The club is open Monday to Friday, from 7.30am until 8.40am and 3pm until 6pm, during term time and from 7.30am until 6pm, during school holidays. It closes for one week at Christmas and bank holidays. The club employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, five hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above.

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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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