St Thomas After School Club

St Thomas After School Club St Thomas Parish Centre, St Thomas Road, Lytham St Annes, FY8 1JL

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11 April 2018 24 May 2017

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement

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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

 Positive relationships between the children and staff results in children who are happy, confident and who enjoy their time at the setting.  Children behave well, which is reinforced through staff's explanation on how to share and take turns.  Parents spoke positively about the setting and the staff, commenting that staff are wonderful and 'go the extra mile' to help and support both children and parents.  Staff have a good understanding of children’s likes, dislikes and capabilities. They plan activities which challenge children to do their best and are linked to their interests’  Self-evaluation procedures take into account the views of children, parents and staff in identifying how to improve and develop the provision.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Although the key-person system is well established for younger children, this system is still in the development stage of providing similar support for older children.  Children engage in physical activities indoors to help to promote their good health, however opportunities for children to play outdoors do not happen often enough.  The manager is effective in identifying the learning and development needs of staff, however staff are not encouraged to identify their own strengths and areas for improvement to help to 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

 develop the key person system to ensure each child is assigned a key person, to help the child become familiar with the setting and have their individual care needs met  provide opportunities for children to access outdoor play on a regular basis, to help to promote their good health  encourage staff to identify their own strengths and areas for improvement to enhance their professional development.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to parents, staff and children during the inspection and took account of their views.  The inspector viewed a sample of policies, procedures and documents relating to the management of the club, including those relating to checks on the suitability of staff.  The inspector toured the premises both indoors and outdoors.  The inspector observed children engaged in snack time and a variety of activities.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. Staff have a secure awareness of safeguarding procedures. They have a good understanding of the indicators of abuse and neglect and of how to report concerns. This ensures children are kept safe from harm. The partnership with parents is strong. Parents spoke highly about the setting and how their children enjoy attending. Parents commented that staff are wonderful and 'go the extra mile' to help and support both children and parents. The provider is a reflective practitioner and is continually looking at ways of improving the setting. The views of children, parents are staff are taken into account when identifying priorities for improvement. For example, the children enjoy completing a questionnaire about what they like to do at the setting and about what activities they would like to see introduced. The provider effectively identifies how staff can improve their learning and development needs, however staff are not currently

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

encouraged to identify their own strengths and areas for improvement to help to improve their practice. Children are happy, confident and spoke of how they enjoy attending the after school club.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The committed staff team plan activities that build on children’s individual interests. As a result, children are provided with a wide variety of opportunities, which keeps children fully engaged and which complements their learning at school. For example, children have great fun playing in the 'garden centre' filling pots with flowers as they discuss how they are to 'mow the lawn.' This links well with their school’s current topic on growth. Staff interact well with children, keeping them engaged in activities and encouraging their language development. For example, children enjoy telling a story using the 'story cards' and delight as each take turns to contribute to the story. Children engage in physical activities indoors to help to promote their good health. However opportunities for children to play outdoors are not as frequent as they could be.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

The staff know the children in their care well. They have a good understanding of what children like and can do. The key person system for younger children is secure and well embedded. However, this is not the case for older children. Although this group of children have established trusting relationships with staff they are not assigned a specific key person. Staff model good behaviour which helps children understand how to play cooperatively, share and take turns. Children have opportunities to be independent as they play an active role during snack time with a 'helpers in the café' rota, involving children in helping others as they serve themselves snack. Children are learning to keep themselves healthy as the 'washing hands sign' at the snack table, remind children to wash their hands before eating. Children are learning to respect and value each other's similarities and differences, through the celebration of a variety of festivals, such as

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY494707 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 1133377 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 - 12 Total number of places 40 Number of children on roll 50 Name of registered person St Thomas After School Club Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 24 May 2017 Telephone number 07757360397

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reference number

St Thomas After School Club registered in 2015. The club employs six members of childcare staff, including the nominated individual for the committee. Of these, three hold appropriate early years qualifications between level 3 and level 5. The club opens from Monday to Friday, term time only. Sessions are from 7.15am to 8.45am and 3.20pm to 5.30pm.

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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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