Children’s Centres are performing well
Two Children’s Centres in Leamington Spa are celebrating excellent outcomes from their first Ofsted inspections.
Both Lillington and Sydenham Children’s Centres were judged to be ‘good’ ‘with outstanding features’ by a team of Ofsted inspectors who spent two days observing processes and service delivery, and consulting with staff and parents.
The inspections evaluated how well the centres facilitate access to early childhood services by parents, prospective parents and young children; maximise the benefit of those services; and improve the well-being of under-5s. Each centre demonstrated that families were getting the support they need.
The Lillington centre on Mason Avenue was praised for the personalised and effective support provided by staff to vulnerable families who use the centre.
An outstanding feature highlighted by the inspectors was the opportunities it offers for the personal development of users and the promotion of community cohesion.
One mother’s comment, ‘I do not know what I would do if there was not a children centre,’ summed up the feelings of most users who spoke to the inspectors.
To become even better, Ofsted suggested working with key partners to collect evidence about the impact of the centre’s services on users to help set ambitious targets for the future.
Across town in Calder Walk, the Sydenham centre impressed inspectors with ‘the outstanding quality of care and guidance it provides for families’ and
outstanding leadership from the head of the centre.
Learning outcomes were also judged to be good. Results from 2010 assessments for children at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage in the local area show that more children are attaining average levels of skill than last year. Also, the gap between those children who live in challenging circumstances and others is reducing well.
One suggestion from the inspectors to improve even further was to give more attention to records monitoring how effectively parents and carers develop their basic skills and gain further qualifications.
Warwickshire County Councillor Heather Timms, portfolio holder for children, young people and families said: “These centres are among the first in the county to be inspected by Ofsted, and I am delighted to see their good work recognised in this way.
“The quality of services and support on offer at the centres is extremely high and the Ofsted ratings reflect this. Good results are a testament the hard work of the staff who are effectively meeting the needs of young families in their communities.”
To read the full Ofsted inspection reports visit http://www.ofsted.gov.uk.