Natural Steps After School Club

Natural Steps After School Club ''The Globe'', 12 Portman Road, Reading, Berkshire RG30 1EA

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Inspection date 20 December 2018 Previous inspection date 3 August 2017

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Previous inspection: Requires improvement Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate 4 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4 Outcomes for children Not Applicable

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This provision is inadequate

n Managers do not ensure that staff have a robust understanding and awareness of the 'Prevent' duty guidance. They have not successfully embedded their safeguarding policies and procedures, to ensure all parents are fully aware of the safe use of mobile phones when present at the setting. n Risk assessment is weak. Managers fail to ensure the environment is safe and free from hazards. They do make sure staff have the ability to respond safely to children's individual health and medical needs. n Managers do not monitor staff practice effectively enough to improve their knowledge and understanding in all areas of practice. They do not ensure that the organisation of staff, children and activities is fully effective, to follow the interests of the younger children as they play. n Managers do not ensure all staff consistently interact, manage and respond to children's behaviour appropriately and at a level of their understanding. This has a

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This provision is inadequate

significant impact on children's emotional well-being. n At times, the organisation of some routines is a little chaotic and children are unable to communicate their individual needs to staff as quickly as they should. Managers do not review the provision effectively to identify continuous areas for improvement.

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It has the following strengths

n Older children benefit from exercise. For example, they practise their skills and use resources, such as hoops in different ways.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date improve staff knowledge and understanding of the 'Prevent' duty guidance 15/01/2019

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

implement strategies to ensure all parents are fully aware of, and abide by, the setting's safeguarding policies and procedures, in particular in relation to the safe use of mobile phones 15/01/2019

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

ensure risk assessments identify all aspects of the environment, to minimise potential risks to children's safety, with particular regard to hot pots and pans 15/01/2019

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

ensure there are suitable procedures to make sure staff have the ability to respond safely to children's individual health and medical needs 15/01/2019

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

improve arrangements for the monitoring and supervision of staff, to identify and act on weaknesses in practice 15/01/2019

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

ensure all staff follow the the setting's policies and procedures, and manage children's behaviour in an appropriate way. 15/01/2019

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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

n review the organisation of the environment, to provide younger children with a wider range of opportunities to express their ideas and make independent decisions in their play n improve the organisation of routines, to ensure staff can respond to the individual needs of younger children swiftly n enhance methods for self-evaluation and identify any weaknesses in practice to ensure continuous improvements.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

Inspection activities n The inspector had a tour of the premises with the manager. n The inspector held discussions with the manager, provider, children and staff at appropriate times during the inspection. n The inspector looked at various documents, including policies and procedures, risk assessments, staff training records, records for children and evidence of the suitability of staff. n The inspector conducted a joint observation with the manager. n The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

Safeguarding is not effective. Managers and staff fail to ensure that all parents are aware of, and follow, the setting's safeguarding policies and procedures, such as the safe use of mobile phones when present at the setting. Staff are aware of reporting procedures should they have concerns about a child. However, they are not confident in their knowledge of wider safeguarding issues, such as the 'Prevent' duty guidance and are not alert to signs of extreme views and behaviour. Managers fail to ensure the medication they receive and store for individual children is in date. This means children's health and safety cannot be fully assured. Managers have established some priorities for improvement since the last inspection. For example, they work closely with other providers, such as teachers at local schools to complement children's learning. However, they have not done enough to identify weaknesses in the provision and this has led to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

Managers follow safer recruitment procedures and offer staff ongoing training opportunities. However, the monitoring of staff is not effective enough in identifying weaknesses in their practice. Staff offer structured learning activities for younger children. However, some children do not want to take part and become frustrated. They are keen to make a Christmas card and their frustration grows in the delay. There are limited opportunities for younger children to move freely around the environment, to play and express their own ideas. This has a significant impact on their emotional well- being. That said, older children enjoy games and show patience. They enjoy construction play and craft activities and show good imagination. Older children are proud to show visitors their achievements. All parents spoken to on the day of the inspection, comment that staff share information on their children's successes daily.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The weaknesses in leadership and management mean that children's welfare is not assured. Managers and staff do not undertake robust risk assessments to ensure children's safety. For example, at teatime, food trays and pots are extremely hot and there are not sufficient strategies to prevent children from touching them. Occasionally, staff do not interact with children as positively as they could. They do not consistently support children to manage their behaviour and to understand the feelings of others. For instance, on the day of the inspection, staff did not challenge older children when they shouted at their younger peers. Staff provide a variety of fresh foods each day and children build on their understanding about positive food choices. However, some routines, such as teatime, are a little chaotic and younger children are frustrated when staff do not respond swiftly to their individual needs.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY305089 Local authority Reading Inspection number 10056964 Type of provision Out-of-school day care

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Childcare on non-domestic premises Age range of children 4 - 11 Total number of places 65 Number of children on roll 87 Name of registered person Community Mission Project

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 3 August 2017 Telephone number 01189 514444

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reference number

Natural Steps After School Club registered in 2005. It is located in Reading, Berkshire. It operates a breakfast club from 7.30am until 9am and an after-school club from 3pm until 6pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. Holiday care is provided between 8am and 6pm during school holidays. There are eight members of childcare staff, of whom four hold relevant qualifications at level 3 and two hold qualifications at level 2.

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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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procedures set out in the guidance Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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