Better education and care

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage.

The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding:

this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality

Good:

this aspect of the provision is strong

Satisfactory:

this aspect of the provision is sound

Inadequate:

this aspect of the provision is not good enough

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Starfish Holiday Club was established in 1995. It operates from two rooms, the hall and a classroom in the Stutton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, in the village of Stutton. The club also uses the pre-school port-a-cabin in the school grounds when teachers have a professional development day. The holiday club serves the local area and surrounding villages. A maximum of 32 children may attend at any one time. The club is open each weekday from 08:30 until 18:00 during the school holidays. Children access the enclosed field and the adventure play area within the school grounds.

Children can attend for a variety of sessions and come from a wide catchment area. The setting currently supports a number of children with additional needs.

The club currently employs eight staff, of these four staff hold appropriate play work qualifications.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROVISION

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health is promoted well, through the good hygiene procedures that are in place. All areas used by the children are kept clean and all crockery is washed up and left to drain, ensuring that it is hygienic for children's use. Children's understanding of personal hygiene is being developed well, through the daily routine, as they know that they need to wash their hands before eating. In warm weather children's health is further promoted as they can sit outside in the shade and parents are asked to bring sun hats and sun cream to protect children from sun damage.

The is plenty of space available in the large hall to promote children's physical skills well, as children can access table tennis, air hockey and snooker. The school field is used to play ball games and they also access the adventure play area, where children can climb the large structures. This ensures children have access to physical play whatever the weather to promote their physical development well. There are large cushions available if children wish to sit quietly, rest or take time out from the range of activities provided.

Children bring their own packed lunch if staying all day. They are provided with healthy snacks each morning and afternoon that meet their individual dietary needs well. For example, they have cheese, crackers and apple for snack. Jugs of juice or water are available at all times for children to help themselves to when needed.

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Starfish holiday club use a designated classroom in Stutten Primary School. The field and adventure play area are secure and enclosed, any areas children are not allowed to access are fenced off protecting them from potential hazards. Before children access the outside play area this is checked by staff and the children are always supervised when they go out to play, ensuring that their safety is a priority.

There is a daily checklist that is completed by staff on all areas of the setting before children arrive, this ensures that there are no hazards accessible to them. Risk assessments are also completed at the beginning of each holiday period and covers all areas, activities, toys and the equipment ensuring everything is safe for children to access. Additional risk assessments are carried out if there are any changes to ensure that children are effectively protected from potential hazards.

Fire drills are carried out each term, but due to the children's varied pattern of attendance, fire procedures are regularly discussed with the children, ensuring that children know what to do in an emergency and that their safety is promoted.

All staff are aware of the procedures to follow and whom to contact if they have concerns about the welfare of a child. Local contact numbers for the Local Safeguarding Children Board are displayed, so they are easily accessible. The clear induction procedures for all staff include child protection, ensuring that they know their responsibilities and that the children's welfare is promoted.

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are provided with a wide range of activities both inside and outside, that they are free to choose from. The staff listen to children and ask them what they would like to do, giving them free choice, this helps to promote their independence well. Children use clay to create dinosaurs and candle holders. Staff and children take part in painting a large display on the planets for the week's topic on 'space'. Some children put on an 'air show' for staff and other children using model planes that they have designed and built using Lego.

There are staff meetings before each holiday where the staff input ideas for the activities and themes for each week of the holidays. This week theme is 'space', themes are backed up by references books, this further promotes children's understanding and learning as they take part in the activities provided. Activities are evaluated at the end of the week, ensuring that the outcomes were reached and that the children enjoyed taking part.

As part of the activities, workshops on football and tennis are provided by appropriately qualified staff to develop the children's skills and enjoyment in these sports.

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are welcomed into the setting, the staff take time to talk to each child on an individual basis, this helps to settle the children on arrival. The group have a wide mix of staff, who get down to the children's level and join in their play and games ensuring children get the best from their time at the club.

The groups rules were discussed and developed with the children, who all inputted suggestions as to what they should be. They are displayed in the hall as a gentle reminder to all children so they know what is expected of them, helping them to behave well. Staff have a calm, consistent attitude to managing children's behaviour. Children are given clear explanations by staff, who encourage the children to take turns and good manners is also promoted.

The relationships with parents are friendly, staff greet them all warmly on arrival. The notice board, newsletters and separate letters on outings, help to keep parents informed about all the activities that the club provides. When parents collect their children staff give them feedback on how their children have been whilst attending the club.

Organisation

The organisation is good. Comprehensive documentation is in place to support the group and ensure children are safe and their welfare is promoted. There is not sufficient qualified staff working directly with the children. However, there is an action plan on recruitment and retention of qualified staff in place to address this issue. All staff working directly with the children are checked ensuring children's welfare is promoted.

There are clear induction procedures for staff with written details of their responsibilities and job descriptions to ensure staff are aware of their roles. Additional staff come in to cover for staff lunch breaks ensuring all staff are given a break during their working day. Children are signed in and out daily by parents on the registers, however there is no register for staff to show who is on the premises each day.

The individual records of children are placed in a separate folder each day, to ensure that their personal details are easy accessible in an emergency and also for staff to check any health or allergy needs they may have. There is a high staff ratio and additional volunteers ensure children's welfare and care is given priority.

Overall the needs of children are met.

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the club was asked to ensure that all staff working with the children are checked. There are clear procedures in place to ensure that this is completed, all current staff have undergone checks, promoting children's safety well.

They were also asked to ensure that there is a suitable qualified member of staff on duty at all times. The club coordinator is a qualified teacher and is available on the premises at all times and works directly with the children when needed. There are three other appropriately qualified staff members available, ensuring the children's care and welfare is effectively promoted.

They were also asked to replace missing risk assessment documentation. There are completed risk assessment in place that are undertaken at the start of each holiday. If there are any changes then staff carry out additional risk assessments to ensure children's safety is effectively promoted.

The policy on behaviour management has been amended to include procedures for dealing with any instances of bullying. The child protection statement now includes clear procedures for all staff to follow if there is an allegation made against a member of staff that all staff understand, ensuring that children's welfare is a priority. The complaints policy now includes the contact details of the regulator.

Permission for any medication administered to children is requested from parents and a record is kept with children's individual records that parents sign, this ensures that parents know when medication has been administered to their child.

Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints made to Ofsted since the last inspection.

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation (s):

· ensure that there is a system in place for registering the arrival and departure times of staff during opening hours.

Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Inspection report for early years provision