Barracudas - Bishops Stortford

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This provision meets requirements Children are happy and have great fun at this club.

They arrive happily and are greeted by enthusiastic staff to spark their excitement for the day ahead. Staff support new children on their first day at the club. They sensitively encourage them to join in activities.

Staff have created an exciting environment with fun at the centre. Children benefit from a wide range of opportunities to be physically active in their play, both indoors and outside. Older children have opportunities to learn about speed as they explore motor sports outside and younger children laugh with delight as they play 'giant games', such as snakes an...d ladders, with their friends.

Enthusiastic staff use superb teaching skills to motivate and inspire children's learning. Children are incredibly keen learners and maintain high levels of engagement in activities. They listen and follow instructions very well and understand what is expected of them.

Staff are exceptional role models and children behave very well at the club. Young children laugh with delight as they run under the parachute with their friends. They have access to a vast array of opportunities that teach children about working together and turn taking.

Older children enjoy working together as a team. They cheer each other on during a game of table tennis and hug each other when they win.

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

Staff ensure learning is well sequenced throughout the club.

Younger children are supported with visual cues to support them with the routine of the day. Older children make choices in activities they would like to do with their friends. Children take pride in their achievements and celebrate these with staff.

Staff value children's artwork and put this on display within the play environment for others to see, to boost children's self-esteem. Older children enjoy learning about different occupations. They paint their own paper plates of what they would like to do as a job when they are older.

They confidently identify they would like to be 'scientists' and 'vets'.Children feel a sense of belonging at this club and nurturing staff support them to feel safe and secure. Children have multiple opportunities to learn the importance of keeping themselves safe.

Children confidently identify the rules of the club and staff support children to identify why behaviour rules are in place. Young children show great awareness of how to keep themselves safe when crossing a road and all children understand that they must stay in their designated groups.Staff support children to learn that after they have been energetic in activities that they need to stay hydrated with water.

Children confidently select their own healthy snack to eat from their packed meal. This supports children to develop a secure understanding of how to live a healthy lifestyle. Children show an embedded understanding of managing their own care routines.

Staff encourage children to wash their hands after activities and children attend to toileting independently.Managers and staff complete daily detailed risk assessments to ensure that all areas of the club are safe and secure for children. Staff receive specialist training for different types of activities, such as inflatables.

Staff complete their own specialist risk assessments to ensure activities are safe for children. Highly trained leaders and managers identify risky activities and explain how they monitor any accidents children have, to identify if any further precautions need to be made. This helps to create a reflective culture to ensure all children are kept safe from harm.

Leaders and managers ensure that all staff receive focused and highly effective professional development opportunities. Staff report that they feel very well supported. Experienced managers regularly observe staff practice to provide them with feedback to improve on the already high-quality care and education that is provided.

Parents are happy with the care their child receives at the club. They state staff are 'welcoming' and their children are keen to attend and want to come back again. Parents feel reassured that the club is well organised and they value the supportive staff and the varied activities they provide.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The club manager ensures children's safety is a priority. All staff complete safeguarding training prior to working at the club and this knowledge is tested by leaders and managers as part of their detailed induction training.

Staff confidently identify signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm and have a clear understanding of correct procedures they should follow for recording and reporting concerns. A detailed process ensures concerns are shared with appropriate outside professionals, including schools that children attend. Staff show good awareness of the action they would take if they were concerned over the conduct of a colleague.

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