Ladybirds Out Of School Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are happy to attend the club.

They enjoy choosing their own activities and spend time playing with their friends. For example, children particularly enjoy being creative. They take part in a range of craft activities and enjoy dressing up and using their imagination.

There is a secure and stable staff team that works extremely well together. This helps children to feel settled and well supported in their care. Safeguarding is given utmost priority.

Staff are knowledgeable and vigilant. They help children to learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they ask children to remind them about safety rules... indoors and they complete outdoor risk assessments together.

Staff spend time talking to children and get to know them as individuals. They plan activities and provide resources that follow the children's interests well. For example, they create games about popular characters and cartoons from the television.

Children behave well. They understand the rules in the club and listen to staff carefully. They enjoy choosing 'tickets' as a reward for their good behaviour and excitedly choose a prize.

Children are positive about the activities they can do and feel that they are listened to.

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

Children enjoy being outdoors. They play cooperatively in groups, for example boys challenge each other to a game of football or cricket.

Younger children practise throwing and catching and chase each other around. This helps to develop their physical and social skills effectively.Older children enjoy relaxing and read their books quietly in a corner.

Staff spend time talking to children while they draw and practise their writing. This supports children to develop a thirst for reading and learn vital literacy skills for the future.Staff support and extend learning from school.

For example, children create a song about how to stay safe when using the internet. Staff skilfully discuss this and reinforce important messages about online safety. Children can also complete their homework and practise spelling with support.

Staff encourage children to develop their mathematical skills effectively. Among other things, children complete a tally chart when the register is being called to calculate the total number. They enjoy learning and reciting numbers in different languages, such as Japanese.

Younger children play a game of hopscotch outside and practise writing and identifying the numbers.Staff have developed close relationships with staff in the school. This enables them to share key information about the children easily.

They also find out about the current topics, such as 'toys', so that these can be included in the club's planning.Parents are very happy with the overall quality of the club. For example, they comment that 'staff are fantastic and provide an excellent environment'.

Staff keep parents well informed through daily conversations and also send updates via email and text messages. These positive relationships help to promote strong communication and continuity of care successfully.Staff reflect on the overall quality of the club.

They gather the views of parents to help identify areas to improve. For example, they introduce an 'early tea' option for children who need to leave early to attend other sports clubs or activities.Managers complete regular supervision meetings with staff to monitor their overall performance.

However, there is scope to improve how their professional development is targeted, for example, to help further raise the quality of staff interactions with children during play.Staff promote children's independence well. For example, children hang up their own coats up and put their bags away when they first arrive.

They make their own choices in play and at mealtimes, for example choosing the filling for their sandwiches. However, children could be given more responsibility during mealtimes to help maximise their involvement and engagement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff show excellent knowledge of child protection issues. They all complete safeguarding training and regularly update their understanding of wider safeguarding matters. They can confidently identify signs and symptoms of possible abuse and neglect.

They understand the procedures in place and who to share any concerns with. They rigorously monitor the number of children present at the club, for example, when they collect children from the classrooms, at the start of the session and again before tea. They work hard to ensure that children are picked up safely by the correct people at the end of the day.