Anchor Day Care

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children enter the club with excitement and are warmly greeted by the attentive staff.

Staff collect children from school and talk to them about their day. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and cared for. As children enter the club, they hang up their belongings and wash their hands.

They gather together and enjoy a healthy snack. Mealtimes are a hive of communication for this happy group of staff and children. Children talk to staff about their plans for the weekend.

Staff talk to children about how to keep themselves safe around lakes and rivers. Children make choices about where to play in this comfortin...g environment. They become deeply involved in their imaginary play, accessing a range of additional objects to extend their play ideas.

Children behave well. They invite staff and other children into their play and build positive relationships. Children are invited to play outside.

They show pride, strength and coordination as they swing across the monkey bars. Staff encourage children to have a go at new experiences and praise their achievements. Children and staff play hide and seek together and make dens.

Staff use their excellent knowledge of the children and families to plan exciting activities. For instance, they get messy with glitter and shaving foam outdoors and roll down the hill with encouragement from the enthusiastic staff.

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

Staff celebrate each unique child and allow them to flourish with their own interests.

Children sing their favourite songs, and staff encourage them to continue doing what they enjoy. The on-site school shares information with the staff about the children's next steps through regular multi-agency meetings. The supportive staff use this information to plan creative activities for the children.

For example, at snack time, staff talk about shape and count with children as this is something they are working on at school.The management of the club recognises the importance of outdoor play for children's well-being. Staff plant fruit and vegetables with children and explore the sensory garden.

Children enjoy physical activities. They play cooperatively with their peers as they play football. Staff encourage good manners and sharing.

Children learn new skills such as fire safety when they make campfires with staff. This teaches children about how to manage risks.The staff and management of the club are passionate about creating opportunities for all children, regardless of their background.

Staff listen to children and take an interest in their lives. Children are immersed in new experiences. They take trips on the train and visit museums.

Children tell staff about activities that they would like to try. Staff use this to inform their planning and to ensure that every child has the same opportunities. Children take part in bowling and visit the theatre for the first time.

Partnerships with parents are very strong. Staff share information daily with parents. They pass on messages from teachers in the school and let them know what their child has been doing at the club.

Parents speak highly of the care that their children receive. They comment that they send their children to the club because of the range of activities that it offers. Staff get to know families very well.

They learn about the different family members that are involved in the child's life. Staff show care and concern, providing additional support to families in need. This contributes to the nurturing ethos that the staff and management have created.

The strong management team at the club works to drive improvement. It is committed to enhancing the provision and developing staff's practice. Staff reflect on practice regularly.

They work together to evaluate an activity, discuss the outcome and plan what they will do next time. Staff receive regular, meaningful supervision. This helps to determine appropriate training and fosters an attitude of continued professional development.

Staff comment that they are well supported, their well-being is a priority and they feel like part of a larger family.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The staff and management at the club have a very good understanding of their roles in safeguarding children.

They are able to identify the signs and symptoms of abuse and how to record their concerns. Staff know who to share their concerns with and how these are reported. The management team maintains a robust mobile phone policy.

Visitors' mobile phones are locked away for the duration of the visit in order to keep children safe. Staff conduct thorough risk assessments of the indoor and outdoor environments to ensure that equipment is safe to use. They encourage children to manage risks well.

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