Barracudas (Salisbury)

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children arrive at the club excited to take part in the broad range of sports and creative activities that are on offer to them. A familiar member of staff is ready to welcome them at the registration desk.

This helps children to feel safe and settle quickly. Staff carefully plan sessions throughout the day to provide a choice of both a physical activity and a quieter creative activity, giving children choice. Children are reminded of rules and boundaries that are often in place to keep them safe.

This helps them to behave well. Staff give children lots of positive encouragement. They use visual methods to remind children ...of how to behave and praise them for their good behaviour.

For example, younger children put their named star on a poster to reflect how they have used 'kind hands'. New arrangements have been implemented due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, to minimise risk to children. For example, children remain in consistent groups wherever possible and staff move around to new activities with their own group of children, helping to reduce children mixing.

During most activities, staff provide encouragement for children to build on their skills and knowledge. For example, at the 'Pop Stars' session, children are tasked with writing the words to their own songs, before they perform these to an audience. They think hard about words that rhyme and how these then link to the music.

Children are rewarded as staff recognise their efforts, boosting their confidence and self-esteem and encouraging them to have a go.

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

Children have fun and enjoy their time at the club. Most activities quickly capture children's interest and motivate them to join in.

Very occasionally, the way in which staff plan and present group activities is less effective. This can, sometimes, mean that children have to wait a long time for their turn. For example, during a craft activity, some children start to lose interest as they have to wait for a member of staff to put paint on their hands before printing this onto the cloth.

Children are able to make choices from the extremely wide variety of exciting activities on offer. Staff are quick to notice if children are not participating in their chosen activity and manage to involve them in a different way, such as becoming a judge or referee, rather than participating. This helps all children to feel involved and included.

However, staff do not always seek as much information as possible from the younger children about their interests, so that they can then use this when planning future activities.Children learn to listen well and begin to recognise the importance of this in keeping themselves and their friends safe. For example, when taking part in swimming and archery, children adhere to the clear boundaries and rules that staff have previously discussed with them.

Children form good relationships with their friends and with staff. Activities frequently encourage children to work together, such as when they move the large inflated ball along a line using only their feet. This helps them learn to value and respect each other.

Children's individual needs are clearly recorded when they sign-up to attend. Effective systems are in place to ensure that this information is well known to anyone who is involved in the care of children. For example, swimming pool staff are fully aware of children's differing abilities and individual needs to ensure that their time in the pool is enjoyable and safe.

Leadership and management is strong. Staff report that they receive good levels of support and coaching from the senior management team. This helps them to ensure they fulfil their roles and responsibilities and continue to develop new skills.

All staff are provided with thorough induction training. Staff working with early years children receive additional training and coaching from a qualified teacher, to help ensure they are meeting the needs of these younger children.Parents are reassured by the positive feedback they receive from their children and by how keen they are to attend.

They state they feel well informed about what children do during the day. The parents of younger children receive more detailed information about what their child has achieved at the camp through a brief written summary.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff receive training to help ensure they have the skills they need to manage any safeguarding concerns effectively. They demonstrate a suitable understanding of how to recognise possible signs of abuse. They know the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child, or about the conduct of a colleague.

They work effectively together to ensure children are supervised well at all times. Staff carry out effective risk assessments to help them ensure that activities and areas used by children are as safe as possible. Arrangements for staff recruitment and vetting are robust and contribute towards keeping children safe.

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