Lambs After School Club

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children arrive happily at this home-from-home provision.

They confidently take off their own coats and put away their own belongings. They smile as they greet staff at the club. Staff have created a culture which promotes children's 'voices' and 'choices', supporting children's emotional well-being.

Staff have created a stimulating environment and they skilfully incorporate children's interests into activities provided to motivate them. This allows children to be independent in choices they make in their play. Children behave well and manage their own conflicts.

They confidently engage in activities together and ...show an embedded understanding of turn-taking. Older children play a game of table football with younger children and they praise each other as they score. Other children watch and cheer on their friends.

Staff support new children on their first day at the club. They sensitively encourage them to join them in activities and explore the new environment. Staff give children lots of individual attention, so that they feel safe and secure during their time at the club.

Nurturing staff join in play with children. They play alongside them and engage them in conversation about their day. Children respond well to staff.

They listen and follow instructions well.

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

Children spend a significant amount of their time outdoors becoming 'happy and healthy learners'. Older children engage in ball games, and enthusiastic staff teach children about working together as a team.

Younger children enjoy creating their own obstacle course with their friends. They skilfully build and balance using wooden planks and crates, learning to manage their own risks during their play. Children confidently demonstrate how they line up and take it in turns to walk across.

Children of all ages show a strong understanding of managing their own care needs. They attend to toileting and handwashing independently. Children confidently self-serve and select their own healthy snack from the nutritious options available.

Staff encourage children to independently peel and cut their own fruits using small knives.Staff value children's ideas and artwork and put these on display within the club. Children are encouraged by staff to create their own 'wish list' of resources they would like to play with.

This helps all children to be motivated and remain deeply focused in activities. Children's faces are displayed in the play environment, and this helps all children to feel a sense of belonging.Relationships with parents are strong.

Parents highly praise the club and the varied activities that they provide for children. They state that staff are 'dedicated' and 'attentive' and that all staff know children as individuals. Parents appreciate the flexibility of the club and state that communication between parents and staff is a real strength.

Children state that they love attending and explain they never want to leave.Staff get to know all children very well. They regularly observe children to identify their interests and create future learning goals.

Staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities while at the club. They report that they feel very well supported by leaders and managers. Experienced managers encourage staff to discuss and reflect on recent training attended, to raise practice across the club.

Staff receive feedback on their own practice during supervision meetings. Staff use this information effectively to identify targets to help them improve in their own role.Leaders and managers prioritise teamwork in the club.

They actively seek the views of all children and parents who attend. All staff are kept up to date with areas of focus for children, and the staff team regularly reflect about the individual needs of children in their care. Leaders and managers are highly reflective and are passionate about driving continuous improvement across the club.

For example, they recently adapted their enrolment process to help them obtain detailed information about individual children's stages of development. This allows staff to have a secure understanding of all children's needs before starting at the club.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff share a secure understanding of their roles for keeping children safe from harm. Staff complete safeguarding training as part of their induction to the club and this knowledge is regularly tested by leaders and managers during supervisions. Staff demonstrate a good awareness of wider safeguarding issues, including county lines and domestic violence.

Staff have sound knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse. They confidently discuss the correct procedures they should follow for recording and reporting concerns to outside professionals. A well-established relationship ensures that concerns regarding a child's welfare are shared with the local schools that children attend.

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