Aktiva Camps at St Matthews

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children enjoy a wide variety of activities at this welcoming club.

They are safely collected from their classrooms by the staff and arrive smiling and happy. Children confidently make choices, such as if they want to have a snack or do an activity first. They know that the staff listen to and value their opinions.

This adds to their sense of belonging in the club. Children develop warm and friendly relationships with staff, which helps them to feel safe and secure. They respond positively to the staff's high expectations and their behaviour is consistently good.

Children of different ages get on exceptionally wel...l at the club. They form firm friendships and enjoy each other's company. Children talk happily together as they take part in games and activities.

They are highly creative and keen to explore their own ideas. For example, during art activities, children design and make their own unique pictures. They demonstrate excitement as they create different colours by mixing paints.

Children use their imaginations and add interesting features, such as handprints to represent the sun's rays. They encourage each other and make positive comments about their paintings. This supports children's confidence and self-esteem.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff are positive and enthusiastic about their work with the children. They say that they thoroughly enjoy working at the club. Staff receive regular supervision and training to help them fulfil their roles and responsibilities.

They say they are well supported by senior managers, who visit regularly and are 'always at the end of the phone'. This helps them to maintain a high quality of practice.Children are keen to share their views about the club.

They describe staff as 'kind and responsible'. They talk enthusiastically about their favourite activities and say they like being with their friends.Staff use the children's ideas and interests to help them plan the activities.

For instance, children are interested in creating models of rockets. In response, staff provide a range of materials that children can use to explore their ideas. This ensures that children are consistently involved and engaged at the club.

Children demonstrate very positive attitudes as they play and learn. They proudly demonstrate their mathematics knowledge as they measure ingredients to make play dough. They practise physical skills as they spoon out flour, pour water and then mix these together.

Children display imagination as they form the dough into the shapes of their favourite foods. They show interest in each other's ideas as they talk happily together.Children welcome opportunities to solve problems.

For instance, when children are not happy with the texture of their play dough, staff give them the task of improving it. Children enjoy this challenge and experiment by adding more flour and salt. They help each other and share ideas to resolve the issue.

Staff encourage the children to be fit and active. Some children are less keen on outdoor play. Therefore, staff provide games and activities that they know will appeal to them.

They encourage the children by saying they will join in with the games. This motivates the children to have a go.Children show kindness and respect for others.

They listen to each other's views and opinions. This often leads to lively discussions, such as whether only girls like the colour pink. Staff support these conversations and help children to rethink preconceived ideas and stereotypes.

This helps to create an inclusive environment, where everyone feels welcomed.Parents speak very highly of the club. They say the staff are friendly and helpful.

Parents comment that their children are well looked after. They are pleased to have a safe and nurturing place where their children can play happily after school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of safeguarding issues. This includes wider issues, such as the risks children may face from online abuse or radicalisation. Staff know how to identify signs of abuse and neglect, such as physical marks and changes in children's behaviour.

They know the procedures to follow if they become concerned about a child's welfare or the behaviour of an adult working with children. Staff understand how to assess risks, so that children play in a safe and secure environment. The provider carries out robust checks on staff, to ensure they are suitable to work with children.

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