Our latest Ofsted Report:

St Paul's Out Of School Club
Inspection report for early years provision
Unique reference number
EY255858
Inspection date
07/10/2009
Inspector
Elizabeth Patricia Edmond
Setting address
St. Pauls Church, Holgate Road, York, North Yorkshire, YO24 4BF
Telephone number
07726 334 608
l
Type of setting
Childcare on non-domestic premises
Inspection Report: St Paul's Out Of School Club, 07/10/2009
2
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to 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 rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.
If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.
You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.
Royal Exchange Buildings
St Ann's Square
Manchester
M2 7LA
T: 08456 404040
Textphone: 0161 618 8524
E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
W: www.ofsted.gov.uk
© Crown copyright 2009
Inspection Report: St Paul's Out Of School Club, 07/10/2009
3
This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
Introduction
This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.
The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).
Children only attend this setting before and/or after the school day and/or during the school holidays. The judgements in this report reflect the quality of early years provision offered to children during those periods.
The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.
Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration.
Inspection Report: St Paul's Out Of School Club, 07/10/2009
4
This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
Description of the setting
St Paul's Out of School Club has been registered since June 2003. It operates from the crypt in St Paul's church, which is located close to York city centre in the Holgate area. Children have access to a large open plan room with a raised area. Toilet facilities are located adjacent to the main playroom and kitchen and office facilities are available. Children do not have access to the immediate outdoor area, but they do have access to the school field that is located nearby for outdoor play. The group is run by a voluntary management committee. They employ five staff to work with the children, the majority of whom have appropriate qualifications and/or experience. The group receives support from the committee's management structure and from the local authority. The group serves St Paul's and English Martyr's Primary schools which are located within easy walking distance of the club's premises. Children are escorted to and from school on foot. At the time of the inspection, the club was operating Monday to Friday from 7.45am to 8.45am and then from 3.00pm until 6.00pm during term time only; the management are working towards opening earlier to accommodate parents' working hours. The group is also registered to provide holiday care but this does not normally operate. The group is registered on the Early Years register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. There are currently five children on roll in the early years age group and 98 older children.
The overall effectiveness of the early years provision
Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.
St Paul’s Out of School club mainly provides care for older children, yet supports younger children effectively in accessing the range of enjoyable activities available which on the whole cover all six areas of learning. There have been changes to staff at all levels of the organisation but the newly appointed manager has already made great strides in evaluating what needs to be done in order to continually improve outcomes for youngest children. The staff team are beginning to work very well together. The shared nature of the premises presents a degree of challenge to staff, but they arrive in good time to make the resources and facilities as accessible as possible.
What steps need to be taken to improve provision further?
To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:
work with the children to develop routines for their tea time snack to further promote their independence continue to develop systems for monitoring children's learning and development, linking with their main Early years Foundation Stage settings to
Inspection Report: St Paul's Out Of School Club, 07/10/2009
5
This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
provide continuity in their continued progress.
