Hippo's Club

Hippo's Club St. Austins RC CP School, Garden Street, Stafford, Staffordshire, ST17 4BT

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25 April 2018 6 November 2017

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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

 Since the last inspection, the provider has taken rapid action to address weaknesses. All committee members have swiftly provided the necessary information to Ofsted to check their suitability to fulfil their roles and responsibilities.  Children's behaviour is exemplary. They show respect, kindness and understanding towards others. Staff follow the host school's behaviour policy and rules so there is clear consistency for children. They firmly believe in rewarding children's exceptional behaviour, such as providing treat nights like watching a film.  Staff go above and beyond to organise activities to help children to develop important skills for the future, including how to keep safe. For example, they organise for fire fighters to visit the club to demonstrate to children what to do if their clothes catch fire. Children can recall the guidance given to them, 'Stop, drop and roll'.  Staff work extremely closely with the teachers from the host school. This helps them to

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This provision is outstanding

identify children's skills when they start and provide superb opportunities for children to build on learning from school. Staff share children's achievements in the club with their class teacher and parents to help keep them fully informed.  The manager is an excellent leader. She has mentored staff to help to raise the quality of their interactions with children and she has given staff the support they need to increase their levels of qualification. This has helped to significantly enhance their personal performance and help them to become highly skilled.

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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

 extend the already excellent opportunities for children to learn about food, and build even further on their understanding of where food comes from and how to grow it.

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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 completed a joint observation with the club manager.  The inspector held a meeting with the club manager. He looked at relevant documentation and evidence of the suitability of staff working in the club and committee members responsible for running the club.  The inspector viewed parents' written comments and took account of their views.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is outstanding

Safeguarding is effective. Staff give children's safety their utmost priority, including teaching them excellent safety rules. All staff have in-depth knowledge of child protection procedures. The manager's self-evaluation of the club is meticulous and has helped to raise standards significantly from the last inspection to provide outstanding care for children. She very successfully gathers the views of others in her evaluation and acts on all their feedback. For example, staff have used parents' suggestions and increased the opportunities for children to access the reading scheme books from the host school. This significantly enhances children's opportunities to practise their reading skills. This excellent evaluation has helped the club go from strength to strength.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

The quality of activities provided to children are rich, varied and imaginative and staff's practice is worthy of dissemination to others. Staff provide opportunities for children to broaden their already excellent understanding of different countries and customs, such as America. They teach children how to securely use technology to find out about the American flag. Staff provide a vast range of art materials for children to use to make the flag. They encourage children to solve problems and think for themselves as they extend the activity even further. For example, children choose to put their flag on a wooden stick, however, the stick is too long. Children think about how to solve the problem, such as cutting the stick with a saw. Staff are highly responsive to children's ideas and together they find a saw and use a vice to secure the stick and cut it down to the correct size. Children identify the stick is too rough when they have sawn it and they need sandpaper.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

Staff provide this and children use it to successfully make the end of their stick smooth, ready to attach their flag.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

Staff place a strong emphasis on helping children to learn about good family values, such as being grateful to their parents. They encourage children to demonstrate this in different ways, including cooking for their parents in the club. For instance, children invite their parents into the club for tea, and prepare and cook a three-course meal for them. Events like these encourage parents' close links with the club. Staff provide additional activities to help to enhance children's skills and vary their experiences at the club, such as the '23 things to do at Hippo's challenge'. Children learn how to achieve skills, such as climbing a tree safely. Experiences such as this help to keep children active and contribute to their healthy lifestyles. Staff have a strong focus on promoting children's good health, including teaching them about the importance of eating fruit and vegetables. They have identified

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are outstanding

through their own precise evaluation ways to extend this, such as by growing food themselves to help children to understand where it comes from. However, they have not yet fully implemented these plans to further children's knowledge of this.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY270130 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 1118204 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 56 Name of registered person Hippo's Club Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 6 November 2017 Telephone number 01785 356765

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reference number

Hippo's Club registered in 2003. It is run by a voluntary management committee. The club employs seven members of childcare staff. Of these, all hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 2 or above. The club opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only, from 7.45am to 8.45am and 3.15pm to 6pm, except for Friday when it closes at 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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