Active Bodies at Hilton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children chat to staff and each other about their day at school and are happy to share their experiences. They have opportunities to develop their physical skills and coordination.

For instance, staff help children persevere as they learn to accurately aim the ball over the net and towards the person on the other side while they play table tennis. Children enjoy this and smile with pleasure as they are successful, which encourages them to try again.Children show enthusiasm as they move around the hall choosing what to do from a selection of activities and toys on offer.

They behave well and are eager to join in activities ...the staff plan. Children spend long periods of time at these activities and fully engage in what they are doing. They develop their creative and imaginative skills as they take part in art and craft activities.

Children have great pleasure in creating monsters with many legs, two scary eyes and glittery bodies. Staff use these opportunities and involve children in conversations and increase their speaking skills. They talk about the characteristics of the monsters.

Children tell staff that their monster's name is 'Slimy because he eats slime and he is often angry and does not like noise'.

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

The manager is reflective and is eager to improve the club. She and her staff have worked as a team to address the actions from the previous inspection successfully.

Staff have regular supervision meetings. They have opportunities to talk about their practice and new ideas as well as further training. A change they have put in place because of these meetings is the way they organise teatime.

As a result, children now enjoy sociable teatimes that give them more time to play afterwards.The manager and staff build and maintain positive partnerships with the teachers at the school where they run the club. They complement the activities taking place in school.

For instance, in school, children are learning phrases they might use at the beginning of stories, for example, 'Once upon a time' and 'Long ago'. To help children to understand these phrases, staff introduce activities, such as dressing up as Princesses and Princes so they can make up stories themselves and use the phrases. In addition, the manager talks to reception class teachers each term so they can share information about the children who go to the club.

The manager implements an effective key-person system so staff can cater for children's individual needs. This helps children to settle into the club and for staff to establish partnerships with their parents. Parents say their children enjoy their time at the club and are confident their children are safe.

They further say staff are approachable and let them know about their child's experiences.Staff promote positive behaviour, they are good role models and speak to children with respect in a calm and nurturing ways. Getting down to the child's level and talking to them about what they are doing.

They encourage children to play together, share toys and take turns. For example, children use construction toys and talk about how they are going to make characters from a popular game. They wait patiently and share the pieces so they can build their characters successfully.

Staff interact with children with enthusiasm and support them while they play. They make suggestions to enhance what the children are doing, such as putting the doll in the cot so that it can sleep, which the children do. This widens their play as the children wrap the doll up and say 'sh, sh time for sleep'.

However, there are times when staff do things for children that they could do for themselves. For example, while children take part in art and craft activities, staff cut out eyes for children to put on their creations before the children try and do this for themselves. Also, children do not have the opportunity to serve their own food or pour their own drinks at mealtimes.

This does not increase their independent skills.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of the child protection procedures.

They undertake safeguarding training to update their knowledge. They know who to contact for advice and how to follow up on any potential concerns. The directors of the club use safer recruitment procedures to ensure staff are suitable to work with children.

Ongoing checks on staff are part of a robust approach to keeping children safe. The manager carries out risk assessments to identify and remove any hazards, so it is safe for children to play. She completes written accident forms to inform parents if any accident occurs.

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