To consider inspection reports and performance information for a selection of daycare providers.

The Chair welcomed the positive reports, noting the importance of Early Years education.  The Executive Member for Children’s Services highlighted the good partnership working which was referenced in the reports.

The Subgroup considered the recent Ofsted inspection report for Alexandra Park Children’s Learning Community, which had been judged as “good”.  The Senior Quality Assurance Officer (Early Years) informed Members that this provision had recently become an independent school for children up to the age of 11.  She highlighted the good teaching, the good behaviour and that it was a bilingual setting, citing studies which showed how bilingual education benefited children.  In response to a Member’s question, she reported that the setting attracted children from a wide area, including children who were electively home educated.  The Chair welcomed that the setting was developing relations with the local primary school.  In response to a question from the Chair, the Senior Quality Assurance Officer (Early Years) reported that the inspection related to the Early Years provision only but, as the setting had since become a school, at its next inspection it would be inspected as a school.

The Subgroup considered the recent Ofsted inspection reports for Happy Kids Delamere Park, which had been judged as “good” and Happy Kids Heybury Close, which had been judged as “outstanding”.  The Senior Quality Assurance Officer (Early Years) reported that both these settings were part of the Council’s tendered daycare provision.  She informed Members that the Delamere Park setting had been judged as “requires improvement” in November 2017 and that an action plan had been put in place which had resulted in improvements at that setting and the Heybury Close setting, which had moved from “good” to “outstanding”.  The Subgroup discussed the challenges of running a daycare provision in smaller premises, such as the Delamere Park site, where there wasn’t capacity to expand and offer more places.

The Subgroup considered the recent Ofsted inspection report for St Catherine’s Wrap Around Care, which had been judged as “outstanding”.  The Senior Quality Assurance Officer (Early Years) reported that, as with other wrap around care provision, the setting worked with a large number of children and that her team provided advice to the setting on how to work with the groups of children effectively.  In response to a Member’s question, she reported that the setting only provided care for pupils at St Catherine’s Primary School and highlighted the good relationship and information sharing with the school.  The Chair commented that there appeared to be a successful partnership between the setting and the school.

The Senior School Quality Assurance Officer reported that officers prepared a report for the Quality Assurance Board on all inspections and the outcomes and offered to provide this to the next meeting, to which the Chair agreed.  The Senior Quality Assurance Officer (Early Years) informed Members that 98% of Manchester’s Early Years settings were now judged as “good” or “outstanding”.  Members thanked the Quality Assurance Team for their hard work in supporting settings to achieve this excellent result.

A Member requested that a visit be arranged to Alexandra Park Children’s Learning Community, to which the Chair agreed.

Decisions

1.            To note that officers will provide the report prepared for the Quality         

Assurance Board on all inspections and their outcomes to the next meeting.

2.         To write to Alexandra Park Children’s Learning Community, Happy Kids Delamere Park, Happy Kids Heybury Close and St Catherine’s Wrap Around Care to congratulate them on their recent Ofsted report.

3.         To request that a visit be arranged to Alexandra Park Children’s Learning Community for Members of the Subgroup.