The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early years provision
Children are safeguarded due to the clearly defined procedures and effective recruitment and training programmes at all levels. Similarly, all documentation necessary for the safe management of the provision is generally well organised, professionally maintained and kept up to date. For example, records of children's details are confidentially filed, and staff are vigilant in keeping daily risk assessment or attendance records up to date. Staff get to know about children's individual needs their individual care and safety needs are promoted. Effective management, at committee level, has provided a good level of continuity for the children during the recent period of staff changes. For example, the committee has found cover from other out-of-school clubs in the area and key committee members have got to know the children well enough so that they can be cared for in a consistent manner. This supportive system also means that despite staff changes, improvements made following previous inspections are still having a positive impact on children. For example, procedures for managing complaints are now fully in place and key staff have had training in the administration of emergency medication. At the same time, the new on-site manager has quickly started to use various self evaluation systems to make plans to continually improve the facilities and the programme of care and learning for the children. For example, she has been very proactive in involving the local authority in guiding her use Ofsted’s self evaluation form and in accessing important training. She has also been successful in securing useful amounts of funding for new resources. The group continues to work effectively on several aspects of developing the provision. Staff’s motivation and dedication are a key factor in the success of the group. They continue to attend short training courses to keep important knowledge and skills, such as first aid or safeguarding, up to date. Management are also fully supportive when staff feel confident enough to aim for higher qualifications. There is good clear information for parents in the form of policies and procedure which are easily accessible in the entrance. The notice board and regular newsletters also keep parents informed of any changes. Relationships with parents are relaxed and friendly and they chat about care arrangements and the days events at collection time or as they see each other in the school playground. Regular questionnaires enable parents and children to contribute to the quality of the provision and to make any improvements. For example, when parents notify the group of a change in working patterns staff put plans in place to open the club a little earlier. Partnerships with other Early years Foundation Stage providers are already in place. Staff are well- known in the various schools where they collect children. The manager also gets to know key personnel at local network meetings. This means that lines of communication are open should there be any difficulties. However,
Inspection Report: St Paul's Out Of School Club, 07/10/2009
6
This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
systems for linking with other settings about children’s learning and development needs are less clearly defined.
The quality and standards of the early years provision and outcomes for children
Children make themselves at home in the out of school club and they develop positive, trusting relationships with the staff and the older children. They chat cheerfully on their way to the club from nursery or school and they have fun in the school yard as they wait for the oldest children to arrive. Key staff deal skilfully and tactfully with a range of older children's behaviour which contributes significantly to the vibrant, sometimes boisterous, yet very happy environment. The shared nature of the premises means that everything has to be packed away after each session. However, staff open the cupboards so that children can see everything that is available and they confidently ask for items they cannot reach. At the same time, although there is no adjacent outdoor play space, the group do have access to the nearby school field and children are taken, as a group, to play outdoors when it is practical to do so. Although there is no specific focus on challenging children in relation to their learning and development, staff provide a range of recreational and sporting activities that enable them to consolidate what they learn in school. For example, there are table top games where children can practice their developing skills to match, sort or add up, such as dice games or construction kits. There are opportunities for creative play when staff set out art equipment or dressing up clothes. Importantly, key staff have an understanding of the six areas of learning in the Early years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and how this can be addressed through children's favourite play activities. Having just started EYFS staff have now begun to develop systems to monitor and enhance children’s learning and development. Due to the newness of the system and the staff, the system is not yet fully operational. Children enjoy the healthy tea time snacks and because they help to devise the menus there is always something that they like. There is often fresh fruit available and they like noodles or savoury rice, but they also enjoy the occasional treat such as hot chocolate with marshmallows. The group arrangements for the tea time snack means that staff can make sure that all children have washed their hands and that they all get a drink before they go home. However, routines do not fully promote their independent skills and some children become restless as they wait for their food to be served. Children learn to keep themselves safe as they play in the club and when they are out and about. They are confident in the routines for wearing their high visibility jackets as they walk from school or nursery and their very sensible behaviour further promotes their safety at that time. Routines and support in the club also helps them to understand about staying safe such as how to stack the chairs after tea or how to play carefully with their friends.
Inspection Report: St Paul's Out Of School Club, 07/10/2009
7
This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006
Annex A: record of inspection judgements
The key inspection judgements and what they mean
Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality
Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong
Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound
Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough
The overall effectiveness of the early years provision
How well does the setting meet the needs of the children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?
3
The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement
3
The effectiveness of leadership and management of the early years provision
How effectively is the Early Years Foundation Stage led and managed?
3
The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement
3
The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources
3
The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity
3
The effectiveness of safeguarding
3
The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement
2
The effectiveness of partnerships
3
The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers
3
The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage
The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage
3
Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage
Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage
3
The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning
3
The extent to which children feel safe
3
The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles
3
The extent to which children make a positive contribution
3
The extent to which children develop skills for the future
3
Any complaints about the inspection or report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk
Inspection Report: St Paul's Out Of School Club, 07/10/2009
8