Shooting Stars

Shooting Stars Booking Form Summer 2019

“Our ethos for children in our care is to offer a wide range of activities, both adult-led and child initiated, which meet individual leisure and relaxation needs, within a supportive environment.”

At Shooting Stars we work tirelessly to ensure the children have a varied, interesting and enjoyable provision in a safe and caring environment. We are fully inclusive, Ofsted registered for children aged 4 to 11 years old. We provide breakfast and after school club for Southdale C of E Junior School, Dimple Well Infant School and Nursery, St. Ignatius Catholic Primary School and South Ossett Infants’ Academy. We Offer parents and carers flexibility and reassurance that their child (children) will be cared for prior to and after school.

The first assessment we make of your child’s individual needs is called ‘All about Me’. This allows us to find out about current likes, dislikes, routines and learning. We ask for your help in completing this, as you have far greater knowledge than us.

Additionally each child’s named ‘Key Person’ will observe, while interacting, to see how they are settling into a new setting and what they enjoy or are unsure about in this new environment. These initial observations lead to ‘next step’ planning, based on the practice guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage. In this way, individual developmental needs are met, building on what a child can do.

Our provision will be planned to ensure that there are a wide range of opportunities for progressive development of all of the three PRIME areas and four SPECIFIC areas of the EYFS framework.

The PRIME areas are:

The SPECIFIC areas are:

The EYFS Framework and further guidance can be found at www.foundationyears.org.uk and www.education.gov.uk/publications

The majority of our activities are child led; children are given an activity form to fill in at the beginning of each term which will then make up the planning for that term. There is also a ‘Have you say’ board for the children to note down any particular activity or change to the areas of play that they would like to see. This is then used to inform our future planning and development ideas for the room.

Daily Routines
Each morning breakfast will be served from 8am, until school set off time (varies depending on school from 8.30 to 8.40am).

After school a snack tea will be served at approximately 4.00pm, offering a ‘family sitting’ which we use as a social time between the staff and children.

Activities will then be set up following the children’s requests with a wide variety of free choice play spaces also available, including construction areas, games table, quiet areas & a computer/tablet/games console area.

Weather permitting, we offer outdoor play on a daily basis at the after school club. We operate a free flow system, allowing the children the choice of indoor or outdoor play as they wish. We are based at Ossett Albion Cricket Club and there is an extensive open and safe space for play. We also use the local park (Green Park), which has been fully risk assessed. Children have a variety of sports and games equipment to choose from including bats & balls, footballs, cricket sets, French boules, hula hoops, frisbees, rounders’ & skipping ropes. Play from our continuous provision is also extended into our outdoor play – the children are able to select activities of their choice and use them in our outdoor area.

Staffing
Our Safeguarding Children Policy details the rigorous steps we take to ensure that all of the adults who work with your child are suitable to do so. Qualifications and references are checked and a  Disclosure & Baring Service is in place. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is recognised as an essential element of ensuring that we maintain high quality practice within the nursery and the out of school club. It enables all staff to reflect on their own practice and to have opportunity to influence improvement and development.

All staff are given a personal folder, where policies are filed for reference and training certificates are kept. We aim to ensure that all staff have regular access to CPD training. This is either internally led, in order to cascade good practice, or externally provided. Annual Performance Management (APM) meetings, with mid-year reviews, give every member of staff the opportunity to discuss their individual training needs and future aspirations. Following APM meetings, an annual training plan is devised and courses accessed on a planned basis, ensuring that staffing is maintained at a stable level, while CPD is undertaken.

Each child will be assigned a key person, who will liaise closely with you to ensure that your child receives an enjoyable and challenging learning and development experience that is tailored to meet their individual needs. Two way communication is at the heart of our philosophy. The ratio of staff to children will follow the legal requirements in the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (children 3 and over; at least 1 member of staff for every 8 children).

Ofsted Reports

Ofsted 16-04-2012 EY429874__1

Ofsted 23-05-2013 EY429874__2

Ofsted 08-12-2016 EY429874__4

Food and Drinks

Please click on this link to view the  document on our policy for healthy and nutritious meals.

Please note we are a NUT FREE environment.