School’s Out @ Cubbington

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Staff offer a pleasant and inviting environment for children to relax and play with their friends after a busy day at school. Children are happy.

They make choices about what they would like to play with and settle quickly to a range of activities. There is a buzz of excitement as a group of children enjoy playing bingo. Children play imaginatively with their friends as they explore toy dinosaurs and play with superhero figures and small-world toy sets.

Staff recognise when children will benefit from a play partner and interact warmly and sensitively with them. They listen intently to children as they eagerly talk about th...e games they are playing. Staff show a keen interest and value what children say.

They respond with enthusiasm, which helps children to develop confidence in their abilities. Children enjoy taking part in sewing activities and like to sit and colour their chosen pictures with their friends. They show teamwork as they enjoy playing table hockey.

Children are very independent. They are involved in preparing snack and delight in serving this to their friends. They are polite, well mannered and show respect to staff and each other.

Children play very well together. Older children invite younger children into their play, and they share and take turns without any reminders.

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

Members of the experienced, well-established committee take on roles that link closely to their individual skills and expertise for the benefit of the club.

The manager and deputy work closely with the committee. They all have a good overview of the club and complete a self-assessment to identify areas of the provision to develop further. The manager involves staff, children and parents in the evaluation and ensures that their voices are listened to.

Staff benefit from regular meetings with the manager and discuss any concerns they may have. They complete mandatory training, including first aid and safeguarding. The manager and deputy have recently undertaken forest school training.

They say that this has had a positive impact on the range of outdoor experiences offered. The manager is currently looking for training relating to behaviour management because staff identified this as being an area where they would like to develop further skills. However, some staff are not receptive to additional training and there is scope to find more innovative ways to identify how their skills and expertise can be built on to help raise the quality of the experiences offered to children.

Children have daily use of exciting outdoor areas, weather permitting. They have lots of opportunities to develop their physical skills and take appropriate risks. For example, staff have developed the 'fitness factory', which is an area with outdoor gym equipment.

Children have use of the adventure playground and school field. In addition, children now take part in many activities in the woodland area. Children learn about keeping safe.

Staff teach them about the importance of washing their hands. Children excitedly recall an activity where they were using glitter to show how germs can stick to their hands. The manager asks questions to test children's memory about why they need to wash the germs off their hands thoroughly.

Children celebrate different festivals and are respectful of one another. Staff have introduced food tasting from around the world and have completed craft activities in line with festivals that are special to the children. However, there is scope for the club to provide more opportunities for children to learn about families, traditions and communities beyond their own.

Children's behaviour is good. They are involved in developing the rules of the club and fully understand expectations and boundaries. Staff are positive role models and they value the uniqueness of every child as an individual.

Children are kind and considerate to one another.Partnerships with parents and teachers in the school are strong. Staff who work in both the school and club share experiences and knowledge of the children to ensure there is continuity between the school and the club.

Communication is key, and staff share information with teachers and parents to ensure that everyone is kept well informed about the children. Parents are extremely happy with the club. They say that the staff are wonderful, and their children love coming.

Parents are very happy with the range of activities that their children take part in and say that children are often reluctant to go home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and deputy, who are the designated safeguarding leads, fully understand their responsibilities to safeguard children.

They ensure that staff receive training and information to keep their knowledge up to date and in line with the club's procedures. Staff are fully aware of the local referral procedures to follow if they are concerned about a child. They know what to do should they have concerns about the conduct of a colleague.

The managers and staff work closely with the school, and information is shared if concerns arise about a child's safety or well-being. The premises are safe and secure, and risk assessments are completed to minimise any hazards to children. The manager and committee ensure that all necessary suitability checks for staff are completed, and regular updates ensure their ongoing suitability.

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